Congratulations to Treacherous Orchestra who have been nominated in Belhaven Bursary for Innovation in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2019. Vote now!
We asked Mark Whyles of Treacherous Orchestra the following questions.
Tell us about yourself
SCOTS TRAD MUSIC AWARDS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2015
A joyous 11-piece explosion of instrumental brilliance, rampaging humour and cracking tunes, Treacherous Orchestra take modern Scottish dance music into a thrilling new dimension.
Widely praised for their stunning and exciting live shows, they have electrified audiences wherever they’ve played – from remote Hebridean islands to European festivals; from sell-out shows at Celtic Connections to main stage at the world-renowned Cambridge Folk Festival.
Featuring bagpipes, whistles, flutes, fiddles, accordion, banjo, guitars, bass, drums and percussion, their tightly crafted arrangements far transcend mere force of numbers, aligning richly layered, colourful melodies with muscular, yet sophisticated rhythmic interplay, forging an irresistibly danceable sound that never fails to get a crowd on its feet.
Why are you involved in Scottish music?
We are intrinsically involved in Scottish music. We were born from the ashes of the scene at a time when boundaries were being pushed and records were being broken. We were one of the first to create a trad “supergroup” and actually managed to tour it, make two albums and keep the scene alive on a tiny budget! (with 15 mouths to feed!)
Any particular career highlights?
Our highlights have to be the big gigs we played such as Hyde Park London, Rudolstadt Germany, Ortiguera Asturias, Colours of Ostrava Czechia and every Celtic Connections gig we ever played in Glasgow. It’s so nice to play at home to a sold-out venue with a totally-up-for-it crowd!
What are your plans for the future?
We have a third album in the pipeline and for a while we were focussing on our own individual careers and making babies etc. but now it’s high time we hit it hard and made that album no. 3!
Read more about Treacherous Orchestra
https://www.treacherousorchestra.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TreacherousOrchestra
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/treacherouso
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/TreacherousOrchestra
If you wish to attend the final ceremony, tickets are are priced £25 (+ Booking Fee), and Concessions are available. To book please call Aberdeen Music Hall Box Office on 01224 641122, or visit: https://www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/whats-on/all-shows/the-mg-alba-scots-trad-music-awards/2734. Bands performing on Saturday 7th December include Skerryvore, Session A9, Benedict Morris (BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award Winner 2019), Heisk, Aberdeenshire Youth Band, Sian, Robyn Stapleton, Mairi Campbell and the Pendulum Band, Susan MacFadyen Scottish Dance Band and more to be announced. There will also be a late night ceilidh after the Awards till 1am.
If you would like to support Hands Up for Trad in their work with Scottish trad music and musicians please consider supporting our Patreon campaign. We have 3 tiers starting at $1 a month and everything helps support us in our work. Read more at www.patreon.com/handsupfortrad