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WATCH: Red Hot Chilli Pipers and Phil Cunningham get Speyfest 25 off to amazing start


By Chris Saunderson

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A REAL feelgood Friday heralded the return of Speyfest.

James Harper of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers. Picture: Daniel Forsyth
James Harper of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers. Picture: Daniel Forsyth

The Scots traditional folk festival is off to a cracking start.

Speyfest 25 – celebrating the silver anniversary of the Fochabers festival – was headlined on the opening night by Phil Cunningham and friends, and the Red Hot Chilli Pipers who brought the marquee down with a sensational set at the Stomp.

Phil Cunningham was missing his partner of 35 years Aly Bain due to the latter undergoing back surgery earlier in the week.

Phil Cunningham's set was interspersed with great humour. Picture: Daniel Forsyth
Phil Cunningham's set was interspersed with great humour. Picture: Daniel Forsyth

A rapidly assembled trio was put together with fiddler John McCusker, former member of the Battlefield Band, and guitarist/multi instrumentalist Toby Shaer recruited at the 11th hour, who flew north from Essex.

"When you have people of that standard around you it is great," said Phil.

The three came together for the first time on Thursday night.

"I picked Toby up from the airport yesterday afternoon and we rehearsed at my house for three hours. John and I had done a couple of hours rehearsal at the beginning of the week.

"It all slotted together fairly quickly."

Aly had been hopeful of playing but his surgeon advised him not to make the journey to Fochabers.

"I couldn't be more happy with what went down tonight," added Phil. "We had a really good reaction from the crowd.

"There would be no way of replicating what Aly and I do because it is 35-years-old, so I thought rather than try and make a bad replica of it, we would try and do something a little bit different."

Local favourites Tour Bus Fortune were first on the main stage for the Stomp.

Ian Grigor, lead singer and fiddler, said: "We tried to get the crowd going and hopefully we did that. I was here in the first year with James (Alexander). I think I have missed one when I was away travelling.

"There was a bit of a cloud this year with James missing but he would have wanted it to carry on, and the committee have done a great job. They have taken the bull by the horns."

Tour Bus Fortune have played together for more than a decade and have been regulars at the festival.

"Speyfest have supported us a lot and gave us slots in the beer tent and then gave us the opportunity to play on the main stage. We like doing our bit for the festival."

The Milne's High Fiddlers had opened the proceedings for the evening concert and they were followed by the Claire Hastings Band.

Clare said: "It was such a great atmosphere and a lovely audience. We were supposed to be here two years ago but missed out because of Covid so it's good to finally make it.

"I've got a little girl now who is one so I don't get the chance to perform much so to be here tonight was a real treat for me.

"It's nice when I can take her along to concerts but tonight was just a little far to take her from Glasgow.

"I remember the last time I played here the crowd being really warm and welcoming, and a great singing crowd as well."

The hour-long set by the Chilli Pipers was electric and out of this world.

The energy filled the marquee as they romped through some classic tracks, with three pipers at the heart of the performance.

One of them, James Harper, has been a member of the band for four years since graduating from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

He said: "It was amazing. I came to Speysfest before I was even in the Chilli Pipers as a fan. My granny and grandpa had a caravan nearby and we came in 2014 or 2015, and I played her for the first time in 2018 with my friend's band and now I am back here in 2022 with the Chillis.

"Given everything that has happened with Covid and two years off, it is just amazing to play in front of your own people – people who are buzzing for Scottish music. There is such a rich culture of like Scottish and even Irish heritage up here.

"If you are into Scottish music, this is home for anyone involved in the scene.

"The tent was absolutely bouncing and it was really special, and it's great to be back.

"I was fresh out of uni and started touring the world with the Chillis. It is really humbling coming back to places like Speyfest where everbody knows your name, knows the band and the tracks. It's like being home."

Saturday at Speyfest included fiddler Duncan Chisholm, Colin Campbell and friends, Rura and the Elephant Sessions.

Find out more at https://speyfest.com/


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