Angus McPhail looked almost dreamy-eyed at the prospect of celebrating his band’s 25th anniversary with a brace of high-profile concerts next month.
After all, he happily admits there was no grand plan, no future-proofed design when he met Andrew Stevenson at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 1999.
The pair shared similar tastes, performed a string of gigs in and around Glasgow, and eventually settled on a name for their group. And thus it was that Skipinnish was born.
As a proud native of Tiree, Angus relished playing traditional music wherever there was an audience while forming a rare symbiosis with Lochaber-born Andrew. But he spoke as if he couldn’t quite believe where luck, talent and tenacity have taken the duo.
He said: “If you had told me at the start we would be playing at Bught Park in Inverness [on July 6] and Edinburgh Castle [July 12], within six days of each other, in front of more than 13,000 people, I would have replied: ‘You’ve been drinking a dodgy whisky.”
It’s a far cry from the early days of touring the Highlands and Islands, gradually creating a repertoire of their own material, even as they established a fanbase which began in the dozens and has gradually increased into the thousands.
At that stage, a busy pub signified a worthwhile gig, with the youngsters prepared to work on the basis that it often takes a long time to become an overnight success.
Runrig’s inspiration was always there for Skipinnish
They were a small ceilidh band who now generate a storm of pulsating music, such as when they appeared at the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival in Portsoy last week.
And, bolstered by the example of Runrig and Capercaillie – “both bands, long-time heroes of ours” – Skipinnish have advanced into one of the leading acts on the thriving traditional scene.
Angus told me: “Back in the early 2000s, when we were still in our fledgling years, Runrig and Capercaillie were the only trad bands who could attract crowds of 2,000, 3,000 and that had been the case for many years.
“But things have changed and very much for the better. Now, you have six or seven different groups who are in that same sphere and the circuit is in great health.
“Much of that growth is down to the pioneering work of these two groups. It is a huge honour that Malcolm Jones of Runrig and Karen Matheson of Capercaillie are joining us as guests of our anniversary celebrations.
Lots of positive things have happened for Skipinnish
“A huge number of factors have helped, including the Mod, the Feis movement [tuition festivals for children and young people, which celebrates the music and song culture connected with the Gaelic language] the traditional course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland [formerly the RSAMD] and, of course, the success of Celtic Connections.
“You can’t overestimate what these groups and other individuals have achieved and I am very, very positive about the future.
“The sheer number of musicians and singers who are around nowadays and the size of the audiences going to trad music events is huge.”
With more than 20 trad festivals taking place this year, including Celtic Connections, Orkney Folk Festival, Edinburgh Tradfest, Shetland Folk Festival, Stonehaven Folk Festival, Ceolas and HebCelt – which has partnered with Isle of Harris Distillery in allowing up-and-coming artists to perform – the music landscape is flourishing.
So this isn’t a dusty throwback to the days of Andy Stewart and the White Heather Club. It’s a living, breathing vibrant cultural phenomenon and Angus was energised and excited as he talked about travelling to Germany, Denmark, Spain and France, even if Skipinnish haven’t made it to the United States so far – “but we’ll get round to it”.
Which brought us round to discussing why this renaissance has happened.
Angus said: “It’s across all ages and a very significant part of the expansion was the development of Gaelic Medium Education, which has given so much confidence to youngsters and allowed them to flourish in their own culture and identity.
“It’s a virtuous circle, the cumulative impact of a lot of hard work which has been done by a huge spread of organisations and individuals in the Highlands and beyond.
We’re tapping into a magical well
“I grew up listening to this music and so did so many others. Yet now, there are so many platforms on which to perform and the number of festivals has helped us all.
“Basically, there is a bedrock of one of the richest indigenous musical traditions in the world which we’re tapping into and it offers a wonderful foundation on which to build.”
Angus and Andrew’s chance meeting at the end of the last century has had auspicious consequences for both Scots. It might have originated with earthy teenage kicks – “the usual debauchery that students get up to” – but the duo have recorded myriad albums, appeared at a plethora of festivals and are now genuinely in the big league.
All of which surely means they can look forward to carrying on into retirement? Erm, not at all, responded the man right in front of me. Nothing is assured in this realm.
Who knows what’s coming next?
He said: “We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, because it’s a very changeable business when you are working in music. At the moment, we’re feeling lucky and looking forward to the two biggest gigs we have ever done, which is a dream come true.
“But we could be sitting here next year, talking about life for Angus MacPhail after the high point of Skippinish. Or we could be speaking about a bigger gig somewhere on the horizon. Who knows? And I certainly don’t like to predict these things.
“I’m much more confident in what lies ahead for trad music. But bands come and go and we’ve had a very enjoyable 25 years and made so many memories and friends.
“It has been a joy right from the beginning, but it’s an unpredictable old journey, so we take every high point with immense gratitude. Then see what happens next.
Could there be another 25 years for Skipinnish?
“I don’t really have any advice for youngsters who might want to play their music and go on tour except to say: ‘Put the work in, not just with your head, but your heart.
“It’s a path I am certainly very glad I followed and, hopefully, there will be another 25 years of Skipinnish. But that is out of our hands….”
Further information is available at: skipinnish.com
