“A wondrous, perfectly-paced display by musicians firmly in command of their art… a Highland jam that rang the barn’s rafters.” -- The Washington Post
“as fresh as new mown hay...their live show was a revelation, their new album is a keeper.” -- Irish Music Magazine
Named “Scottish Folk Band of the Year” at the 2013 Scots Trad Music Awards, Battlefield Band has been a bedrock of talent for over four decades, blending the rich heritage of Celtic music and contemporary Scottish style into an inspired fusion that resonates with rare passion and joy. Mixing old songs with original material, the allure of their music is enhanced by a unique combination of ancient and modern instruments—from guitar and bass, to bouzouki, whistles and pipes. The band’s most recent album, Room Enough For All, illustrates once again that they are among the most relevant contemporary composers and interpreters of Celtic music today.
Named after the Glasgow suburb of Battlefield, where the group was formed by four student friends in 1969, they have now been on the world's roads for over 40 years, distilling their own unique form of the Scottish spirit and bottling it in concert and onto disc. They've performed in Germany, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, Syria, Jordan, India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, U.S.A., Canada, Uzbekistan, China and the U.K; breaking down barriers and pioneering many new directions which others have followed. Angry, joyful, raucous, contemplative, their music is most importantly - accessible to all.
During the years there have obviously been line-up changes and indeed the band are remarkable for the smooth and organic way in which these changes have taken place. Their continued creativity, freshness and enthusiasm is due to the positive way they have viewed, and used, these changes - and of course the new musicians themselves have been of prime importance. Musical evidence of these changes can be heard on their many albums made over the years.
Battlefield Band is Alasdair White (fiddle, whistle, bazouki, Highland and small pipes), Sean O’ Donnell (vocals, guitar), Ewen Henderson (fiddle, bagpipes, whistles, piano, vocals) and Mike Katz (Highland pipes, small pipes, whistles, bass guitar, guitar).