The Tannahill Weavers

The Tannahill Weavers, who started as a band 20 years ago, occupy a unique position among the groups on the Scottish folk scene. Stalwarts Roy Gullane and Phil Smillie have surrounded themselves with a rotating cast of great musicians. Their music, which uses the Highland bagpipe, flute, and fiddle as its melodic core, is tighter, more intense, and harder-driven than the Battlefield Band, Silly Wizard, or their other contemporaries. Despite their mostly acoustic sound, they're the closest thing to a rock & roll band in intensity and attitude that the traditional Scottish music scene has to offer. Green Linnet Records has been the major force in promoting the Weavers, releasing more than a dozen albums over three decades. In 2000, the label continued that trend into the next millennium by releasing Alchemy.

from Wikipedia:

The Tannahill Weavers are a popular band who performs traditional Scottish music. Releasing their first album in 1976 they became notable for being one of the first popular bands to incorporate the sound of the Great Highland Bagpipe (the Highland bagpipes are primarily a solo instrument) in an ensemble setting, and in doing so helped to change the sound of Scottish traditional music.

The band was formed in 1968, practicing in a back room of the McKay family's rented Council house at 41 St. Ninian's Road, Hunterhill, Paisley and first performed at St. Peter's Folk Club, Glenburn, Paisley. The Club was run by Pat Doherty, father of Weavers' founding member Neil Doherty.

As of 2011, they continue to tour and release new recordings. They are named after Scottish poet Robert Tannahill and have recorded several of his songs.

Members

The current members of the band are:

Roy Gullane (guitar, vocals)Phil Smillie (simple system flute, tin whistles, bodhrán, vocals)John Martin (fiddle, cello, viola, vocals)Colin Melville (Highland bagpipes, Scottish smallpipes, tin whistles)

Roy Gullane and Phil Smillie have been members of the band since its inception.

Past members have included:

Leslie Wilson(bouzouki, keyboards, bass pedals, guitar, vocals)Alan MacLeod (Highland bagpipes, tin whistles, mandola, organ, vocals)Bill Bourne (vocals, bouzouki, guitar, electric guitar, fiddle, keyboards, bass pedals)Dougie MacLean (fiddle, mandolin, vocals, guitar, tenor banjo)Duncan J. Nicholson (Highland bagpipes, Scottish smallpipes, tin whistles)Gordon Duncan (Highland bagpipes, tin whistles)Hudson Swan (bouzouki, vocals, fiddle, glockenspiel, mandolin)Iain MacInnes (Highland bagpipes, Scottish smallpipes, tin whistles, vocals)Kenny Forsyth (Highland bagpipes, Scottish smallpipes, tin whistles)Mike Ward (fiddle, guitar, vocals)Ross Kennedy (bouzouki, fiddle, bass pedals, vocals)Stuart Morison (fiddles, bones, guitar)John Cassidy (whistles, vocals) - founding memberStuart McKay (vocals, guitar, penny whistle) - founding memberNeil Doherty (vocals, guitar, mandolin, penny whistle) - founding memberJim McGowan (vocals) - founding member