A TALE OF TWO BANDS
Interactive gaming, traditional Scots music and rock royalty feature in a major show at this year’s Celtic Connections festival.
THEY’RE members of two of Scotland’s biggest rock bands, playing hit songs to tens of thousands of fans in arenas around the world.
Yet tonight, they’ll take concert-goers into a world of fantasy, traditional music and live-action combat in a unique crossover performance fusing traditional Scots music and Gaelic singing with interactive gaming.
Simple Minds bass player Ged Grimes will lead a team of musicians and singers, including Deacon Blue guitarist Gregor Philp, in a one-off performance of the soundtrack from an American-made computer game set in 18th century Scotland.
The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep is a contemporary spin-off following the success of the series’ original gaming trilogy in the 1980s. Players fight an evil force which has lain in wait for hundreds of years following mysterious events at Skara Brae, Orkney’s famous neolithic settlement.
The adventure is set against hours of Celtic music, scored exclusively for the game by Mr Grimes, working with a number of prominent musicians from Scotland’s traditional scene.
Mr Grimes, from Dundee, was approached by New Orleans-based game developers inxile Entertainment.
Collaborating with musicians and singers from the Scots and Gaelic musical backgrounds, Mr Grimes was inspired by a visit to Japan to stage a live version of the music from the game featuring a full band.
Tonight, his vision will be realised at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall as part of Celtic Connections.
Mr Grimes said: “Years ago I met Nobuo Uimatsu in Japan. He composes the music for the Final Fantasy games, and was one of the first to take an orchestra out to play the music from the games.
“That really intrigued me, it made me realise there was an audience for this.”
The event, directed by Dundee Rep’s Andrew Panton, will feature performances from singers including Kathleen Macinnes, Fiona Hunter, Eilidh Cormack, and narration from actor John Buick.
Mr Grimes worked on the soundtrack across several years, between international tours of America, Mexico and Australia with Simple Minds.
He said: “One thing Simple Minds have done, which I have total respect for, is that they’ve never rested on their laurels.
“We did an acoustic tour a few years ago which tied in well with what I did on the games.
“But this has opened up a world of incredible young Gaelic singers and musicians who are confident, multi- talented individuals with a real pride in their culture and they want their culture and their language to be relevant and used.”
The Bard’s Tale: Live Premiere is at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall as part of Celtic Connections tonight.
They have a real pride in their culture