UK Agent - Alan Bearman

Alan Bearman Music specialises in folk, roots and acoustic music and, with over 20 years experience of major festivals and events, represents some of the leading artists on the scene.

Battlefield Band are very pleased to now be working with Alan Bearman as our UK agent. Anyone who is interested in organising a UK concert with Battlefield Band should contact Alan directly using the details below:

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Dookin! New Battlefield Band album out now!

Available now at: Temple Records Secure Online Shop

'...they remain quite simply the acme of their genre... These are musicians enjoying themselves doing what they do best, and should be essential listening for anyone interested in the way our traditions are being enhanced and expanded, without losing sight of their origins.'
Gordon Potter, Living Tradition, October 2007

"Wow! Not only are Battlefield Band prolific, they're also frighteningly consistent. 'Dookin'' is another stunning album release in a long line of stunning album releases!"
Toxic Pete August 2007, pre-release review

"The unmistakeable sound, spirit and consistent quality of the top Scottish band is undiminished after 30 years and almost as many albums. Songs and tunes to stir the heart"
BBC Radio 2 Folk & Acoustic Website

It's only been out for a few weeks but Temple Records have already had so much positive feedback this album and there's been some nice reviews too. It seems to have struck a chord with everyone! You can hear the title track from the album on the Temple Records website here, and it's also on the Battlefield Band MySpace site

'Dookin' is the Scots word for what you do at hallowe'en - as in 'dookin' for apples' and that is just what Battlefield Band have been doing for all these years – Dookin' into the great pool of Scottish (and Irish) music and song.

Indeed they have added to that pool with songs and tunes of their own, to the delight of all.After 30 years, and nearly as many solo and band albums, what can you say? There is always a continuity from one album to the next but, from this band of virtuoso and creative musicians, there is always something new and surprising. Newly discovered and self-penned songs and tunes - guests invited, not for their celebrity, but for their musicianship - new instruments and sounds.

It's released on Temple Records (Temple Records COMD2100) and is available now through the Temple Records online shop & in all good record stores.

You can hear a clip from the album and buy it online here

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The New Album:
Dookin'

 

Tour Diaries-A-GoGo

Three super-min-duper-min sets of tour notes for your pleasure:

USA SPRING TOUR 2007
Firstly, prompt as anything, the diaries from the US spring 2007 Road Trip tour are now online. Topical, hard hitting and mostly made up; read 'em and sleep/weep (delete as appropriate) Click here

UK SPRING TOUR 2006
Secondly, only 10 months late, due to industrial action, espionage, sabotage & old-age, combined with a severe case of procrastination, the 'lost' tourdiaries from last April are now up on the Battlefield Band website. Click here

CHINA 2006
And last but by no means least,. the tour diaries from last years tour of China are now online too - you can see them here

 

 

 

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"Look into our eyes, not around the eyes - you're under.You will read the tour diaries and enjoy them. Awake."

The Road Of Tears Album

click here to find 'The Road Of Tears' in the Temple Records secure online shop
where you can hear a 1min mp3 sample of the title track

'The Road Of Tears' was released through Temple Records and should be available from all good record shops. It can also be ordered directly from the 'Battlefield Band' section of Temple Records secure on-line web shop: www.templerecords.co.uk

Temple Records Telephone orders can be placed on: +44 (0)1875 830 328

Battlefield Band - The Road Of Tears:
Emigrants and emigration are making the headlines all over the world. The problems and benefits are highlighted in the press, the TV, radio and discussed in pubs, over the dining table, and in dubiously reasoned political debate, as politicians search for the populist vote. The path of emigration is a well-trodden one in the history of the Celtic nations, so it is no surprise that many songs and compositions have been inspired by the subject. Battlefield Band have touched on the subject on past albums. On this album, as they were rehearsing and recording, the theme of 'displacement of people' sort of took over.

Battlefield Band have not tried to come up with any answers; just music and song, contemporary and traditional that show how the issue of 'Immigration' has always been as relevant as it is today.

The subject of Immigration has inspired much great and moving music and many words, and highlighted on this album are experiences from Scotland, Ireland, the Americas and Australia, plus a setting by Alan Reid of Robbie Burns popular poem 'To A Mouse', as well as a couple of bonus songs from previous albums.

The title track 'The Road of Tears' is a very strong song composed by Alan Reid. Certainly the audience response to when they recently played on Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion shows that it has touched the emotions and sensitivities of many people. Here are some quotes from some of the many emails received at Temple Records about it:

“I heard the song, Road of Tears, on the Prairie Home Companion. It is truly an awesome song, and had me literally in tears”

“I was listening to "Prairie Home Companion" and heard a fantastic song called 'Road of Tears', I was deeply touched”.

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The Road Of Tears

Great Reviews for Alasdair White's first solo CD - 'An Clàr Geal'

 

This first solo release from Battlefield Band's highly regarded young virtuoso fiddle player has had a superb reception since its release in November 2006. We're all really pleased for him at Temple Records because we know just how talented he is and it's great to see him getting the acclaim he deserves:

"...exciting, stirring, fresh, moving... ... brilliantly played and arranged. I would rank this as one of my top albums of the year and I can't recommend it highly enough"
Shreds & Patches, Spring '07

"...a thoughtful and stylish album"
Scotland On Sunday, 12.11.06

"...the best thing to come out of Stornoway since Charlie MacLeod's black pudding"
The Glasgow Herald, 18.11.06

If you haven't heard An Clàr Geal yet, well - shame on you,
but you can read all about it below, and also
hear a full preview track and place online secure orders for it at: www.templerecords.co.uk

Distribution for this album, and all other Temple Records releases is now done by Burnside Distribution in the USA.
http://www.bdcdistribution.com
Interested retailers can contact them on tel: (503) 231 0876

Alasdair White is already well known as Battlefield Band’s virtuoso fiddle player. In these past four or five years, his musicianship and tune making have had a great influence on the bands repertoire and continuing success, and playing with Battlefield Band has given him that wider audience that his music deserves. Now aged 23, having been highly regarded and talked about since his early teens, An Clàr Geal (The White Album) is his first solo album

Alasdair grew up on the Isle of Lewis, in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, where Gaelic language and music remain important influences on the culture of the Islands and Scotland in general. For those fiddle enthusiasts among you, he plays in what might be called a “North-west” Scottish style, heavily derived from the piping tradition. For those that love just good music, then Alasdair’s playing and tune making offer a privileged panorama of the exciting traditional music of Scotland today.

Alasdair plays fiddle and whistles on this album and is also joined by Aaron Jones (bouzouki, bass guitar), Ewen McPherson (guitar, tromb, mandolin, banjo), Mike Katz (Scottish small pipes, highland pipes), Iain Copeland (percussion), Russell Hunter (piano) & Alison Kinnaird (Scottish harp)

Click here to find out more

Catalogue No: Temple Records COMD2099

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Battlefield Band Concert Video Clip

The set of music played in this clip is taken from the latest album:
The Road Of Tears (Temple Records COMD2098)
available from www.templerecords.co.uk

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(Only recommended for broadband users)

This 5min clip was taken from a concert in the Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh, in Scotland.

The full concert will be available early in 2008 on DVD - keep checking here and on the Temple Records website for the latest info.

 

The Dookin' Tour:
Swiss, Dutch & German dates coming up, US & Canadian shows in Feb/March 2008

No rest for the wicked, and none for Battlefield Band either. The boys are on the road right now with a tour which will take them to Switzerland, Holland & Germany in January & February. In the middle of all that they flew back to the UK for a few English shows in February too, before flying back out to Germany to pick up where they left off. There's not much chance to catch their collective breath at the end of all that before they set off at the end of February for the USA & Canada until late March.

The boys are really enjoying themselves on the road just now and of course it comes through in the music so it's a great time to catch them live; here's some feedback we received from the show a few days ago:

'just got back from your concert in Speyer – what a performance! It was just marvellous. Loved the Klezmer elements – exhilarating!...You are all truly gifted musicians. And goodness - polyglots too!'
from Karen Hessas. Sent via email to Temple Records 23/01/08

You can find more information and contact details for all the Swiss, Dutch & German, US & Canadian dates at: www.battlefieldband.co.uk/tourdates If you can't come along to any of the shows this time around please do tell all your friends and relatives to try and make it - there should be some great nights along the way!

Germany, Switzerland & Holland: Tour News
Heading to: Darmstadt, Troisdorf-Sieglar, Hanau, Speyer, CH-Basel, Offenburg, Lauf-Dehnberg, Esslingen, CH-Baar, Ennigerloh, NL-Sevenum, Eckernförde, Osnabrück, Losheim, Taunusstein, NL-Vlissingenand.
You can see the tour dates here

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US & Canada: Tour News
There are more US tourdates in February and March 2008 and there are also Canadian dates scheduled for March 2008. So far there are US shows in Dallas TX, Houston TX, Berkeley CA, Santa Monica CA, Mt Vernon WA, Hamilton MT, Helena MT, Billings MT, Carrboro NC & Newport News VA, and Canadian dates in Banff AB, Sherwood Park AB & Calgary AB. There will be more dates added to this tour so keep checking the tour dates page to stay up to date with all the shows.

Temple Records have had some great feedback on this tour from fans (old hands and new converts!) who have managed to catch the band this time around:

'I heard them play yesterday in Hartford. This band is amazing'
(posted on YouTube, 30th Sept 2007)

Saw Battlefield Band at the Night Eagle in Binghamton NY. Great music, great show, great humor, great venue. Just a wonderful night out. Keep up the awesome work gentlemen!!
(by email to Temple Records, 9th Oct 2007)

I saw you guys in St.Pete, Fl on Saturday, and I just wanted to say you were awesome!
(comment posted on MySpace, 8th Oct 2007)

'Hello, all! My compliments on the Saturday performance at the Palladium in St. Petersburg, Florida! What a great show... It was a small risk to go to the show because I hadn't heard your music before but I am so glad that I had an opportunity to see y'all on stage! I very much look forward to seeing Battlefield Band again when you come back to Florida. Cheers!'
(by email to Temple Records, 8th Oct 2007)

Just saw you folks at the Iron Horse in Northampton Massachusetts, it was a great evening and it did make my daughters birthday really special. Thanks for a great show hope to see you again
(by email to Temple Records, 18th Oct 2007)

The band are in great form just now, really enjoying their music, the live shows are firing on all four cylinders and they've got a brilliant new album too, so don't miss out - make it along to one of the shows on the Dookin' tour if you can. If you can't come along to any of the concerts this time around please do give your friends and relatives a 'heads up' about the shows - there should be some great nights along the way.

This is a brilliant time to see Battlefield Band; they're really enjoying touring - having played in Kuala Lumpur, Australia, the UK, the USA, Germany & China in the last year, the line-up has gelled perfectly and the recent concerts have been great. As the Washington Post wrote in November 2006:

"It was a wondrous, perfectly paced display by musicians firmly in command of their art... ..The band mates' chemistry at this point is uncanny. After all this time Alan Reid has found his best Battlefield Band in years"
Washington Post, 10.11.06

To find out the details for any of the shows, check the tour dates

Check out the video above to see what you’re missing if you don't go!

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The New Album:
Dookin'
Available Sept 2007

 

 

 

Listen again - Battlefield Band on A Prairie Home Companion

Battlefield Band finished their Oct/Nov 2005 tour with an appearance on the legendary radio show 'A Prairie Home Companion', hosted by Garrison Keillor, and appeared again on PHC on the 2nd Dec 2006.

PHC have an online archive of previous shows so you can hear recordings of both of these performances if you've got a broadband connection and real player (The PHC website tells you how to install this) . Just click on the links below to choose a show:

Battlefield Band on Prairie Home Companion November 2005. Other guests on the show are Jearlyn Steele & Andy Stein:
http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/programs/2005/11/26/

Battlefield Band on Prairie Home Companion, December 2006. Other guests on the show, The Boys of the Lough, Tim Russell, Sue Scott, and Fred Newman & . Andy Stein.
http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/programs/2006/12/02/

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Garrison Keillor

Newsletter

Temple Records produce an occasional e-mail newsletter to keep you up to date with their artists, including news about Battlefield Band's tour dates, tour diary updates and new releases.

You can request to have your address removed from the list at any time and your email address will never be disclosed to any other party.

Click here to sign up

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A Month of Sundays - Mike Katz's solo album

On this long anticipated album, Mike plays the Highland Bagpipes (the big pipes) the sweet 'small pipes' and various whistles, plus bass guitar and has also been joined by various friends: renowned jazz guitarist Kevin MacKenzie (recent winner of a Creative Scotland Award); Tannahill Weaver's fiddler John Martin; concertina mainman Simon Thoumire and of course his Battlefield Band colleague Alasdair White, also on fiddle.

The album features material ranging from very old traditional tunes to his own compositions, laced with some music from his Breton trips. As always with Mike there are lots of good stories about the music and the man's musicality will appeal to all who hear it.

"A Month of Sundays" is out now on Temple Records and should be available from all good record shops. It can also be ordered directly from the 'bagpipe' section of Temple Records secure on-line web shop: www.templerecords.co.uk

Temple Records Telephone orders can be placed on: +44 (0)1875 830 328

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A Month Of Sundays