Macleod

The Irish uilleann pipes are the sound behind Braveheart, Rob Roy, The Last Of The Mohicans and Riverdance, and the below-decks scene in Titanic. Macleod plays them, along with wooden flute and tin whistle, out of central Victoria. Traditional Celtic music, mostly Irish with some Scottish: airs, laments, marches, jigs, reels and slides, all instrumental. Solo or as a duo the repertoire leans to the haunting end, which suits weddings, funerals and wakes. There's a trio available when you want the fast jigs and a fuller, livelier sound, and the band can grow beyond that. What sets the approach apart is the preparation. He asks questions first, then goes away and rehearses the specific performance, right down to whether you want him dressed formally, casually, or like something out of an old film. He plays acoustically or through his own small PA, and needs an armless chair and shelter from weather extremes, since humidity and heat play havoc with the reeds.