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  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by MacKenzie View Post
    All this got me to thinking. I have been in attendance at several occasions where a piper-for-hire played. Their dress choice has ranged from the guy in the YouTube video I posted earlier, to smart, "traditional" daywear, to a full blown drum/pipe major including the bearskin.
    Most pipers play in bands and for many the kit their band issued them is the only Highland attire they have.

    So prior to the 1970s when bands either wore civilian Evening Dress or military-style Full Dress that's how pipers would show up at gigs.

    Then in the 1970s and 1980s a new band kit emerged: black Argyll + black Glengarry + white hose + black Ghillies. So pipers would show up like that.

    Lastly in the 2000's bands ditched their jackets and white hose and the current pipe band kit emerged: black waistcoat + black Glengarry + black hose + black Ghillies. This is in the process of changing, with more bands going with tweed waistcoats and variously-coloured hose. A few daring bands are switching to Balmorals. And thus will most pipers appear at gigs.

    A minority of pipers spend fair amounts of money on personal kit and are more fashion-conscious. Some maintain Evening outfits for more formal gigs. A few maintain the old military-style Full Dress.

    Then we used to have one piper around here (in truth calling him a "piper" is being kind) who would show up for gigs in a dirty white shirt, girl's plaid skirt, athletic socks, and a strange fake sporran.

    I do need to point out that pipers don't wear bearskin hats, neither do Highland soldiers. They wear Feather Bonnets.

    In the Scots Guards you have mixed kit, with the pipers wearing kilts and Feather Bonnets and the rest of the regiment (including the Drum Major and drummers in the Pipes & Drums) wearing the ordinary Guards uniform of black trousers, scarlet tunics, and bearskin hats.



    Quote Originally Posted by MacKenzie View Post
    So my question for Richard and any other pipers that do gigs like that: Do people ask or comment about what you're wearing?
    Generally clients assume that the piper will show up looking fit for purpose.

    It's not common, but I have had clients ask for a photo of me in costume.

    I'm near Hollywood and those people are sometimes very show-conscious. I've played at weddings where there's an actual script.

    I've done events where the show-runner dictates what the musicians wear, generally entirely in black, so I've piped in black trousers, black shirt, and black tie. One show-runner said our band had to wear black pants and "jewel-toned" shirts. (We ended up in Emerald green, Sapphire blue, Ruby red, etc.) I played for one wedding held out in the desert where all the musicians had to be dressed head-to-foot in desert tan/khaki/stone outfits so we blended with the surroundings.

    At one event the musicians had to go to the makeup room before performing (we sneaked around a back way and avoided it, but one woman got caught and joined us in full stage makeup).

    Back in the 1980s and 1990s I was doing 40 or 50 weddings a year and I always enquired about the "wedding colours" beforehand. I would do my best to fit the colour-scheme and Brides appreciated it. Likewise when I play school gigs I try to match the school colours- it wouldn't do to show up wearing their rival's colours!
    Last edited by OC Richard; 27th March 25 at 06:22 AM.
    Proud Mountaineer from the Highlands of West Virginia; son of the Revolution and Civil War; first Europeans on the Guyandotte

  2. The Following 2 Users say 'Aye' to OC Richard For This Useful Post:


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