Broughton-based 'ceilidh-vs-DJ band' Whisky Kiss are playing in New York (Breaking news 7.3.11) this month. Bassist Iain McPhail (second from left) gives us the inside news.
DAY ONE
Insane schedule (totally self-inflicted) began with 4.00am rise, flight to London, then to JFK. Limo straight to the awesome Hammerstein Ballroom. Located by Madison Square Garden, it was commissioned by Hammerstein of Rogers & Hammerstein fame. Turns out that, in the weeks preceding the arrival of Whisky Kiss, the venue played host to little-known acts such as Rihanna, Jay-Z and Lady Gaga.
We were pretty thrilled with the set-up and had invited world-champion breakdancers The Brooklyn B-boys to work with us – so they threw all sorts of crazy balletic shapes and moves while we played our music – which is a mix of house and dance music, mixed by our DJ, while the band play live fiddles, whistles, pipes and beats over the top.
Our new CD came out just in time for Tartan Week and one of the tracks is a D minor reel 'mashed up' with the Ojays' classic hit 'For the love of money'. We call it Trump Tartan, which we hope is fitting. Well, who was there last night but Donald Trump himself, and Don Junior? We are actually quite big fans of the Apprentice USA on BBC, and we managed to blag our way to an audience with Big Donald, and presented him with a copy of the CD.
The evening descended into the surreal when – after our last set at the afterparty – a guy came up and asked our guitarist if he could have a loan of his guitar to sing 'Knockin on Heaven's Door' to finish the night. It was Keifer Sutherland. So we accompanied him, and brought the night to a fitting finale.
Other people we caught included Paolo Nutini (singing a a haunting rendition of 'Caledonia'), Billy Connolly, and rugby stars Thom Evans and Ritchie Gray. All in all, spectacular.
Today we are off to do Whisky Live at Pier 60 in Chelsea, and a memorial concert for the victims of 9/11 near Wall Street. Today is, of course, Tartan Day, being 705 years since the Declaration of Arbroath.
More tomorrow, cheers!
Iain