Inveraray & District rising fastest to Pre-World’s sell-out
They haven’t won the World’s. They haven’t won an RSPBA major championship. They haven’t even released a CD as a Grade 1 band. But the Inveraray & District Pipe Band, with little more than 150 tickets still left for the 2,000-seat Glasgow Royal Concert Hall “Ascension” show on August 14th, will probably set a record for fastest ticket sales ever for the annual “Pre-World’s” concert.
Promoted and organized by the Grade 2 Glasgow Skye Association Pipe Band, band secretary Dougie Orr estimated that the event could match Simon Fraser University in 2009 and St. Laurence O’Toole in 2010 as the only concerts sold out before August.
“Sales of tickets for “Ascension” are now at a stage where there is limited capacity,” Orr said. “With only 162 seats left, it looks as though Inveraray & District are close to selling out the 2,000 seat auditorium. This is a phenomenal achievement for a band that has yet to win a major championship in Grade 1. Yet ticket sales would suggest that the interest in seeing this band perform on the big stage is on a par with the all-time greats.”
In the final run up to secure the remaining tickets, Orr said Inveraray & District will award the person who buys the last ticket an Ascension t-shirt, a signed Ascension poster, and a copy of the forthcoming CD from the concert.
If all seated tickets sell-out 100 standing-room tickets will be released at £15 each.
Inveraray & District first competed as a band in 2005 in the Novice Juvenile category and was promoted to Grade 1 for 2010 after winning the Grade 2 event at all five RSPBA championships in 2009. The five-season rise from Novice Juvenile to Grade 1 is the fastest in pipe band history.
Pretty simple explanation for all this ¨C they play excellent material with a very rich, broad and lovely sound and have, in my opinion, the most dynamic and entertaining ensemble by a fairly big margin. Their well selected MSRs are dripping with expression and their medley selections and structures are out on their own for listening pleasure, and not overdone for the sake of it. They are out in front by a long way for entertainment. If their contest material is anything to go by, the concert material will be exquisite. I just hope we get a pipe band in a more raw sense, and don¡¯t get too many of the usual ¡®tick the box¡¯/¡¯must do¡¯ concert clich¨¦s like the ubiquitous ¡®techno¡¯-backed suite and an overuse of backing instruments/tracks. That horse has been flogged mercilessly to the point where all that stuff is now old hat. That said, I¡¯m sure they are astute and I¡¯m looking forward to this a lot.
Well said Lawrie. I’ve gotta say I’m looking forward to this one…