PL! 3 – lifted spirits, and we are ready

event, Joe Stewart (Canada), John Campbell (Scotland) and Alexander Schiele (Canada)

But first a quick stop at George Square where we caught the Grade 3A Midlothian Scottish Pipe Band from Chicago performing for an audience of mostly tourists who enjoyed the weather and the music. Piping Live! invests a lot in these ongoing pipe band performances, most bands marching from the steps of the Concert Hall down several blocks to George Square. They are paid decently for these gigs and are a welcome source of funds, especially for younger and far-travelled groups.

And to Pipe Idol: tt was Scott Barrie who the secret judges put through to the final on the Thursday afternoon. Barrie will go up against Monday winner Callum Watson of Scotland, Tuesday winner Robbie MacIsaac and the eventual winner of the Thursday round, so we will see if the Grand Finale is an all-Scottish group of four.

We wanted to get to the Drumming For Drinks extravaganza, but couldn’t manage it, but understand that Craig Lawrie carried off the title of Lord of the Todd 2015.

It was Dowco Triumph Street‘s turn to practice on the steps of the Piping Centre, and the band had the good fortune to play in brilliant sunshine, attracting a large audience as they lifted their spirits (and beer) for an hour, just before the big Simon Fraser University Pre-World’s concert just a few blocks away at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. We plan to have a full review of the concert soon, but suffice it to say that the packed, standing-room-only concert hall received the band’s third Glasgow concert with great positivity, buoyed by the redoubtable Neil Dickie’s inimitable stand-up patter.

A few more spirits lifted with some old ghosts at the packed Station Bar until closing time, bringing an end to a long Day 3, and more, more, more on Day 4, for which the forecast looks bright, right along with the attitudes of everyone hoping for the best from the weather and themselves over the Friday and Saturday World Pipe Band Championships.

Squeaky bum time: it’s officially here.

Stay tuned to pipes|drums for more from Piping Live! – and, if you haven’t already, remember to put in your canny selection in our Pick The Six contest, where one prognosticator will win a piping and drumming prize-pack valued at more than $3,000, you have until 6 pm GMT today to do it!