SLOT promises electric energy at April 27th “Inspired 2024” concert in Aberdeen

The 1300-seat Music Hall in Aberdeen, Scotland, will be the classic venue for the return to the concert stage of St. Laurence O’Toole of Dublin, one of the world’s most musically exciting and creative bands competing at the apex of Grade 1.

The show is named “Inspired 2024” and also marks the return of the once annual event put on by the venerable Bucksburn & District organization, one of the world’s longest-running. The concert, which has seen some of the world’s greatest bands take a star turn on stage, has been on hiatus while the band rejuvenated after the pandemic.

“There’s a palpable sense of excitement among us, a buzz that has been missing for too long.” – P-M Alen Tully

St. Laurence O’Toole has been perfecting new content for the concert and anticipates that its hard work will elevate its status in prize lists at major championships this year.

“The energy within the band is absolutely electric as we eagerly anticipate this upcoming concert,” St. Laurence O’Toole Pipe-Major Alen Tully said. “As we planned for the coming season, we recognized the transformative power of a concert to help build our momentum in the most positive way possible. We are excited and committed to get back to our very best.

Tickets are available at £25 for the April 27th show that begins at 7:30 pm.

“Paul has settled in incredibly well, given the amount of material he has had to master from scratch in only a few months,” Leading-Drummer Stephen Creighton commented. “Our young corps players are now champing at the bit to get out there to perform and compete. They are driven, they are ready to start winning majors, and they are inspired to carry the torches forward from the outgoing players for many years to come.”

Even though the band featured in the prizes all four RSPBA major championships, 2023 was not typical for St. Laurence O’Toole. The band was sixth at the World Championships, notwithstanding a second in the Friday MSR.

“The dedication and drive of our entire band have reached new heights this pre-season, surpassing anything we’ve seen in the past two years,” Tully added. “There’s a palpable sense of excitement among us, a buzz that has been missing for too long. We feel more prepared than ever to not only deliver an exceptional concert that we can all take pride in. We hope it will be the catalyst to help us challenge not just at the top of the grade, but to hopefully win some major championships this season. We’re optimistic that the concert will be a resounding success, with a sold-out crowd seeing us back at our very best.”

St. Laurence O’Toole was formed in 1910 and is by far Ireland’s most successful competitive pipe band. The group won the 2010 World Championship and has taken numerous other major championship titles. SLOT’s drum section is also a constant force, hoisting no fewer than six World Champion Drum Section trophies over the years.