rusty nail   

ceilidh band   

 

 

Rusty Nail have played at countless events throughout the world since the first line up of the band in 1986. 

The band are available for events worldwide.  We have experience in working for large corporations, Caledonian and St. Andrews Societies, hotel chains, Government bodies as well as television and film companies, radio stations and village halls.  Though rarely in the same week. 

We get people up and dancing.  Rusty Nail can provide a program of up tempo Ceilidh music interspersed with songs to give your company a breather from the dancing. 

All dances can be called before and during each performance as required.  The band usually play as a trio but we can put on a full Ceilidh from a two piece line-up to a bigger ensemble as room size and logistics dictate.

Band Line-up.  The most compact line-up is a duo. Gregor and Stevie on box and guitar. To add to the two-piece line up, we can draw from any of a large list of pro players we have worked with over the years.  We can also put you in touch with any additional performers you want to enlist for other aspects of the event.

Listen to Stevie and Gregor playing tunes with some of the great musicians that get involved with the band. Listen  

Our vocal choices range from Bill Withers to Gogol Bordello who's song Start Wearing Purple could hardly be, we hasten to add, described as disco.  We can provide connections for MP3 players, CD players, Ipods etc. should you want to play background or disco music during the band break. 

 

 

gregor lowrey 

 

 stevie gillies

 

  

Now is as good a time as any to let you know that some of the clips you listened to, if you clicked here , are on Stevie and Gregor's latest album. 

You may be thinking it's an odd shape.  You can get more information on the album, adopt a band and claim it as an expense on your tax return here.

 

Having a Ceilidh.  Get down to the smooth sound of a 2/4 bagpipe march stirring at the very porridge of your company.  Going for a Ceilidh band to play your event makes perfect sense.  No one in the company gets left out.  A Ceilidh works for any age group and cuts through the language barrier. 

Getting everybody involved.  We use progressive dances to mix the company and get people tcheuching with as many others in the room as possible.  We like to throw in one or two dances that no one will know so that expert and first time Ceilidh dancers are picking up a brand new dance at the same time. 

Health 'n Safety.  So far it's still legal to play musical instruments without a hard hat but, if you need the certificates to keep your venues happy, all of our equipment is PAT tested and we have Musicians Union Liability Insurance.  Changed days eh?

The nitty gritty.  To work on the detail, talk to us here.

 Three Piece Line Up

  

Gregor Lowrey started playing moothie at the age of 6 encouraged by his father who was a great mouth organ player.  It was during childhood visits to Butterstone, Dunkeld where his fathers family of eleven siblings got together and played fiddles, moothies, melodeons and sang the old Scots songs that Gregor progressed to melodeon.  Around this time, a mystery bus trip to Perth with his father ended at Wilkies music shop and the purchase of a piano accordion.  Six years of lessons ensued with William & Marianne Campbell's Accordion School and eventually a place in the Campbell Accordion Orchestra.  Playing his first gig at the age of 14, Gregor has worked with many bands including: Blackeyed Biddy, Cantychiels, Clan Terra, Ceilidh Minogue and Rusty Nail.  He played with the Scottish Show Shehallion that opened the new Clyde Auditorium and has toured all over from Azerbaijan to Ecclefechan. 

Check out more on Gregor at My Space 

Stevie Gillies began his musical career at the age of 5 on bagpipe chanter.  Learning the 'old school method' he fully mastered the rudiments before moving to a full set of pipes and filling cardboard boxes with solo piping trophies.  At the age of 14 he took up guitar, learning the basics from his father who was a keyboard player and rhythm guitarist.  He went on to study at Perth Rock College under expert tuition with great musicians like Duncan Findlay and Laurie Hamilton.  Stevie has travelled the world from New Zealand to Pumpherston as a musician working with bands such as: The Humpff Family, Bohinta featuring Martin & Anya Furey, The Jess King Band, The Davey Arthur Band, The Edible Berries featuring Lee Agnew & Jimmy Murisson from the band Nazareth, The Shoes, Box O' Bananas and Rusty Nail. 

Check out more on Stevie at My Space

Ashley MacMillan started his career at the age of 12 when his older brother Lawrie took up the bass guitar and started to jam in the house with friends.
He was offered his first semi-professional gig at 16 with his uncle’s band 'The Falcons' who had just begun a Jam night residency in Dunfermline’s ‘Sinclair Arms’ a session night that still runs to this day.

Ashley's friendship with Lee Agnew (drummer with rockers Nazareth) led to his first professional gig at 19 with Scottish, Celtic band Iron Horse, taking him all over Europe.  Through his association with Iron Horse’s accordion / keyboard player, Brian McAlpine, Ashley's name was put forward for the job with ex-Genesis front man Ray Wilson. Brian had recorded on Ray’s 1st solo album and would be doing the subsequent tour. When asked if he could recommend a rhythm section he put the brother’s MacMillan forward who aced the audition and remain an active part of Ray Wilson's touring and recording band to this day. 
 
Check out more on Ashley at My Space

 
  

How the band got started.  Stevie and Gregor met in 1986 at The International Folklore Festival Of Edegem, Belgium.  Stevie was out piping with Forth Valley Pipe Band and Gregor was playing with fellow accordionist, keyboard player and drummer, Iain MacKenzie providing music for Rita Grzmil's Dance Troupe.  After the official performances, there were great jam sessions going on in the pub and after the trip ended, Stevie and Gregor got back together with Iain to jam some more. With the help of a bottle of Drambuie and a bottle of whisky, so was born the band Rusty Nail.  

 

It wasn't long before the band had a full diary and the repertoire was growing into a worldly set. Then Iain and Gregor busked round Europe for six months of 1987 returning that winter to gig Rusty Nail with Stevie again.  The following summer Iain decided he wanted out of the rainy Scottish weather and moved to Greece and eventually Australia where he now lives.  Gregor decided he liked the rainy Scottish weather and moved to Loch Lomond then Argyll where he now lives.  When Iain left, Gregor and Stevie carried on as a duo enlisting drummers when the gig suited it and travelling the world both as a duo and as performers with other bands.      

 Use contact for more information.