World Pipe Band Championships Gets the Treatment It Deserves by Vince Janoski

The new promotional video for the World Pipe Band Championships, otherwise know affectionately as “the Worlds,” has been making the rounds. It’s sweet, and elevates the event with a treatment that I know gets me excited. How about you?

Pipe Bands: From Good to Great by Vince Janoski

What is the missing link that keeps good and very good eastern U.S. bands from becoming very very good to excellent? While there are singular examples who come close, in general there have been few who even show signs of cracking this “glass piping ceiling.” It is easy to pin this missing element on people-oriented [...]

Worlds Afterglow: NY Metro and Stuart Highlanders at the Worlds—Video by Vince Janoski

A great representation by eastern US bands at the World Pipe Band Championships this year. Here are videos of NY Metro and Stuart Highlanders in their final rounds. This year’s Worlds saw qualifying heats in every grade of competition, I don’t think that has ever happened before. Each of these bands had to play in [...]

Pipehacker Travelogue: The World Pipe Band Championships, Glasgow, Scotland by Vince Janoski

Suffice it to say, the World Pipe Band Championships is the climax to many a pipe band’s competitive season. The Grade 1 circle at the Worlds is THE circle from which all other pipe band circles descend. This year, the Oran Mor pipe band made it through the wet qualifier into the drier and warmer [...]

Oran Mor Medley, Grade 1 Final at the Worlds—Video by Vince Janoski

Oran Mor’s medley performance from the Grade 1 final at the Worlds. W00t!

Oran Mor at George Square, Glasgow—Video by Vince Janoski

Excellent video of Oran Mor’s Tuesday performance at Piping Live! at George Square courtesy of STV. Follow the link. Oran Mor at George Square

Pipehacker Travelogue: George Square and the National PIping Centre, Glasgow by Vince Janoski

Sometimes the pressure of just performing in front of a knowledgeable audience packs a bigger punch in the gut than the pressure of the pipe band competition circle. The Piping Live! festival has been inviting pipe bands to perform free concerts in George Square since its inception. Many of the overseas bands in town for [...]

Pipehacker Travelogue: Oran Mor at Bridge of Allan by Vince Janoski

Video of the Grade 1 MSR at Bridge of Allan. Piss poor conditions with constant rain all day, but a good run to place second to Inverary. If the announcer stopped commentating the bike race, he might have heard some good stuff there…