Rockall (band)
Rockall is a band named after the island off the west coast of Scotland, who nevertheless operate chiefly around the south of England, rather the northern homes of many members. The band plays largely instrumental dance music, mostly traditional tunes and original compositions with west-coast Scottish style melodies, with a variety of unlikely and increasingly reckless influences including classical baroque, reggae and 1980s rock: Vivaldi's Mandolin Concerto (1st movement), Mark Knopfler and Jean-Jacques Goldman have been covered in live performances.
Rockall was founded in 2006 by piper Robert Maclean with several short-term instrumentalists, and Ruairidh Howells as sound engineer. Ruairidh Howells returned to the band some years later to play drums, mandolin and saxophone, alongside Pete Scott (fiddle, bass), Seán Mac Labhraí (piano, bouzouki), Marjolein Poortvliet (fiddle), Mike Coughlan (uillean pipes) and Jack Harris (guitar). Jack Harris maintains a parallel solo career, performing songs rather than Rockall's preferred instrumentals.
Rockall | |
|---|---|
| Genres | Celtic music |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Website | Official website |
| Members | Ruairidh Howells, Peter Scott, Seán Mac Labhraí, Marjolein Poortvliet, Jack Harris, Michael Coughlan |
| Past members | Luke Parry |
Discography
Rockall's first album is due for release in the second half of 2018. It has been provisionally titled "Northwesterly, Good", a reference to the UK Shipping Forecast in which the island features.