Black Watch 2016 North American tour

**plaid preacher** · 2nd November 15, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by Profane James

I'm having a hard time finding tour dates - are they posted somewhere?

James, sometimes they don't make it easy to find the information you require. Here is a link that I had to go hunting for: https://www.songkick.com/artists/522...-band/calendar

**Profane James** · 2nd November 15, 06:00 PM

Ah thank you. Alas, their closest stop is still a few states away from me.

**plaid preacher** · 3rd November 15, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by Profane James

Ah thank you. Alas, their closest stop is still a few states away from me.

Sorry to hear that. I have a ticket with a mate of mine in the front row of the balcony at Massey Hall in Toronto.

**OC Richard** · 11th December 15, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by plaid preacher

Here is a link that I had to go hunting for: https://www.songkick.com/artists/522...-band/calendar

Seems to be only a partial list. On such tours they're usually playing each night, with few free days for the musicians. So, each gap of a week or so represents several concerts which aren't listed.

I went back at looked at previous tours and they're around 70 dates, almost all consecutive, with only a few days off.

**OC Richard** · 21st February 16, 04:56 PM

Well the day finally came, I saw the tour last night. Very cool. Quite a few kilties in attendance. Sorry to see a number of people who I know wear kilts show up in trousers! (You know who you are...)

The stage was rather cramped. The conductor told a friend of mine that it was the smallest area they had to contend with on this tour. The musicians couldn't march on and off, but rather negotiate steep steps at the sides of the stage.

Here's a thread about the tour's performance in London, Ontario, which has some nice photos

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...65/index2.html

By the way, they announced, and wrote in the programme, that the band of the Royal Marines last toured North America in 1985, the pipes & drums of the Scots Guards last toured North America in 1977. I'd attended the local appearances of both those tours, but I'd forgot how long ago they'd been! How time flies.

The pipes & drums of the Scots Guards were just here in California last September, but not part of a North American tour, but to compete at the Pleasanton Highland Games.

The bands on tour keep getting smaller. This Royal Marines band had one rank of five snare drummers marching in front, in 1985 I count one rank of seven, in 1976 I count two ranks of seven snare drummers each.

The Scots Guards had ten pipers; in 1977 they fielded 16 (the old standard size for an army pipe band).