Pipe Band Kilts

[ChromeScholar]

On the other hand, you could advertise yourself as the "Heinz 57" pipe and drum corp, and capitalize on the difference in tartans.

[mexpiper]

I have notice that in some of the bands the drummers wear different tartans than the pipers. When you see a PB performing and one of them has a different tartan, particularly when being adjudicated usually they are stepping in to help them compete. At least thats what i was told.

[lrpddrummie]

mexpiper,

It is not unusual for the drum section of a regimental band to have a different tartan then the rest of the band and most cases the drum section would have different doublets also. You will also see with regimental bands the drum major will wear trews rather than a kilt. For the regiments the uniforms code are very specific about who wears what and when.

[David Dalglish]

I think that if a band wants to compete at a high level they need the same tartan. But it is not nesessary to play great music

[turpin]

A big mess? Not necessarily. A distraction? Yes.
There was one band at the Edinboro PA Highland Games this year where everyone wore the same uniform - except one guy who wore a different tartan. And as much as I was concentrating on what they were playing, my attention kept going back to that guy - why wasn't he in the band uniform?

It may be that that lone piper had not yet "earned" his band kilt. I was at a performance of the Atlanta Pipe Band, with both Grade 5 and 3 bands in concert. A couple of the members had on different tartans. I asked them at break and this is what they told me.

[Wompet]

It may be that that lone piper had not yet "earned" his band kilt.

He's taking his time then - I was looking through previous years' photos last night, and he was dressed the exact same way last year!

[beloitpiper]

In my other band, Clan MacAlpine out of Rockford, IL, the beginners wore the Royal Stewart, while the official members wore the MacAlpine tartan.