This forum has changed me...

[bchunter]

I'm not a piper or drummer either, but admire anyone that can play any instrument. As others, I've been influenced greatly by perusing this forum, and appreciate the knowledge and opinion of all that frequent here. I've also noted a number of pipers that "undress" to some degree when not piping, but I simply passed it off to not wanting to soil or wrinkle their attire. I never thought about it in the sense you've related, but I can see it now.

[creagdhubh]

Well said Richard and thank you for your most interesting thread.

Aye,

[fluter]

You don't see professional orchestral musicians hanging out in their tuxes,

Eh? If they stop off for a quick one after the gig, you most certainly do. OCR is the expert on pipe bands, but this is my turf.

Now the ones who do it 3 nights a week may very well keep the tux in their locker. And actually those guys wear tailcoats.

[OC Richard]

Eh? If they stop off for a quick one after the gig, you most certainly do.

Yes indeed to and from the gig. I guess what I meant was, a professional orchestral musician probably isn't going to say to himself "time to go grocery shopping! I'd better put on my tux!"

Whereas the pipe band people around here, most of them anyway, wouldn't even stop by a bar after the gig without first switching to ordinary clothes.

By the way, I did notice at various Highland Games in Scotland that I didn't see band members walking around in partial uniform like I've seen here in the USA. Why? because in Scotland the entire pipe band will ride together to the Games in a hired coach, and are wearing their full kit when they get on the coach early in the morning. They don't have any other clothes with them.

Here in the States pipe band members usually get to the Games on their own, some flying, some driving, due to the vast distances.