The band got together in the early 1990's. The music is Scottish/Irish traditional but draws influences from rock, funk, cajun - anything really. The music has a contagious energy. Influences from Jimmy Shand to Rammstein, Muse, Fish, AC/DC, Deep Purple, Peter Gabriel, Bach. If it sounds good and feels good - it's in the set. Since we all have quite diverse musical tastes the resultant racket can be pretty dynamic. Your granny would like the slow ones but she'd be frightened by some of the other stuff. The music's been described as manic - from haunting melodies, gallus marches to thundering reels and jigs, nobody can predict what's going to happen next - that often includes the band.... There's always that element of surprise. We're experienced at "calling" dances at our ceilidhs - essential when the audience don't have a scooby. Even for seasoned dancers we still have to give instructions for some of the more bizarre dances in our repertoire.
So! We play at weddings, birthday parties, anniversaries, barmitzvahs, numerous corporate events - for example the opening of the Scottish Parliament in Brussels and the world's biggest ever ceilidh in Glasgow's SECC for the Rotary Club International Conference, the weddings of supermodels and film stars like Kirsty Hume, Donovan Leitch and John Hannah. Last Tram have been World Ceilidh Band Champions (twice) and are no strangers to the Festivals having played at Celtic Connections, the Islay Festival, Stirling's Hogmanay at Stirling Castle Esplanade (for their Hogmanay celebrations) and T in the Park on numerous occasions.
The band have gigged in France, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Belgium, Denmark, Russia, Italy, The Channel Islands. Crikey they've even played in England...
It was said by Hunter Farqhuarson from Edinburgh "If Carlsberg made ceilidh bands - they probably wouldn't be as exciting as Last Tram tae Auchenshuggle".
'Twas also said by Tom Shields, Glasgow Herald, "Lads - Don't EVER rehearse - it would spoil it..."
Contact Last Tram at - [email protected]
