Originally an Aberdeenshire based ceilidh band Allaidh Modhan are now based in Edinburgh, still playing ceilidhs but also hosting a weekly session and playing gigs in and around Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Starting as six school friends playing Wolfstone covers to fulfil an Advanced Higher Music requirement it was realised that there existed a healthy ceilidh scene ready to be exploited as a means of funding us all through our educations. Over the next 5 years the line-up stayed constant and ceilidhs were played up and down the length of Scotland with the occasional trip down into England and as far away as Brussels.
Summer 2006 was when Allaidh Modhan decide to record some of their finest compositions and so they spent a couple of weeks rehearsing before setting off to Ardgour, near Fort William to work with Nick Turner at Watercolour Studios on what would be their first album. The idyllic surroundings and loch-side setting provided inspiration and the backdrop to 11 tracks that became "The Astonishing Flying Ring", the album showcasing the bands distinctive sound to date.
2007 turned out to be a transition year for the band as Fraser qualified as a Doctor and Jodie set off on a year long world trip. As such a much more acoustic sound was adopted and the excellent Australian fiddle player Chris Stone was recruited to fulfil the 2008 summer gigs; a summer which culminated with a trip to Ireland accompanied by another Australian, double bass player Holly Downes.
Currently Allaidh Modhan exists as a five piece acoustic set up playing with a variety of guest fiddlers. Every Sunday we host a session in Dagda, Edinburgh and we continue to fulfil a busy calendar of ceilidhs and gigs.