STONEYPORT AGENCY - Burach bio at March 12 2001

Some of the best music, song, and dance in the Celtic music world,
plus a little blues, a little country-folk, and some rockie-blues

B I O G R A P H Y
Up-dated March 12 2001

"In Your Face Folk"

Please pass on the gratitude of this Embassy to Burach for coming to perform in Georgia.

Their impact was phenomenal. It brought a tear to my eye to see the excitement and joy that their performance generated amongst their Georgian audience.

I do so hope that they will come to Georgia again. They will not be forgotten and would be welcomed with open arms should they ever choose to return.

It is no exaggeration to say that two performances of Burach have had more impact in terms of raising this Embassy's profile than we have managed to achieve in 5 years of trying. They were brilliant!

Paul Welsh, British Embassy, Tbilisi, Georgia
The gigs took place in October 2000 with help from the British Council

Cajun, Celtic, punk, bluegrass, indie, and trash, every nut and bolt snugly in place, throttle jammed in overdrive.
Scotland On Sunday

BURACH burst on to the music scene early in 1994 with a new, unique sound, blending the talents of some of Scotland's top young folk instrumentalists with the power of a full rock band, performing almost entirely original material.

The subsequent years have seen Burach continuing to reach an increasingly international audience through touring in Belgium, Brittany, The Czech Republic, Colombia, France, Georgia (see quote above), Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, Indonesia (May 2001), Ireland, Italy, Mexico (March 2002), Norway (which they generally visit at least twice per year), Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates and the USA as well as wide exposure in the UK of course.

In July 1995 the top Scottish-based label Greentrax released Burach's debut CD The Weird Set (CDTRAX 093) and that has been followed with two more Greentrax CDs -- Born Tired (CDTRAX 136 in 1997), and Deeper (CDTRAX 189 in 2000).

Tracks from "Weird" and "Born" have been used on compilations of excellence including Greentrax' own "The Music and Song of Greentrax", and "Edinburgh Folkal Point", EMI Records "Folk 'n' Hell", and Castle Communications, "The Electric Muse II". Particularly notable in 1999 was The Scottish Arts Council CD release, "Seriously Scottish Vol 1", which included Burach alongside a range of other musics played by some of the best line-ups from the Scottish world of classical, jazz and rock.

Burach have appeared on numerous TV and radio shows in the UK and abroad including Scottish Television's 1999 Hogmanay live telecast from Edinburgh's famous Princes Street Gardens. They played at this event in December 2000 as well.

In 1999 Burach were the only non-Irish band to appear at the Cross Culture Music Festival in Co. Clare, Ireland. In the USA they have appeared at The Bethlehem Musikfest, one of the largest musical events in North America.

WHAT'S BEEN SAID ...

... energy, diversity, and consummate instrumental skill
... AND write first-rate songs and tunes themselves.
Shire Folk

... stretches the horizons of Scottish music.
Gordon R Peeling, Canadian radio DJ

... enjoyable folk-and-roll party.
Dirty Linen, US roots magazine

Seeing is believing.
Scotsman

A brilliantly tight, confident set.
Scotland On Sunday

A potent example of the way Scots music is going
... it could kick-start a jumbo-jet!
John O'Regan, broadcaster

... all the trimmings of a rock band ... added fiddle
... blazing accordion ... not quite punk-folk
... an invigorating and wide-ranging mixture of fast and furious songs and tunes."
Folk Roots

There is no spare baggage here -- only a tight greased-lightning unit playing hell for leather ... Ali Cherry's vocals have blossomed into awesome proportions ... they play with barely controlled fury.
Rock 'n' Reel -- review of Born Tired

Some great moments instrumentally, with the brilliant, itchy-fingered Sandy Brechin on accordion and Greg Borland on fiddle in sparkling form, and a rhythm section dominated by Eoghain Anderson's pummelling percussion. Burach display verve, skill and imagination as they smack the adventurous ceilidh button.
Scotsman -- review of Born Tired

The six young Scots blend some furious accordion riffs, beautiful melodies sung by Ali Cherry in her plaintive voice, exciting original compositions, frighteningly good fiddle work and a solid electric guitar, bass and drums rhythm section into a cohesive album that will have lovers of modern Celtic fusion music struggling to find the right superlatives.
Distribution North America -- review of Born Tired

Doug Anderson's feedback-laden electric guitar duelling with Gregor Borland's electric fiddle, Roy Waterston's bass, Eoghain Anderson's pounding percussion, and the manic accordion work of Sandy Brechin. Toss in the contemporary vocal stylings of Ali Cherry and you have the ingredients for another Wolfstone. There's plenty of rock 'n' reel and funk on this album,and a few moments that sound like '60s psychedelic redux, but there are also lovely quiet moments and dazzling Celtic sets reminiscent of early Capercaillie.
Sing Out! -- review of Born Tired

Vibrant, lively and musically excellent, Born Tired, is a compelling album and one which I am sure will sell outside the trad market very well. Similar in attitude to Shooglenifty, but with the added bonus of vocals.
DJ Parriss, Europo International Assn of Student TV and Radio

Gregor Borland forms a fine combination with the mad accordionist Sandy Brechin and powered by those two Burach still produce high-energy instrumentals. The real advance comes from the singing and more particularly, the song-writing of Ali Cherry.
Folk Roots -- review of Born Tired

I love them all. A very pleasant tutti-frutti combination.
Good Evening Sens, Radio Stolliahc, Sens, France -- review of Born Tired

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