Bagpipes Rock!

July 28 is National Bagpipe Appreciation Day—so crank up the kilts and the volume. While the pipes don’t often crash the rock charts, AC/DC made them legendary with “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ’n’ Roll).” Bon Scott blasting real bagpipes alongside Angus Young’s thunderous riffs will always have a place in the Bagpipe Hall of Fame!

An honorable mention goes to Slade’s “Run Runaway.” They took it a step further and got creative, using guitars to mimic bagpipes, giving the song a Celtic stomp without a single drone in sight.

And I have to tell you about “Ally The Piper”. She rocks the “Free Bird” solo on the bagpipe and it will make you “pin yer lugs back” for sure!

To quote Thomas Beecham (English Orchestra Conductor), “The bagpipes sound exactly the same when you have finished, as when you started.” In the case of great rock, that’s a good thing!

Proof that sometimes rock and roll really does blow hard—in the best way.

May your kilt be short enough to dance a jig, but long enough to cover your bagpipe!

Doug O’Brien