Drums, Pipes and Feuer - Celtica

Interview  with Celtica's Harald Weinkum

Transceltic's Emmett McIntyre contacted Celtica spokesman Harald Weinkum in connection with the bands upcoming appearance at the San Antonio Highland Games:

1. Do Celtica consider themselves Ambassadors of Celtic Culture?

Yes and no - in our full line-up, we have 2 bagpipers who live and work in Scotland when we're not on tour. So regarding the bagpipe aspect, the answer is yes. But the arrangements around those melody instruments are all very Rock 'n' Roll oriented, which is not that much of a Celtic element.

2. Tell us about the background of the Band members and what impact does the band’s Celtic identity have on Celtica’s music.

As I said, Duncan and Jane, our bagpipers, are from Scotland and bring with them a bagpipe playing style which is as authentic as it gets. This might be a good place to mention that both the bagpipes and the kilt culture are inherently Scottish, and it amuses Duncan how much both these symbols become confused as "Irish" around St. Patrick's Day.

On the other hand, we have a few Austrian band members, and whereas one might not see much connection to Celtic culture at first, it is worth mentioning that long before Celtic tribes settled in Scotland and Ireland, they called much of Austria their home, as you can see if you research the "Hallstatt Celts", right in the heart of Austria. And there is even a little "revival" of Celtic culture happening in Austria, in art, music and style - for instance we are outfitted by an Austrian Kilt maker who also manufactures kilts for the British royals and celebrities such as Sean Connery.

3. Could you describe the Band’s latest album.

Funny you should mention that - we have been trying hard to have our 3rd album, "Legends and Visions", ready for sale before this spring tour, and after a few delays, we will actually be able to present that album for the very first time at the San Antonio Highland Games! Many of the songs are compositions by our Band Leader Gajus, with a few cover versions mixed in, among them our version of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing' " and a medley of hits by the Irish band U2. As the title suggests, we are striving for a tasteful combination of traditional material and playing styles with modern or even futuristic musical elements.

4. Celtica are known for their unique performance on stage. Describe what sets Celtica apart from other Celtic rock bands.

I think we're one of the few Celtic Bands whose show greatly depends on goodwill of the local Fire Marshal! Since day one, we have been looking for more and more ways to incorporate fire show elements into our stage appearance: a fire spinner, fire breathing, flame throwers on guitar and bass and - as our latest addition - on the bagpipes, and now we will add burning drum sticks to that. Needless to say, over the years we had our little mishaps, but now we know that eyebrows DO grow back! We also have several big extra drums which we use to give several songs more of a "tribal" touch.

However, we are making sure that at locations where there can be no fire, the audience gets just as an energetic and exciting show as with fire.

5. Is this your first time appearing at the San Antonio Highland Games?

This is our second time, and we feel very privileged that we were invited back. The event, the audience and everybody around music promoter John Wiesen makes us feel very welcome and this might be a good place to thank them for it!

6. What are the bands plans for future?

In Europe, we are now making the transition from a "self-made" band to a touring act who has a centralized booking agency behind them, and we hope to make a similar transition in North America, so that we ourselves can focus more on the music and show and less on booking, promotion, and the road management portion of the work.