You have been at the front of that parade since ‘91? No, 1990. I thought it was later than that? It’s either 1989 or 1990, the first time we walked. When were bands allowed back on the walls? They were allowed back on the walls about 96–97. Once again that was a buzz and a half. You’ll never know unless you are part of the fraternity and you understand what we’re about. You will never experience, the buzz, the adrenalin to walk on the walls. To say ‘I’ve walked Derry’s walls’. To be the first also since 1969 or something? To be the first Scottish band that has ever done it and the only Scottish band that’s ever done it. So you are still the only Scottish band that has done that? Oh aye. Just going to the constituency of the band, half the band are from Glasgow? The majority of the band are from Glasgow, we have got one from Harthill, two from Fauldhouse, one from Kirriemuir up near Aberdeen. Aye that’s the guy that works on the rigs? There used to be ones from Liverpool but they are no longer in the band. It is no a case of the catchment area, it’s a case of somebody comes to us and they can dedicate their time to the band. Then we’re prepared to accept them into the band. It’s the commitment factor. Bear in mind a lot of people come to us because of who we are and the name we’ve made for ourselves.
When I first started doing this project a lot of my interest was based on the fact of being in a mixed marriage… Well see this is the thing; you have got to understand there are boys in the band that have mixed marriages. That is not an issue. There is this sort of belief that with our fraternity when you join they ask you what you are, what your wife is. That’s not the case. You have got to understand as well we’re not a religious body. We don’t have rules like the Orange Order. Strictly speaking the bands are an extension of these institutions from past years but now they have their own lives, their own breathing apparatus. And now you are independent? 99.99 per cent are independent. I’m a great believer that you take people for what they are. At the end of the day if somebody is married to a different denomination that’s his prerogative but it’s made more of an issue by media and people outside the fraternity than it actually is by the people in it. If you came down here with your wife or anybody else we wouldn’t say ‘What religion are they?’ we’re not that barbaric, we’re not that backward. And another thing of interest: When we used that statement Scottish by birth, British by the grace of God. That’s my slogan you stole. [Laughs] Yeah it was offered to me and it’s there. Your Scottish identity, is that important to you? I would say I am more British than I am Scottish as most of the band probably would. At the end of the day the Scottish identity has watered itself away. It’s a hard one to explain. Do you feel proud to be Scottish? No, if the truth be told. Was that feeling always there?
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