It's unfair really...music that grabs you by the ears and has its way with you. I'm assuming that if you dig deeply enough, you will discover they've embedded some highly addictive subliminal notes in it, discovering the musical equivalent of MSG. Beyond doubt, one of the most musically complex bands in Celtic music today.

Take a healthy measure of traditional pipe and fiddle, mix well with soothing Reggae guitar and then bake it in a shell of remarkable trance keyboard styling. The arrangements are sheer genius, invoking the primal urge to syncopate. The Peatbog rendition of Lexy Macaskill is music for the space between your ears. The Macedonian Women's Rant encourages you to speed down the freeway in your bosses ridiculously expensive car. The meditative track Mellowosity is reported to have caused Alan Parsons a nervous breakdown and then miraculously cured him again. Here's how it all got started....

Flashback:

November 2000, Jacksonville, Florida, The Music of the Rivers Festival….

The band is here while their gear is re-living the joy of travel, figuring to get home early. Nurudin (arranger extraordinaire--Norman to his friends) is ready to seduce the keyboard: In his Faerie pouch are his magical music patches, incompatible with the mundane equipment available. Undaunted, they set out for the stage with a gleam in their eye and a stomp in their step. They've bloody well crossed an ocean to do a 45 minute set and they hit you squarely between the eyes with every inch. Afterward, among a sea of open mouths, you remember that they've been operating at a disadvantage and still managed to rock your world. The Peatbog Faeries made many a fan that night. I’ll never wash these ears again…

The Faeries are an extremely approachable crew. Fun-loving, highly skilled individuals who very clearly love what they do. Hailing from Scotland, the members are:

Peter Morrison - Bagpipes&Whistle

Ben Ivitsky - Fiddle

Ali Pentland – Guitar*

Nürudîn - Keyboards

Innes Hutton - Bass / bodran

Iain Copeland - Drums/percussion

For those who have tasted Mellowosity and found it good, there's more in store on Faerie Stories, their freshly minted CD. It's a more aggressive take on the Faerie flavor, so very complimentary, and available soon in the U.S. See their discography for more information on these remarkable albums, or their website at www.peatbog-faeries.com

Tom Salter –unofficially the Spice Fairy, will be replacing Ali Pentland on guitar, Ali being the proud father of his third. Tom has been a guest on previous performances in the Czeck Republic. Amongst other things, Tom has played extensively with the legendary Vocalist / guitarist Ali Farka Toure from Timbuktu, so we will all be treated to some authentic African style guitar thrown into the musical melting pot. We here at Celtic Grove wish the best for Ali and his growing family, and welcome Tom to an amazing group.

Nurudin -We've received news from Nurudin, keyboard player extraordinaire, that he will bid adieu his Faerie enclave and move on from Scotland to Spain. While future collaborations have not been ruled out, his former faerie fellows are on the lookout for a replacement, preferrably one who can perform a little webpage magic on his keyboard as well.  Read on...

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