The BURNS BAR CEILIDH BAND

BIOGRAPHY:

Ceilidh act based around the Burns Bar (now Firkins) in Falkirk during the 1980's (?), consisting of Joe Cowan (banjo / bodhran), Jimmy Anderson (pipes), Stewart Johnston (guitar / bouzouki / vocals), Gordon Hotchkiss (concertina / vocals) & Billy McGuire (acordian, ex-Auld Howf Band). The band was put together for the Inter-Celtic Festival in Lorient, Brittany. With the support of the owner John Perrins, who had moved to Falkirk having run the session pub, the Victoria Bar in Glasgow, the band members were also responsible for the resurrection of the Falkirk Folk Club in the Burns Bar. The driving force behind its success was Jimmy Anderson who was first to introduce the bagpipes into folk music with the Glasgow band The Clutha. Jimmy went on to be a renowned Pipe maker. Gordon presented the Saturday night folk programme on Radio Clyde “Hotchkiss Hotchpotch” for which the band recorded a session and the theme tune. He now concentrates on photography (www.gthphoto.co.uk).
Cowan later was a member of White Heather Tubes.