David Kilgallon: Violin, Keys & Vocals

Welcome to my page, keep looking; I hope to update this page regularly (At least more than I used to anyway).

I'll get all the usual stuff out the way first, well you might be interested! Was born in The Isle of Man October 5th 1980, and then grew to my present state. Tadaa! Went to St Ninians High School, Graduated from Staffordshire University with a BSc in Music Technology, and I'm currently doing an MA course at York University in Electro acoustic composition.
I play the fiddle in the band, sing and generally confuse our audience with constant babble - this is actually an old trick used by the likes of Jim Bowen (from Bull's eye), Jeremiah Beadle and Paul Daniels, and works quite well when trying to make up time between various acts/sets. In Brittany and Montreal 2001 however, this approach was not best suited for the French speaking - so I improvised with my limited French…the announcements were simple but effective.

I've composed a number of tunes for the band - David's Eminor tune, later named "The Barking Spider" by Gil, T'eh ny Hoyn, the "A Major tune" (or Rhonsha), The Carpet burn Reel and Galicia. I co-wrote some too "Compo", "Shonar", "That tune we wrote in Cornwall", not to mention the unreleased, "Don't stick yer head in the fire…NO!" and 'There was an old Woman and she had a fringe" - which are perhaps cause and effect compositions; Cause (Beer) and Effect - Gil & I coming up with songs that don't make much in the way of sense.

 
Thats me at the front by the way - practicing my violin techniques with a water bottle...obviously!
Was born of Mum (Manx) and Dad (Yorkshire), they're great and have lent so much support to the band over the past 10 years, they deserve a special mention here. Mum (Clare), the matriarch, conducts a Manx Gaelic choir "Cliogaree Twoaie" and plays the Piano & Organ so I suppose some sort of influence came from that from an early age. She's currently working for a small Advocate firm in the Douglas.
Some credit has to be given to my Dads Jango Reinhard style Guitar playing (which he hasn't played for a long time now unfortunately). A small amount of chordal influence is probably evident here. Dad is an Architectural Technologist and has his own Business based in Douglas.

 
Mum and Dad here, sitting outside their Yacht house....only joking....no it IS them, REALLY!
   
My Brother, John, plays the Trombone, Mouth Organ and is becoming quite nifty on the Bodran too. He also takes photos, Lots and Lots and Lots of Festival Photos. So many that they've not yet been archived enough to find the ones you're looking for, he's currently updating his website which will eventually hold hundreds of pictures from various celtic festivals around the UK.
The girl, Esther, plays the piano, fiddle and sings - perhaps not enough though, she often gives in to practice and demonstrates her rather entertaining double jointed fingers instead.
"Brother John"
Sister Este

I prefer to play the fiddle with mucho gusto, so if anyone out there has invented the self re-hairing bow, or found the bow of eternal life, I would love to have a go, and possibly pinch...I mean buy it from you - at an affordable price of course. In return you can have my much travelled "magic pants" and I'll even throw my makeshift sunglasses in there for good measure. How's that for a deal?

 

---- My Memoirs ---

Thinking about my magic pants reminds me of my all time favourite moment on stage at Port de peche; Place - Lorient Interceltique, Year - 1999, Date - sometime in August. The crowd were going mad not only at our silly hats/pants/faces, but also at the sheer speed at which we were playing.

Maybe it was the air that night but the atmosphere was hot and our "Super Duper-Hyper Reel" set…was fast - unquestionably, unmanageably, uncontrollably and unforgettably fast. Needless to say, the set didn't go so well in Le Pub, but then I don't remember wearing the magic pants that night and the hats only had a certain amount of "magique" about them.

 

Some Wonderful and interesting Compositions;

  Don't stick your head in the fire
"Don't stick your head in the fire…NO!" (Accompanied by Cas' Jembe, Cornwall 2001) was another cause and effect song, mainly improvised on the spot to produce certain pearls of wisdom for those in obvious need of some! Further verses include "Don't go a-walkin' off a peer...NO!", "Don't close yer curtains when its light" etc…We never did get round to recording that one.
  There was an old woman and she had a fringe
Originally this song was composed in a sane manner in a caravan at Cwlwm Celtaidd 2001 and has stuck ever since. Following a raucous Jam on the Penny Whistle over a random chord structure on Guitar we immediately, as if by flash of inspiration, went into the words- "There was an old woman and she had a fringe…I don't know why she had a fringe…perhaps it was to match her…and so forth". This was a prequel to the later adapted version sung the very next year in another caravan. It too has never been recorded.
  That one we wrote in Cornwall
The one we aptly named because, quite simply, it was, even though it wasn't! It was sort of written before hand and adapted later into something slightly more practical (with B and C tune). I don't know why so much inspiration comes from Cornwall, especially in the weird and slightly off beat orientation, maybe it's the sea air, or more likely the festival air.

 

 

 

My French phrases at Lorient...and a plead for help!

 

"Ello" [whilst bending knees in a comical constabulary fashion] -trans~ Hello (worked once - but only once)

"Le CD! C'est Tres Bon!" [Flashing "Baase cooil Stroo" around after a rapturous applause] ~trans~ If you liked that tune, which, judging by the wolf whistles, I'm guessing you do, then it's on this CD, it's great! Here is one…. buy them over There! [Pointing to side of stage]. ? (worked every time)

"Bonsoir" [whilst waving to the audience] ~trans~ goodbye you've been a great audience!

At least, I think this is what they understood by my poor French - If you have any good phrases I could use, let me know!

 
  In the case of the Montreal Interceltic Festival (2001), where everyone in the audience liked to pretend they don't understand a word of English nor my simplistic French phrases, a simple wave of a CD was sufficient enough for them to realise that the ginger haired woman with the chequered dungarees would be selling our CDs at the sales stall. Come to think of it, she may have been a patient from the mental hospital (on which grounds the festival was based) nevertheless she seemed to enjoy our music as she began to bust a groove.

 

 

 

 
My make shift Glasses, they do work, honest! And they're still lying around somewhere at home!   My Magic trrroosers! You can just about make them out. (I'm looking at the sun by the way - that eclipse that didnt really happen In Lorient, 2001, twas nothing but clouds!)

Updates