Having missed last year’s National Mòd in Perth completely, it is a massive pleasure to be back this year at Scotland’s premier Gaelic festival in Paisley.
It is hard to believe 10 years have passed since I won the gold medal at the first Paisley Mòd but it is lovely to be among the town’s stunning venues again.
Mòrag Dhòmhnallach even told me live on Radio nan Gàidheal that I have aged well since 2013, but then again, that was only Monday of Mòd week. She should perhaps reserve judgement until Friday.
Let’s start at the beginning: the opening ceremony on Friday set the tone perfectly. I even managed to place myself right next to the free Prosecco for the duration of the speeches!
Càraidean a’ Mhòid (Friends of the Mòd) awards were bestowed upon four very deserving people. Sheila NicAoidh, Mairead Nicolson, and Mary Lorne all picked up beautiful medals; and the first ever posthumous Càraid a’ Mhòd award was presented to the family of my pal John Robertson – who would no doubt have boasted to me that he won a bigger medal in Paisley than I did.
After the ceremony, the doors opened and the beautifully refurbished Paisley Town Hall filled up for Breabach and an extraordinary night of Gaelic songs, tunes, and step dancing.
After a few pints of the official Mòd beer (brewed by local brewery, Two Towns Down Brewing), I hitched a lift back to Glasgow from none other than Donnie Dotaman. What is Mòd week for name dropping?! On Monday morning, I was invited to give a song for A’ Mire ri Mòir live on Radio nan Gàidheal. I arrived at the town hall dressed rather casually (it is radio, after all) only to meet last year’s Gold medalist, Ruairidh Gray.
Ruairidh was dressed in full collar and tie complete with handkerchief. I commented that his pristine appearance rendered me decidedly underdressed to which someone replied: “I wouldn’t worry – Ruairidh would make the dummies in Slater’s look underdressed!”
That evening, I adjudicated the Battle of the Bands in the Re:Hope Church alongside my great pal, Eilidh Cormack.
This was a phenomenal competition of bands under the age of 21. Mercifully, our only task was to put four bands through to the final the following day which saved us the unenviable challenge of picking a winner. That said, choosing only four bands to progress was genuinely almost impossible. As with all Mòd competitions, I dare say there were many in the room whose opinions differed to ours but what no one could doubt was the hard work, passion, and talent displayed by those young people.
Not so long ago, Eilidh and I were singing together in various Highland schools projects and we are now both professional musicians. That is a path that is open to every one of those young kids and, should they choose to take it, they will be doing their families, communities, and culture very proud indeed.