So Who Are The Hot Seats Anyway?
Like many musicians who grace the stage at Woodend Barn, The Hot Seats are hard to put a label on. Lots of people have asked me what kind of music they play and I struggle to answer because if I say bluegrass there’s a good chance I will get the response ‘What’s that?’ or, worse, ‘I don’t like bluegrass’.
It’s difficult and most of the time really unhelpful to pigeonhole music because immediately you are limiting its appeal. I have lost count of the number of times I have said a musician is a folk artist only to be met with the response ‘I don’t like folk music’ when I know that if the person posing the question just put their prejudices aside and came along, they would more than likely really enjoy the show.
So if you’re wondering who The Hot Seats are, what kind of music they play, is it bluegrass, what is bluegrass…. here’s what I think! The Hot Seats are a totally amazing band from the US with a style that is uniquely their own but draws on old time stomp and medicine show theatrics. They are raucous and funny and might play covers of Soundgarden, Frank Zappa and Led Zeppelin.
I have it on good authority that the shows they have played on this Scottish tour so far have all been brilliant. Have a wee meander around their website www.thehotseats.net
And what is bluegrass? I liked this definition, but it’s open to interpretation! Bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe characterized the genre as: "Scottish bagpipes and ole-time fiddlin'. It's Methodist and Holiness and Baptist. It's blues and jazz, and it has a high lonesome sound."
See you on Sunday 7 August for The Hot Seats!
