In My Solo Career

I am passionate about my music, it comes from my soul and I believe it is my true vocation.  From the age of 8 I started playing bagpipes and at the age of 18 I was experimenting with different sounds.  I wanted to change peoples perception of the bagpipes.  At the age at 21 I broke away from the "traditional bagpiper" ways. 

From my early piping days I played in the traditional pipe bands such as "Inverkeithing High School Pipe Band", "The City of Edinburgh Pipe Band", "The Royal Burgh of Inverkeithing Pipe Band", "Torrevieja Pipes And Drums" (which is based in Spain).

With major fire in my belly, I needed to see what else was out there.  I knew that the bagpipes can do much more.  There is a powerful force within the bagpipes.  That is how The Phantom Piper was born.  I have played with big bands such as the famous Saor Patrol and Celtica - Pipes Rock.  Sharing stages and Festival/Venues with The Dropkick Murphy's, Europe, Cradle of Filth, Rob Zombie, Within Temptation, Gaelic Storm, Switchfoot, Young Dubliners, Sepultura, Opeth, The Wicked Tinkers, Seven Nations, Sweet, Corvus Corax...

I am sponsored by McCallum Bagpipes! I feel so highly honoured as McCallum Bagpipe is truly my favourite bagpipe maker!!!   If your wondering what bagpipes/reeds and repairs I use..... yep, correct.... McCallum Bagpipes!  

Thanks to my bagpipes and fans/followers, I have been able to travel all over the UK, Europe, USA, Canada and Australia.

I have also been featured in the newspapers, magazines, television, radio and have played in front of audiences as large as 60,000 people across the globe.

 

With the taste and the feel of the fresh cold night air, I hold my pipes and say to them "we are ready". We go on stage to perform for you all.  I hear you scream and it hits right to my core.  You see, I am not the person you see before you. That person is The Phantom Piper.  I am not that powerful person without my bagpipes by my side.  They are my sidekick - my Partner In Crime. In return, I give them life.  My bagpipes become a "living breathing" partner. I give them oxygen, my heart and my soul when I play.  We have experienced so much together.  From awesome concerts with lively hyper audiences all around the world, to my father's funeral. I was just 20 and had to pipe/march my father's herse to the crematorium. Then his coffin into the Crem. It was the last thing I could do for him.  My pipes have done me proud - Thank you.

 

Celtica Career

I am currently playing with the big band "Celtica -Pipes Rock" and have been since spring 2013.  With an explosive show not to be missed and with our unique sound of blazing bagpipes, mighty drums and the power of a rock band, Celtica takes by storm all audiences from all across the globe.  In addition to their high energy music and flamethrowers on their instruments, guarantees a very exciting show for everyone! Right away CELTICA has been headlining some of the biggest Celtic/Scottish/Rock events in Europe, Canada and the USA. 

Playing at Wacken (the largest metal music festival in Europe) Has been a highlight for us.  We also featuring in the biggest metal magazine "Metal Hammer" and "Diario de un Metal Head" website! Playing at the Harley Davidson European Bike Week was also awesome. I am a massive bike lover and the Harley Davidson has stolen my heart. Just recently, The Sun newspaper ran an article on my life. That was pretty cool!

 We get booked to play in paradise (Hawaii) a lot.  I appreciate this so much.  We made a two music videos in Hawaii.  One Video is with all of us Skydiving!!  It is certainly the most beautiful Dropzone EVER.

 

Goddesses of Bagpipes

 

It all started with an idea of Harald Weinkim. The idea led to reality and a super viral viral video was born.

3 kick ass female Bagpiper from around the globe (Scotland, India and the USA) Playing and rocking out to "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" by the Dropkick Murphys and "Enter Sandman" by Metallica

The video went instantly CRAZY. Being shared on top/high profile pages. 

Currently sitting at 9.9 Million Views on YouTube and 8.2 Million Views on face book with 93.2K shares and many more views on other sharers sites.

We hit a nerve and have been asked to play at so many other shows already. We are working on more material at the moment so watch this space!

 

 

Awards/Achievements

I was honoured when The Sun Newspaper got in touch and done a two page spread on my solo project.

I have achieved two number 1# on the rock charts and have gained a video reward for best music video online.  My "Dark Island" video on YouTube is sitting at over 780k views! 

"The Dark Island" was spotted by the Dark Island Brewery in New York who chose the song to musically mature the "Eleanor Glen" Single Malt Whisky. Now they are using all of my music to mature this blend.  New batches are currently maturing and some should be ready in Spring 2019 after the first batch sold out.  www.darkislandspirits.com

I have just made an additional/remake of the Dark Island, as it went down so well first time round.  It sure went CRAZY!!!  I just couldn't believe it - with 74,264 views and 2,663 shares in just over a week.  That is all thanks to my fantastic fans/followers/friends and family.

In 2019, we as band were VERY honoured and EXTREMELY happy to be the winner of the International Artist Of the Year by The Australian Celtic Music Awards. After so many years of intense touring it was absolutely wonderful to see that all the hard work is not only recognized but accepted and even rewarded.

 

Celtica have also had a #1 in the charts.  We were happy to have received the MacDudel Music Award as our Cape Horn track has been in the charts for a number of weeks!!

Aberdour Short Brilliant Original Film Awards awarded Billy McNeil and myself an award and medal for "Best Music Short - Freddie the Fruitbat 2011" 

I performed at the Highland Gathering in Australia as part of the Adelaide Music Festival and also with radio interviews 

                                                                                  My Thanks

My thanks goes to (in no specific order) to my mum for getting me into bagpipes and for her endless encouragement and much needed support ALL the way through my piping career.  Thanks to all my fans, followers and friends - without you all, I couldn't continue on my journey. My journey would be pointless if you didn't enjoy my work and if I didn't inspire. If I have inspired at least one person, then it has been all worth it.

Love to you all,

love from Jane Espie - The Phantom Piper.