2001

The band forms in January during Celtic Connections 2001. After much deliberation and Guinness they hit on the name the midden, which unfortunately seems to have stuck *grin* Following a successful debut gig, Kate and Meggan Reid, Cat Chisholm and Karen Hannah, the four founder members, decide to start putting together a full 90 minute set of instrumentals and traditional Scottish songs with a view to gigging full-time. The initial line-up is guitar, two fiddles, flute/whistles/piano and three vocals. They gig across Scotland in folk clubs and small theatres and land a few high profile gigs including Dens Park Football Stadium and a specially commissioned original composition for Fiddle 2001, performed in the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh.

2002

Having developed their sound throughout 2001 the midden are offered a 25 minute slot on Danny Kyle’s Open Stage in the Concert Hall during Celtic Connections. They win one of 6 Best Newcomer Awards and are booked for the Festival Interceltique in Lorient, Brittany that August. It’s decision time, go professional and really make something of a career in music or continue to dabble... Cat bows out gracefully and Hazel, the third (and final) Reid sister, jumps in to take her place for their biggest festival to date, Lorient. The girls take audiences by storm in both the Palais de Congrès and the Cabaret Tent and decide to record their first album while their sound is still fresh and interesting. Recording takes place in CAVA in October, November and December 2002.

2003

With multiple support slots during Celtic Connections including Alasdair Fraser and Nathalie Haas, Fiddler’s Bid, Old Blind Dogs, Blazing Fiddles and The Poozies, the midden, now comprising Kate, Meggan and Hazel Reid and Karen Hannah, are beginning to make a name for themselves and the launch party of their debut album le bordel (which means 'midden' in French, a homage to the experience they had in Lorient and the realisation that music could become more than just a dream job) held in the Royal Concert Hall is well attended, by press and friends alike. The album receives praise for being sassy and innovative and provides a good platform for reaching a wider audience and getting more gigs.

In June the midden embark on a 4 month tour of Europe taking in Germany, Austria, Italy, France and Belgium playing at the Nürnberg Bardentreffen, Lorient and the World Pipe Championships in Belgium. It is at this point that Karen leaves the band to devote her time to other commitments closer to home, leaving Kate, Meggan and Hazel to go forwards as a trio. This tour sparks considerable European interest and the band are picked up by a German agent who sets up a 5 week winter tour of Germany taking in Bad Honnef, where the editor of Folker! Magazine, the widest selling folk publication in Germany, picks up and reviews their debut album which results in a considerable amount of radio air play on the continent.

2004

An easy start to 2004, 3 months off to work on new material! During this period, at the end of February, the girls go, for the first time, to Cwlwm Celtaidd, The Celtic Festival of Wales and forge lasting friendships with some fantastic people from Wales and the Isle of Man. With p:igloo (the wee corrugated iron houses that pigs live in in the winter!) their second album mastered in May again at CAVA, the girls embark on a 7 week German tour promoting the new album. p:igloo launches officially in Scotland with a huge champagne reception and album showcase in the Oran Mor, Byres Rd, Glasgow on 30th October. More than 300 friends, family and fans, press and promoters attend the exclusive event to show their support for the girls who worked really hard producing a second album to be proud of.

Then, in early November, it was back, by popular demand, to Germany, where the band toured extensively for 5 weeks taking in the whole country from Hamburg to Munich, with a brief sortie into Austria to play Vienna. Just back from this latest German stint and it was back to the airport for a flying visit to Genoa, Italy for a 'Ports du Monde' Festival celebrating new music in Europe and involving other young bands from France and Russia.

Then it was time to really ramp things up. With a crowd of 22,500 screaming Glaswegians (and 4 Germans) to entertain at Hogmanay 2004, the band draft in a drummer, Jay Hepburn, to help them put together a really kicking set. A month’s solid rehearsal later and the midden find themselves on-stage in George Square facing their biggest crowd yet. It was the most exhilerating set we have ever played and we want to do it on that scale ALL the time! It was an awesome gig, where better to bring in the bells, playing to the best crowd in the world! It was the perfect end to a really busy year and supporting Snow Patrol was totally AMAZING.

2005

Back to Wales in February for some more festival madness and the birth of a new genre, Glam Folk (it’s a very long story). The girls are delighted to be invited to play a floorspot on Rabbie Sheppard’s renowned Radio Scotland Saturday night show the Reel Blend. They have also been added to Radio Scotland’s Celtic Connections playlist and enjoy frequent air play on Radio Wales. Two big international festivals follow in March and April, the 'Nuit Celtique' in Belgium, supporting Carlos Nunez and the 'Irish Party' in Switzerland, with the Paperboys from Canada. May and June see yet another German tour (including a wedding in a castle on the Rhine) and the summer is spent touring the whole of Scotland, kicking off in the Oran Mor in Glasgow during the West End Festival, heading anti-clockwise right round the coast, through St Andrew’s, Aberdeen, Inverness, Thurso, Ullapool, and out to the Hebrides: Lewis, Harris, the Uists and the AROS Centre on Skye. The weather was brilliant and the tour culminated in a lovely session at the wee folk club, ‘Folk at the Oak’ during the Edinburgh Festival. September was a month of Scottish festivals including Dunbar, Port Patrick and Tarbert, Loch Fyne. Then a quiet end to the year, with some time off.

2006

A new year and a very welcome new addition to the band. Colin Cunningham joins the midden on bass guitar, bringing with him loads of experience and fresh ideas. He also frees Hazel up to play more piano. We rehearse for 6 months on new arrangements and new material for our 3rd album this time of completely original material which was recorded and mastered in CAVA in June and released in Germany at the end of July 2006. Released in November in Scotland, ‘where were you?’ brings a new direction, a new sound and a totally new feel to the midden. Working with top London producer Austin Ince has taken the whole thing to a new level for the band. Much less folky, although still with roots elements, their new sound is acoustic/folk/pop. The 3 sisters provide a strong acoustic front line with 3 part vocal harmonies a focal point of the new sound and the funk and drive of the rhythm section (Colin and Jay) keeps the whole thing ‘tight as beef’.

2007

Back out to Germany on several occasions this year, the band played a sell-out tour in March and returned for a couple of festivals during June and July. Hazel has taken a time-out from the band, she's off sailing round the world as deck-hand on a yacht so we've recruited another hot bloke - woohoo! (Meg and I are lovin' it!) *grin* Colin Train has stepped in on keys and vocals and is providing another fresh angle to our band sound. Watch this space for gigs in Glasgow over the next few months...

2008

Running an Acoustic night at the Aragon on Byres Road every Sunday night this year... excellent Guinness, expertly poured and chilled out live acts, what more could you want on a Sunday night...?

Nothing major planned as such this year... but we'll let you know when it all starts kicking off!