Ardross Band - A Short History

Weddings, Parties, Anniversaries; Celebrate withThe North's Premier Dance Band

History of the Ardross Dance Band

It was in Mid 1966 that a group of Easter Ross musicians decided to form one of the most popular bands to tour the area - The Ardross Band was born. In those early days the band consisted of four players; Sanders Sutherland (button key accordion) of Tollie Farm Ardross was not only known for his nimble, music making fingers, but was also a dab hand on the bowling green.

Forestry worker James Mackay plays guitar and sings while another Ardross native, Brian Stanger, then a lodger with James at Ardross, played Piano accordion. Ian Shearer completed the line-up on drums.

Brian left the group to advance his career in the forestry and his place has been taken by a number of local musicians over the years. People such as Jimmy Gunn, who went on to produce an album of his own songs. Then his place was taken by Ian Sutherland on Bass, but work commitments forced him to leave the band. Then Fraser Donaldson came in, also on Bass. Fraser, From Evanton, is the son of well known country duo The Marlettes.

When the first oil rig jacket was launched from Nigg on 14th August 1974, the band, along with the Strathpeffer Dance Band played at the biggest party in the north to over 12,000 people. In 1989 another new boy joins the ranks. Derek Spence arrived with a new Fender Telecaster to give the band the twang it now has. Derek also sings and introduced the electric mandolin to the sound of this versatile band.

In a previous life Derek was a photographer and often photographed the same wedding as he was playing at later! He still takes the odd wedding photo and you can find more information here

In 1990 the band were delighted to be given a song by a Dornoch lady called 'Dornoch Forever' which they play everytime they appear in the Royal Burgh.

The band continues to play around the North, as popular as ever, with gigs from home in Alness to Torridon. Then tragedy strikes; Sanders Sutherland, who for so many years, has sprinkled the band's sound with many a Scottish tune, died in 1995. As well as his trusty Paolo Soprani accordion, Sanders was no stranger to the microphone. He had a smooth singing voice not a million miles away from 'Gentleman' Jim Reeves and was often delighting crowds with Blackboard of my Heart, Forty Shades of Green, and He'll Have To Go. Tragedy hit the Sutherland family once again in 1998 when Hamish, Sander's son dies of an Anneurism.

For a time afterwards, the Band toured as a trio with Derek providing music for the set dances on the Mandolin. Then, with a stroke of luck we got into contact with a guy called John McErleoch from Dornie, Wester Ross. He played his first gig at a wedding and has been playing with them ever since. John plays the five row 'continental' accordion with full Midi output that gives him a whole range of sounds at his disposal. In 2008, John started to play Bass guitar on the upbeat songs instead of the accordion bass buttons to give an extra punch to the sound. Another stoke of luck is having an excellent accordionist in the shape of Graham Wood from Invergordon who steps in if John can't make the gig.

The band have probably played every hall in the Highlands; from Durness to Keith. Having been together for 43 years, they have amassed a bulging repertoire. In fact they once worked out that they could play three nights in a row without repeating a song. This is why the Ardross Dance Band is synominous with music for all ages; you name it, the boys'll play it!

Facts and figures

The ONLY Band to play in all three Ardross Halls.

Derek is lucky enough to be Left Handed. His guitars, a Fender Telecaster and Stratocaster, are 10% more expensive than mere 'right handers'... No-one told him that it would be cheaper to learn to play it the other way. No-one told him, because he learned all those classic riffs himself (No, he didn't write this).

James plays his Framus Star semi acoustic guitar in Open F tuning. He says that as he walked up from Alness to Ardross, he played about with the tuning and found that this particular combination of string tension resulted in an instrument he could get a tune out of. Now, picture the scene. It is early 1989 and Derek is heading to Dornoch for his first gig with the band. In the van, James anounces that he plays in open F tuning.

In those days, of course, there was no Dornoch Bridge so we would go over the Struie, around Bonar Bridge and Spinningdale ( taking our time going round 'James Roberson Justice Corner') At James's revelation, the journey suddenly becomes an even longer one as Derek contemplates what lies ahead. Open F? What the **** is Open F? Of course the gig went great and Derek's eyes were glued to where James' hands were going on the fingerboard.

Ian bought a whole drum kit at the auction in Dingwall just to get the Cymbals for his existing Hoshino Drum Kit. He also painted his shoes. Yes, we know, as soon as he had been walking around with them for a while and giving the Bass Drum laldy, the paint started to crack...

Ian's day job is a Driving Instructor. And a Driving Instructor of some note, we might add. He also holds an HGV Licence. Now, you would imagine that anyone who holds down a job as either, would be able to reverse a small trailer-van. No. You just couldn't make up some of the spots we've got into trying to reverse that ****ing trailer anywhere near the entrance to the stage door of some venues. We've had to unhook the trailer, turn it round and then hook it back on the car so we can get home a little quicker. This is why there is a clause in our contract that all venues provide a new 'straight through' route that they must construct prior to our arrival...

In The Press

Press and Journal 1978

Sounds North by Stewart Ross

Bands come and go, but the Ardross Dance Band has been established now for 12 years.

Three of the original members are still with the band which is pretty good going nowadays. They are Ian Shearer from Alness, James Mackay from Ardross and Sanders Sutherland, also from Ardross. They have been joined by Alistair Paterson and Jimmy Gunn.

This band has played all over the place, from the smallest village halls to marquees and even in barns. They also played at the biggest ever party in the North when 12,000 people were at Nigg to launch the first oil rig platform from the yard.

Incidentally, I always remember playing in Ardross Hall myself. After about an hour you couldn't see the place for dust (it was that type of floor), hope it's still not the same.

This band are noted for, among other things, carrying wellie boots, not for any particularly strange reason, but situated where they are in the North, they have often ended up walking the last couple of miles home if it's snowing or the weather's bad.

Once they left Tain after a dance, had to ditch the estate car, and walk home in blinding, drifting snow, and then went out the following night for a repeat dose. Not surprisingly, after that particular night, one of the boys landed in Culduthel Hospital, Inverness suffering from pneumonia. It's a tough life, this musicians business.

However, they've another reason for carrying wellies - apart from any rude ones you might think of - for in the summer months they pack their fishing rods, and about four in the morning, if you see five young gentlemen dressed in fancy shirts sitting on the bank of any lonely highland river, don't be alarmed. It's only the Ardross Band going home from an engagement.

They're a good bunch of lads, so keep on fishing, lads, you never know what you might catch.

The band wish to thank all the past members including: Jimmy Gunn, Johnny, Annie, Alister, James Smith, Fraser, Ian, Kevin, Graham, Karen and Joan.