Edinburgh’s ‘radgest buskin’ band’ to make Fringe debut

Described as a ‘crazy fiddling freak show’ the five - Malcolm Goodare (cello), Callum Morton-Teng (fiddle/mandolin), Aly Morton-Teng (cello/banjo), Mark Reid (guitar) and Rob Taylor (fiddle) - combine their craft of traditional Scottish music with wild theatrics and storytelling in a coming-of-age show about death and fate.

The band’s Rab Taylor explains, “Fiddlers on the Ramp is a high-energy acoustic folk music show that follows the story of five brothers who, after defeating the Devil, win a cursed golden cello.

“Inscribed on the cello is a prophecy which states that one of their souls will be taken if they do not put on the craziest show in all the lands.”

He continues, “Our show is the result of years of busking antics being taken to its natural conclusion.

“With the release of our album R.O.T. til ye rot coming soon, we are trying to gig as much as possible and feel that, as the Fringe is on our doorstep, it makes perfect sense to participate.

“Our frenetic music borrows from various traditions, including blue grass, the contemporary classical repertoire, and the fiddle music of Scotland.

Fiddlers on the Ramp is a group of life-long friends who went through high school together.

“We are all profoundly fortunate to have received full-time classical music education at The City of Edinburgh Music School, within Broughton High School, one of Scotland’s four state-funded music schools.

“As the beneficiaries of such great opportunity, we feel an obligation to try to give something back to the city by making music of the best quality we can while providing riotous entertainment.”

Fiddlers on the Ramp, C Aquila, Roman Eagle Lodge, Johnston Terrace, 22-26 August, 6.25pm, £9.50-£10.50, 0131-226 0000