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MadonnaTribe had the chance to meet Steven
Kilbride, one of the minds behind the great performance
of "Into The Groove" in Madonna's
re-Invention Tour.
Stevie takes us into the exciting creative process of this performance
and shares for the first time with our readers his fondest memories
of the most talked about tour 2004.
While we hope you will enjoy this new interesting addition to
MadonnaTribe's re-Invention Scrapbook we would
like to thank Stevie for his kindness and his
help.
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Steven Kilbride started playing as a snare and tenor
drummer when he was only a nine years old boy in Glasgow.
That was the start of a story that led him
to play in a series of senior bands, winning every major championship
both as band and drum corps, teaching pipe bands throughout
Europe, until something unexpected happened... when Madonna
called and he travelled back and forth from Scotland to Los
Angeles to work on her Re-Invention Tour. Stevie
is an incredible artist, a great professional and he was so
friendly to let us ask him something about his tour experience.
Here's what he shared with us.
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MadonnaTribe: Last summer
is probably filled by nice memories for you. What meant to
you your experience on board of the Re-Invention tour?
Steve Kilbride: The tour was the experience
of a lifetime, playing and working with some of the best musicians
and dancers in the world not to mention working with Madonna
herself.
MT: How have you been contacted to work on
the Tour, and what was your first reaction when you were asked
about it?
SK: I was contacted by Lorne Cousin.
Lorne asked if I could accompany him to L.A. and do some work
on Madonna's Re-Invention Tour. My first reaction was "very
good Lorne, call me back in the morning when you are sober!"
It wasn't until we were on the plane three days later that
it all sank in.
MT: Can you explain to our readers how did
you contribute to the show. Was it difficult to teach the
dancers?
SK: I was asked if I could with Lorne, come
up with a link from "Imagine" to
"Into the Groove". Lorne and I
had some ideas so Madonna had us go into
the studio with Stuart and Steve
that night. We laid down some backing tracks and thankfully
she liked what she heard.
She then had us back at Culver Studios and
asked if it was possible if I could choreograph the moves
and to teach Stuart, Steve and the dancers how to play Pipe
Band drumming for the tour, so I says I would give it a go!
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Showing Stuart and Steve
was easy, Steve is a fantastic drummer and Stuart is a natural
musician. So I had them play the Snare Drums and Cloud
played Bass drum, so the other dancers had to work very, very
hard.
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The tenor drums they played are as much a visual thing as a
musical instrument as you have seen the tour. The boys worked
harder than I could ever have asked them to and don't know how
they did it in between learning their dance routines. They did
me and Pipe Band drumming proud!
MT: Did you have a chance to spend some time
with Madonna herself, can you tell us something about that?
SK: I was working with Madonna one-to-one on
a daily basis during the rehearsals, so I spent a good bit of
time with her.
During a break in rehearsals we were all invited to a pool party
at Madonna's L.A. home, we were all working
hard and it was good for us all to relax and get to know each
other away from the pressures of rehearsals.
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MT: How did you feel in Manchester when you
had to perform yourself on stage for so many people?
SK: Manchester was crazy, it came right out
of the blue. One minute I'm practising for the World Pipe
Band Championships in Glasgow next I'm on a plane to London.
Madonna asked if I could help them out, Paul
had been taken ill so she asked if I could play in his place,
thankfully he is well now!
But I had a problem, I was competing in the biggest event
of the year for my own band and didn't want to let them down.
She understood that so Madonna arranged for me to play in
Glasgow in the afternoon and then take to the stage in Manchester
that night, I got there just in time for 'prayers'.
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Madonna and everyone gave me so much support that night.
Another special thing about Manchester was
that I had arranged tickets for my sisters, Jacqui and Linda
to attend the show, they didn't actually know I was there until
they saw me on stage, they thought I was still in Glasgow playing
at the Championships.
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MT: With this tour bagpiping reached a lot
of people and a whole new audience.
The "bag and pipes" intro is definately one of those
moments in which the crowd really went wild.
What do you think of the re-invention of classic bagpiping
in this show?
SK: Lorne and myself knew this was a chance
of a lifetime for us to put Pipe Band music on one of the
biggest stages in the world.
We were determined not to compromise our traditional music
although we didn't have to worry, Madonna wanted it as traditional
as we could make it.
I have been lucky enough to have played on many international
stages and have performed for the Pope and
the Queen, but playing on the Madonna
stage is probably the biggest stage possible to take Pipe
Band music to an international audience, and I thank her for
giving us that chance!
MT: What do the members of your band think
of you going on tour with Madonna?
SK: I still take a bit of stick from them,
they can't believe that Stevie the Glasgow boy is working
for Madonna and they are still keeping my feet firmly on the
ground.
One week I'm teaching in Knightswood, Glasgow and the next
week I'm teaching in Hollywood, L.A. ......... Result!
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MT: What are you currently working on, was it hard
to get back to "traditional" bagpiping?
Do you miss the tour experience?
SK: It's been hell, nothing can ever live
up to the tour. I am back teaching and working and have just
finished recording my Pipe Band's lastest CD. I am also recording
for a Blues band CD and just finished some work with Lorne
and Stuart Price for the Pringle
Fashion Show in Milan.
MT: Which is your fondest memory of this
tour?
SK: Madonna's face when
I walked in for 'prayers' at Manchester straight
from Glasgow still wearing my band's own
kilt, it was priceless!!!! It's cheesy but true, making good
friends on the tour!
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MT:
Thank you Stevie, it was so great to get in touch with you.
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