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It's More Than Just a Band..... It's a Way Of Life.

The Black Skull Corp of Fife & Drums With award winning visual Glasgow artist. Mr. Roderick Buchanan

The band has worked with Roderick Buchannan (Roddy) twice over the last couple of years ,on two projects with very differing aspects and impacts.
April 2007, we were filmed by a professional film crew in concert for Histrionics, An exhibition of new work by the Glasgow-trained and based artist, addressing culture sectarianism and related issues in Scotland looking at attitudes towards perceived sectarianism and bigotry.
Histrionics includes a very large, red, triangular theatre that takes over the gallery space. In this massive structure there are two films of Loyalist and Republican flute bands performing. On the outside walls of the theatre are a variety of displays ranging from photographs of Celtic and Rangers football players to information on historical figures such as Thomas Muir and John Knox.The artist's and his wife's family trees are also featured in depth and investigated.Buchanan is not proposing solutions to sectarian division in Scotland. He is instead considering and reflecting on certain aspects of identity in Scotland that relate to this difficult topic, and holding up a mirror to it. He has said, 'the work will not be about the subject, it is the subject'.

Histrionics – The new work by Roderick Buchanan was displayed in the Gallery of Modern Art Royal Exchange Square Glasgow from April to October 2007 and has opened in Belfast at the Ormeau Baths Galleries in January 2008. Clips to the RHS show some of Buchannans film on the band.

The second tie in with Roddy was for "Within"- A new photographic themed installation on portraits ,this was to be displayed in the Bloomberg space Gallery in The heart of the City of London,this must be a first for a band of our standing ~exposure in a art gallery in the big smoke!.
Roddy photographed each member of the band in the same face-on pose, He primed the snaps in identical 80x62.5cm prints and mounted these in plain white wood frames. the portraits are displayed at uniform height and interval along two walls of the Bloomberg Space with the header-
"Scottish By Birth~ British By The Grace Of God", all part of a show called Within. Themes of visual commonality through shared identity are displayed.

Working with Buchanan has been good for our culture and bands profile as it has opened some new doors and showcased the band to some people who would not normally give a band from a unionist/ Loyalist background a chary glance. Being a member of a Loyalist band sometimes brings criticisms, fusillade and detestation from some who in Ivory towers cannot see their own shortcommings in relation to inclusiveness equality and parity of esteem, By working with Buchanan the band has strived to display our community and culture as it is~ not anti this or that! but just,proud ,British and pertinent.