Every year, Kiwi musicians at the top of their game fly to the other side of the world and back to take part in ‘the greatest show on earth’. Mitchell Hageman hears why – and what it means to bring the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo to Eden Park in February.
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo: Meet the Kiwis creating musical magic and military marvel
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A contingent of Kiwi musicians travelled to Scotland earlier this year for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Now, they're preparing to bring the "greatest show on earth" to Eden Park.
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“They can’t keep me away now. I absolutely love it,” he says, talking to the Herald from the company’s Scotland HQ during the show’s August season, adding that this year’s edition probably tops the lot.
It’s not an easy task; these musicians are the best of the best, coming from all walks of life but with one common goal – to uphold the tradition and excellence the Tattoo is world-renowned for.
That tradition will soon be replicated at Eden Park, when Rairi will join hundreds of other Kiwis and international musicians as they take the stage for three nights of drumming, piping and military performance.
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The importance of this isn’t lost on the drummer, who sees it as a superb celebration of heritage and a great link between cultures.
“For us to bring the Tattoo over to NZ and Australia is absolutely huge for people who wouldn’t have had the opportunity to see it, and it’s lovely to bring it home,” he says.
“My mother hails from the [Scottish] islands. It was always very important to her for me to have a bit of culture. A lot of people have links here to Scotland, and lots of people can’t travel here to be a part of the Tattoo.”
But in terms of being part of the spectacle, it’s not as simple as turning up and performing. Musicians put in countless hours, often rehearsing from morning until night to reach the high standards required of them.
Rairi, who is an alumnus of Christchurch’s prestigious St Andrews pipe and drum band, is no stranger to competition and pushing himself as a drummer. The Tattoo, however, is different from anything else he’s done.
“[Competing] is good up to a point. There’s another side to it, the enjoyment side, and [the Tattoo] is bringing that to me personally,” he says.
“It’s very important, and it’ll touch a lot of people, I think. We all like music and that’s the common denominator.”
Keeping tradition alive
For West Coast fiddlers Karen and Alistair Jackson, the sentiment is similar. With years of experience and multiple performances with the Military Tattoo fiddlers in Sydney and Melbourne, they admit they are “quite involved in the whole scene”.
“I was brought up in a Scottish fiddle family. We can go back generations of fiddle players,” Karen says. “I also lived in Edinburgh chasing Scottish fiddle music.”
Alistair hails from a brass band background, but his love for the violin grew as the pair thrived in their successful Fiddlesticks band.
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“We’ve had a long journey that’s just never stopped. We were 16 years in Australia and came back during Covid to settle on the West Coast.”
It’s “the grandeur” of the Tattoo that strikes them the most, and the effort from the creative team to create what Alistair describes as a “well-oiled machine”.
“The attention to detail is just extraordinary. We’ve been practising for months,” Karen says, noting some days they have rehearsed from 8am until 11pm to hone their craft.
With the Tattoo heading to Kiwi shores, Karen says she’s been reflecting on its significance. Aotearoa and Scotland have rich cultural connections that she believes are vital to preserve.
“I’ve thought about this a lot in recent years, as it’s become really important to hold on to culture. We see that in Māoridom, and the growth and excellence that’s emerging through Māori culture. I see that in the Tattoo. I believe holding on to culture is something really special for us all.”
The cast is made up of musicians of various ages and stages of life, which Karen says is “really special”.
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“We have brilliant young players coming up. And we need oldies too, because they bring out the best in the young ones.”
The New Zealand event will involve more than 1400 performers at each Eden Park show. International performers include Scottish actor Terence Rae as narrator, the highly praised Top Secret Drum Corp, and a top-class British contingent from the Edinburgh original.
Local flavour will also feature prominently, including appearances from the Auckland Police Pipe and Drums, NZ Defence Force Combined Services Band and the City of Invercargill Pipe Band.
It takes a lot of effort, money and time to undertake a Tattoo performance as a Kiwi, but for this year’s crew, the thrill to be able to represent Aotearoa on home soil is worth every sacrifice.
What
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
When
February 19, 20 and 21 at 8pm
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Where
Eden Park, Auckland – Tickets are available at ticketek.co.nz
To get $75 off a bundle of four tickets, click here
Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today.
Mitchell was a guest of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.