The Great Rock ‘n' Roll Swindle is one of a series of initiatives pioneered by the courageous, forward thinking young company Music at the Brewhouse . The ‘Swindle' project engages with young musicians from any genre of contemporary popular music who want to make new, original and exciting work.

Each of the six Orkney acts were given twelve weeks and were set challenging tasks which encouraged them to increase and extend their skills in arranging, composing and performing. Working alongside Brewhouse composers David Knotts and Stephen Deazley , the bands have created distinctive and highly accomplished arrangements of their own tunes, and in many cases created entirely new work. There are singer song-writers, experimental folk singers, guitar based indie bands and a Scottish traditional outfit with a twist!

In 2009, The Great Rock ‘n' Roll Swindle will on the road again, testing out its urban muscle in Glasgow at the Old Fruitmarket in association with Glasgow Concert Halls

Lucy Hague grew up in Orkney and now lives in Edinburgh after completing a degree in Music Technology at the Edinburgh University . She regularly plays live in the city, both as a solo artist and as a backing singer with Jacob's Pillow, a seven-piece folk-rock group, and she recently performed as a support act for Mike Heron at Edinburgh 's Ceilidh Culture Festival. Her music draws inspiration from a wide range of styles, from folk and traditional to jazz and rock.

Jamie Hall is a 17 year old singer and song writer. He has been playing guitar, mostly self taught, since he was 12. He sites his influences as Dylan, Velvet Underground and the Beatles. He plans to go to University in the autumn to study mathematics in Aberdeen . He has been writing songs for only a few months, but has been involved in creative writing for as long as he can remember. In 2007 Jamie won the Man Booker prize for young writers under the age of 19 for his short story 'Nineteen.'

Midas Touch
Sean Rendall vocals, guitar
Peter Levens backing vocals, guitar
Ian Sinclair bass guitar
Greig Fogarty drums

Midas Touch, formerly known as Tango Whisky Alpha Tango, Embassy and The Unsure Side, are an Orkney based band who have been together for over a year. Having played several gigs, performing mostly covers of songs, they recently decided to have a go at writing their own music . They describe their style as based on indie music and say that each member brings something special to the band, they don't take themselves too seriously and their attitude towards music is to have fun.

Never Mind the Banjos
Finlay Bichan fiddle/accordion/bouzo uk i
Peter Levens banjo
Ross Sherwood guitar
One sunny day in February, two friends were hitch-hiking down a long and lonesome road when all of a sudden they came upon a shiny banjo on the knees of a long-haired fellow named Peter. The two friends kidnapped him and took him to the holy lands of Orphir. After years of intensive training involving early afternoon starts and several million gallons of Earl Grey tea, Never Mind the Banjos was born.

Katie Thomas is 18. She started playing the piano when she was 7, picked up the violin shortly after, changed to the viola and has recently started playing the cello. She has always enjoyed singing and started writing her own songs at the age of 11. She finds song-writing to be a great way of expressing her feelings and, like any song-writer, she's influenced by all the music she hears and the experiences that she's had - good and bad. If people enjoy her music, then she's happy.

Trunk Road Defect biog coming soon...

Music at the Brewhouse, founded by Scotland based composer Stephen Deazley , is an eclectic performing group drawn from classical, improvised, experimental, and electronic music traditions. There are six composers, some of the UK 's most respected music educationalists, and specialists in sound design and live electronics. The Brewhouse collaborates with kindred spirits in theatre, dance, circus theatre, performance art, new media and education to create unique musical events.

In 2004 the company emerged with its first of two commissions from Glasgow 's Tramway, resulting in the acclaimed Life's Hard, a dance cabaret with Russian dance artists DOTheatre. In 2007 Brewhouse returned to Tramway with its sell-out site-specific work Helter Skelter, created for a large company of musicians, physical theatre artists and circus performers.

Music at the Brewhouse has developed an original and exciting education portfolio, including the groundbreaking score for large amplified ensemble and laptop chorus, Thrie Heids. Created and performed alongside pupils from Braidurn Special School in Edinburgh , Thrie Heids won the education award at the 2007 British Academy of Composer Awards.

tbc violin
Mairi Campbell viola
Matthew Sharp cello
Lucy Kerr saxophone
John Burgess saxophone
John Kenny trombone
David Knotts piano
Bill Campbell guitar
Mario Caribe bass
Martin Parker electronics
Joby Burgess percussion
Pete Vilk drum kit
Kenny MacLeod, Sean Williams sound
Stephen Deazley music director