>> Press and Journal 17Jan2002 by Andrew Black


Highland band to the core band play Big Apple

A talented young Highland band has been snapped up to play a gig in America - just after making the giant leap from amateur to professional status.

Croft No,Five will play a concert in New York in April as part of a campaign to promote Scotland as a holiday destination for Americans.

The six piece group, known for its innovative blend of traditional and modern music will also perform at the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow next month.

The band has gone from strength to strength since its much talked about New Year performance in Edinburgh.

After eight years playing together, the band members were able to give up their day jobs and turn professional - thanks to financial support from Inverness and Nairn Enterprise.

Ruadraidh MacNeil, head of business development at INE, said: "We have clear criteria on which we base our decisions whether or not to fund business start-ups.

"I was very impressed with the professionalism of the group, which was reflected in the clear aims and strategic development in the business plan."

Band member Misha Somerville, who plays whistles, said: "It was time to give up the day job if we wanted to make a success of the band. "We love the fact that our audiences are more like participants, able to dance the night away rather than sit and watch, which gives our shows and innovative edge."

Croft No.Five is one of only a few full-time music groups in Scotland to recieve enterprise money for development.

They plan to use the start-up funding to make a short video and improve their transport.