After living in Edinburgh for six years, my excuses for not experiencing the world famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo were running out. Being a fan of pipe bands and different music genres, I have no idea why I didn't decide to go sooner.
However, for the comeback performance, free from the clutches of the Covid pandemic and with the show's new Voices ethos, I decided to attend one of the city's biggest and most popular attractions. The date was Monday, August 15, darkness was approaching, I'm getting myself hyped up, I look out the window, and see, eh, that it's absolutely chucking it down.
Yep, only I could bypass a week of heatwaves and water scarcity warnings and land on the only night that so far that the heavens had decided to open. To add insult to injury, no umbrellas are allowed at the Tattoo, for obvious reasons of course.
READ MORE: We went to an Edinburgh Festival Fringe musical and ended up in tears
As it was a Monday night, the queues to reach the world-famous Edinburgh Castle Esplanade weren't too long, I was able to stroll up the top of the Royal Mile myself in just a few minutes. After a couple of security and ticket checks, I was pointed in the direction of the press pit at the very front of the performance, where unknowingly, I would be just metres away from some of the performers.
With the atmosphere building and the people selling those plastic rain ponchos making an absolute killing, I stood in the pit, alongside a few others, not really knowing what to expect. I was already soaking, but the excitement and anticipation of the show outweighed the rain that was slowly seeping through my jacket and shoes.
Having seen the Christmas light show at the castle, I had witnessed the impressive display that the esplanade was capable of during evening. Although, when the crowd fell silent and the show began, with a solo drummer acting out a comedic scene while aggravating staff and getting the crowd to clap along, it felt like a privilege to be able to watch the display in the city I now call home.
The show started with a combination of presenting the new ethos, Voices, as well as a traditional pipe band performance from both the Massed Pipes and Drums and the United States Army Field Band. With the backdrop of the castle and lit gauntlets, as well as the ocean blue lights and the bright colours of the pipe band's kilts, the opening ten minutes sent shivers down my spine. Having been to several pipe band performances in the past, nothing compared to this.
The incredible synchronisation of hundreds of performers, given that the rain had become increasingly heavier, was incredible. Even though the acts had performed for over a week before my visit, the professionalism should never be taken for granted. Having one of the best seats in the house - well, standing positions anyway - getting so close to the action and paying attention to every little detail in the performance was a real treat.
Following the first pipe band performance, where they finished just metres away from our standing position, the Banda Monumental De Mexico had their chance to steal the show. Supporting multiple different cultures and traditions, it was a joy to witness so many different acts within the same performance. No two displays were the same and each one was as riveting as the last.
With the castle's spotlights doing their thing and the Mexican performers' bright coloured attire wowing the crowd, this performance was certainly one of the most exciting. The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo performers were up next, combining a mix of pipe band and Highland Country Dancers. The incredible precision and accuracy displayed by the dancers, given the torrid weather conditions, was spectacular.
The United States Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team, which is quite a mouthful, then stole the show with their incredible, and heart-in-mouth performance. 16 soldiers, all armed with a military rifle, hoisted them up in the air and twisted them around at exactly the same time while the rain was lashing down upon them. With the crowd visibly and audibly in awe at what they were witnessing, the performance ramped up one of the loudest cheers of the night.
After the Banda Monumental De Mexico performers returned for a second show, followed by the Massed Pipes and Drums again, the world-famous and brilliantly dressed Top Secret Drum Corps had all eyes on them with a dizzying drum performance. Combining dance and music, with their sticks thrashing the rain off each other's drums, the crowd certainly left remembering this performance.
The Highland Divas then stood on their designated podiums, with beautifully coloured dresses, and serenaded the crowd with a touching musical performance. Unfortunately, at this point, I had been forced to move position to try and escape the rain. My pockets had puddles in them, my phone was soon to be destroyed by water damage, and even my waterproof boots were no longer waterproof.
The New Zealand Army Band performed the world famous Hakka after their impressive performance before I had to call it quits, unfortunately missing the finale of the show as I made my way down the river that was The Royal Mile. The others in the press pit were long gone due to the weather, people in the stands were even getting up to leave, but it was still one of the most enjoyable performances I've ever witnessed.
Despite having to shower again and cuddle the hot water bottle when I made it home, I will definitely be returning to the Tattoo at some stage, albeit hopefully when the forecast is a little more generous. The professionalism of every performer, during difficult conditions, and the delight of exploring multiple cultures within the same show certainly made it a memory of a lifetime.
If you haven't been to see the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, I would 100 per cent advise you to book your tickets before the show concludes on August 27. You can do so here.
READ MORE —
- Standby cost of two household appliances 'eye-opening' after man measures them all
- Darius Campbell Danesh: Scottish Pop Idol star dies at age 41
- Edinburgh ScotRail services to be slashed this week amid new train strikes
- Edinburgh Airport jobs update including positions with salaries starting at £43k
- Cheapest Edinburgh Airport September flights under £30 including Spain and Italy
