Batten the hatches – the Mudmen are coming.

The Mudmen, darlings of the hockey world after founding members and pipers Sandy and Robby Campbell were featured on the winning anthem for CBC’s Hockey Night In Canada theme song contest and played the Edmonton Oilers’ opening game of the NHL season, Oct. 2, visit the Athabasca Hotel on Nov. 16.

The bagpipe-laced Toronto rockers Mudmen are: Mordy Harroch (vocals), the Campbell brothers (bagpipes), Troy Spinney (bass), Alex Maletich (guitar) and Dylan Broda (drums).

While Mudmen have been around for a few years, first as The Campbell Brothers, things have really been rolling for the muddy ones since about the time of the release of their fourth album, The High Road (2009). As it happens, Harroch joined the band in time to lend his vocals to The High Road.

The High Road followed Defending the Kingdom (2005), Overrated (2003) and The Mudmen (2001).

The HNIC gig, though, really garnered some interest for the band. “That was really good for us, we got a lot of exposure in the last year from that CBC contest,” said Sandy Campbell.

“Ron McLean and the on-air guys gave us a good plug,”

“The theme song worked out really well for us. Alex Lifeson (Rush) and Kim Mitchell were working on songs, too, but we were brought in on Colin Oberst’s, which was the winner.”

Sandy and his brother Robby are big, brawny kilt-wearing clansmen who play bagpipes and could double as bouncers or, in a pinch, as caber tossers if you’re throwing a highland bash.

“The East Coast has always been good to us, but Western Canada has more Scottish than people think and I think they’re the ones coming out to see us.

“We have something fresh and new and, unlike in the East where the economy is hurting a lot, you guys seem to be having no problem and come out to the shows.”

But where does the fusion of bagpipes and rock enter the picture?

Well, as a good wee Scottish descent lad in Alvinton, ON, surrounded by Celtic music in the home, Sandy (wee then, not wee now) learned to play the bagpipes at the age of 13. He then passed on his knowledge to his younger brother, Robby.

The lads played in a Legion pipe band for 10 years, the 78th Fraser Highlanders, and won a world championship. They’ve also played with the Irish Rovers, John McDermott, The Chieftains, The Irish Descendents and others.

Despite the fact Celtic music was taking them places, they are also fans of rock, with their music influenced by the likes of AC/DC (they’ve covered “It’s A Long Way To The Top”).

“You hit a certain level of playing the pipes and realize it’s only popular in a small circle,” said Campbell.

By fusing rock and bagpipes, though, and changing from The Campbell Brothers to Mudmen, the pair signed with EMI records in 2001. Two albums were produced with EMI, with the band’s last two completed independently.

Despite the fact the Mudmen sound found its way into a promo video for NBC’s The Black Donnellys (“Lost”), video games Burnout 3: Takedown and MX vs. ATV Unleashed (“Animal”), Sandy said he and his brother were somewhat disappointed with the direction the band took under EMI.

The Mudmen sound took on a heavier, rock/punk tone, with the pipes having less prominence than the brothers wanted.

That situation has been corrected with The High Road, though, and the introduction of Harroch’s vocals, said Campbell.

“Right now, we’ve got a great group of guys, they’re good to be around and as friends we’re likely to hang around after a gig. In the past, sometimes, we’d be going down the road with no talking, no conversation.”

As well, these days, the piping Campbells are doing their best to demonstrate that bagpipes are cool.

With heavy rhythm section muscle, wailing guitar from Maletich and full-on pipes from the Campbells, this is not your “Danny Boy” Celtic offering.

The Mudmen offering of “Whiskey In The Jar” is Metallica-like rather than folky, “The High Road” (‘you take the high road and I’ll take the low road, etc.’) begins with a delightful little violin intro before launching into a drums, guitar and pipes up-tempo onslaught.

Originals range from the rapid fire “Drink and Fight” to the mournful “Dirty Old Town” to the instrumental pipes and drums of “Pipers Rant”.

In working to make bagpipes a cool instrument to play, Campbell said, “there is disrespect for the pipes sometimes. So we decided to go a little bit wild with it.

“Ashley (MacIsaac) did a great thing for the fiddle and hey, the Beatles did great things with the sitar. Some of the older pipers out there may not appreciate it, but it (Mudmen-style rocking) encourages kids to pick them up. It kind of makes it cool again and keeps young people interested.”

“Cool” of course, is in the ear of the beholder and it seems lovers and haters of bagpipes are often evenly split.

This love/hate relationship may be best summed up by Robby Campbell, who explains the bagpipes thus, according to Sandy – Bagpipes are like a big snake. Put them behind glass and everybody is curious and wants a look. But throw them out on the floor in the middle of the room and everybody runs away.

When it comes to songwriting, the Campbells have penned most of the originals, but other band members have added their share.

That will likely continue as, with The High Road, the band is back to a more Celtic sound. “We have new songs ready that are more like The High Road,” said Campbell. “But we’re also looking to add some things. We proved we can rock and now we’re thinking we might add fiddle and mandolin.

“Alex plays the banjo in one song and it’s massive every night. Who’d have thought it? You play the guitar, the coolest instrument on the planet, but people go crazy when you pick up the banjo.

“You know, I talked to an old boss a while ago and he said, ‘I didn’t think your wires were touching when you used to talk about a rock band with pipes’.
“But it’s like making soup; how good it is depends on what ingredients you put into it. With the bagpipes, you can put the same ingredient into a pipe band, a symphony orchestra or a rock band.”