I was recently invited to attend a concert at a virtual replica of Duncarron Fort, reached by teleport from the Scottish Club Catalyst.
The club is co-owned by Rik Xaris, a real life Pipe Major from Scotland and Brielle Coronet from the U.S. What makes Catalyst stand out from the crowd is that it is the only club in SL to only play Celtic music all day, every day. The club also offers concerts, piping shows and more!
Catalyst opened in late 2010 and has found a niche in the SL community. It has over 320 members and is growing strong. The club also is home to several Celtic bands, such as Saor Patrol, Drones & Drums and the Medieval pipe and drum band, Aurum Aquila. All the bands have been given exclusive permission by their real life counterparts to perform and play their music in Second Life.
The club has a mascot, Hamish, a "toffee coo" Highland bull.
Although I caught only the very end of the concert and didn't even have time to find appropriate clothes, I was able to grab a tambourine and sword and join in the festivities.
The May 6 concert was performed by Saor Patrol ( pronounced 'shore' comes from the Gaelic word ‘Saorsa’, means freedom / liberty). the following information about the band and the May 6 concert was provided by Brielle. The band combines old musical Celtic roots with modern instruments by blending the Great Highland bagpipes and thundering drums with electric guitar, making for a truly unique sound described as “Tribal” and “Celtic Rock.” While on tour they will even provide educational talks about their culture youths and adults, many of whom have never encountered a Scots in person. The reason why they do this is because all the band’s members are also volunteers from the Clanranald Trust for Scotland, a non-profit recognized organization in Scotland, whose aim is to spread awareness about Scottish culture and heritage through entertainment and education. One of the projects close to Saor Patrol’s heart is a replica of a medieval Scottish village named Duncarron Fort which is currently under construction by the Clanranald Trust in Scotland with help from proceeds of the band. In addition, all the band members are also members of Combat International, an organization that supplies trained combat crews and advisors to the Film and TV industry, such as Robin Hood, Gladiator, Game of Thrones and more. Saor Patrol’s piper Charlie Allan got the idea to form Saor Patrol during the filming of Gladiator. All the band is from the ranks of the Clanranald Trust for Scotland. Although the band is separate from the Trust one heavily promotes the other at all times.
In early 2012, Saor Patrol gave exclusive permission to Celtic Connection Productions, a cultural entertainment company founded by Brielle Coronet and Rik Xaris, to portray and perform as them in Second Life for the purpose of promoting and advancing awareness about Scottish culture. Rik is a real life Pipe Major from Scotland who has had a lifelong appreciation of piping and is a seasoned performer in SL. To further achieve their goals, Rik built a virtual replica of Duncarron Fort, complete a battering ram, an animated blacksmith and interactive educational garden about the medicinal use of plants during Medieval times.
Club Catalyst is a fun place to visit whether you are Scottish or not. For more information about the club or Saor Patrol, contact Brielle Coronet or Rik Xaris.
Slurl to Cataylst:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Raroia%20Bay/228/180/2007
It's been a busy time for me in RL, so I haven't had much time to post about my SL explorations, but I wanted to end the year with some information about two immersive sites definitely worth visiting. I'm not sure how long Christmas Town will be up, and I have to admit I did not explore all of it, but the skating ride through the castle was incredible. I won't ruin the surprise for you, but let's just say you will enjoy it, and you don't even need to bring or buy any skates. Just hop on either the single or couples skate balls outside the castle and be prepared to enter an adventure as you glide along through some magical scenes along with holiday music and some fun skating animations. You also have the option to walk through the scenes to get more views of this beautiful "ride."
The second immersive experience I recommend is also the second performance by the Synthetic Theater (see my previous review of the Ninety Nine Percent which is also still playing). The new show, Jabba Jabba Jabba, is even more immersive than the first. There's a lot of action as your avatar is taken control of, but don't worry, you will survive. At 75 lindens per show, it is still a steal (the shorter Ninety Nine per cent is 50 lindens). 
