Drowned Madonna: Lorne, welcome at Drowned Madonna. Is the bagpipe the one and only instrument you are able to play?

Lorne Cousin: Yes.

DM: When did you start playing the bagpipe?

LC: I started when I was 6 years of age. My tutor was the late Pipe Major Tony Wilson. He was responsible for the pipe music on the 1977 Wings Hit "Mull of Kintyre".

DM: Before Madonna re-Inventiont Tour you practiced as lawyer in Edinburgh. Did you also take up the bag-piper as a profession? Was it difficult to fit them together?

LC: Yes with Edinburgh Firm Turcan Connell. The bagpipes was always a hobby though. It hasn't been too difficult to do both over the years as the firm knew it meant a lot to me and have been very supportive.

DM: What are you doing now that the tour is over? Are you practicing as lawyer again?

LC: Yes I'm back with the same law firm. I've actually had a few other things to do since then though. I was asked by Pringle of Scotland to do the music at their fashion show in Milan on 16th January. I was playing the bagpipes on the catwalk which was fun! I've also been offered a modelling contract so hopefully I'll be on the catwalk again somewhere...

DM: Tell us about your previous works before going on tour with Madonna...

LC: Previously I was buying and selling rural property which was interesting but not the most sexy area of the law, as you can imagine going from this to working with Madonna was quite a change. I used to compete in piping competitions at the Highland Games in Scotland and play at concerts.

DM: Word is that Madonna saw you playing at Stella McCartney weddings. Is it true? Were you able to meet her there?

LC: Yes Stella and I have known each other since we were young in Kintyre and she asked me to play at her wedding to Alasdhair. Madonna was present. I didn't really meet her but she said "Hello", little did I think that I'd be playing with her a year later!

DM: It is rumoured that you received a telephone call from Madonna herself. Is it true?

LC: Madonna called me herself at my apartment in Edinburgh. I was in the shower and had to call her back. I couldn't believe it when I heard the message on the answering machine.

DM: When were you contacted and when did you fly in Los Angeles?

LC: Madonna called me in late February I think and I flew to Los Angeles on 18th March 2004.

DM: What was the first thing you did at the rehearsals?

LC: The first thing we did was to play a few tunes for Madonna in the Culver Studios. She liked it and that night we went into the recording studio with Stuart Price, Steve Sidelnyk and Sean Spueler. We worked until 1am and recorded the track that night.

DM: Who had the idea of the "Bag Pip Intro"?

LC: It was Madonna's idea. It was a link between "Imagine" and "Into the Groove". The idea was that it would start off slowly like a lament to follow the mood of that song and then build up in tempo so that it led into "Into the Groove". I think it worked really well and the fans seemed to enjoy it.

DM: Were some traditional Scots songs used for this intro?

LC: Yes the first part was based on a Piobaireachd which is the classical music of the bagpipes and dates back hundreds of years. The second tune was a strathspey which is a dance in Scotland and was called "Susan MacLeod".

DM: Did you really play your bagpipe during the shows? Or did you simply mimed?

LC: I played live every night.

DM: Was "Into The Groove" the one and only song you rehearsed and/or re-arranged for the tour? Which other songs did you work on?

LC: "Into The Groove" was the only one.

DM: Let's talk about the rehearsals. Were they very challenging and hard for you?

LC: No the rehearsals weren't overly challenging. The bagpipe music came as second nature to me so it really played itself. The dancing was a different matter! When I came out to LA in April the dancers told me Madonna wanted me to dance with her, I couldn't believe it but it was true. Jamie King and Stephanie were great though and taught me the moves before I did it with Madonna. Madonna herself then used to practise it with me in the afternoons until I had it perfect.

DM: ...And after "Into The Groove" you returned as a dancer with entire ensemble for "Holiday"... Tell us more about this topic...

LC: I loved "Holiday" actually. It was fairly easy to do as it wasn't too strictly choreographed. I never told my friends or family if they were at a show about "Holiday" and they got such a surprise when they saw me come back on at the end for this.

DM: Did you attend all the rehearsals?

LC: I was in LA from 18th March for 2 weeks and then returned on 26th April and stayed there until the tour started.

DM: What did you learn from that?

LC: I learned what a perfectionist Madonna is. She is amazing to work with as were her band and dancers. I don't think I've met anyone with such a work ethic and who pays so much attention to detail. I also learned how much work goes into producing such a major production. There are a lot of guys behind the scenes who make everything run smoothly but are never seen. I liked these guys alot and made a lot of friends.

DM: Lorne, did you get some input for the choreography of the bagpipe segment?

LC: Yes. Madonna asked me to bring someone out to teach the dancers how to play the drums and how to march. Stephen Kilbride was recommended to me and he came out for a month to teach. He was great and was very much involved in the choreography of the drumming routine. We have been firm friends ever since and in fact he was in Milan with me to do the Pringle show recently.

DM: How was performing in front of thousands people?

LC: Performing in front of thousands of people was very daunting and I couldn't sleep the night before the first show.Once you did the first few shows though it became alot easier. It was always a bit special when I had friends or family in the audience as well.

DM: So tell us the opening night in Los Angeles...

LC: The opening night was unbelievable.There were 18,000 fans and a great feeling of anticipation. As I said I couldn't sleep the night before. All the band and dancers and crew were excited. Once the performance was finished I was on such a high. It is an amazing experience and I can see why performers continue to do live shows. Afterwards we went to the Tour Reception and mingled with the guests. It was an amazing night.

DM: Tell us your typical day on tour.

LC: A typical tour day would usually involve getting up in the morning and maybe going for a swim. Then we would be picked up at the hotel and taken to the venue at around 2pm. We would do a sound check and the dancers would run through a few numbers. Madonna would arrive about 5pm and she would do her own sound check and run through any numbers she wanted to rehearse.
After that we would eat in the venue and then hang out until the show started at about 9pm. After the show I would usually have a drink with the rest of the band and then go back to the hotel. I might then go out to a club if there was something organised.
That is a typical show day but if we had a day off we would go sightseeing and then go out at night. There was nearly always something organised by the tour. I loved it.

DM: Were you more free than the other members of the crew (dancers and musicians)?

LC: I suppose I was to a certain extent as obviously I wasn't involved in all the songs. I was officially part of the band though so I did everything with them. They are great guys and were really supportive and helpful in the first months of the tour.

DM: Have you some anecdote to tell us?

LC: I suppose one moment I'll never forget was on 28th June in Boston. It was my birthday and after rehearsals Madonna announced this to everone and sang Happy Birthday to me on stage. That was very special.

DM: Have you ever seen that kind of organization before?

LC: I've seen concerts being organised but never anything on that scale. It was amazing, there were over 100 people, a huge stage and 22 articulated lorries to move everything around. It must have taken months of planning. I still don't know how the stage guys managed to get the stage and gear out of the venues and into the next one on time. They work really hard.

LC: I was at my ease yes because everyone was so friendly it was like a big family. Madonna herself also put you at ease as she was very personable and made sure you were included in everything.

DM: Which is your favourite re-Invention Tour number?

LC: "Into the Kilt" of course! No Im only joking, I liked "Into the Groove" actually as I can remember it from my schooldays. I also liked "Express Yourself" and "Like a Prayer".

DM: What did you learn from the whole experience?

LC: I learned how much work goes into a tour such as this. I also learned how much of a feeling of family exists on the tour and I suppose I also learned that there is no limit to what you can do if you try.

DM: Have you good prospects for the future? Is Madonna in them someway?

LC: I hope so. As I said I have had one or two engagements since the tour and hope there will be more to follow. The documentary is due out later this year I believe so I am looking forward to that. I would love to work with Madonna again yes but that is really up to her.

DM: Everybody well know that Scottish men don't wear pants under their kilt... so, did you wear pants during all your re-Invention Tour performances?

LC: Ah Ha, now that would be telling Giampiero and Vincent, you'll have to wait until the next time Im on stage.....

DM: Thank you so much Lorne. Chatting with you was a pleasure and an honour.....

LC: I would like to thank all the fans for making the tour so special. You were great every night and I hope I brought a taste of Scottish culture "with a difference" to the performances. Thank you.