Born in the Scottish Borders Mike began his musical life in the late 1950s/early 1960s playing his father's drum kit. By age 14 he was playing in local dance bands and in 1969 Mike decided to turn professional. In the early 1970s, Mike was a member of the world-famous traditional Scots-Irish band, Boys of the Lough. While with the 'Boys' Mike worked in a duo with fellow-Boy Aly Bain, the brilliant and renowned traditional fiddler from the Shetland Islands, for about three years, showing off his ability for playing amazingly clean and crisp flat-pick guitar behind Aly's fiddle; a very dynamic duo! In the 1980's and 1990's, Mike lived in Denmark and toured all over Scandinavia, Germany and the Low Countries, as well as working back home in the UK touring solo and turning out with those madcap Scottish musos, The Vindscreen Vipers Skiffle Group (Tich Frier, Bill Nolan, Malky McCormack and the late Danny Kyle).
Now, Mike's back home again in the Scottish Borders and working as Scotland's only (as far as we know) one-man blues band - and there aren't that many in the UK either - with his guitars, mouth-harps, vocals and drum-kit - and of course his show-stopping, "mouth percussion". If you're not familiar with Mike Whellan's music then it's pretty much unashamedly good rockin' 12-bar blues played in Mike's inimitable style on 6- and 12- string guitars (picked with great precision and at eye-watering speed), mouth-harp (masterful and packed with music describes Mike's mouth-harps - it's as he's filled them up with great music and then he just blows it all out of them towards you), and a wee tottie drum-kit. And the other things he can do with his mouth? Well, you've just got to see and hear his show-stopping vocal percussion; a real tour de force - got to be witnessed to be believed (you just have got to hear his take on Duke Ellington's, 'A-Train' - mighty!). Added to this; he sings, is a drummer of no slight talent (it was his first instrument after all), writes songs, and seems to have boundless energy. Mike Whellans doesn't believe in doing things by halves. A Whellans gig is straight from the hip energy so you've got a great entertainment in prospect with the most dynamic one-man blues band any side of the Forth delta. And, you've probably guessed it, you only see one guy on-stage, but close your eyes and you're confronted with a full band sound! The picture of Mike Whellans is by Alistair Mulhearn. |
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