Hello, my name is Rab Lennox, but many of you may know me as “Big Rab”. I currently live in Magherafelt Co. Londonderry, Northern Ireland.  I started competitively playing the snare drum at age 9, and competed for around 29 years, this last 6 years I haven’t competed.

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During that time I played with Queen Elizabeth Pipe Band (G2), The Quinn Memorial (G2, 3A, 3B, 4A & 4B), Finvoy (3A), Tullintrain (3B), Eden (G2), Ballinderry Bridge (G1), & The Howard Memorial (G2).  Some of the highlights that stick out in my pipe band career are winning my first major championship as a lead drummer, the Scottish Championships in Dunbarton with the Quinn Memorial back in 2003.  Also winning my first All Ireland Championship, that I’ll never forget!

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One of my many hidden talents is that I can talk.. A lot !! So I decided to start a radio show on FusE FM Ballymoney called “The Big Rab Show”, and have been doing that now for about 7 years.  This grew into the weekly podcast with the same title, not to mention all the news items on the social media. Recently I also began working with BBC in Northern Ireland, presenting a new show called “Kintra” weekly on BBC Radio Ulster. So it’s not really a hidden talent as everyone seems to know it... I can talk !

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It's hard to believe but I do have a day job in the Northern Ireland Civil Service, plus a very understanding wife and two kids at home, this all keeps me very busy.

Andrew is from Killyman, County Tyrone. He joined the Big Rab Team in 2017 and ever since has been covering a lot of the live streaming at the Northern Ireland Pipe Band and Solo Competitions, as well as some Concerts. Previously a piper in Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band, he currently plays the Snare Drum and Pipes in Tullylagan Pipe Band. In his younger years Andrew was a successful solo player in Northern Ireland winning both Ulster and all Ireland titles up to Intermediate level before moving to Scotland to complete and Hons Degree in Scottish Music – Bagpipes at the Royal Conservatoire. Andrew has a great passion for teaching. During his time studying in Scotland he was employed by North Lanarkshire Schools as a part time piping instructor and after completing his degree he was employed by the highland council as Piping Instructor for 2 years in the North West Coast of Scotland covering Ullapool and Gairloch areas.

In 2012 Andrew took seriously ill, resulting in him loosing his fingers and part of his left leg, but after returning to Northern Ireland, he started to learn the Snare drummer, receiving tuition from John Johnston. In 2017 Andrew joined Tullylagan drum core in 4a, under LD Geoff Hamilton, the core had a very successful season winning the All Ireland Scottish and World drum core titles. In 2018 John Elliot Owner of G1 reeds created a pipe chanter for Andrew which enabled him to play the pipes again and hopes to play the pipes in the band this year.

Pipe bands are a huge part of Deej's life, not only is it his job and privilege to teach drumming across Wester Ross, it is also his passion and has been for over 15 years.

Deej started off in the army cadets, as a student working his way through the SQA award scheme and then went on to teach future cadets. He has played up to grade two and has had many highlights in his fifteen years. Playing amongst his peers for Her Majesty the Queen at Balmoral, he has also played all over the world and won World Champion drum corps with Newtongrange in 2013 along other major titles.

Mr McIntosh is now lead drummer with Ullapool and District in Grade 4b. Having followed The Big Rab Show for a long time, Deej says it is now an honour to help out and be a part of the team.

Deej now covers the show's coverage at Scottish competitions and events.

Alicia has been involved in pipe bands since she was a young child, competing as a pipe band drum major since the age of seven. She has won multiple titles at every level and became the third female to win the Adult World Championships which she lifted in 2011. In 2018 she decided to retire from competitions.

Alicia hails from Kinallen in Co. Down and was a member of Matt Boyd Memorial Pipe Band based in Mid-Ulster. Outside of pipe bands Alicia is also the Chairperson of her local accordion band, Corbet based just outside Banbridge. Her mother May was a founder member and Alicia attended her first practice when she was a matter of weeks old. Alicia recently welcomed her first child, Tillie, who was born in November 2019.

In the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2017 she was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to the community in Northern Ireland which was testament to her dedication to The Girls Brigade, Kinallen Rural Development Group as well as various youth clubs which she has been instrumental in running. 

Alicia plans to keep involvement with pipe band in the future, having recently applied to become a Drum Major adjudicator. Alicia brings her wealth of knowledge and experience on all things Drum Major related to the Big Rab Show.

Erinn joined the pipe band scene in 2012 firstly playing tenor drum in his local band Cottown, then in Grade 2. With 20 years in the marching band scene playing accordion and later as a drum major, Erinn also started competing as a Drum Major at RSPBA competitions in 2012, receiving guidance from his close friend and 2011 Adult World Champion, Alicia Dickson Hamilton. With Cottown not fielding a band competitively, in 2015, he was asked to join Portavogie in Grade 4B to take over the bass drum. Portavogie went on to win many competitions that year including Ulster Championships and All Ireland titles, as well as claiming the World Championships. This success resulted in a call from Adrian Hoy to join Grade 1 band, Cullybackey. Unfortunately Cullybackey did not go on to compete that season and Erinn spent the summer as a Drum Major only. The passion to play in the band was still there and in late 2016 he accepted the call from David Chesney to join Grade 2 once again with Closkelt , based just outside Banbridge. With Closkelt, Erinn has had two great seasons so far, coming in 3rd at the 2018 Worlds. Erinn was the first to win the Open Bass prizes at the Cullybackey and Ulster Solo Championships in 2016.

Erinn is a civil servant, however he has a great passion for graphical design owing back to his previous employment. He has also played the piano since the age of Six and is currently studying for his Grade 8. In 2017, he worked freelance for Rab doing some graphical work on and off and in early 2018 he joined the Big Rab Show team concentrating on mainly graphics and websites as well as helping Rab out with organising events such as the Big Rab 100th Podcast.

Erinn