Field Marshal Montgomery in L-D recruitment mode as McLees departs

Not quite two years after taking the role, Lead-Drummer Gareth McLees is no longer with 13-time World Champions Field Marshal Montgomery. The band did not provide a specific reason for the move, but it is believed that the decision was accepted by McLees.

A successor has not yet been named, and the move could cause upheaval within the band’s snare line.

The news means that Field Marshal Montgomery will enter the 2025 season with two new leaders following the retirement of legendary Pipe-Major Richard Parkes, handing the role to long-serving Pipe-Sergeant Matt Wilson in September. The band has had exceedingly few leadership changes in its long history, and turning over both the pipe-major and lead-drummer roles in a few months is rare for any established band.

“We will weather these winds of change.” – Pipe-Major Matt Wilson

“FMM’s preparations for the 2025 season continue in earnest, and the recruitment process for our new lead-drummer is already underway,” Wilson said. “The predominantly Scottish-based pipe corps is strong and we will weather these winds of change.”

With much of the band’s pipe section, including Wilson, based in Scotland, making Scotland its official home base could be a reasonable option, depending on where the next lead-drummer and the majority of the corps are located. Field Marshal Montgomery has always considered Belfast its base and is by far Northern Ireland’s most successful pipe band in history.

A longtime member of Field Marshal Montgomery, McLees succeeded Keith Orr, who retired after 20 years as lead-drummer in December 2022.

In the two seasons with McLees as L-D, Field Marshal Montgomery experienced excellent results as one of the globe’s elite Grade 1 bands, including championship wins and two runner-up finishes at the World’s.

The band’s first year with McLees as L-D was very successful, winning the UK and European championship drumming titles and three first-place rankings in the four Grade 1 events at the World’s. A sixth place in drumming in the Friday MSR helped Simon Fraser University’s drum section to the World Pipe Band Drumming title.

The band’s drumming and ensemble marks were solid in 2024, including five second-place rankings in drumming at RSPBA championships. The only first-place finish for FMM’s corps at a major championship in 2024 was in the Friday Grade 1 MSR at the World’s, which saw an outlier eleventh-place ranking in the Medley on the same day.

With McLees, Field Marshal Montgomery was second as a band at the World Championships in both 2023 and 2024.

McLees is one of the best pipe band snare drummers in the world. He was fourth in the 2024 World Solo Drumming Championship and has been runner-up three times.

At publication time, McLees had not responded to a request for comment.