Five Florida teenagers in kilts had such a great time at their high school talent event back in 2011 that their incredible drum performance made them instantly famous on the internet, garnering an incredible 29 million views and counting!
The Origin of an Internet Legend
Dylan Charles, a student at Lake Howell High School, had an idea: to bring back the “Hot Scots,” a famed but brief drum line from the 1990s. He turned that concept into an incredible, stick-flipping, beat-blasting show that would become an internet classic with his equally brilliant mates Nigel Fernandez, Matt, Elias, and Jordan.
Dylan humbly told Drumlines of America (DOA), “We just played some of our favorite drum corps excerpts and filled in the rest.”
What did he not say? These guys performed, not simply played.
The Show With Everything!
The Hot Scots, dressed in traditional kilts, performed a show that will never be forgotten. It featured synchronized choreography, lightning-fast drumming, and unexpected comedy sketches.
When the music paused, one of the drummers took his sticks and began to play Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” like a microphone. Before immediately returning to their upbeat beats, the entire band joined in, throwing the audience the ultimate musical curveball.
And right when the audience believed they had seen everything? Naturally, the males’ identical shorts were exposed as they turned around, lifted their kilts, and mooned the cheering crowd!
29 Million Views and Continually Growing!
The talent show victory was only the first step. The now-iconic act went viral on the internet after Fernandez posted it to YouTube on March 11, 2011. And more than ten years later, the video still appears in feeds as younger generations learn about and appreciate the Hot Scots’ incredible drumming prowess.
One reviewer gushed, “This is still so fresh, alive, real, and passionate in 2022.”
“People have no idea how insanely hard this is,” someone else wrote. The majority of professional musicians couldn’t do what these guys were doing.
The Hot Scots demonstrated that a high school talent show can occasionally produce real legends with their impeccable timing and jaw-dropping enthusiasm.
Did you witness this incredible performance? Check it out, tell us what you think, and let us know if the Hot Scots just put on the best drumline show ever.
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