Horslypse
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The idea of a tribute band to the Celtic Rock supergroup, Horslips, first surfaced in late 2004. Organ player Michael Rafferty, after listening to numerous records by the group, formed the idea of bringing together a group of musicians for one performance in tribute to the band. As the idea began to gather realistic potential, Ryan O’Sullivan was approached and soon recruited as the group’s guitar player. As word spread about the possibility of a tribute band forming, it became apparent that a number of other musicians, who cited Horslips as a main influence, were interested. The group soon recruited John Kelly on vocals, Conor McAloon on lead guitar, Daniel McCormack on bass guitar, and Damien Maguire on drums and percussion. The traditional side of the group consisted of Michael Kielty on flute, Patrick Bogues on fiddle, and Niall Moore on banjo and trumpet. The first Horslips Tribute gig was performed in the CBS Grammar School in Omagh, the school which all of the members of the band attended. With Barry Devlin, bass player of the Horslips, in attendance, it proved to be an extremely successful night as the band performed the entire ‘Book Of Invasions’ album. With this first gig proving a great experience for the band, it was agreed that the group should continue to perform under the Horslips Tribute banner, in homage to the band who inspired the idea in the first place. Despite 'Horslips Tribute Act' serving as a very catchy name, the band name was then changed to 'Horslypse'. In October 2005, the group were invited to play at the opening of a Horslips memorabilia exhibition in Drogheda, where they played a 90-minute long set to a room full of over 200 invited guests, including all five original members of the Horslips. It was a great experience for the group, who gained instant recognition by all Horslips fans and earned the respect of the original band.
Drawing songs from all areas of the original Horslips catalogue (as well as a few unexpected numbers), the band have entertained audiences in all corners of Ireland, both North and South. In our music we hope to bring alive the Celtic Rock genre once made famous by the Horslips for both young and old alike. The experience of playing the music that we love is something that each member of the band takes great enjoyment out of, and we hope to continue to do this into the future.
The band consists of:
John Kelly - Vocals
Conor McAloon - Lead Guitar
Ryan O'Sullivan - Rhythm Guitar
Danny McCormack - Bass
Michael Rafferty - Flute & Keyboards
Niall Moore - Banjo & Backing Vocals
Michael Kielty - Drums
