IRA (Polish heavy metal band)

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IRA - Polish heavy metal band. Started in 1987 in Radom by Jakub Płucisz (guitar), Wojciech Owczarek (drums), Artur Gadowski (vocal, guitar), Dariusz Grudzień (bass) and Grzegorz Wawrzeńczuk (keyboards), during the fall of comunism in Poland. They gained a wide popularity in Poland in early nineties, mainly after releasing the "Mój Dom" album, with the hit title song, which was still during their garage and semi-professional days. They also gained some local popularity amongst the Polish-speaking citizens in the U.S., where they lived and worked for few months. After signing the professional contract back in Poland they released few albums, which didn't prove to be comercially successful (except for the "Mój Dom" follow-up, which was "IRA 1993"), and the band disbanded afterwards. Artur Gadomski started a solo career, which stylistically was spanned from heavy-metal to pop music. He opened for Brian May before his show in Warsaw in September 1998. Artur's solo efforts wasn't very succesful as well, and were mostly basing on the then legendary status of IRA. Few years later the band reunited, and exists up to now. Again, they did not get much popularity, but are well known amongst heavy-metal fans in Poland (thought they play mainly pop-oriented hard rock), and their concerts are selling rather well.

Contents 1 Ethymology 2 Current Line-up 2.1 Other Musicians 3 Discography 3.1 Artur Gadowski solo 4 Links

[edit] Ethymology

The name "IRA" comes from a latin word IRA, meaning anger (this was the band founders' intention), however most people think they used an acronym for Irish Republican Army.

[edit] Current Line-up

• Artur Gadowski – vocals (1987-2007)
• Piotr Sujka – bass (1989-2007)
• Wojtek Owczarek – drums (1987-2007)
• Marcin Bracichowicz – guitar (2004-2007)
• Piotr Konca – guitar (2005-2007)

[edit] Other Musicians

• Kuba Płucisz – guitar (1987-1996)
• Darek Grudzień – bass (1987-1989)
• Grzegorz Wawrzeńczuk – keyboards (1987-1988)
• Tomek Bracichowicz – keyboards (1988-2004)
• Piotr Łukaszewski – guitar (1991-1996)
• Jarek Zarychta – keyboards (1989-1991)
• Paweł Matrack – guitar (1990-1991)
• Zbigniew Suski – guitar (2002-2004)
• Sebastian Piekarek – guitar (2004)
• Maciek Gładysz – guitar (2004)

[edit] Discography

• IRA (1989, Gadowski, Płucisz, Owczarek, Grudzień, Bracichowicz)
• Mój dom (1991, Gadowski, Płucisz, Łukaszewski, Sujka, Owczarek)
• 1993 (1993, Gadowski, Płucisz, Łukaszewski, Sujka, Owczarek. Gościnnie w utworze Wiara na fortepianie T. Bracichowicz)
• Live (1993)
• Znamię (1994, Gadowski, Płucisz, Łukaszewski, Sujka, Owczarek. Gościnnie w utworze "Wojna" D. Sadoś, G. Zamorski)
• Ogrody (1995, Gadowski, Płucisz, Łukaszewski, Sujka, Owczarek. Gościnnie S. Piwowar oraz Lech "Groszek" Grochala – obaj na instrumentach perkusyjnych)
• Tu i teraz (2002, Gadowski, Owczarek, Sujka, Suski)
• Ogień (2004, Gadowski, Owczarek, Sujka, Piekarek, Gładysz, Bracichowicz)
• Live 15-lecie (2004)

[edit] Artur Gadowski solo

• Artur Gadowski (1998)
• G.A.D. (2000)

[edit] Links

• http://www.ira.art.pl/ - Official website