Gaelic Storm
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gaelic Storm | |
---|---|
Origin | Santa Monica, California, USA |
Genre(s) | Celtic, Celtic Rock |
Years active | 1996-present |
Label(s) | Lost Again Records OmTown Music |
Website | www.gaelicstorm.musiccitynetworks.com |
Members | |
Patrick Murphy Steve Twigger Ryan Lacey Peter Purvis Jessie Burns |
|
Former members | |
Shasha Zhang Bob Banerjee Tom Brown Samantha Hunt Kathleen Keane Ellery Klein Shep Lonsdale Steve Wehmeyer Brian Walsh |
Gaelic Storm is a highly-acclaimed Celtic band. Their music ranges from traditional Irish and Scottish music to original tunes, in both the Celtic and Celtic rock genres.
Contents |
[edit] History
Gaelic Storm's origins can be traced back to 1996, when Patrick Murphy and Steve Wehmeyer joined with Steve Twigger and Uillean piper Brian Walsh to perform at O'Brien's Irish Pub and Restaurant in Santa Monica, California, of which Murphy was the manager. This led to a number of pub performances for the next year.
In 1997, Gaelic Storm appeared in the film Titanic as the steerage band. This catapulted them into touring, where they were met with extreme success and popularity. They have toured throughout the United States and Canada, in the United Kingdom, France, and Japan.
To this date, Gaelic Storm tours aggressively, and plays over 125 dates a year. It has also put out six albums since its inception, including the compilation album Special Reserve. The band is notable for its energetic rendering of traditional Irish music and Scottish traditional music, and for its albums which repeatedly top the Billboard world music charts.[citation needed]
Gaelic Storm's latest album Bring Yer Wellies was released on July 25, 2006 and debuted at #2 on the Billboard World Chart, #16 on the Internet Sales Chart and #31 on the Independent Album Chart. Their fifth album, How Are We Getting Home?, was released in August 2004 and debuted at #3 on the Billboard World Music Charts, #10 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart and re-entered the September 2005 World Albums Chart at #3. Gaelic Storm. Retrieved on 2007-11-13.
Over its history, the band has replaced its fiddle player a few times, its drummer once, and added Highland, Uilleann, and Deger (electronic) bagpipes to its instrumentation.
In January 2006 the band released its first DVD titled "Gaelic Storm: Live In Chicago". The show was filmed live at the House of Blues in Chicago.
A Simlish version of the song, Scalliwag, from the band's latest album, Bring Yer Wellies, was recorded and featured on the World music channel in the expansion pack, The Sims 2: Bon Voyage, for the popular PC Game, The Sims 2.
[edit] Band members
- Patrick Murphy (accordion, spoons, bodhrán, lead vocals)
- Steve Twigger (guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, lead vocals)
- Ryan Lacey (djembe, doumbek, surdo, cajón, vocals, various percussion)
- Peter Purvis (Highland bagpipes, Uillean pipes, DegerPipes, whistle)
- Jessie Burns (fiddle, vocals)
Former members:
- Shasha Zhang (fiddle)
- Bob Banerjee (fiddle, mandolin)
- Tom Brown (Highland bagpipes & DegerPipes)
- Samantha Hunt (fiddle)
- Kathleen Keane (fiddle, whistle, vocals)
- Ellery Klein (fiddle, vocals)
- Shep Lonsdale (djembe, doumbek, surdo, and various other percussion)
- Steve Wehmeyer (bodhrán, didgeridoo, vocals)
- Brian Walsh (Uillean pipes), whistle (also played "Irishman" and the piper in the motion picture "Titanic")
Guest musicians by album:
- Herding Cats
- John Whelan (button accordion)
- Eric Rigler (Uillean Pipes, Low "D" Whistle)
- Marie Reilly (fiddle)
- Tree
- Mike Porcaro (bass)
- Special Reserve
- Deborah Clark Colón (fiddle on Tracks 1, 3, & 8)
- How Are We Getting Home?
- Dave Pomeroy (bass guitars)
- Nanci Griffith (special guest vocals on Track 5)
- Bring Yer Wellies
- Jeff May (bass guitar)
- Rob Forkner (bodhran)
- Michael Ramos (accordion)
- Lauren Dilbert (didgeridoo)
[edit] Discography
- Gaelic Storm (July 28, 1998)
- Herding Cats (September 20, 1999)
- Tree (June 19, 2001)
- Special Reserve (August 19, 2003)
- How Are We Getting Home? (August 3, 2004)
- Bring Yer Wellies (July 25, 2006)