The Bad Shepherds

The Bad Shepherds

Adrian Edmondson performing as part of the Bad Shepherds at the 2009 Fairport's Cropredy Convention.
Background information
Genres Folk, punk
Years active 2008–present
Labels Monsoon Music
Website www.thebadshepherds.com
Members
Adrian Edmondson
Troy Donockley
Andy Dinan

The Bad Shepherds are a British folk band formed by the comedian Adrian Edmondson in 2008. They play punk songs with traditional folk instruments. The band primarily consists of Edmondson (vocals, mandolins, mandola), Troy Donockley (uilleann pipes, cittern, whistles, vocals) and Andy Dinan (fiddle).

Contents

Band history

After "accidentally" buying a mandolin,[1] Edmondson taught himself to play a few chords and he began to play a few punk songs on it. Edmondson contacted Donockley – a virtuoso uilleann pipes player and multi-instrumentalist – and they got together "to see if there was anything in it". After playing together for two days they had arranged eight songs.[1] After some initial experimentation, they enlisted Dinan, twice winner of the all-Ireland Fiddle Championship, and the band was formed.[2] Essentially a folk band, the band's repertoire is taken from punk and New Wave music hits from 1978 to 1985. They re-interpret songs, inserting traditional reels and jigs.[2][3][4]

After touring the United Kingdom during 2008, the Bad Shepherds released their debut album, Yan, Tyan, Tethera, Methera! (which translates from an ancient Cumbrian dialect as One, Two, Three, Four!.[1]) in May 2009. The band released their second album, with former Steeleye Span member Tim Harries playing double bass in 2010.[5]

The Bad Shepherds were nominated for the Best Live Act award at the 2010 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.[6]

Band members

Former band members

Discography

Year Album details Track listing
2009 Yan, Tyan, Tethera, Methera!
  • Released: May 2009
  • Label: Monsoon Music
  • Formats: CD, download
  1. "I Fought the Law"/"Cockers at Pockers"
  2. "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight"
  3. "Rise"
  4. "Whole Wide World"/"Hag With the Money"
  5. "The Model"
  6. "Humours of Tullah"/"Teenage Kicks"/"Whisky in the Jar"/"The Merry Blacksmith"
  7. "Once in a Lifetime"/"Pinch of Snuff"
  8. "London Calling"/"Manchester Calling"
  9. "Up the Junction"
  10. "Yan, Tyan, Tethera, Methera" ("Fraher's Jig"/"Coppers & Brass"/"The Old Bush"/"Rip the Calico")
  11. "God Save the Queen"/"Mountain Road"
2010 By Hook or By Crook
  • Released: 2010
  • Label: Monsoon Music
  • Formats: CD
  1. "Anarchy in the U.K."
  2. "The Sound of the Suburbs"
  3. "Making Plans For Nigel"
  4. "Friday Night, Saturday Morning"
  5. "Ramones Medley"
  6. "Panic"
  7. "Ace of Spades"
  8. "Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)"
  9. "White Riot"

References

  1. ^ a b c "How the Bad Shepherds Came to be.... The Bad Shepherds. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Punk flock from Ade's Shepherds". Western Morning News (8 May 2009). Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  3. ^ Whitworth, Damian (5 September 2009). "Adrian Edmondson: 'I was a year ahead: then she overtook me and shot off'". The Times. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  4. ^ Hartley, Emma (17 August 2009). "Cropredy Festival: Yusuf Islam, Fairport Convention – review". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  5. ^ "News". The Bad Shepherds. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  6. ^ "Folk Awards Winners 2010". BBC. Retrieved 9 June 2010.

External links