So today I went to Irish Fest because my favorite band, Gaelic Storm, was playing there. My friend Chloë went with me. She'd never heard Gaelic Storm before but thought it sounded really fun. When we got to the fairgrounds, Gaelic Storm was finishing their 4:30 show. We listened until they stopped playing, then went over and got in line for autographs. This was my 4th GS show, and I've already gotten their autographs 2 times before, so I decided to get my picture taken as well. I managed to get pictures with 3 of the members, (in order) Patrick Murphy, Pete Purvis, and Ryan Lacey. They're my favorite members, although I have a soft spot for Ryan because 2 years ago I went to one of their concerts at a bar back home, and my little sister really wanted to go but it was too late for her. I'd promised her that I'd get her their autographs, so I bought her a $2 bumber sticker and gotten the band to sign it. Everyone just signed their name when I told them who it was for, except for Ryan who wrote something along the lines of, "Grace, I'm sorry you couldn't be here. Ryan Lacey." It was really sweet. Anyway, back to today's show. So, after I got my picture taken with the band, Chloë and I walked around the fair grounds for a while. Then, at about 8:00, we went and stood at the front of the stage. Gaelic Storm wasn't playing until 9:30, and there was another band before them, but we knew that if we didn't get up there early, we weren't going to be able to get that close. The band who played first wasn't that good, and it was pretty uncomfortable because we were squished up against the barrier at the front and surrounded by drunk people. One guy spilled his beer on the back of Chloë's leg. It was gross. All that was worth it, though, because we had a great view of Gaelic Storm. For those who don't know, Gaelic Storm was the Irish band who played in the movie "Titanic." The members have changed a lot over the years, but the band currently consists of Patrick Murphy (Vocals, accordion, harmonica, spoons, bodhran), Steve Twigger (vocals, guitar, mandolin), Jesse Burns (fiddle), Pete Purvis (bagpipes, uilleann pipes, penny whistle, backup vocals), and Ryan Lacey (percussion, backup vocals). They're great on cd, but SO much fun to see live because they obviously really enjoy playing together and, also, Patrick is really really funny (as you can see by the picture he's quite the clown). The concert was, of course, amazing, but the coolest part was that Pat saw me and Chloë standing at the front of the stage and, recognizing us from earlier that afternoon, waved at us. Later, when the drunks were getting really rowdy, he looked at me again, winked, and crossed himself as if to say, "God help you." Haha. Finally, when they were singing the song "Drink the Night Away", they started throwing plastic Gaelic Storm shot glasses out to the crowd. Patrick grabbed one, pointed at me and tossed it to me, but, unfortunately, the guy next to me reached over and grabbed it out of the air. I was disappointed because that one was given to me specifically by Pat. There was nothing I could do, though, so I let it go. All in all, the concert was really fun and worth the $8 that I payed to get in. Plus, I was really thrilled by the whole "meet the band" and "Patrick recognizing Anna" things. Sometimes it pays to be one of the only sober people in the audience. I find that the band likes you more and is more interactive with you, if only because it means they can avoid interacting with the drunk people around you who are all striving to get their attention. Yay for being short, blond, and sober! :-P
10 comments:
Gaelic Storm's origins can be traced back to 1996, when Patrick Murphy and Steve Wehmeyer joined with Steve Twigger 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]
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.
The band's latest CD, Bring Yer Wellies, was released on July 25, 2006 and made it to #2 on The Billboard World Music Chart in its first week.
Oh, yay, a fellow Gaelic Storm fan! Didn't they replace their bagpiper once, too? I know that Pete's not the guy who played on "How are We Getting Home?" but the other guy could've just played on the album. ON their MySpace a year and a half ago, it said GS has had something like 17 different members over the years (now 18 with the addition of Jesse).
short blond and sober.
you forgot "extremely cute."
Aw, thank you. :-)
i noticed that you listed Enter the Haggis as one of the bands you like. you might be interested to know that i've been to about 20 ETH shows, and that i've also met the band on many occasions. Trevor (the guitarist) and i exchange emails every now and again. i even got to go on-stage with them at a concert in Agawam, MA, and play tambourine during "Lanigan's Ball." it was pretty sweet! :-)
NOT FAIR! My dad met them. That's how I got into them. They're amazing. I almost went to see them in concert this summer but it got rained out and I was leaving for college the next day. :-(
Actually, I didn't know who Gaelic Storm was so I researched them. I find an amazing diversity of music by looking a BLOGS.
They are very good.... I looked at them on YouTube as well.
Link
There is a lot of humor in their lyrics.... I bet they'd do a bang-up cover of this:
Whiskey in the Jar; Dubliners
And a Different Version, Thin Lizzy
Be ... careful. (Gotta say that. I'm your mom.) Hey, do you really know how to spell uillean, or did you have to look it up?
I read an interview with Ryan Lacey, and you're going to be amazed when I tell you what his favorite book is. ready? "Red Sky At Morning" by Richard Bradford!
It is fun to meet the band and feel special.
You are such a liar. There wouldn't be an interview w/ Ryan by himself. It would either be with Twigger, Pat, or the entire band. Nice try, though. :-P
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