Gaelic Storm will release their 5th album, HOW ARE WE GETTING HOME, on August 3rd 2004. Recorded with producer Mark Miller (who has also worked with Garth Brooks, Emmylou Harris, Daniel O'Donnell, Mary Black, Sean Keane, Dolores Keane) at legendary Jack's Tracks studio in Nashville, TN, the new release will include 15 brand new tracks of the same unique “Gaelic Storm” flavor that has made them an international fan favorite. Co-writing with multiple Grammy-winning songwriters for the album, the material promises to be the strongest the band has written to date. Famed folk-songstress Nancy Griffith will also be making a featured appearance on the record.
With 3 popular albums under their belt, Gaelic Storm released their 4th record, SPECIAL RESERVE, on August 19, 2003 (Higher Octave Records/Virgin-EMI) and quickly reached #2 on the Billboard World Music Charts, continuing their un-broken streak of chart-topping success that started with their first release in 1998. Since their self-titled first album (#5 on Billboard's World Music Chart) and their appearance in the film Titanic, Gaelic Storm continues to thunder onto stages around the world. Showcasing their unique brand of high energy Celtic music, the band has become a crowd favorite, touring relentlessly while breaking attendance and merchandise records worldwide.
On St. Patrick's Day, 1996, co-founders Patrick Murphy of Cork City, Ireland (vocals, piano, accordion, spoons, harmonica) and New Yorker Steve Wehmeyer (bodhran, vocals, digeridoo) officially joined forces with Steve Twigger of Coventry, England (guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, vocals), at O'Brien's pub in Santa Monica, California. Feeling that traditional Celtic music did not have to be boring, the trio focused on the rowdy hand-clapping character of a traditional pub party. They wanted to create a sound that would remain true to traditional Celtic music while adding an original twist of a dizzying whirlwind of live energy - hence the name "Gaelic Storm". Their first performance was such a hit that the crowd refused to let them off the stage for the next act. Adding additional players, the band has fine-tuned their line-up to this day. Currently, Gaelic Storm also includes: Tom Brown on highland Bagpipes (an open grade Highland Piper from Ottawa, Canada), Ryan Lacey on drums and world percussion (graduated twice from the Los Angeles Music Academy, once for hands and once for sticks), and Ellery Klein on fiddle (who holds a MA degree in Traditional Irish Music from the University of Limerick).
Their dynamic stage show features rousing, upbeat vocals, wild energetic dance tunes, haunting ballads and infectious madcap humor. Playing over 125 shows per year, Gaelic Storm has drawn record-breaking crowds at Milwaukee's famed Irish-Fest (in '98, '99, ’01, ‘02 and ‘03), Celtic-Fest Chicago, the Dublin Ohio Irish Festival and the Pittsburgh Irish Festival, as well as Festival Interceltique in Lorient, France (the largest Celtic festival in the world). Gaelic Storm broke the attendance record in June of 2003 at the Albuquerque BioPark, a record previously held by Alan Jackson. The band has likewise played to capacity crowds at countless clubs, theaters and performing arts centers across the country.
In 1997, Gaelic Storm was catapulted out of their formative pub haunts by an appearance in the blockbuster film Titanic. Cast as the "party band" in the steerage scene, they landed the part while still drinking pints and playing weekly at O'Brien's, a pub in their adopted home-town of Santa Monica, CA. After the film’s release, the band was met by huge crowds on their first tour. However, they still pride themselves on remaining as accessible as ever and sharing “a pint” with fans whenever possible.
A mini-documentary about Gaelic Storm airs regularly on Cinemax, and the band has appeared numerous times on national and international TV. Perhaps the best indication of Gaelic Storm's newfound international success came when Michael Flatley (of Lord of the Dance fame) met Gaelic Storm vocalist and songwriter Patrick Murphy in Murphy's hometown, Cork City, Ireland. "I told him he did a superb job of advancing Irish culture throughout the world, like the Chieftains have for years," Murphy says, "and he said, 'In fairness to you, you've probably introduced Irish music to five minutes of fame with that little film clip.'"
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Individual Biography
Patrick
Born and raised in Ireland, has 7 brothers and sisters, in order: Valerie, Thomas, Catherine, Terrie, Patrick, Peter, Paul and Genevieve. His mother and father are Nora and Noel and are still living in Cork. Noel served in the US Army from 1959 to 1961 and Nora was a flight attendant for American Airlines. They immigrated back to the Ireland in 1964. SO along with Frank McCourt they are the only people to immigrate BACK to Ireland from the US.
Steve
Born in Coventry England Steve showed musical promise very early on, performing in his school orchestra at age five on the triangle later graduating to the glockenspiel, an instrument with far more sex appeal! Two years of keyboard lessons in his early teens ended abruptly when his music teachers' dog died followed closely by his music teacher, it was then that he picked up the guitar. Self taught he formed his first band at age 16, playing rock lead guitar. Steve survived 2 years of biker bar and pub gigs in Coventry, a typical night would mean avoiding 2 or 3 fist fights (at least one of them between the biker girls), mouthfuls of beer being spit on you from the front row, and having your door money made off with by the very large doorman...not that much fun but it did develop his distinctive "bob and weave" stage moves.
Tom
A native of Ottawa Canada, Tom comes to us from the Great White North... haven of wild geese, wilder women, and damn fine beer. As a top notch sound engineer, Tom is the wizard behind the swelling soundscapes that make Gaelic Storm's performances so memorable. He's far too talented a musician, however, for us to keep him locked away behind the mixing desk. Tom is an open grade Highland Piper (we're not really sure what that means but we think "open grade" is Aberdeen slang for "dead sexy") who has competed at highland games throughout continental North America and Scotland, toured and competed with the award-winning Glengarry Pipe Band, and has worked as both engineer and musician with a number of Celtic bands and performers over the years.
Stevie
Kidnapped by Gypsies at an early age, Steve W. was abandoned by the Gypsies almost immediately when they discovered he played the bodhran. Born in the vice-ridden Gomorrah known as Olean, New York (contrary to popular belief, he's not from New York City!), Steve escaped to Hollywood for peace, quiet and decent Mexican food. Over the years, he's performed in Western New York with the short-lived-but-raucous-and-fun Section 31, and in Indiana with Celtic band Seamaisin. In love with Irish music (and a few Irish musicians!) from an early age, Steve's current musical career is largely focused on unpronounceable low-tech instruments that make strange and beautiful noises, and writing lyrics (some nice... mostly naughty) for Gaelic Storm.
Ryan
Born in the depths of New Jersey (don't laugh) Ryan was brought out to California at a early age after a cheese smuggling incident forced him to seek safety on the west coast. He spent his youth in the great wasteland of Bakersfield, know widely for its country music scene and outlandish haircuts. (No, Ryan never had a mullet. Really!) At an early age, he stole his father's drum set and made it his own - the first step on a downward spiral of musical depravity.
Ellery
Although born and raised on the banks of the Ohio River in Cincinnati (Home of Jerry Springer!), Ellery Klein currently makes her home in a city of Irish music, cold winters, baked beans and temperamental baseball players home: Boston, Massachusetts. She began playing the violin at the age of seven and spent her high school years at the School for Creative and Performing Arts playing in musicals and orchestras. When faced with graduation and the prospect of a classical music career, however, she ran as quickly as she could into the nearest Irish pub (through the kitchen door... she was underage) and became an avid convert to fiddle music.
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Listener Comments
Member Name: Robert Phoenix
Date Posted: 30-Jun-2007
Rating:
Comments: Ooopps! Here is the link.http://www.myspace.com/jessieburnsmusic
Member Name: Robert Phoenix
Date Posted: 30-Jun-2007
Rating:
Comments: Here is a link to the new fiddle player Jesie Burns. Ellery Klein is off with a new baby. Belated Congrats Eleryl
Member Name: Senara
Date Posted: 14-Jun-2006
Rating:
Comments: As long as you've got Guinness or Whiskey it shouldn't be much of a problem...hehehe
Member Name: Raven
Date Posted: 14-Jun-2006
Rating:
Comments: I like them, they R Gud.We are playing with them at the Indianapolis Irish Fest, so I hope we get to meet them Mikel
Member Name: MaDora
Date Posted: 14-Jun-2006
Rating:
Comments: LOVE Gaelic Storm! I have all their CDs and the DVD. The concerts are terrific fun, and one my whole family enjoys going to. We saw them in concert a few months ago and it was great! Full of laughs and awesome, ripping music! They didn't do "Swimming in the Sea," (aww!), one of our favorites, but we were delighted to see they performed it on the DVD. They are warm and very friendly to their fans... Patrick kissed my daughter's cheek, and the whole band signed my son's Guinness sweatshirt. If you get a chance to see them in concert, GO! Be prepared to "raise a glass...!" And dancing in the aisles is encouraged and expected.p.s. I think my daughter has a crush on Peter!
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