Celtic-Rock? What they heck is that? Sounds like a K-Tel Super-Hits compilation from the ‘70s like “Disco Rocket,” “Canadian Gold,” or “Funky Music Machine.” Or maybe an aural, oxymoron? A short-lived attempt at musical gimmickery, perhaps? None of the above if you’ve seen The Killdares at any point in the last decade and a half.
The Killdares? Not a gimmick, not a cover band and certainly not the aforementioned “short-lived attempt at musical gimmickery.”
The Killdares? A collection of world-class musicians who have shaped a unique sound out of their appreciation for traditional Irish music--and the use of fiddle and bagpipes--and blended it with the basics of a hard-rock band: drums, bass and guitar.
The Killdares? Tim Smith: founder of the band in 1996, drummer and lead vocalist (in fact, Fred LeBlanc of Cowboy Mouth sounds a lot like him); Roberta Rast: backing vocals, Ukelele and six-time National Fiddle Champion; Matt Willis: Highland Bagpipes, Scottish Smallpipes, Uilleann Pipes, electronic pipes, backing vocals, flute, whistles, samples; Brek Lancaster: lead guitar and backing vocals; and, currently, Gavin Kelso on bass.
Since 1996, The Killdares have toured extensively and put out a steady stream of original releases starting with Broken with a Word (1998), A Place to Stand (2001), LIVE (2002), Any Given Element (2005) and, most recently, the Grammy-nominated Secrets of the Day (2008).
The pictures here are from a recent show at the Granada Theater, where they did a live DVD shoot, which is set to be released in late September. The audience members were asked to film portions of the show with whatever device they had on-hand, and to submit that footage for inclusion in the final product. It was a great experience to be part of, and the DVD when released should be a great addition to any collection.
However you hear them, live or recorded, they are at once hard-rocking and haunting, simultaneously happy yet melancholy. The live shows are energetic and fun for all ages, even though the one’s “of age” is most-likely getting their Guinness on.
Check out their website for everything you need to know about the band: www.killdares.com, including show schedule and the fact that they are a mainstay at the State Fair of Texas (for eleven years running!) and in fact playing twenty-four days of The Fair from September 24 to October 17. Slàinte, indeed!
