Okay, I didn’t actually win the four tickets. A friend of mine won them, but she’s out of town the weekend Gaelic Storm is performing, so she can’t use them. She knows I’m into “Irish stuff,” so she used my name and won the tickets by answering a trivia question (something to do with London cab drivers - and she didn’t know the answer, she guessed).
ANYWAY…this is the question: I’m not that familiar with Gaelic Storm and I actually have an invitation to a wedding reception of a distant relative the same evening. Keeping in mind that I’m leaning more and more to the purist side of ITM, do I want to see Gaelic Storm or do I give the tickets away and explain to my friend that I have a wedding reception to attend? Should I have done this as a poll? Why does it sound like a letter to Miss Manners?
For those who’ve seen Gaelic Storm, what do you think??
Here is my opinion: Don’t miss a dentist’s appointment for Gaelic Storm, much less a wedding reception. They started out as a third-rate pub band in Southern California, and were asked to play in the movie Titanic, on the uninformed and fallacious assumtion of some Hollywood type that they played Irish traditional music. They hastily threw together an album (which they themselves consider musically inferior) that sold very well, riding the Titanic wave of popularity. There have been two more albums since, and they tour quite a bit, mostly smallish venues. They are nice enough personally, and I certainly don’t blame anyone for catering to the coarser tastes and making a living at it. But I don’t think you’d enjoy hearing them, or get anything out of it musically, Susan.
I am glad that you brought it up, because it gives me a chance to prove that I am willing to talk about non-IrTrad music, even on chiff & fipple.
All I know about Gaelic Storm is that they’re the band that played during the dance scene in the movie Titanic. They tend to play the very typical Irish session tunes, well.
My first question would be: is your friend a big fan of Gaelic Storm? If she simply got the tickets for something to do, it might be worthwhile to attend, observe, and form your own opinions. You could provide a review to her as a repayment for her generosity.
removes wig
I’ve heard them myself. People tend to love 'em or hate ‘em; FWIW, once was enough for me. I guess I’d class them as a trad-driven party band. A lot of the singing relies on drawn-out one-note deliveries; if you get fired up by trad/punk fusion, you’re in good company. Not my cup o’ tea, though.
Then again, maybe not, if you think that your friend may be hoping that the fruits of her efforts on your behalf will meet your approval. I say go, and look forward to a learning experience. You can always duck out if you’ve had enough, and head for a “Pure Drop” venue and drown your sorrows.
How much do you like your relative that’s getting married? That’s the other question. I happen to really like Gaelic Storm, but I am not a purist by any means. I think the description of a Irish Trad party band is a good one. They certainly aren’t the strongest musically, but they don’t stink (in my opinion), and they are a lot of fun. I haven’t seen them recently and I guess a member or two has changed but I would guess they are basically the same. So if you’re looking for pure trad Irish music, you’d be disappointed, but if you’re just looking for a fun time, some laughs and decent but not spectacular music, I would go. FWIW, I think they are definitely better to see in a smaller venue than a big one - I’ve seen them both ways and the smaller ones were definitely a better time. They do seem to thrive on the audience interaction which is often lacking at bigger venue.
Well I have a Gaelic Storm cd that I picked up on a whim and they’re not half bad. They aren’t great either. They’re a middle-of-the-road group. If you can go for free, it might be worth the gas money (if it’s not too far). They’re not exactly trad, I think “Ir-trad and beer soaked party band” is an apt description. They’ve got a sense of humor and I do think the singer is Irish, but I can’t vouche for the rest of the group. I think one is British but don’t quote me on that.
Yeah, Pat Murphy (most lead vocals) is from Ireland, Steve the guitar player and Shep the drummer are both from England. Steve the bohran player is from New York, and I don’t know about the new member…
