I was just wondering if anyone else here liked Gaelic Storm? I just saw them live at the Pittsburgh Irish Festival, and they put on a rather good show. Great music. I also heard a group called Altan there, and they were also amazing. The only downside of the festival was the only whistles there were cheap feadogs. Well, i guess that means ill just have to order some more!!
Nope.
But I love Altan! 
Gaelic Storm is so great I want to see them live so bad. I would say they are either 3rd or 4th on my list of favorite bands. 
Although I usually like the Trad Irish music better, I do enjoy Gaelic Storm. One of their tunes, called “Thristy Work” has a TREMENDOUS whistle part in it.
When was the Pittsburgh Irish Festival? Wasn’t it the first weekend in Sept? I unfortuntately forgot about it, and didn’t drive the 45mins to see some of it. I was hoping to get a new whistle, but at least I have the consolation that they were only selling Feadogs! 
But I would have LOVED to have seen Altan. Oh well…maybe next year!
Steve, you live in P’Burgh?
Heather
Some of the earlyiest stuff I gathered when I started whistling was Garlic Storm. That and some Corrs.
That was…uh…last November.
I’ve been a fan of Gaelic Storm for a while, but I have to say that I was disappointed seeing them at Milwaukee Irish Fest (I hadn’t seen them in a long time). They’ve always been a party band, and a lot of fun on stage, but it seemed to me they’re concentrating more now on trying to be a wacky fun-loving band and less on the music. I think they’re trying to be the Jimmy Buffetts of Irish music or something.
Just my opinion
Beth
True, “Swimming in the Sea” does show quite a bit of parrothead influence.
I saw them once and they did a nice job.
They weren’t exclusively trad, but did do some trad tunes.
They gave a good show; I reckon I like them fine for what they are.
–James
I thought they sank in the north Atlantic?
Ok Ok.. they’re pretty good.
They did, but “King of the World DiCaprio” saved them.
Tom
About two years back, I had a chance to meet and play some tunes with the guys after a concert here. The concert itself was…well, let’s just say, I promptly fell asleep.
But they do know some great session type tunes and we had a blast back at the pub afterwards. If only they would play more of that instead of the twist their music has taken now. Interesting that the producers of Titanic chose about the most UN-traditional band to play the VERY traditional band in that steerage scene. 
Nah, you’re thinkin of the Titanic’s Orchestra. I bet the steerage band wouldn’t keep playing as the ship went down… 
I was a little disappointed with GS’s newest album “How are we Getting Home”, but otherwise they are a really great band, especially live. I saw them at Duke University twice, and they really seem to engage with a small crowd (maybe they manage this at festivals, too; I don’t know). They sure seem to go through fiddlers, though. They’re on their 3rd or 4th one. I think they really should have held on to their last fiddler, Kathleen Keane, who was also an incredible whistler (and cute to boot).
I heard a story about their first fiddle player, Samantha Hunt (from Zambia, of all places). Apparantly, James Cameron thought that Samantha, with her raven hair, didn’t fit the “Irish look”, so she was kept out of the scene with the steerage band. Now, I haven’t and probably never will see Titanic, so could someone confirm or deny for me: was the fiddle left out of this shot? Doesn’t seem like much of a steerage band w/o a fiddle (or at least a whistle)…
I doubt that they’re the MOST untrad band. Lord, I could name several that are far worse.
They started off extremely trad and slowly started working in their originals.
When James Cameron discovered them for Titanic, they were playing pubs in CA,
so I’d assume he picked them for the same reason that you enjoyed playing w/ them.
LOL
… and slowly started working in their originals.
When James Cameron discovered them for Titanic, they were playing pubs in CA,
so I’d assume he picked them for the same reason that you enjoyed playing w/ them.
I think they were picked (and I doubt by James Cameron himself) because whoever did the picking didn’t know the first thing about Irish traditional music. Just my two cents.
(I’ve played with “the guys” too in sessions a couple of times, but at least I don’t brag about it in my resume. 
)
Kathleen was at Milwaukee Irish Fest playing fantastic fiddle and whistle with ‘Bad Haggis’ I’d also seen her before with Storm. She’s really good. I’d like to hear her in a more traditional setting although I’ve had no objection to seeing her with either group in the past.
I was so busy trying to catch other groups in Milwaukee that I missed Storm all three appearances. They’re fun to watch and hear but drifting further away from Gaelic toward some sort of cult sound. I still like them but ITrad over-ruled this year.
[quote=“Bloomfield”]
I think they were picked (and I doubt by James Cameron himself) because whoever did the picking didn’t know the first thing about Irish traditional music. Just my two cents. [quote]
They should have consulted a true Irishman like Leonardo O’DiCaprio!
I suppose that was pushing it a bit. But The first time I went to their concert at Duke, at least 50% of the music was almost like being in a session. They were playing sets of tunes that you’d hear in any pub. I mean compared to, say, Ashley MacIsaac, they were fairly trad until the 2nd CD. But, then, I enjoy fusion.
According to Patrick Murphey, James Cameron himself did indeed ask specifically for them. But he could have been just tooting his own horn. Of course, all this really proves is that Cameron may not know the first thing about Irish music, but that was already evident from the Soundtrack. Ugh.
Well, I played with Jack Murphy in sessions a few times. Jealous, eh???
Az, don’t challenge me into name dropping, I’ve done my homework very recently…