Gaelic Storm

It has now been more than a decade since Gaelic Storm’s career lifted off with their appearance in the blockbuster film Titanic. Since their big-screen debut 10 years ago, the band’s fan base continues to multiply with each new album, turning the one-time-pub-band into one of the premier touring acts in the Celtic/World music genre. Gaelic Storm’s compelling originals and fresh arrangements steeped in Celtic traditional melody combined with their unique blend of world rhythms continue to broaden the musical horizons of the Celtic music genre creating new standards for generations to come. Highlights from their decade-spanning career include seven Billboard Chart topping albums, a DVD, a full-length concert film featured on HD.net in 2007-2008, song placement on two EA Sports Games, a 2008 Hallmark greeting card featuring their song “Kiss Me I’m Irish”, countless television and radio appearances, and of course, an appearance in James Cameron’s Titanic. Gaelic Storm has sold out hundreds of theatres and performing arts centers and has now played to audiences totaling in the millions.

Gaelic Storm released their 7th album What’s the Rumpus? (Lost Again Records) in July 2008 with a stellar debut at #1 on the Billboard World Album Chart, #1 on the iTunes World Album Chart and #5 on the Billboard Internet Album Chart. Inspired by the music that drives their loyal fan base, What’s the Rumpus? is a wild party of an album, full of colorful characters and outrageous stories, flavored with Gaelic Storm’s signature acoustic sound that gets you dancing and never lets you go. “I think this is some of the best writing we have ever done, everything seemed to come together perfectly for this cd,” says Steve Twigger, “…it is the culmination of a great deal of hard work and a barrel of good times.” From the upbeat opening title track to the final cut, “The Night I Punched Russell Crowe” (a true story involving singer Patrick Murphy), the music captures the contagious energy of the band’s carefree attitude and infectious live performances. With instruments ranging from African drums, Irish bagpipes and Celtic fiddle to trombones and Cajun-style accordions, WTR is a three-ring circus of acrobatic songs, swirling tunes and galloping rhythms. Steve Twigger produced the project with co-production by drummer Ryan Lacey and Pat Manske, and additional production by Patrick Murphy. Returning to The Zone studio in Austin TX where the band recorded their previous release Bring Yer Wellies, Gaelic Storm also enlisted the help of a few select Austin locals including Lloyd Maines and 1960’s psychedelic performer, Arthur Brown, to round out their eclectic Celtic sound. To quote Patrick Murphy, “We have so much fun together as a band, we managed to capture some of the good times we have together on this recording.”

Consistently touring over 125 dates per year, Gaelic Storm routinely breaks attendance and merchandise sales records, headlining the world’s largest Celtic festivals as well as mainstream events such as The Rock Boat, Ships N Dips and the Cayamo Songwriter’s Cruise alongside acts such as Gavin DeGraw, The Barenaked Ladies, Emmylou Harris and Lyle Lovett. Remarkably, the band has headlined the world’s largest Irish Festival, Milwaukee Irish Fest, for 6 straight years, playing to crowds of 15,000 per performance and breaking the festival’s policy of not inviting artists to perform in consecutive years. In June 2008, Gaelic Storm expanded their touring to include Australia, kicking off their tour at the National Celtic Festival outside Melbourne.

Since their eponymous first album reached #5 on Billboard's World Music Chart in 1998, Gaelic Storm continues to consistently climb to the top of the Billboard Charts. The band’s 2006 release Bring Yer Wellies (Lost Again Records) debuted at #2 on the Billboard World Chart, #16 on the Internet Sales Chart and #31 on the Independent Album Chart. Their previous five albums have all charted high on the Billboard World Music Chart, including reaching the #2 position on additional occasions.

Gaelic Storm recorded a very special version of "Scalliwag", an original song off Bring Yer Wellies, for two EA Games Sims video games. All the words were translated into "Simlish" (the official language of the Sims video game world) and then re-sung in "Simlish" by the band. The song appears in both "EA Sports - The Sims2 Castaway" and "EA Sports - The Sims2 Bon Voyage" video games.

In 2008, Hallmark released a special “soundcard” greeting card for St. Patrick’s Day featuring the master recording of the original Gaelic Storm song “Kiss Me I’m Irish” from their album Bring Yer Wellies. The greeting card was released throughout the US and the UK.

On St. Patrick's Day, 1996, Patrick Murphy of Cork City, Ireland (vocals, piano, accordion, spoons, harmonica) officially joined forces with Steve Twigger of Coventry, England (vocals, guitar, mandolin, bouzouki), at O'Brien's pub in Santa Monica, California. 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. In 2003, Ryan Lacey (drums and world percussion) became a member of Gaelic Storm. From Pasadena CA, Lacey graduated twice from the Los Angeles Music Academy; once for hands and once for sticks. Pete Purvis of Merrickville, Ontario (uilleann pipes, tin whistle, deger pipes and highland pipes) joined the group in 2004. A Grade 1 piper, Purvis previously toured with award winning pipe bands including the Braemar Pipe Band and performed at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The newest member of the band, Jessie Burns (fiddle), originally hails from Suffolk England and now lives in Colorado. Prior to Gaelic Storm, Jessie played with Gregory Alan Isakov and The Freight, as well as David Ford in England.

GAELIC STORM WHAT’S THE RUMPUS? Available at all music outlets.