recording our much anticipated first CD, which we have no idea what to call.
Production is going well and we hope to have stock in hand by St. Paddy's day!
We're all from Winnipeg, Canada and we play Folk Music.
We're originally a Ceili band, playing for Irish dancers at cultural events and festivals, dance recitals and the like. We then stepped out on the stage in bars and clubs and entertaining an audience that would observe and enjoy, but not really connect with the music. We wanted to involve people more, so we started inviting friends to share our stage and to add their own sounds to ours. We've been joined by singers, banjos, flutes, African drums, washtub bass, digeridoo and, yes, even a(n) Euphonium.
We've played some amazing shows and we love the way it feels like the whole room is part of it. We still perform as a band, but our real joy is getting into a room, meeting people and singing and playing along with them, not just for them, so don't be surprised if, by the end of the night, there are musicians at your table. It's OK they're (mostly) harmless.
The truth is, we just love to share our music. In the past few years we have built a reputation as a solid, entertaining group of musicians. There's no electric guitars, drum kits, synthesizers or DJ's. There are a lot of jigs, reels and instrument tunes in our shows. There are a lot of songs you'll know, and we encourage you to sing along. We cover a lot of ground, traditional Irish, contemporary folk, acoustic pop, even a little bluegrass. We want you to be a part of the show. Sing along, tap your feet, have a good time!
Traditional tunes, maritime sing-alongs, rock and pop covers with a distinctly Irish flavour and so much more. The kind of stuff that gets your feet pounding along with your heart.
Old favourites, served straight up or with a twist, bawdy pub songs or plaintive ballads. You'll sing for your whiskey, You'll cry in your beer, and you'll shout for more.
We're a Celtic band, that means We all sing.
In addition to that...
Darrell plays
Bodhran and pennywhistles " A great song is one that you learn with your heart"
Originally a sax player in concert and marching bands, he only started playing Irish music in the 1980's but immediately felt a link to his heritage in the music. Inspired by great balladeers like Stan Rogers, Richard Thompson, Gordon Lightfoot and James Keelaghan, his songbook reads like a 30 year history of the best singer-songwriters in the business. He first began performing as a member of the music/theatrical group Borealis, and then as part of the heritage ensemble Simpson's Folly, he's also played with Tarry Trousers, Plain Salt and The Southwinds. His album credits include Simpson's Folly recordings "Fourteen Miles from Kildonan" and "Redcoats and Bluejackets" and guest appearances on recordings by several local performers. Darrell's powerful vocals and distinctive whistle style have earned him a place on the Winnipeg Irish music scene for two decades.
Miriam plays Fiddle
Miriam began playing violin in the Suzuki program at the age of seven. As a young adult, her fiddle gathered a decade and a half of dust under the bed until she happily rediscovered it. It was then that she became intensely interested in traditional music styles. In the past, Miriam has played with Appalachian group "Little Whiskey", with Dan Frechette in the eclectic "Big House Party Band" and with the Celtic styled "Tarry Trousers". She learned Irish tunes by haunting sessions and house parties around Winnipeg and joined forces with Beggar's Brawl in 2000. She has studied fiddle with Bruce Molsky, Calvin Volrath, John Arcand, Brian Conway and Liz Knowles. In addition to fiddle, for the past 4 years, she has studied classical vocals at the Manitoba Conservatory and traditional African hand drumming for the past 3 years. She has also guested on touch stick player Leo Gosselin's 2001 CD Celtic Vision, Steve Schellenberg's 2006 CD Run Away, and is presently recording fiddle and drums for Henry Zacharias' as yet unreleased CD.
Mike plays Guitar and Mandolin "An audience is just a group of friends we haven't met yet"
Mike began playing guitar at the age of twelve and was greatly influenced by the likes of the Eagles and John Denver, as well as Bluegrass and Classical guitar. He spent some time as a drummer for the Rivers and District Pipe Band, and played guitar at St. Charles Church for 12 years. When his daughters began Irish dancing, Mike got involved in the Irish Association of Manitoba, where he immediately fell in love with the music. His guitar style is rich and diverse from solid rhythm to complex picking. He's also a gifted mandolin player who especially loves playing for dancers and Ceilis. With a gift for accompaniment and good natured encouragement, Mike is a walking good time, making friends in every crowd and making the whole audience feel like part of the band.
D'arcy plays Banjo, Bouzouki & Percussion
D'arcy is driven by music. Over the years he has played with many of the finest young folk performers in the world. Twice a member of the Winnipeg Folk Festival's Young Performers program and now a respected player in his own right. He has even lived in Ireland to play music and hone his craft and has returned each time with a wealth of new tunes. Dazzling fingerwork and delightful ornamentation are D'arcy's stock-in-trade and we are so pleased to have him back with us again!
Beggars Brawl
Feb 6, 2010
Brandon Winter Fair Royal Oak Inn Brandon,
MB
We'll be joining our friends "Fingal's Last Pint" for a crack session onstage at the Irish Pavillion on Saturday
Feb 11, 2010
Gordie's Coffee House
127 Cobourg Ave,
Winnipeg, MB
8:00pm
Winter's nearly over, and we'll be out to warm you all with hot tea and hot tunes, and to help celebrate Lexie's nth birthday!
Mar. 19, 2010
It's St. Paddy's Mess, let him clean it up
CFB Shilo, MB Back again for another mess dinner for the troops at the base
Mar. 20, 2010
Hey Clan-cy, We're Ba-ack!
Clancy's Eatery & Drinkery
Well, 'tis the season to abandon reason, and we're back in the Wheat City to help deal with the barley water problem
May you never lie, steal, cheat or drink. But if you must lie, lie in each other's arms. If you must steal, steal kisses. If you must cheat, cheat death. And if you must drink, drink with us, your friends.
We'd like to extend an open invitation to all our friends, old and new
If you're in the neighbourhood, stop in and visit - we always have room for a friend!
From Weddings to Wakes Booking the Beggars "What's the difference between an Irish Wedding and an Irish Wake?"
ONE LESS DRUNK
This next bit is what we, in the business like to call 'shameless self promotion'
If you're planning a special event, from weddings to wakes, birthdays to bonspiels, what could be better than booking a live band? Booking a live IRISH band!
If you have a 'special' piece of music, we can arrange and perform it at your event (keep in mind, it WILL sound Irish)
You CAN get Here from There A small sample of our favorite gigs "Where does an Irish family go for a vacation?"
A DIFFERENT PUB
Folklorama - Irish and Scottish Pavillions The Irish Association of Winnipeg Beresford Contra Dance group Forbidden Flavours Coffee & Ice Cream Manitoba Highland Gathering Brady School of Irish Dance Winnipeg Beach "Bands on the Boardwalk" Gordie's Coffee House
We would be pleased to provide you with a list of references at your request
Our Friends "Convenient links to our friends websites"
May the road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face. And rains fall soft upon your fields. And may you be half an hour in heaven before the devil knows you're dead.
Welcome 