Gaelic Storm's seventh album, "What's the Rumpus," continues the band's tradition of mixing Celtic melodies and instruments with fast-paced tempos, international percussion, and humorous lyrics.
The Band
Gaelic Storm started as a traditional Irish pub-band in 1996 at O'Brien's Irish Pub and Restaurant, in Santa Monica, California, where vocalist Patrick Murphy was a manager. After touring locally with several pub performances, the band first attained wide-spread recognition by playing "An Irish Party in Third Class" for the below-deck party scene in Twentieth Century Fox's 1997 film "Titanic."
Depending on the song, Gaelic Storm's music includes vocals, Irish bagpipes, Celtic fiddle, trombones, accordions, African drums,and other world instruments.
The band is made up of musicians from Ireland, England, California, Ontario and Colorado. As of 2008, the band members are:
- Jessie Burns (Celtic fiddle),
- Ryan Lacey (world percussion),
- Patrick Murphy (vocals, piano, accordion, spoons, harmonica),
- Pete Purvis (uilleann pipes, tin whistle, deger pipes, and Great Highland bagpipes), and
- Steve Twigger (vocals, guitar, mandolin, bouzouki)
The Album
Their seventh album "What's the Rumpus?" (produced by the band's own label -- Lost Again Records) hit #1 on Billboard's World Albums chart and #5 on Billboard's Internet Album chart on July 26, 2008, after the album's release during the summer of 2008.
"What's the Rumpus" contains a few of the traditional Celtic ballads, such as "Lover's Wreck" and "Beidh Aonach Amárach". The majority of the CD is full of fast-paced songs telling humorous stories to an upbeat tune.
The title song, "What's the Rumpus" is the first of such songs, in which the singer describes returning home to a rowdy party going on in his house. From the realistic (being charged a cover at the front door, dancers on the bar) to the ridiculous (llamas in pajamas, drunken monkeys, Peruvian peddlers, car in the kitchen) the song is perfect to set an Irish party mood.
The album ends on a similarly entertaining note with "The Night I Punched Russell Crowe," a description of singer Patrick Murphy's real-life run-in with the Australian actor in California.
Coming to You
The band has performed in theatres, Celtic festivals, performing art centers, and other locations world-wide. Gaelic Storm has also participated in mainstream music events such as The Rock Boat, Ships N Dips, and the Cayamo Songwriter's Cruise. They currently perform more than 125 times per year. For a tour schedule and more information, take a look at the Gaelic Storm website.
Members of the band also performed in Austin, Texas, at the Veterans Day 2008 event, "Voices of a Grateful Nation," to raise money for The Welcome Home Project, a 501(c)(3) organized to raise funds for veterans throughout America.
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