Celtic rock group storms Logan
A recurring theme in Gaelic Storm’s music is to “celebrate your life as if you were not going to wake up the next day,” said Stephen Twigger, a lead vocalist for the California Celtic band. Logan will experience their energetic music Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Ellen Eccles Theatre.
Gaelic Storm has been together since the late 1990s and has been on the road for 17 years. Patrick Murphy, another lead vocalist in the band, played under the name of Gaelic Storm in Santa Monica, California, before Twigger began playing with them.
At a party where guitars were being handed around, Twigger and Murphy realized they found enjoyment in the same type of music.
“We started to join forces and I guess all of this [was] born out of that,” Twigger said.
The two founding members of Gaelic Storm, Twigger and Murphy, lived in Santa Monica at that time. Twigger is from England and Murphy is from Ireland.
“We missed home quite a bit which is why we congregated at the Irish pub,” Twigger said. “I grew up in a lot of Irish pubs in my hometown… and listened to all that pub music. … When we came together and played this music, you know, the love of our heritage just came through and we realized how much we missed it [and] how much fun we had kind of conjuring up all those traditions again every night.”
Shortly after Twigger and Murphy began playing together, Gaelic Storm’s song, “An Irish Party in Third Class,” was showcased in the movie “Titanic.” The song was in a dancing scene, and, according to Twigger, brought a lot of attention to the band.
“From there we were able to go out and play some festivals,” Twigger said. “People were able to see who we were and what we did and which we enjoyed what we did, and here we are almost 20 years later still enjoying it.”
The current members of Gaelic Storm are a melting pot of cultures and musical backgrounds. Twigger comes from an alternative rock background. Ryan Lacey, a drummer for the band from California, “plays all kinds of music from hip-hop to rock,” Twigger said.
Murphy brought a musical theatre background to Gaelic Storm, due to his “extensive acting roles in Los Angeles … so he brings a theatrical background to it.”
Pete Purvis, from Ottawa, Ontario, “plays the bagpipes and has been very much a hard-line bagpiper and traditional player for many years at the top of his class,” Twigger said.
Kiana Weber grew up in Michigan and plays the fiddle for the band. She is classically trained, but Twigger said she “is so talented, she could play anything.”
“Gaelic Storm has a very loyal fan base,” said Adam Shelton, marketing director for the Ellen Eccles Theatre. He said the theatre expects an audience of around 500.
One of their loyal fans is Shane Tisdale, a sophomore majoring in Technical Writing.
“They are the perfect fusion of old fashioned Celtic-folk with a modern energy,” Tisdale said. “They keep it pure without sounding out of date.” Tisdale’s favorite Gaelic Storm songs of the band are “Courtin’ in the Kitchen” and “What’s the Rumpus.”
To Gaelic Storm’s fans in Logan, Twigger said: “Come out and get the babysitters and, you know, leave your work early if you can. Leave your troubles behind for a couple of hours. They will still be there when you wake up in the morning. Just come have a good night with us because we are going to be having a great night.”
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Twitter: @whitlewis7