Clannad

The High Kings August US Tour 2010 Plus Clannad’s Old Video from 1990

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 5 Comments

Hi guys. As always, our musical culture is alive and exciting. It is really great being alive in this generation , to see things happening and taking off. What I love about what I do is that , I am part of the pieces that make up the whole. Writers, painters, photographers and collectors are all part of the scene. We keep this culture alive. Without your help then this will not go on. So let us give ourselves a happy dance and check out for more news. I urge you to blog about the music you are passionate about, discuss it to people, write about it and play it in public. It is a treat to greet the day with passion .

Now for the news….

THE HIGH KINGS

August 2010 US Tour

New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Cleveland and St. Paul

The High Kings –Martin Furey, Finbarr Clancy, Brian Dunphy and Darren Holden – exploded onto the folk scene in Ireland in 2008 with their self titled CD and DVD and quickly achieved platinum sales status there. Since then, they have become the most exciting Irish ballad group to emerge since The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem electrified the worldwide folk revival of the 1960s. The High Kings have revived a flagging Folk scene and brought well-loved songs back to the masses in three sell out Irish Tours.

The High Kings launched in America in March 2008. They created a buzz that led to their appearance on ABCʼs TheView and NBCʼs This Morning and they opened for Celtic Woman on their US tour.  In September The High Kings returned to the US to headline their own tour, performing from Boston to San Diego.

As word of their live reputation spread, the lads were invited to do numerous TV appearances in Ireland, including ringing in New Year 2009 with Tubrudy Tonight on RTE and performing their hit ʻFields of Gloryʼ to 80,000 sports fan at the All-Ireland final in Irelandʼs National stadium, Croke Park. They were the closing act on Pat Kennyʼs last show of the longest running talk show in the world, The Late Late Show, in 2009. The High Kings continued to tour throughout 2009 and they were voted, by the public, Best Newcomer and Best Folk Act at Irelands Music Awards 2009, sharing nominations with accomplished Irish acts, The Wolfe Tones and The Dubliners.

This year is set to cement The High Kings reputation as a phenomenal live band, as they have already completed a hugely successful Irish tour. The new album, Memory Lane, released by Universal Music in Ireland, debuted at No. 5 in the Irish charts and quickly achieved platinum status. The album features classics such as Fields of Athenry, Star of the County Down and Leaving of Liverpool.  The Cd will be released in the US early in the New Year. To preview it the band will be performing 5 shows in the States this August, see dates below.

Sunday August 15th, Irish Fair of Minnesota, Harriet Island, St Paul, 2pm, Main Stage http://www.irishfair.com

Monday August 16th, Cleveland Westside Irish American Club, 7:30 pm

Tuesday, August 17th, Chicago Irish Heritage Club, 7:30 pm, http://irish-american.org/

Wednesday, August 18th, Philadelphia, Brittinghams, /www.brittinghams.com/

Thursday, August 19th, New York, Connolly’s, 8pm, www.connollyspubandrestaurant.com

Source:
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More from Weekly Inspiration Edinburg

Here’s the official promotional video to Clannad’s 1990 single “In Fortune’s Hand”, taken from the album ‘Anam’. © 1990 BMG Records (UK) Ltd.  Interesting. I love that moving statue (of the Virgin Mary?) and the way the video is presented. But who doesn’t love anything by Clannad right?

Band:Caladh Nua,Celtic Cross and Paul Taggart’s Lone Piper

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 2 Comments

Today, I am inspired to think about kindness and what it does to people.  I tend to gravitate towards gentle people. Most of my longtime friends are gentle people. People think that there is something cool about bombastic attitude, you know the thrashing and all that. Perhaps there is safety in numbers. People love to be associated with the ‘stronger’ crowd . I know about bullying because I have been a victim. And it is not good. There is nothing to be gained in pain. And no one lives forever. One day we will shuffle off this mortal coil. Nothing remains but the good things you’ve taught to people( and even bad ones). let us all be remembered in kindness.

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Let me introduce you to a group of young ‘uns who are making glorious music from Kilkenny Ireland. Caladh Nua has been making traditional music with exceptional style. From the jazzy rendition of the traditional tune Cad e sin don te sin to the other energetic fiddling stuff, they stay interesting. For more info check their site out: http://caladh.net/

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Another band worth noting is New York based Celtic Cross. The vocals of Kathleen Fee  has a faint influence of Mary Black . Anyone who is into Pogues, De Dannan, Horslips and Planxty will love this energetic country tinged Celtic band. Check out their latest pics taken from the latest WFUV gig.

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Donie from Dublin has been giving me important links of the tunes he love. We have been chatting about 80s music and he sent me a link to a Phil Lynott video. I was very surprised because I have been missing this song.  Phil was a prominent member of Thin Lizzy-he WAS Thin Lizzy after all, and his legacy continues….

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New video from artist Paul Taggart.

He has a lot of interesting videos in his official channel

http://www.youtube.com/user/artistpaultaggart

This one is called “Lone Piper” from The Spirit of the Highlands  collection. Wow he does have a nice speaking voice. By the way, that is a beautiful painting. The colors are heavenly.

Rewind: Clannad and Paul Young

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 6 Comments

The first time I heard this song was in the movie Switch starring Ellen Barkin and Perry King…somewhere around 1991 I think. From then on I searched for this Clannad track until I found a compilation album containing this beautiful song. I was a big fan of Paul Young as a kid and it was a surprise to discover this beautiful duet with Moya Brennan. Switch is a movie about the womanizer(played by King with a preference for blonds) who dies and as a punishment he is sent back to earth as woman(Barkin) . I remember having big laughs with this movie.

Lyrics – Both Sides Now (Duet With Paul Young)

Originally composed by Joni Mitchell and popularized by Judy Collins          (Wildflowers album)

Rolls and flows of angel hair,
Ice cream castles in the air,
Feather canyons everywhere,
I’ve looked at clouds that way.
But now they only block the sun.
They rain, they snow on everyone.
So many things I would’ve done
But clouds got in my way.

I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now,
From up and down and still somehow
It’s clouds’ illusions I recall.
I really don’t know clouds at all.

Moons and Junes and ferris wheels,
The dizzy, dancing way you feel
As every fairy tale comes real.
I’ve looked at love that way.
But now it’s just another show.
Leave ’em laughin’ when you go.
But if you care, don’t let em’ know
Don’t give yourself away.

I’ve looked at love from both sides now
From give and take and still somehow
It’s love’s illusions I recall.
I really don’t know love at all.

Tears and fears and feeling proud,
Say ‘I love you’ right out loud.
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I’ve looked at life that way.
But now old friends are acting strange.
They shake their heads and say I’ve changed.
But something’s lost when somethings gained
Living everyday.

I’ve looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It’s life’s illusions I recall.
I really don’t know life at all.

Clannad Concert in Italy

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 4 Comments

The Clannad Newsblog has confirmed the appearance onstage of the world-renowned band from Donegal. According to the Newsblog:

It has just been confirmed that Clannad will be performing in Trieste Italy at the 2010 edition of the Triskell Festival Celtico Internazionale. The concert takes place on saturday July 17th 2010, 9PM at the Rossetti Opera House. Tickets will be available at http://www.ticketone.it/EN/ soon. More later.

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I have been re- reading the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice and I remember clearly Stuart Townsend who played Lestat  in The Queen of the Damned. Before I created this blog I saw him on a video campaigned to save Tara. I am going to repost the links here so that it will bring back memories.

and Stuart as The Vampire Lestat


Oh Look! An Enya Baseball Cap.

/ mrbaxteria2008 / Leave a comment

The Brennan siblings introduced me to Irish and the rest of the Celtic music in the world when I was still walking around in music. So it is no surprise that I will go back from time to time.  I went to Northern Skyline which is the Clannad News site and found that Moya Brennan and Cormac de Barra will be releasing an album called My Match Is A Makin.

http://www.clannad.org.uk/2010/04/my-match-is-a-makin/

and yes I’d like to get my hands on this even though I am terrible in sports like Robbi :

I think this is cute. You can get the merchandise here: http://www.enyastore.co.uk/

You can also get this cool Clannad shirt at the official Clannad store:

http://www.backstreet-merch.com/bands/clann/