2008 Woodie Awards
The Storm Comes to Lakeland
From screen to stage, rowdy Celtic rockers could raise 'Titanic'
Douglass Moore
Issue date: 2/5/04 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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The band, Gaelic Storm visited Lakeland again. They are known for their great music and fun live performances, taking traditional Celtic music and pumping it up a beat to give it a contemporary feel.
The group got its start in 1996 when members Patrick Murphy, Steve Wehmeyer, and Steve Twigger put on a concert in an Irish pub in Santa Monica California. They were received with great enthusiasm and have been a success ever since.
In 1997, Director James Cameron featured the band in the film "Titanic," which gave the group even more exposure. Since then, the band has been quite busy, touring and producing its albums.
They have been drawing record crowds to their performances, including the Milwaukee Irish Festival. Their newest album is number four on the Billboard World Chart. The album is a compilation that has nine favorites from the band's collection as well as three new songs. They have a forthcoming 15 track album, which will be released as soon as May.
Band member Steve Twigger plays the guitar, mandolin, and bouzouki-an instrument he describes as a mandolin on steroids. He also does vocals. Twigger originally hails from Coventry, England and now lives in California. He was one of the original musicians to play in O'Brien's pub back in 1996. Some of his favorite songs include "Tell Me Ma," and "Black is the Colour." He says they remind him of old Irish skipping songs that kids like to sing, and the band has probably played them on the road a thousand times, but he never gets tired of them.
What Twigger likes most about performing is getting the audience involved in the show, and with such an upbeat rhythm to the songs, that is not hard to do. Twigger says that no matter what you do with your life, you need to enjoy it. "Ya' can't catch any fish if ya' don't have your rod in the water," he says.
It would seem that no matter what Twigger and the band are doing, they are certainly having a good time. In the end that is what matters the most.
The group got its start in 1996 when members Patrick Murphy, Steve Wehmeyer, and Steve Twigger put on a concert in an Irish pub in Santa Monica California. They were received with great enthusiasm and have been a success ever since.
In 1997, Director James Cameron featured the band in the film "Titanic," which gave the group even more exposure. Since then, the band has been quite busy, touring and producing its albums.
They have been drawing record crowds to their performances, including the Milwaukee Irish Festival. Their newest album is number four on the Billboard World Chart. The album is a compilation that has nine favorites from the band's collection as well as three new songs. They have a forthcoming 15 track album, which will be released as soon as May.
Band member Steve Twigger plays the guitar, mandolin, and bouzouki-an instrument he describes as a mandolin on steroids. He also does vocals. Twigger originally hails from Coventry, England and now lives in California. He was one of the original musicians to play in O'Brien's pub back in 1996. Some of his favorite songs include "Tell Me Ma," and "Black is the Colour." He says they remind him of old Irish skipping songs that kids like to sing, and the band has probably played them on the road a thousand times, but he never gets tired of them.
What Twigger likes most about performing is getting the audience involved in the show, and with such an upbeat rhythm to the songs, that is not hard to do. Twigger says that no matter what you do with your life, you need to enjoy it. "Ya' can't catch any fish if ya' don't have your rod in the water," he says.
It would seem that no matter what Twigger and the band are doing, they are certainly having a good time. In the end that is what matters the most.