Gaelic Storm

History

Gaelic Storm's origins can be traced back to 1996, when Patrick Murphy and Steve Wehmeyer joined with Steve Twigger and Uillean piper Brian Walsh to perform at O'Brien's Irish Pub and Restaurant in Santa Monica, California, of which Murphy was the manager. This led to a number of pub performances for the next year.

In 1997, Gaelic Storm appeared in the film Titanic as the steerage band, performing "An Irish Party in Third Class". This appearance catapulted them into the touring scene; their performances were met with critical praise and popularity. They have toured throughout the United States and Canada, in the United Kingdom, France and Japan.

Gaelic Storm continues to tour aggressively, playing over 125 days year. The group has released eight albums since its inception, including the compilation album Special Reserve. The band is known for their energetic renditions of traditional Irish music and Scottish traditional music, and for their albums which consistently top the Billboard world music charts.

Gaelic Storm's fifth album, How Are We Getting Home?, was released in August 2004 and debuted at #3 on the Billboard World Music Charts, #10 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart, and re-entered the September 2005 World Albums Chart at #3. "Gaelic Storm". Retrieved 2007-11-13.  The band's sixth album Bring Yer Wellies was released on July 25, 2006 and debuted at #2 on the Billboard World Chart, #16 on the Internet Sales Chart, and #31 on the Independent Album Chart. Gaelic Storm's next album, "What's the Rumpus?" was released on July 8, 2008 on the band's label, Lost Again Records. It reached #1 on the Billboard World Chart.

Over its history, the band has replaced its Fiddle player a number of times, its drummer once, and added Highland, Uilleann, and Deger (electronic) bagpipes to its instrumentation.

In January 2006, the band released their first DVD titled "Gaelic Storm: Live In Chicago". The show was filmed live at the House of Blues in Chicago.

A Simlish version of the song, Scalliwag, from the album Bring Yer Wellies, was recorded and featured on the World music channel in the expansion pack, The Sims 2: Bon Voyage, for the popular PC Game, The Sims 2.

Gaelic Storm features Ryan Lacey on drums and world percussion (a two-time graduate of the Los Angeles Music Academy, first for hands and then for sticks), Pete Purvis of Merrickville, Ontario, on uilleann pipes, tin whistle, deger pipes and highland pipes (a Grade 1 piper who toured with award-winning pipe bands including the Braemar Pipe Band and played at 2000 Sydney Olympics), and Kiana Weber of Chelsea, Michigan, on fiddle. In 2012 Jessie Burns (originally from Suffolk, England, now living in Colorado) left the band to start a family.

Band members

Former members:

Guest musicians by album:

Discography

Filmography

Interviews