Almost Irish
January 30 @ 19:30 – 22:30
kr.270
Almost Irish is a young folk band from Denmark with experience, joy of playing, and a very special musical upbringing. The four members of the band have lived through that upbringing together—because, having the same mother and father, they are brothers. The soundtrack to the boys’ childhood played from their father’s record player, where countless Irish, Scottish, and Danish bands and folk singers performed songs that were hard to forget.
When the brothers reached school age, they each, one by one, enrolled in the local music school and began exploring different instruments. In 2002, they met Derry-born folk musician Denis McLaughlin, who truly introduced them to the world of Irish folk music, taught them to play the familiar songs from their childhood, and thus planted the seed that would grow into what is now Almost Irish. Since then, the boys have toured extensively across Denmark, with small detours to Norway, Germany, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. They have released five CDs—or six, if you count their very first, now sold-out CD, produced in a limited run of 15 copies. They’ve worked their way onto stages across the country and have gradually established a recognized and well-known name in the world of folk music.
Almost Irish has a deep understanding of traditional Irish and Scottish folk music and the advantage of knowing each other both as musicians and as brothers. Together, they bring a unique energy and joy of playing to the stage, and their broad repertoire of traditional songs and melodies reflects interpretation, creativity, innovation, and respect for tradition. Almost Irish are talented musicians—and not least, storytellers—and have therefore become a respected representative of the folk music tradition.
Almost Irish er et ungt folkband fra Danmark med erfaring, spilleglæde og en helt særlig musikalsk opvækst. Den har bandets 4 medlemmer nemlig gennemlevet i fællesskab, da de – som følge af at have samme mor og far – er brødre.
Soundtracket til drengenes barndom lød ud fra deres fars pladespiller, hvor utallige irske, skotske og danske bands og folkesangere sang sange, som var svære at glemme igen. Da brødrene nåede skolealderen, kom de – en efter en – i den lokale musikskole og fik prøvet kræfter med forskellige instrumenter. I 2002 mødte de den Derry-fødte folkemusiker, Denis McLaughlin, som for alvor introducerede brødrene til en verden af irsk folkemusik, lærte dem at spille de velkendte sange fra barndommen og såede således kernen til det, der i dag er Almost Irish. Siden da har drengene spillet landet tyndt med små afstikkere til Norge, Tyskland, Nordirland og Skotland. De har udgivet 5 cd’er, eller 6, hvis man tæller den første – og i øvrigt udsolgte – cd i et oplag på 15 eksemplarer med. De har spillet sig frem på landets scener og har efterhånden skabt sig et anerkendt og velkendt navn i folkemusikkens univers.
Almost Irish har en dyb forståelse for den traditionelle irske og skotske folkemusik og har den fordel at kende hinanden både som musikere og som brødre. Til sammen har de en unik energi og spilleglæde på scenen, og deres brede repertoire af traditionelle sange og melodier udtrykker fortolkning, kreativitet, fornyelse og respekt for traditionen.
Almost Irish er dygtige musikere – og ikke mindst fortællere – og er derfor blevet en respekteret repræsentant for folkemusikken.