Irish Folk

CRAN, an Irish folk 3-piece, are unique in Irish folkmusic in that their repertory is divided equally between music and song. Each member of the trio already had international reputations in their own fields before the band was formed: Desi Wilkinson, in the field of Irish flute-playing both at home and abroad; Sean Corcoran, as one of the leading singers in the Hiberno-English and Gaelic traditions and also as a researcher and teacher; Ronan Browne, as one of the leading lights among the younger generation of uilleann pipers, was already giving master-classes worldwide.

Patrick Street was one of the top Irish traditional bands of the 1980s, formed in Dublin in 1986 by Kevin Burke (formerly of The Bothy Band) on fiddle, Jackie Daly (De Dannan) on button accordion, Andy Irvine (Sweeney's Men, Planxty) on bouzouki and vocals, and Arty McGlynn (Van Morrison, Planxty) on guitar. McGlynn later left the group, and other members were added: Ged Foley (The House Band, Battlefield Band) on guitar, and Declan Masterson on uilleann pipes and keyboards. They have also played with Donal Lunny, Bill Whelan and Enda Walsh.

Swingin' Utters is an American punk rock band that formed in the late 1980s. Having begun in Santa Cruz, California, the band moved to San Francisco where they are now based. They have been signed to Fat Wreck Chords since 1996. As well as being classed as a "punk revival" band (reminiscent of British 1970s bands such as Stiff Little Fingers, The Damned, Sham 69 and Eddie & The Hot Rods), Swingin' Utters have increasingly shown themselves to be influenced by Irish folk, particularly The Pogues.

To find a unique voice on so ubiquitous an instrument as the acoustic guitar is quite an achievement: to do so within a centuries old idiom where the instrument has no real history is truly remarkable. In little over ten years as a professional musician Tony McManus has come to be recognised throughout the world as the leading guitarist in Celtic Music. From early childhood his twin obsessions of traditional music and acoustic guitar have worked together to produce a startlingly original approach to this ancient art.