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The Waterboys are a rock band originating from Edinburgh, Scotland and were formed in 1983 by Mike Scott. The line up, location and style of the band has changed over their long career yet there has been a consistent mixture of celtic rock with traditional rock & roll. They worked together as a band for seven years before disbanding in 1990 as Scott pursued a solo career before reforming in 2000 due to popular demand.
The band's sound in it's origins was considered 'Big Music' and received very well by critics, they followed this by a period where they branched into folk music and put an emphasis on touring with a very large number of musicians which many described as a 'raggle taggle band'. They moved onto a more mainstream rock and roll sound for the Dream Harder release before they dissolved the band, when they reformed in 2000 they seemed to take influences from all aspects of their early musical styles.
Mike Scott is the original founder of The Waterboys and the only constant member. In 1983 he was singed to Ensign Records after recording solo demos and working with a number of bands and musicians, the label were expecting the first release from Scott to be a solo effort yet instead he chose to found his new band which is named after a line in the Lou Reed song 'The Kids'. The band didn't achieve commercial success until their 1985 album 'This Is The Sea' broke the UK top 40 in the Albums Chart, however the debut and follow up established The Waterboys as a new force in music and their effortless touring schedule won them fans across the world, the third LP did particularly well in New Zealand, charting within the top 10 of their album chart.
Their next album 'Fisherman's Blues' which was releasd in 1988 during the folk heavy 'raggle taggle' phase charted at 13 in the UK charts and also broke the top 100 in the US due to their tireless touring worldwide, it has now been certified as a gold selling record in the UK. It included a heavier Irish influence which came from the decision to record in Spiddal and feature many guest musicians who the band had played with in Dublin and the surrounding areas. Disputes within the band followed this, as Scott was adamant about the direction of The Waterboys' sound, he recorded the 1993 album 'Dream Harder' as a solo member of the band with the accompaniment of session musicians. However after he failed to establish a new touring line up, he abandoned the project and pursued solo work. However in 2000, to fans surprise and delight The Waterboys returned with a new sonic rock sound inspired by contemporaries such as Beck & Radiohead. The band have continued to release new solo material and tour since then.
The Waterboys have the knack for blending in Celtic music with rock music, and making it sound like their own unique brand of music.
Mike Scott is the driving force behind the Waterboys’ music. He has the enthusiasm and tenacity of Bruce Springsteen and the literary diction of C.S. Lewis. The Waterboys deliver a highly energetic performance. Mike Scott aggressively strums his electric guitar, playing loud, distorted bar-chords and shredding it up on his intricate guitar solos. They also incorporate interesting instruments into their sound such as the fiddle and keyboards. The fiddle playing adds a strong Celtic sound to the music. Sometimes the band will break into strongly influenced Celtic music with a strong emphasis on the fiddle as well as accompaniment by the flute. During these songs Mike Scott will break into a Celtic dance that you might see portrayed in one of the Lord of the Rings’ movies. The keyboards are also a major part of the sound that creates an angular rhythm and creates a larger sound when the organ is used.
The Waterboys are very energetic on stage, pouring all their enthusiasm into rocking out on their instruments. Their stage theatrics are also quite epic with smoke filling the stage and bright, colorful lights flashing all over. The band members also sometimes wear Celtic type attire including ornate, decorative jackets with unique colors and designs incorporated into the jackets. They also have interesting, mythological artwork and displays presented on stage. The Waterboys music has been very influential amongst the rock and roll scene having influenced many talented musicians such as Eddie Vedder, The Decemberists, and Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead.
The Waterboys’ setlist is sure to impress all their fans. They play hit songs spanning their whole career as well as throwing in some fun Celtic traditional music into their setlist. If given the chance to see these guys live, you definitely should seize the opportunity and witness their unique and inspirational performance.
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