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Rig the Jig are six musicians who met through mutual friends and their love of music. Over the last four years, Rig the Jig have evolved into one of the leading lights in Irish traditional / folk music.
Band Members
Rig
the Jig are Michael Banahan (Vocals, Bodhrán & Acoustic Guitar),
Johnnie Duffy (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Fiddle & Banjo), Brendan Doyle
(Accordion & Acoustic Guitar), Jimmy Flanagan (Banjo, Acoustic Guitar
& Vocals), Noel Carberry (Uilleann Pipes, Whistles), and Paul Gurney
(Bass Guitar, Acoustic Guitar & Keyboards).
Formed in 1997, Rig the Jig have evolved into one of the leading lights in Irish traditional / folk music.
Albums
After
gigging regularly as a quintet, Rig the Jig decided in 1998 to record
an album, so with producer Charlie McGettigan went into LG Studios in
Longford and recorded "One Night in Harlow’s". An album
that is as close to a live album as is possible, this was recorded in
two days with no overdubbing. The concept behind the album was recreating
a night in J.J. Harlow’s pub, which was one of the first venues in
which Rig the Jig performed together. The album received critical acclaim
as the band from the midlands combined traditional tunes, Irish songs
and American folk songs. This was followed in 1999 by the release of their
second album, "Finding the Gold". This album spurred the band
to even greater heights, culminating with the production of album number
three, in 2002, "Stormy Brew".
Stormy Brew is attracting a sensational level of interest at the moment. Radio stations all over the world are reporting torrents of requests to play tracks from the album. The band has been requested to give radio interviews all over the world, and has performed live on several local radio stations by popular request. Live performances on air have endeared the band to radio and TV producers and audiences alike.
TV Appearances
Rig
the Jig are no strangers to television either. After "Finding the Gold"
was released, Rig the Jig featured on TV shows such as ‘Geantraí’
on TG4 and “Up for the Match” on RTE 1. The band has three times appeared
on the very popular RTE television show Open House. In Austria they were invited
to appear on the top rated TV chat show VERA. As if that weren’t enough,
in Taiwan that the band bumped into none other than Ronan Keating who was out
there promoting his own debut album. The band made an appearance at Ronan’s
press conference, which led to an invitation to perform two days later at an open-air
festival. MTV Asia broadcasted this, and the performance went out live to over
20 million viewers.
Website
Rig the Jig have set up a website – www.rigthejig.com. The website includes biographies, music samples, photographs and the latest news from the band. A full list of forthcoming gigs is included in the "Concerts" section. Using this website fans can access information about the band, purchase product if they so wish using CCNow’s online purchasing facility, and join the Rig the Jig emailing list, keeping up to date on all news concerning the band. Watch Rig the Jig go from strength to strength and listen out for the best folk ‘n’ traditional band in Ireland!
Foreign Tours
As mentioned already, Rig the Jig have expanded their horizons by travelling abroad. In 2000, Rig the Jig toured Austria where they played one of Austria’s most prestigious venues, the Metropol Theatre in Vienna. In 2001 and 2002 they returned to Austria for four sell out shows, with return visits to the Metropol. In addition, the band has played, in Sarajevo (1998) and Taiwan (2000). 2001 saw them travel to Switzerland, where they played at the Inter-Celtic Folk Festival. In August 2002 Rig the Jig headed stateside, to Illinois to be precise. On the strength of "Stormy Brew" the band was invited to perform at an international folk festival in Peoria, Illinois. This was the centrepiece of a tour of the area, taking in Chicago, among other cities. In 2003 Rig the Jig are toured Hong Kong and returned to the USA on two separate occasions.
The Performance
What strikes the casual observer most about Rig the Jig’s live performances is the reaction of the audience. In every case, music lover or not, the concert-goer is thoroughly entertained. This is achieved through sheer variety of material, performing virtuosity, and perhaps most importantly, an acute sense of what entertains an audience. A Rig the Jig performance brings an audience on a rollercoaster experience. At various stages they are spellbound with awe at the skills of the musicians and singers, laughing uproariously at the banter which constantly bats forward and back from one musician to the next, joining in with the catchy choruses, and, finally, vowing that this will not be their last Rig the Jig concert. What comes across time and again is the enjoyment that this band itself gets out of the live performance, and this transmits unerringly to the seated audience.
