The Waterboys

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Matthew Condon

The Waterboys at The Birchmere in Alexandria, VA on April 21st, 2015

Formed by placing a good old-fashioned ad in the newspaper, it has been over three decades since The Waterboys came together with their brand of Scottish folk rock. The ad caught the attention of multi-instrumentalist Anthony Thistlewaite and drummer Kevin Wilkinson who joined frontman Mike Scott in making their debut album, The Waterboys (1983), followed by A Pagan Place (1984). Success, however, came a little later with their ambitious third album, This is the Sea (1985), which shot the lads to fame as well-known earworm ‘Whole of the Moon’ was aired on radios nationwide. Following their big break, the group took some time off, during which Scott moved to Ireland for a brief spell. The rich musical culture of the Emerald Isle infused their Scottish folk sound and brought the band into a new phase. Joined by a myriad of Irish musicians, they recorded Fisherman’s Blues (1988), an eclectic album, combining the best of Irish and Scottish folk rock. After sadly losing Wilkinson to suicide in 1999, The Waterboys embarked on solo projects and numerous album releases, including a collection of songs inspired by Irish poet W.B Yeats. The Waterboys latest release is an ode to their diversity. Venturing into the sounds of disco with ‘Monument’ and even taking a jab at hip-hop on ‘Hiphopstrumental 4 (Scatman)’, Scott shows he is not afraid to take on any musical genre.

More information here.