Colorado Festival focuses on History of Irish Rock

CO Irish Fest starts on 13th

...Canadian band Enter the Haggis, made their Colorado debut at the fest last year. They can deliver a sweet harmony and turn around and blast the leaves off the trees with their dueling guitars drums and bagpipes. Other fan favorites returning to CIF include the irrepressible Beth Paterson and Irish "Jig Punk" band The Prodigals.

New to this years Cultural Village is Milwaukee Irish Festival Ward Archive's exhibit entitled The History of Irish Rock. The exhibit will examine, through displays and artifacts, the history of Irish Rock beginning with the 1950's "Irish ShowBand" phenomena through The Irish "beat bands", Irish progressive rock bands such as Thin Lizzy and Skid Row, and continue with Artists stories including Van Morrison, Rory Gallagher, Barry McGuire, Horslips, The Bachelors, Elvis Costello, Chris de Burgh, The Boomtown Rats, Bob Geldof, U2, Sinead O'Connor, Clannad, The Cranberries, The Corrs, and much more.

More at link.

coloradoirishfestival.com

Tony Clayton-Lea on "The History of Horslips"

Article from The Irish Times now posted on Official Horslips Site.

For those, like me, who aren't in a position to view this Exhibition just yet, there's the excellent Posters Page at the official site as well.

"Horslips Stage Glorious Comeback"

Drogheda Independent

HORSLIPS, the legendary Celtic rockers from the 1970s, brought the house down in the Droichead Arts Centre this week.

Woohoo – the men who rode, horsemen-of-the-Apocalypse like through the dance halls of Ireland in the ’70s, did the business for one last time in Drogheda.

It was only the third time in 25 years they have played together.

They couldn’t escape it. The whoops of delight as the rockers hit the stage to thank fans at the opening of the art centre’s ‘History of Horslips’ exhibition meant they couldn’t leave without picking up their instruments for one last song.

The reluctant heroes gave an impromptu performance of ‘Furniture’ that thrilled the packed house. Local solicitor and ardent fan Paddy Goodwin, couldn’t quite believe his eyes. ‘They told me they wouldn’t play,’ said a stunned Paddy.

He is the main sponsor behind bringing the exhibition of Horslips memorabilia to Drogheda.

The band’s posters, album covers, guitars, pictures and artifacts have been lovingly collected over the years by Derry-based Jim Nelis, Cavan man Paul Callaghan and Stephen Ferris of Ballymena.



The pop art visual extravaganza made it’s first appearance in Derry 18 months ago and resulted in Horslips recording another album together. Drogheda is only the second place the exhibition has been put on show.

Before Horslips took the stage, a nine piece tribute band from Omagh, played a note perfect selection of their greatest hits to an enthusiastic audience. Asked how it felt to watch young fellas who were still in God’s pocket when the band broke up give a dobbleganger performance, Horslips lead singer Barry Devlin replied ‘weird’.

Yes. A Horslips article sure motivates me to remember that Unison.ie password!

Full article at link and it requires registration. Registration is free, though.

The Official Horslips Exhibition Poster

Official Horslips Site

Irish Times on History of Horslips Exhibit

by Tony Clayton-Lea, October 6, 2005:

Once upon a time there were three Irish men – Jim Nelis, Stephen Ferris, and Paul Callaghan. They were Horslips fanatics, and in their own separate ways and by their own separate, wholly legal methods, collected whatever they could of the pioneering Irish band.

Read the whole article and a sidebar on Charles O'Connor and album art design at the Official Horslips Site.

This is the article that I tried to get online yesterday. Very glad the Official Site already has it up!

History of Horslips Exhibition Crowd is BIG!!!!

Just checked in with my inside sources! Lots of people and three members of Horslips themselves were just arriving as I called. (Johnny Fean, Jim Lockhart, Charles O'Connor) Ryan O'Sullivan (who I owe some money to now...) also there.

On the CD ROM E:DRIVE - The Book of Invasions

I'm halfway through the process of getting a 7 day online subscription to the Irish Times online and will have some excerpts from articles about the Exhibition shortly.