the critters

From the swamplands of Cork city,deep in the south of Ireland comes a motley collection of dynamic and versatile musicians with backgrounds as murky as the slow moving waters of the river Lee.The Critters were born from a session created way down the docks in a pub called The Farside where they would get together on a weekly basis to swap toons and jam.Their music comes from a love of ol time tunes and Eastern European music with the odd gospel song thrown in for good measure. Fiddler Yvonne Leahy, who is probably known better for her Irish Traditional playing but whose heart and style is very close to ol' time music,leads the band with her full and energetic sound with arrangements of tunes from down South and Far East.Singer and fiddler Eileen Healy adds harmonies and enterprates ol time and gospel songs in her own style.On mandolin is Pete Hull who contributes his own original songs delivered with the passion and conviction of a man whose loved,lost and gotten drunk.Holding it all together on rhythm guitar is James Dilkes,a fine singer and collector of tunes and songs from many sources.The Critters are veterans of various musical scenes in Cork,where theyve been based for several years soaking up the vibrant music and culture of the city.The result of the collaboration of these 4 is passionately performed ol time music with a contemporary twist and international feel.The band recently returned from a very successeful tour in Germany.