OLD RED -- PAUL KIRWAN AND ANTO MCELROY
PAUL KIRWAN: I've been playing the guitar now for probably about 12 years collectively,the harmonica for about 5 years and the piano for about three years ,I started off as a drummer for DUBBED, we played dorans and the mean fiddler and a few smaller venues. I've been in many bands that never saw a stage, bar two:DUBBED and MOANY LISA(both with a lot of potential but fell apart) my first real solo gig was in Austrailia, Coffs harbour, The Coffs Hotel ,in 2003, when I got home I tried around the Dublin suburbs without any real progress, lots of experience but nothing else. I then gained the confidence ti play songs I had written, people seemed to like them . . . .My first obsession was with the beatles (John in particular), so I learned from them for a year or two, who better to be inspired by than the best, then I came across neil young, who can write THE most beautiful songs n never changed his views for no one!! . . Jimi Hendrix came next, where I started ti play abit of lead guitar, his phenominal talent just blew me away, anything he put his hand to was just so cool and attractive to the ear, (let alone his historical set at woodstock), then I dicovered Bob Dylan . . . . and everything changed for me, my perceptions, my songwriting, "tangled up in blue" hooked me in and I've never looked back since, I've learned so much from him, I consider him a mentor more than just someone I like ti listen to. . . I have loads of other influences, but these four are the main ones . . . . .Things started to change when I played at "Dollyfest" in Mitchels, Slane, I opened up for some really great bands. It was a great day.
then I got in to the "Bagfull of Songs" in Sarsfields, Drogheda. Absolutely brilliant venue, Where your treated wih respect. I played on my own in mcPhails in Drogheda, a charity event, that was cool. I've played the "bagfulls" then and really had a great time, its a very welcoming place. The second time I had Bolger with me, I saw him play with a band called Shuffler, Excellent band, I think it was around mid 2006, he was brilliant, I knew I need to play with someone who had that carisma n fearlessness on stage, he brought punk to Old Red, and played with me for about 3 months,we've since went our seperate ways, now i'm working on recording my album . . . .
ANTO MCELROY:I've been playing bass for about a year now . . . I played guitar for years and have been in a few bands . . I'm a rocker and a punk at heart, but I love all types of music. I was in one or two bands with Paul many years ago . . . now we travel and promote the band as best we can all over Ireland and America, supporting Counting Crows was a very big step for us . .
PAUL KIRWAN:I've gotten a lot of experience from playin round in ,the zodiac sessions(bruxxelles), the international, sin e, the bagfull of songs(sarsfields, drogheda, co.louth), the osta sessions(sligo) and many more, recently I was put on to the Potential collection 2, which is 13 people who play the zodiac sessions . . . massive repect to me aul mate jazz for that, he's a legend!
I've learned a lot from playin these places and from the people withwhom I've shared the stage, some really talented people and from the stage itself, its a constant learning process and I love every bit of it and just live to write!!!
"I dont know what I'm doin, I'm just doin what I know".................................
cheers
old red.........................................................
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"Its a poor whore who doesn't learn something every day"
live @ THE ZODIAC SESSIONS, BRUXXELLES
promotional video, day 1, recording"THE POTENTIAL COLLECTION 2"@RAth studios . . .cheers to barry "jazz" finneagan
"pride" live in he zodiac seesions!!
