Myspace Profile Tracker World Visitor Map
Myspace Layouts - Myspace Editor - Image Hosting
Because the new management at The Argosy bar refused to support a paddys night function in 93, Mick and Danny volunteered to get together and play a set for the punters at their local.Hence the bands first ever name'The Volunteers'.Armed with an old s.g. from Micks punk days with The Exploited and The Straw Dogs and a jumbo 12string Hohner they took their first venture into Fiddlie-aye-dee.A great night had by all but interestingly it sounded so natural.Some bands never achieve that.Soon Brian(vocals)and Sinki(drums)were in and the gigs were building up.They were a raw talent and becoming more so.Within a year or so they were privileged to support The Irish Brigade in Carnwadric then Dundee.The top brass from Coalisland and Doire were probably a bit bewildered by the Glasgow combo.Now a regular feature in The Argosy and well supported in Govan the only thing guaranteed at these nights was their equipment blowing up.They now had a regular Friday in The Shamrock Centre in The Burrel.They were the first band to grace The Brazen Head, playing all weekend most weeks.Around 94/95 they established the new name`Claidheamh mor` or`Claymore`.Why Claymore?.See Aufweidersehen.To promote the new name they ran a competition at the gigs to guess why they were so called.Only on one occasion was it won, by a girl in The Castle Arms. They gave her a bottle of Claymore whisky. Brian and Sinki never stayed for the long haul and shortly after Big John O'Ciallaigh took the revolving seat at the drums. He spent a couple of years touring north and south with the band before leaving for work commitments.As a 2 piece again they were busy mostly in the Paisley, Port and Greenock hotbeds.Supported by Sam Hall their first date in Ireland was for the residents coalition in Garvaghy road community centre. True to form there was a stand off at Drumcree that night-There's a story that a spaceship landed there once and met by a defiant nationalist mob a creature emerged to declare "we're Martian" to which a hasty reply came "not down this fucking road you're not".The first gig in the 26 counties was organised by Dixie in the dissident Emerald bar in El Paso-he doesn't mess about. They were now playing around the border towns where he had drilled and trained. It was getting interesting.They played Ballymurphy, Felons. The Falls and The Ardoyne Fleadh a few times. All around Bealfeirste.It was Tullys in Motherwell they met Katie. She told Mick she played whistle so he asked her to play on their forthcoming album. He had never heard her play but knew she was a traditional musician. After working with her on the album she joined them for a few gigs and has continued to do so every now and then
