The Revs are an indie rock band from Kilcar, County Donegal in Ireland. The group consisted of three childhood friends: Rory Gallagher (named after the famous blues guitarist Rory Gallagher and who had previously released the album 20th Century at the age of 18) on bass guitar and vocals, John McIntyre (guitar, vocals) and Michael O' Donnell (drums, percussion).
The Revs formed on the eve of the 2000 millennium with an aim to "change the face of Irish music".
The Revs released their debut "Sonictonic" in 2002, a live album recorded at Temple Bar Music Centre in Dublin (Now the Button Factory). Early on, the band's music courted controversy with its attacks on manufactured pop; for example, the group's single "Louis Walsh" targeted Louis Walsh (the svengali behind Westlife and Boyzone amongst others).
They followed this up with the stand-alone singles "Tuesday, Monday" and "Loaded" before the debut studio album Suck in February 2003. This album (recorded in Trackmix Studios, Clonsilla, Dublin) entered the charts gaining them many new fans, as well as pleasing the ones who had assembled en masse due to their constant touring across Ireland and the UK. The songs are an eclectic mix of punk rock, surf guitars, pop-rock and indie, similar to Pixies, Radiohead and Muse, with paranoid lyrics (influenced by Bill Hicks) expressing their conflicting love and distaste with the world.[citation needed]They were voted 3rd in the Hot Press readers poll behind U2 and The Frames in 2003. They are one of the few Irish bands to ever play in Slane Castle. In March 2004, they had a top 30 hit in Australia with the single "Death of a Dj". They embarked on a short two-week coast to coast tour and received rave reviews from the Australian music press.
Taking a lengthy break during which they decided upon a change of direction, wrote dozens of songs and roadtested them in small venues around Ireland, they returned in November 2004 with a sample of the music that was to come: a new single "Broken?", backed with "Ode to Saint Susie, Patron Saint Of Supermarkets". They now sounded more like The Flaming Lips, Big Star or The Smiths, with their love of Radiohead still shining through, and this release confused the public who had dismissed them. During the months that opened up 2005, they recorded their third album, The Revs, in Malmö, Sweden, with Tore Johansson–the producer behind Franz Ferdinand and The Cardigans.
This LP was released on 14 October 2005, following the single "Time Slippin'" in September. Despite being their most critically acclaimed release to date, it was their least commercially successful album in Ireland. A successful European tour of Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France followed in 2006, alongside the well received European release of The Revs.[1] Two songs from the band's self-titled album - "Take It All Back" and "Streets" - appeared on the soundtrack of the blockbuster movie P.S. I Love You.[2]
In January 2007, Gallagher announced on the band's official forum that the Revs were taking a break of "indefinite" length.[3] In July 2007, the band played a short tour of Ireland, believed to have been their last.
From 2001 to 2006 The Revs had released 3 albums, 7 singles and 2 EPs.
Rory Gallagher released a solo album in September 2008 called God Bless The Big Bang. It received some great press reaction in Ireland with Hotpress magazine declaring it a "Triumphant return, 4 Stars" but it failed to chart. However the industry response helped him to gain the support slot for Britpop/mod legends Ocean Colour Scene on their 2009 comeback tour.[4]
In 2010, Gallagher had a strange online hit which was in a fact a leaked comedy demo recording called "Ryanair Blues". It broke through to national daytime radio in Ireland in November 2010 and went to number 1 in the download charts the following day as it was released for free.[5] It did not feature on his forthcoming solo album, released in 2012.
Gallagher then released four new singles to iTunes in 2011 under the name of "Rory and the Island" . They all charted in the top 30 in Ireland, with "Colours" reaching number 8. Gallagher played solo acoustic gigs at most of the top Irish festivals that summer 2011 including the Electric Picnic.
Rory and the island had another iTunes top ten hit in June 2012 with "Boys in Green 2012" a song for the Rep. of Ireland football team recorded with Sharon Shannon for the European championships, It featured as a bonus track on the limited edition of the album "Auntie Depressant and Uncle Hope" released a fortnight later. Rory and the island had a massive cult hit with Jimmy's Winning Matches in late 2012 written in support of the Donegal football team in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.
John McIntyre and his wife Zoe Conway received rave reviews for their new recordings and live gigs in traditional Irish music in late 2012.
Rory and the island released an EP called "dingo rush" in 2013, it featured a track called " mad dog coll " which was shortlisted as song of the year by IMRO. it reached number 19 on iTunes ireland in FEB 2013. Rory and the island released an album " Watching the Sun going down" in jan 2016, Five singles from the album charted on iTunes ireland, with " Peace, Love and Ringo Starr" going into the top 20 again. all 3 albums were remastered and released on Spotify the same year.
The Revs played a re-union show in Whelans in Dublin in August 2017. It was a sell out show which led to the band being approached to play a second show.
Clannad is an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal by siblings Ciarán, Pól, and Moya Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history, including folk, folk rock, traditional Irish, Celtic and new-age music, often incorporating elements of smooth jazz and Gregorian chant.
Eurythmics were a British pop duo consisting of members Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. Stewart and Lennox were both previously in The Tourists, a band which broke up in 1980; Eurythmics were formed later that year in Wagga Wagga, Australia. The duo released their first studio album, In the Garden, in 1981 to little success, but went on to achieve global acclaim when their second album Sweet Dreams , was released in 1983. The title track became a worldwide hit which topped the charts in various countries including the US. The duo went on to release a string of hit singles and albums before they split up in 1990. By this time, Stewart was a sought-after record producer, while Lennox began a solo recording career in 1992 with her debut album Diva. After almost a decade apart, Eurythmics reunited to record their ninth album, Peace, released in late 1999. They reunited again in 2005 to release the single "I've Got a Life", as part of a new Eurythmics compilation album, Ultimate Collection.
Simply Red are a British soul and pop band formed in Manchester in 1985. The lead vocalist of the band is singer and songwriter Mick Hucknall, who, by the time the band initially disbanded in 2010, was the only original member left. Since the release of their debut studio album Picture Book (1985), they have had ten songs reach top 10 in the UK Singles Chart, including "Holding Back the Years" and "If You Don't Know Me by Now", both of which reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. They have had five number one albums in the UK, with their 1991 album, Stars, being one of the best-selling albums in UK chart history.
William Rory Gallagher was an Irish blues and rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. Born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, and brought up in Cork, Gallagher formed the band Taste in the late 1960s and recorded solo albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s. His albums have sold over 30 million copies worldwide. Gallagher received a liver transplant in 1995, but died of complications later that year in London at the age of 47.
"Shining Light" is a song by Ash, which was released as the first single from their album Free All Angels. It was released on 29 January 2001. It was released as a single CD and as a 7-inch vinyl. It was also Ash's first single to be released as an enhanced CD. "Shining Light" reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart. The song had been covered by fellow Downpatrick songwriter Triona in 2015 which featured on a Power NI advert.
Boyzone were an Irish boy band, created in 1993 by talent manager Louis Walsh. Before even recording any material, Boyzone made an appearance on RTÉ's The Late Late Show. Their most successful line-up was composed of Keith Duffy, Stephen Gately, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating, and Shane Lynch. As of 2018, Boyzone have released seven studio albums and nine compilation albums.
The Wolfe Tones are an Irish rebel music band that incorporate Irish traditional music in their songs. Formed in 1963, they take their name from Theobald Wolfe Tone, one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, with the double meaning of a wolf tone – a spurious sound that can affect instruments of the violin family.
Rock music in Ireland, also known as Irish rock, has been a part of the music of Ireland since the 1960s, when the British Invasion brought British blues, psychedelic rock and other styles to the island. The Irish music scene in the 1960s and much of the 1970s was dominated by the unique Irish phenomenon of the 'Showbands' which were groups of professional performers who played at dancehalls and clubs across the country putting on a professional 'show' and playing all the American and British hits of the era. From the mid-1970s onwards rock music in Ireland has followed a similar path to rock music in Britain.
"Creep" is the debut single by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 21 September 1992. It appeared on their debut studio album, Pablo Honey (1993).
"Who Feels Love?" is a song by the English rock band Oasis, written by the band's lead guitarist Noel Gallagher. It became the second single to be released from the album Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, peaking at number four on the UK Singles Chart and entering the top 20 in Ireland, Italy, and Spain.
"No Surprises" is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released as the fourth and final single from their third studio album, OK Computer (1997), on 12 January 1998. The music video features songwriter Thom Yorke singing inside a diving helmet as it fills with water. The single peaked at number 4 on the UK Singles Chart.
Bell X1 are an Irish rock band from County Kildare. The group consists of Paul Noonan, David Geraghty and Dominic Phillips.
The Script are an Irish rock band formed in 2007 in Dublin, Ireland. They first released music in 2008. The band consists of lead vocalist and keyboardist Danny O'Donoghue, lead guitarist Mark Sheehan, and drummer Glen Power. The band moved to London after signing to Sony Label Group imprint Phonogenic and released their eponymous debut album in August 2008, preceded by the successful singles "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" and "Breakeven". The album peaked at number one in both Ireland and the UK. Their next three albums, Science & Faith (2010), #3 (2012) and No Sound Without Silence (2014), all topped the album charts in Ireland and the UK, while Science & Faith reached number three in the US. Hit singles from the albums include "For the First Time", "Nothing", "Hall of Fame" and "Superheroes". The band's fifth studio album, Freedom Child, was released on 1 September 2017, and features the UK Top 20 single "Rain".
Una Theresa Imogene Healy is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician, radio and television presenter. She rose to fame in 2008 as a member of five-piece girl group The Saturdays, who are signed to Fascination and Polydor Records. In 2006, she had represented Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest, where she sang with Brian Kennedy on the song "Every Song Is a Cry for Love"; they placed tenth overall. Healy then auditioned for the Saturdays in 2007, after struggling to find success in her native country. Once she had successfully auditioned, she began recording music and releasing a number of hits.
The Riptide Movement are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin, Ireland in 2006 by songwriter and vocalist Malachy Tuohy, guitarist John Dalton, bassist and harmonica player Gerry McGarry and drummer Gar Byrne.
Davy Knowles is a Manx blues guitarist and singer. Knowles currently tours as a solo artist, but is formerly of the blues-rock band Back Door Slam, as well as working under the name Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam for a short period of time. With Back Door Slam, he played lead guitar and sang on their debut album, Roll Away. After a split-up with bassist Adam Jones and drummer Ross Doyle, Knowles released the first and only album under the name Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam, Coming Up for Air, on 19 May 2009. Knowles drew his musical influences from blues musicians that he grew up listening to such as Dire Straits, Peter Green, and Eric Clapton's Cream. Due to his home country's proximity to Ireland, Knowles has stated that his music also is influenced by the Celtic genre, which is noted to be present in the song "Roll Away". In April 2009, Knowles toured with British guitarist Jeff Beck on his American tour, where he was the opening act. He toured with Joe Satriani and Chickenfoot in the United States through December 2009. Davy Knowles toured with The Rhythm Devils in 2010.
The discography of Rory Gallagher, an Irish guitarist and singer-songwriter, consists of 11 studio albums, 6 live albums, 13 compilations, and 5 singles. Gallagher was a solo artist for much of his career and collaborated with artists such as Muddy Waters and Jerry Lee Lewis. Before his career as a solo-artist, Gallagher was the guitarist, vocalist, and saxophonist for the Irish rock trio Taste.
"Jimmy's Winning Matches", originally called "Jimmy Selling Watches", is a song performed by Rory and the Island—and the anthem of Donegal's march towards the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final. Considered an Internet and YouTube sensation, "Jimmy's Winning Matches" hit number one on the iTunes chart.
The Rua are an Irish/British family pop-rock band from Windsor, England. The band consists of sisters, Roseanna, Alanna and brother, Jonathan Brown.
Rory and The Island has had 10 top 40 songs in the Irish iTunes rock charts, with "Jimmy's Winning Matches" breaking through to the actual overall Irish top 10 in October 2012. Lead singer Rory Gallagher was the bass player and lead vocalist with Irish Indie/Pop/Punk group 'The Revs' from 2000 to 2007.
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