IN THE Mid 1980s, a band of Scottish musicians came to County Galway and between the city and An Spidéal they created the album many see as their masterpiece.
This was Fisherman’s Blues, released in 1988, and revealed how Waterboys’ leader Mike Scott had taken the band from the ‘big rock’ sound of This Is The Sea towards folk, Scottish and Irish roots, singer-songwriter, and trad. The title track and ‘A Bang On The Ear’ have since earned classic status.
To mark the 25th anniversary of the album, EMI will release the seven CD Fisherman’s Box set on October 14, while The Waterboys - Mike Scott, Steve Wickham, Anto Thistlewaite, and Trevor Hutchinson, along with current drummer Ralph Salmins - will tour Ireland.
The band will play Leisureland on Sunday December 22 to perform Fisherman’s Blues and music from that period.
“We won’t be playing the original Fisherman’s Blues album in order,” said Scott. “We’ll be using the band’s vintage repertoire as a starting point for a new blast of the freewheeling, improvised spirit of The Waterboys in those days. I want that old fire burning again, Steve and Anto wailing like the two-man orchestra I remember, when anything could and did happen.”
Tickets are now on sale for €44.50 through 091 - 586540 and www.roisindubh.net
