PHOENIX CEILIDH BAND

About the Phoenix Ceilidh Band

The Music

We are all accomplished traditional musicians in our own right. We all live and work in South West Yorkshire, an area with a rich traditional music scene.

The core of the dance band’s repertoire is Irish dance music – jigs, polkas, reels, waltzes and slides. It may seem odd to use Irish music for dances which are mainly English, but we have found that the unique sparkle of Irish tunes can transform even the plainest dance into something very special. David’s bouzouki is the band’s preferred rhythm instrument. This, along with a pedal keyboard, fills out the low register with tasteful bass drones. Catherine alternates between whistle, ute and ddle, Mark now adds another fiddle, whilst Paddy plays button accordion .

All the instruments are played in the Irish style with a strong emphasis on a clear and steady rhythm. This is a great help to dancers.

Our main instruments are traditional acoustic ones, fitted with a variety of microphones and pickups. Sound from the instruments and from the microphones is balanced through a portable mixing desk and then amplified, through two 350 watt powered speakers.

About The Band

Cath Stevens

I have always loved Celtic music and traditional Irish and Scottish ceilidh dancing. After visiting the west coast of Ireland in the 1990’s I was mesmerised by listening to and watching the fiery musicians playing wild fantastic tunes. Whirling impromptu set dancers would suddenly take to the floor and the whole bar would be rocking.I was desperate to learn some traditional tunes. I bought a whistle (and later a flute) along with Mally’s quintessential manuals and began going to local sessions, picking up a few tunes and practising at home.

Going to any local ceilidh was a must for me and I would dance enthusiastically all night if possible. I started learning the fiddle at Geoff Bowens ceilidh club in Ilkley with a view to starting a local ceilidh band. This I eventually did and Hullabaloo was jointly formed and it was my responsibility to put the dances and music together. I later joined the Yorkshire Dales ceilidh band Buttered Peas and played with them for a number of years. During this time I also played and danced for Irish set dancing in Bradford and clog dancing in Saltaire, and in and amongst I have also been a caller/ player for two Irish ceilidh bands; Fresh Eire and Eavesdropper.

In addition I have been involved for many years as a player and dancer with Yorkshire Dales Workshop and currently play every month in Addingham as a member of the ceilidh group Beneath the Clock. Here we learn new dances and tunes from around the world. The band Phoenix was formed by three former members of Buttered Peas; Tony, Dave and myself with Alan joining us to complete the line up. We have concentrated on developing a more Irish based repertoire as well as retaining a Scottish and occasionally English flavour.

Dave Dobson

Like a lot of folk musicians, I started singing and playing guitar after hearing people like Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, John Denver and Ralph McTell. While I was attending guitar evening class in Baildon, the tutor brought in a Greek bouzouki and, having alreadyacquired a mandolin, the world of Irish music began to open up for me.

The music of bands such as Planxty, Moving Hearts, De Danaan and musicians such as Andy Irvine and Donal Lunny became essential listening. During this time (late 70s/early 80s) I was also on the committee of the Topic Folk Club in Bradford, where I saw many fine artists perform. After this period, my attention turned to the ‘session’ scene, which helped to hone my skills as an accompanist, picking up tunes by ear; I have never got around to learning to read music!

I was a regular at the weekly session in my local pub, The Lamb in Oxenhope, for many years and I still manage to get to one or two sessions a week in the area. I have also played regularly with popular local Irish band, The Wild Geese, for a number of years. Other bands I have played with include: Wharfedale-based ceilidh band, Buttered Peas (with Cath and Tony), Eavesdropper, Go-Beo and Fresh Eire (notably at Mulligans Irish Bar in Amsterdam). I have also played at several local festivals as a member of Barry Smith’s Westport, along with Cath and Tony, and I am a member of the resident band (Beneath The Clock) at Addingham Ceilidh Club. I like to get to sessions in Ireland whenever possible; I’ve enjoyed going to fleadhs and have been several times to the Ennis Trad Festival in County Clare, the official ‘home’ of traditional Irish music. I’m a bit of a collector (or impulse buyer!) of instruments and I own a Terada guitar (not played much now) a Rob Armstrong mando (tuned like a bouzouki GDAD); this is my main instrument. I also own an Armstrong mandolin, an Erin mandolin, a Clareen tenor banjo and a Foley bouzouki. I also play a Roland pedalboard through a midi app on the ipad with connections through a Alessis idock.I also double up as the band’s sound man and own the equipment jointly with Cath.