If you watch the guys from Fiddler's Green take to the stage and rip through their material as powerfully as ever, one thing becomes certain: These folk rock! And they have been doing so for 20 years now! Time to rest? No way! It is time for an anniversary bash!
Let's look back through sweaty times: 1990. The techno craze is all over Germany when a small bunch of dissenters get together around their home kitchen table for a few beers and end up deciding to put an end to the sorry and boring state Folk is in at that time. If somebody had told them at that time that their turbulent combination of reshaped Irish traditional tunes and own songs should become such a smashing success, this person would have received nothing but an ironic smile.
But from then on, year after year no club has been too small and no venue too large for the legendary parties Fiddler's Green's live performances inevitably turn into – a phenomenon that is also inspired by the tongue-in-cheek performance of the six band members. So, it is no wonder that Fiddler's Green's status has evolved from low key to being Germany's leading folk rock band.
Towards the end of the 1990s, when American bands such as the Dropkick Murphys or Flogging Molly discovered the option of giving Irish Folk the punk treatment, Fiddler's Green had already shown how to produce energetic folk rock with remarkable success. A musical blend that really delivers – big time!
What a history! Following close to 1500 shows, eleven albums – some of them hitting the German charts – and two live DVDs, they even managed to establish a new genre by the name of Speedfolk, a development that earned them a vast motley following. From the true folk enthusiast and the pogoing punk girl to metalheads who rub their eyes in surprise about just how powerful Speedfolk can be. All sorts of people and they all dance until they are drenched in sweat. Some well-positioned ballads are the only opportunities for their audiences to take a rest.
But hold on… the term rest is not really fitting when it comes to Fiddler's Green. Before the band will return to the recording studio by the end of 2010, they are going to take the party to the halls and clubs in Europe with an anniversary special!
Additionally, the band are eager to create a great event for themselves and their fans. And it will happen right there where everything began in 1990 at the local Newcomer Festival: On 18 and 19 March, Fiddler's Green played two great anniversary shows at the E-Werk in Erlangen! During the years, so many songs have been created that are impossible to fit into a single anniversary show, so there will be two gigs on subsequent days – with different playlists! Both shows were recorded are now released as an anniversary Live CD and Live DVD as “Folk’s Not Dead – Live”.
And to make one thing clear: There is no way around Fiddler's Green for everybody in Europe who enjoys folk rock. And the band's motto will forever be: FOLK'S NOT DEAD!
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