The Bothy Band

Template:Short description Template:About Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox musical artist

The Bothy Band are an Irish traditional band, originally active during the mid 1970s.<ref name="Larkin"/> They quickly gained a reputation as one of the most influential bands playing Irish traditional music. Their enthusiasm and musical virtuosity had a significant influence on the Irish traditional music movement that continued well after they disbanded in 1979.<ref name="allmusicbio">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

HistoryEdit

FormationEdit

The Bothy Band was formed in 1975 by bouzouki player Dónal Lunny, after he left the group Planxty to form his own record company, Mulligan.<ref name="Larkin">Template:Cite book</ref> Lunny invited uilleann piper Paddy Keenan, flute and whistle player Matt Molloy, fiddler Paddy Glackin, and accordion player Tony MacMahon to get involved in an early project for the new label. This group of players was soon joined by a brother and sister who played in the Irish traditional group Skara Brae: Mícheál Ó Domhnaill on acoustic guitar and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill on clavinet and vocals. Originally called Seachtar (Irish for seven), the group was renamed by Mícheál Ó Domhnaill after Tony MacMahon left the group to work as a producer for BBC. The Bothy Band made its debut on 2 February 1975 at Trinity College, Dublin.<ref name="allmusicbio"/>

Three studio album careerEdit

In 1975 the Bothy Band released their eponymous first album on Mulligan Records (in Ireland; Green Linnet Records in the US; Polydor Records in the UK). Described on RTE as 'an incendiary mix of driving folk-rock rhythms' and 'a game-changer of an album',<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> it established their reputation as a significant musical force in Irish traditional music. In 1976, they released their second album, Old Hag You Have Killed Me, which was praised as 'a benchmark of the genre' of Irish music and expanded their following.<ref>Template:Citation.</ref> In 1977, they recorded what would be their last studio album, Out of the Wind – Into the Sun. In 1979, the Bothy Band released a live album, After Hours (Live in Paris).<ref name="Larkin"/>

During their four years together, the Bothy Band featured a variety of fiddlers. Original fiddler Glackin was replaced by Donegal fiddler Tommy Peoples on the band's début album. Peoples in turn was replaced by Sligo-influenced fiddler Kevin Burke on the second release.<ref name="allmusicbio"/> They played their final gig with this lineup at the 3rd Boys of Ballisodare Festival on 10 August 1979.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

After the Bothy Band break-upEdit

After the group disbanded in 1979, the members continued to play influential musical roles in the Irish traditional music movement. Lunny returned to Planxty along with Molloy,<ref name="Larkin"/> and then later helped form the Celtic rock band Moving Hearts. He continued working as a record producer and later joined Andy Irvine to form the group Mozaik, releasing two albums in 2004 and 2007. After recording two albums with Planxty, Molloy joined The Chieftains. After several solo projects with Ó Domhnaill, Burke founded Patrick Street with Irvine and Jackie Daly (formerly of De Dannan). Ó Domhnaill and Ní Dhomhnaill went on to form Relativity and Nightnoise.<ref name="allmusicbio"/>

In 1994, previously unreleased concert recordings from the 1970s were released as BBC Radio One – The Bothy Band Live in Concert. The music had been recorded in two different locations on different dates – 15 July 1976, at the BBC's Paris Theatre in London, and 24 July 1978, at the National Club, Kilburn.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="allmusicbio"/><ref name="allmusicdisc">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The first nine tracks, from the Paris Theatre concert, feature Peter Browne on pipes as a stand-in for Paddy Keenan.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2007 tribute concertEdit

Following the death of Mícheál Ó Domhnaill in July 2006, the surviving members of the Bothy Band came together at the tribute concert "Ómós- A Gig for Mícheál", held on 24 May 2007 at Vicar Street in Dublin. All proceeds from the concert went to the Irish Traditional Music Archive.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2023 - 2024 ReunionEdit

The group reunited again in 2023, initially for a television documentary, which led to a full Irish tour in 2024.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the lineup included all surviving members, including both Paddy Glackin and Kevin Burke on fiddle, joined by guest musician Seán Óg Graham on guitar.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The tour was ultimately cut short due to health issues experienced by Dónal Lunny, but the band were hopeful of re-scheduling concerts for 2025.<ref>https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2024/0430/1446568-bothy-band-cancel-gigs-as-lunny-recovers-from-surgery/</ref>

DiscographyEdit

The Bothy Band (1975) Track listing at Irishtune
Old Hag You Have Killed Me (1976) Track listing of 1982 reissue at Irishtune
Out of the Wind – Into the Sun (1977) Track listing of 1985 reissue at Irishtune
After Hours (Live in Paris) (1979) Track listing of 1984 reissue at Irishtune
The Best of the Bothy Band (1980) Track listing of 1988 reissue at Irishtune
The Bothy Band Live in Concert (1994) Track listing at Irishtune<ref name="allmusicdisc"/>

Band membersEdit

Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2 Current members

Dónal Lunny – bouzouki, vocals, guitar, bodhrán, synthesizer (1975-1979; 2023–present)
Paddy Keenan – uilleann pipes, whistle (1975-1979; 2023–present)
Matt Molloy – flute, whistle (1975-1979; 2023–present)
Paddy Glackin – fiddle (1975; 2023–present)
Kevin Burke – fiddle (1976-1979; 2023–present)
Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill – harpsichord, clavinet, harmonium, bodhrán, vocals (1975-1979; 2023–present)
Seán Óg Graham – guitar (2023–present)

Template:Col-2 Former members

Tommy Peoples – fiddle (1975-1976; died 2018)
Mícheál Ó Domhnaill – vocals, guitar, keyboards (1975-1979; died 2006)

Touring members

Peter Browne – uillean pipes, flute (1976)

Template:Col-end

TimelineEdit

1975 to 1979 <timeline> ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:25 PlotArea = left:120 bottom:80 top:10 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1975 till:10/10/1979 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:3 ScaleMajor = increment:1 start:1975 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1975

Colors =

id:bouzouki value:green  legend:Bouzouki,_vocals
id:pipes  value:orange legend:Uillean_pipes,_whistle
id:flute   value:blue   legend:Flute
id:fiddle value:skyblue legend:Fiddle
id:vocals value:red    legend:Vocals,_guitar
id:keyboards value:purple legend:keyboards,_vocals
id:studio value:black  legend:Studio_album
id:live      value:gray(0.7)   legend:Live_release_recording

LineData =

layer:back color:studio
at:10/01/1975
at:07/01/1976
at:06/01/1977
layer:back color:live
at:07/15/1976
at:06/15/1978
at:07/24/1978

BarData =

bar:Lunny text:"Dónal Lunny"
bar:Keenan text:"Paddy Keenan"
bar:Browne text:"Peter Browne"
bar:Molloy  text:"Matt Molloy"
bar:Glackin text:"Paddy Glackin"
bar:Peoples text:"Tommy Peoples"
bar:Burke   text:"Kevin Burke"
bar:ÓDomhnaill   text:"Mícheál Ó Domhnaill"
bar:NíDhomhnaill  text:"Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill"

PlotData =

width:11
bar:Lunny from:start till:10/10/1979              color:bouzouki
bar:Keenan from:start till:10/10/1979             color:pipes
bar:Browne from:07/15/1976 till:07/31/1976        color:pipes
bar:Molloy from:start till:10/10/1979             color:flute
bar:Glackin from:start till:09/01/1975            color:fiddle
bar:Peoples from:09/01/1975 till: 06/01/1976      color:fiddle
bar:Burke from:06/01/1976 till:10/10/1979         color:fiddle
bar:ÓDomhnaill from:start till:10/10/1979         color:vocals
bar:NíDhomhnaill from:start till:10/10/1979       color:keyboards
</timeline>