Goats Don't Shave
Encyclopedia
Goats Don't Shave were an Irish
folk rock
band formed in 1990
. Formed in Dungloe
, County Donegal
, the group was fronted by singer-songwriter Pat Gallagher and backed by musicians Jason Philbin (fiddle), Charlie Logue (keyboards), Declan Quinn (whistle), Gerry Coyle (bass), Sean Doherty (acoustic guitar) and Michael Gallagher (drums).
The group released two albums together, The Rusty Razor (1992) and Out in the Open (1994). After a sabbatical which has lasted from 1995 onwards, a third album Tór was released in 1998 containing material from both Pat Gallagher and Goats Don't Shave. They are probably most well known for their songs "Let the World Keep on Turning" and "Las Vegas (In the Hills of Donegal)", both taken from their debut album The Rusty Razor
.
Since their formation back in the summer of 1990, Goats Don't Shave have risen to become one of the most popular bands Ireland has ever produced.
They began performing their Celtic folk-rock in between their day jobs; which included plumbing and fishing, at which point the lads started to pick up regular bookings. Next they went around the country, cadging money to record a small tape. There were five songs on it, and managed to sell them locally.
Since then, the band have gone from strength to strength, never looking back. Five top singles and a series of sell out gigs at British Universities and Irish concert halls followed and 1993 saw the Goats stealing shows at the prestigious Glastonbury and Cambridge festivals. In the same year they were voted Best Band by Time Out Magazine.
In 1992, the Goats released their first album through Cooking Vinyl, The Rusty Razor. This fiery mix of folk, traditional music and rock was hailed by critics as an absolute classic, and the album went gold in Ireland. Following such success they released a second album in 1994, Out in the Open, a rockier, much rounder piece which maintained their well earned reputation as a band capable of great things.
Goats Don't Shave disbanded in the late 1990s when tension grew between band members, it is unknown whether the band members stay in contact. The first Album was "The Rusty Razor", released in 1992. The last full-length album they recorded was, "Out In The Open" in 1994, though the album "Tor" was released in 1998, this was partly Goats Don't Shave and partly Pat Gallagher's own work.
car park. This was the last time the band performed together. There were discussions between members of the band about a possible reformation in 2006, however the plans came to nothing.
Goats Dont Shave played at the Seaview Hotel, Gweedore at the Earthcore Festival on 17th, July 2011.
This album contains 18 tracks, with the Goats Don't Shave song, "Eyes", at track 17.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
band formed in 1990
1990 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1990.-Events:*January 21 – MTV's Unplugged premieres on cable television with British band Squeeze...
. Formed in Dungloe
Dungloe
Dungloe is a Gaeltacht town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is the main town in the Rosses and the largest in the Donegal Gaeltacht...
, County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, the group was fronted by singer-songwriter Pat Gallagher and backed by musicians Jason Philbin (fiddle), Charlie Logue (keyboards), Declan Quinn (whistle), Gerry Coyle (bass), Sean Doherty (acoustic guitar) and Michael Gallagher (drums).
The group released two albums together, The Rusty Razor (1992) and Out in the Open (1994). After a sabbatical which has lasted from 1995 onwards, a third album Tór was released in 1998 containing material from both Pat Gallagher and Goats Don't Shave. They are probably most well known for their songs "Let the World Keep on Turning" and "Las Vegas (In the Hills of Donegal)", both taken from their debut album The Rusty Razor
The Rusty Razor
The Rusty Razor is the debut studio album by Irish folk band Goats Don't Shave, released in 1992.The album became a success after release, going Gold in Ireland.-History and reception:...
.
History
Their name comes from a pub incident in which a drunken old man was told to go and have a shave and clean himself up - his response was to walk away muttering the words Goats Don't Shave!!Since their formation back in the summer of 1990, Goats Don't Shave have risen to become one of the most popular bands Ireland has ever produced.
They began performing their Celtic folk-rock in between their day jobs; which included plumbing and fishing, at which point the lads started to pick up regular bookings. Next they went around the country, cadging money to record a small tape. There were five songs on it, and managed to sell them locally.
Since then, the band have gone from strength to strength, never looking back. Five top singles and a series of sell out gigs at British Universities and Irish concert halls followed and 1993 saw the Goats stealing shows at the prestigious Glastonbury and Cambridge festivals. In the same year they were voted Best Band by Time Out Magazine.
In 1992, the Goats released their first album through Cooking Vinyl, The Rusty Razor. This fiery mix of folk, traditional music and rock was hailed by critics as an absolute classic, and the album went gold in Ireland. Following such success they released a second album in 1994, Out in the Open, a rockier, much rounder piece which maintained their well earned reputation as a band capable of great things.
Goats Don't Shave disbanded in the late 1990s when tension grew between band members, it is unknown whether the band members stay in contact. The first Album was "The Rusty Razor", released in 1992. The last full-length album they recorded was, "Out In The Open" in 1994, though the album "Tor" was released in 1998, this was partly Goats Don't Shave and partly Pat Gallagher's own work.
Reunions
The band reformed in 2003 to play at the popular Mary From Dungloe International Festival, the concert each year is usually held in the towns Main Street, however due to over 1,000 people showing up to see the bands rare performance it was moved to The CopeThe Cope
The Cope, or the Templecrone Agricultural Co-operative Society , is a co-operative retail chain indigenous to The Rosses area of County Donegal in Ireland...
car park. This was the last time the band performed together. There were discussions between members of the band about a possible reformation in 2006, however the plans came to nothing.
Goats Dont Shave played at the Seaview Hotel, Gweedore at the Earthcore Festival on 17th, July 2011.
Band members
- Pat Gallagher – vocals, banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Jason Phibin – fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
- Charlie Logue – keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- Declan Quinn – tinwhistle, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
- Gerry Coyle – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Sean Doherty – acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
- Michael Gallagher – drums
Compilations
- The Best of Celtic Inspiration (1998)
This album contains 18 tracks, with the Goats Don't Shave song, "Eyes", at track 17.
External links
- Goats Don't Shave site on ZetnetZetnetZetnet is one of the UK's oldest ISPs and according to a New Scientist article is the brainchild of Ghufar Razaq and Graeme Storey. It was founded in Lerwick, on the Shetland Isles by Ghufar Razaq, Graeme Storey, Tim Cole and Paul Martin...
- Artist Info page on Cooking VinylCooking VinylCooking Vinyl is a UK-based independent record company, founded in 1986. Its original orientation was toward contemporary folk music—notably Billy Bragg, and Michelle Shocked's Texas Campfire Tapes, recorded on a Sony Walkman, one of its first releases...
website - Pat Gallagher website.