Next Saturday, August 3, Kimberley First Saturday is pleased to present the very popular Irish Ceili – Dance Party.
Headlining the Ceili will be Knacker’s Yard.
Hailing from Victoria, British Columbia (Coast Salish Territories), Knacker’s Yard has been arranging and performing traditional Irish, Scottish, English, Australian, and original music since 2013.
Comprised of Bronwyn Churcher (fiddle, vocals), Stephen Johnson (accordion, tin whistle, vocals), Jon MacDonald (guitar, vocals), Cody Baresich (mandolins, vocals), Shaun McConnell (bodhran, bones, chimes), and Dexter Simpson (Irish tenor banjo), the group breathes new life into the Celtic ballad and shanty genres.
The energy of the band’s expansive repertoire ebbs and flows with drive and dynamism, as they pay tribute to, and take inspiration from, legendary predecessors like The Dubliners, The Pogues, Planxty, The Clancy Brothers, The Chieftains, and The Wolfe Tones. Intricate lead work, driving rhythms, finely crafted arrangements, and careful attention to slow airs and ballads makes for a listening experience that is both powerful and enduring.
Following the success of their first self-produced and independently released album, “The High Street Demo” in 2013, the group has unleashed a string of full length albums that include “Live at Dunsterville”(2015), “Songs of the Sea”(2016), and “The Dram & The Fray”(2017). The band have just released their fifth studio album which was recorded by Joby Baker in April of this year. The new record includes a guest appearance from the legendary Australian ballad singer Mick Slocum and has been broadcast worldwide by Maui Celtic Radio.
In addition to a busy recording schedule, the band has been performing nonstop for over four years. Regular appearances at the Victoria Highland Games, the British Columbia Highland Games, Vancouver Celtic Fest, and the Islands Folk Festival are combined with rowdy pub shows, family-friendly markets, as well as special city and private events. Knacker’s Yard is the house band at the world famous Irish Times Public House in downtown Victoria and perform hundreds of shows a year.
