St James' Gate Juice Of The Barley CD

The band plays the last note of the night and the sound of the bagpipes is still reverberating through the room. They come off the stage exhausted but they’re smiling and you just know that they have had as much fun performing as the jam-packed audience did listening. This is St. James’ Gate, a rollicking, rambunctious Celtic band based in Central Alberta. They have been playing their own brand of Celtic music since they formed back in 2000 and have been honing their craft ever since. From their modest beginnings to playing packed venues these boys certainly know how to show everyone a good time. They feel equally at home performing for home town crowds and at venues such as O’Reilly’s Pub, Erin’s Pub, and the Outer Cove and Ramea Rock Island Music Festivals in Newfoundland. These boys have cross country appeal. Whether playing for thousands while headlining for the Canada Day celebration in Red Deer and the Red Deer edition of the Scott Tournament of Hearts or playing to an enthusiastic audience in their home pub they never seem to disappoint. They have also warmed up audiences for The Irish Descendants and The Fables when those bands made stops in Central Alberta during their cross-Canada tour. The band is comprised of five members, four from coast-to-coast across Canada, and one hailing from Ireland. Given this diverse musical background the band has been able to capture a unique yet traditional sound, which is evident on their independently produced CDs “Serve Extra Cold” (2002), “Ride” (2004) and most recently “Juice of the Barley” (2006). These CD’s showcase the band’s ability to create unique Celtic music and their commitment to traditional music from the east coast and Celtic roots.On “Serve Extra Cold” the band penned four original songs, which range from strong emotional ballads to rocking Celtic anthems. “Ride”, the band’s second CD features five original songs, and a number of original arrangements of traditional songs. The CDs also showcase the band’s talents on an ever-growing number of instruments.The band's third release titled "Juice of the Barley" further showcases their development as song writers with seven original tracks and innovative arrangements of traditional songs. The instrumentals also feature a combination of original and traditional material. This release hints of things to come and the band is already working on their next project.Along with the standard guitar and bass, you will also hear mandolin, banjo, bagpipes, bodhrans, whistles, flutes, harmonicas, accordion, concertina and even a didgeridoo.