Phil: Guitar and Songs            Stuart:  Banjo & Whistles

                     

Jamie:  Fiddle                       Jeff: Bass Guitar & Bodhran

In 1989 Phil and Steve formed a duo that enjoyed great success for eighteen months on the Manchester Irish pub scene.
Building on this success they decided to undertake their first tour to Ireland. playing venues around County Leitrim and making an appearance as host band at one of many Sligo pubs during the Fleadh Cheol.

 
As a result of the success of the tour, we decided to include other musicians to swell the sound. Various changes in line up occurred whilst deciding on the "sound" and, in 1992 released their first recording entitled "Live".  
The line up changed to feature Teresa on the fiddle, moving the direction of the band to its present style, and before her departure to the USA, work had started on a second recording.

After Teresa, Sean, an all Ireland whistle champion, -- who we literally bumped into at Mohill, County leitrim whilst on a tour -- added his talents. During three years Sean was with the band it's repertoire widened, consequently, "By Request" and "Encore" was added to the list of tape releases.

By the mid-nineties, Jeff ( bass guitar & bodhran) was now a regular with the band, who were now performing regular concerts together with Lancashire's longest established folk group "Blue Water Folk" led by Ian Grime. From this collaboration a further combination of popular songs and tunes was released with the title "Whiskey and Water." If you listen carefully to the tape you can hear Ian playing in both bands.

In late 1996 with the departure of Sean, Ian accepted the offer to become a full member of Whiskey in the Jar. The band changed direction a little and benefited enormously from Ian's talent and experience. Sadly Ian died suddenly in 1998, leaving everyone stunned, and a big hole in the band. Frank, an old friend of the band and an extremely able fiddle player, was asked to help fill this role as a temporary measure.

With Frank the band again benefited from an extraordinary instrumentalist and he soon became the lead musician adding a new lease of life to the "sound" of the band, and also helped temper the departure of founder member Steve and his banjo.
We then said hello to Stuart who replaced Steve on banjo. Stuart's original jokes and unusual patter are a refreshing change, to both audience and band.
On New Years Day 2000, Frank suffered ill health and had to pass on his coveted place in the band to Jamie Knowles who entered the line-up on fiddle and a fair line in patter.
 

LINKS

www.thecordwainer.co.uk for Phil's Shoemaking site

www.worldofshoemaking.org for Shoemakers worldwide