Horslips

Horslips are an Irish Celtic rock band that compose, arrange and perform songs frequently inspired by traditional Irish airs, jigs and reels. The group are regarded as 'founding fathers of Celtic rock' for their fusion of traditional Irish music with rock music and went on to inspire many local and international acts. They formed in 1970 and 'retired' in 1980 for an extended period. The name originated from a spoonerism on The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse which became "The Four Poxmen of The Horslypse".
Although Horslips had limited commercial success when the band was playing in the 70s, there was a revival of interest in their music in the late 1990s and they came to be regarded as one of the defining bands of the Celtic rock genre. There have since been small scale reunions including appearances on The Late Late Show and RTÉ's Other Voices. The band reformed for two Irish shows in the Odyssey Arena in Belfast and the 3Arena in Dublin at the end of 2009, and have continued to play shows since then.
== Links to Peel ==
Peel reviewed their single, More Than You Can Chew, on Sounds, published on 6th April 1974:
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"Not related to Silverhead's entertaining "More Than Your Mouth Can Hold", as far as one can tell. The Horslips are a tricky band to come to terms with - some of their stuff is just fine and then other aspects of the same work will tend to strike a jarring note. Here the arrangements and the instrumental work are excellent - listen in particular to the pipes, which are beautiful. The vocals on t'other hand, work less well. They sound too far forward in the mix for a start and, despite some clean-cut harmonies, even a trifle weak. This weakness is accentuated when the instruments take over again, for the band sounds then so much more assured and definite. Horslips' chosen brief is a difficult one to fill and despite the acclaim given to their ambitious "The Tain" I'm yet to be convinced that they are filling it. They may well in the future, the signs are certainly there, but this single, like the curate's egg, is excellent in parts - and that's not enough." 
Several months later, he reviewed their Nighttown Boy single on Sounds, published on 24th August 1974:
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"I never read the weekly music papers so it came as bit of a surprise to me find the Horslips on RCA Victor after all the bouhaha that Warners stirred up over "The Tain" LP. Once again the feeling once the record has finished, is that the boys are on the verge of doing something fine. It starts with strident electric guitar, slips into a modest glitter beat and then changes again in the twinkling of an eye into a more ambitious little thing, with overtones of Bowie / Ferry et al. The playing is good, the band have shifted somewhat from their traditional posture, but the feeling remains that this is yet another plucky try. It's a whit messy and inconclusive, really." 
Despite having mixed feelings about their singles, the band did three sessions for Peel's shows.
== Sessions ==
1. Recorded: 1973-10-01. Broadcast: 16 October 1973. Repeated: 08 January 1974
*Bratach Bana / Dearg Doom / Knockeen Free
2. Recorded: 1974-01-28. Broadcast: 19 February 1974
*The Silver Spear / Charolet/The March/You Can't Fool The Beast
3. Recorded: 1974-11-04. Broadcast: 19 November 1974
*Mad Pat/Blind Man (Lonely Hearts) / Nightown Boys
== Other Shows Played ==
*None
== See Also ==
* Singles Reviews
== External Links ==
*Wikipedia
*Discogs
*Official Website
Category:Artists