The Waterboys to Bring Celtic Rock to The Fonda

Stephanie Hernandez

Celtic rock band The Waterboys have been fiddling away since 1983, yet they just made their North American national television debut on Late Night With David Letterman April 20 of this year. With the release of their 11th studio album “Modern Blues,” it seems The Waterboys are ready to take on the United States, more specifically The Fonda Theatre.

The Waterboys came to be in 1983, when lead singer Mike Scott decided to go against his record label’s expectations of a solo album, instead he decided to form a band and release their self-titled debut later that year. Their music drew sonic inspiration from a diverse set of artists, ranging from Patti Smith to Van Morrison and David Bowie. Scott, who studied literature and philosophy briefly at the University of Edinburgh, made sure to include a substantial amount of references to classical English literature in The Waterboys’ music. Their unique almost cinematic sound and poetry like lyrics caught the attention of multiple music journals, gaining them much critical acclaim. The band’s membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland and England and seen over seventy musicians take contributing roles both on stage and in the studio. The Waterboys instrumental fluidity is part of what made them such a versatile group on stage, experimenting with everything from Celtic, folk, to classic rock and roll. The group disbanded in 1993 when lead vocalist and principal songwriter Mike Scott, left to pursue a solo career. Later reforming in 2000 to record new material, The Waterboys have been touring worldwide ever since.

Their latest album “Modern Blues,” has gained the now quartet enough traction to take their show Stateside. If their recent performance on Late Night With David Letterman was any indicator of the shows on the rest of their tour, we suggest clearing your schedule now.

The Waterboys will perform at The Fonda Theatre May 13. Tickets available here.