The Waterboys
The Waterboys will hit the road in spring 2018, with dates planned for the UK and Norway. The tour will make stops in Cambridge, Cardiff, Bournemouth, Oxford, York, Hull, Leicester, Coventry and more. Two shows are planned for Alesund and Bergen in Norway.
The Scottish and Irish folk band, founded in 1983 by Mike Scott, got their start in Edinburgh. While members have changed over the years – with the exception of Mike Scott – the band still enthralls audiences with their performances.
The band has experimented with different musical styles and genres over the years, but their mix of Celtic folk and rock resonates with fans.
The group’s song “The Big Music,” from their second album A Pagan Place, influenced a number of bands, including Big Country, U2, In Tua Nua, Simple Minds and Hothouse Flowers. The album explored Mike’s interest in spirituality.
The Waterboys started touring after the release of their second album, and served as support for U2 and The Pretenders. They also played a show at Glastonbury Festival.
The band’s third album This Is The Sea was released in 1985 and included the hit “The Whole of the Moon.” The single reached number 26 in the UK charts.
The group lost member Karl Wallinger, who left to start a new group, after the release of their third album. The remaining members relocated to Ireland and started all over again.
The band returned in 1988 with the album Fisherman’s Blues. The new band included fiddler Stever Wickham, Guy Chambers on keyboard, Marco Weissman on bass guitar and Dave Ruffy on drums. The group’s folky sound continued into their next album Room to Roam, released in the 1990s.
The band relocated to New York in the early 90s. The 1993 album Dream Harder marked a return to the group’s rock-oriented sound. Shortly after, Mike left the band to stay at a spiritual commune and began recording his own albums.
In 2000, The Waterboys returned with Rock in the Weary Land. The album was the first in seven years for the band. They hit the road on a successful tour.
The band’s next release, Fisherman’s Blues, Pt. 2, included previously unreleased material from its predecessor. The Waterboys followed up with Universal Hall in 2003 and Book of Lightning in 2007.
The band returned in 2017 with the album Out of All This Blue, which has a distinct R&B, country and hip-hop sound. The 2018 tour will support the band’s latest release.