Few rock shows today involve fiddles, accordions, concertinas, bouzukis, guitars, and drums. Great Big Sea, however, isn't like most other bands in the Boston music scene; it has bucked convention for ten years by playing upbeat Celtic folk music to packed houses.
Formed in 1991, the band consists of four members: Bob Hallett, Alan Doyle (vocals, guitar, keyboards), S?©an McCann (bondran, tin whistle, guitar), and Darrell Power (bass and acoustic guitar). Its style is a true divergence from the current norm, following neither the mediocre rock nor the not-so-deep folk music staples of the music world.
According to Hallet, this Canadian band was destined for musical stardom. "We played with all sorts of different instruments, just as kids play with hockey sticks and bikes," he said. "We all grew up playing traditional music in our families; it was just the way it was in our town. All of the adults would just get together and start playing a variety of instruments, and eventually, we children just began to start playing around on all sorts of instruments."
Family support helped contribute to the band's musical destiny. "It never occurred to us that it would be hard to make a living as a band, in part because our parents never discouraged us from trying to do so," said Hallett.
Described by Hallett as "a really aggressive folk band that marries traditional Celtic music with modern rhythms," Great Big Sea has changed over the years since the release of its first self-titled LP in 1992. The band started with a more simple, slavish approach to folk music, and has added new elements to create a style that is more listenable and complex.
One reason the band has been able to add more variety to its music is because of additional studio time. On Great Big Sea's most recent release, Sea of No Cares, band members did not go into the studio simply to record pre-polished material - the extra time they had to work led to more creativity.
According to Hallett, a Great Big Sea's stage show is more exciting than its album perfornamces. "The focus in concerts is on the four of us and our playing," he said. "There's a lot of variety and energy that you see in a concert which can't obviously be conveyed on a record." The band has played literally thousands of concerts over their career; it has both the experience and confidence that many newer artists don't have.
All of the onstage time has led to a fair share of public mishaps. When asked the group's most embarrassing moment on stage, Hallett replied with somewhat of a laugh. "We've played so many shows...We've been through just about everything. From getting the hiccups while singing a ballad, to coming out with your fly down, to stepping out on a chord causing everything to fall down...We've pretty much experienced it all."
For Great Big Sea, the best part of living the life of a rock star is also the worst part - traveling. While Hallett has loved seeing amazing places that he probably otherwise would never have visited, he says that being on the road can get very boring, especially since it's how the band spends most of its time right now.
But what he cherishes most is having played music that he loves with good friends for over a decade. "We have nothing to do with hippies in the back of the classroom; our music is really exciting."
