| Seven Nations Brings Celtic World Together
By Mario Raspanti
Milwaukee's Irish Fest provided a wealth of Irish music for festival
goers this year. A wide range of musical styles was on hand including Celtic
rock, which was performed almost entirely on Leinie's Celtic Rock Stage.
One of the band's on the list of headliners this year was the internationally
acclaimed group, Seven Nations.
They did not disappoint at any of their shows, helping crowds celebrate
into the night.
"Our peers think we're iron men for the amount we play. Our primary
gigs are Irish festivals and events. The summertime is the height of the
excitement," fiddle player Dan Stacey enthused.
Even so, they manage to stay busy touring before, during, and after
the summer season. In 2002, the band spent over 300 days on the road and
has since looked to spend more time at home.
"The past two years we've boiled it down to the necessity shows. No
more crappy little bars," offered bass player Jim Struble.
"Tour smarter, not harder, that's our new philosophy," added bagpipier
Scott Long.
Seven Nations are no strangers to Milwaukee. The group played at Irish
Fest from 1999 to 2001 and has again every year since 2003. They have also
appeared at such venues as Shank Hall, the Miramar Theater and the Irish
Cultural and Heritage Center.
"Irish Fest likes to mix up the acts each year, to keep new things coming
in. So we've been fortunate enough to play here so often. They've been
great, Milwaukee has always been great, we hope to get asked back," Stacey
said.
The band got its start in 1993 in New York City, marking the first time
it performed with the bag pipes and the tin whistle. Otherwise, Seven Nations
had been strictly a rock band.
"The original goal was to incorporate the bag pipes, fiddle, tin whistle.
To take traditional instruments and incorporate them into modern music
and create something new. It's been done a lot, but that was an early goal,"
said Kirk McLeod, guitarist and lead vocalist,
Until 1997, the band went by the name Clan Na Gael, when it changed
its name due to a copyright dispute. The band also underwent a makeover,
as original members piper Neil Anderson, and drummer Nick Watson, left
to pursue other interests in 1998. The group's name is derived from the
seven nations of the Celtic world: Scotland, Ireland, Waltes, Brittany,
Cornwall, the Isle of Man and parts of Spain.
"At that point, we were already on the road. We had to make do quickly,
so I asked around who was the best, and a lot of people recommended, Scott,
Dan, and Christian (Macelli, the drummer)," McLeod explained.
The lineup that appeared at Irish Fest consisted of McLeod on guitar,
Stacey on fiddle, Long on bagpipes, Struble on bass, and Macelli as percussionist.
The five-piece ensemble has been touring together r since the changeover
in personnel.
As a result of the long hours logged traveling, much of the song writing
also occurs on the road. The tour this summer has also given them a chance
to share their new album, guitarist, and lead vocalist, , which was released
in early August. "Tradition," one of the album tracks, was a crowd favorite
at Irish Fest.
Within the past year, the band further diversified its repertoire and
ability to incorporate different musical elements and styles by playing
several symphony shows. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Jacksonville
Symphony, and the South Carolina State University Orchestra are among them.
They played one more concert date, on Nov. 1 in Greenville, S.C., with
the Greenville Symphony Orchestra.
"It was just a departure from what we've done in the past. We were kind
of fish out of water. It just came along at a very good time," Stacey said
of their symphony work. "But it was a good experience."
Celtic music has always been something that Seven Nations aimed to perform,
nothing more and nothing less. They consider themselves a family-oriented
act, as opposed to one geared for a specific demographic. Regardless, the
group seeks to put as much emotion as possible into its music, bringing
the performers numerous opportunities and accolades, including the chance
to perform at the torch lighting ceremony at the Winter Olympics in Salt
Lake City in 2002.
"Kirk, and Scott and I grew up learning that music since we were children.
I started with Canadian old-time fiddle music, French and old-time Quebe-style.
When I heard it the first time, if floored me. I just had to do that,"
Stacey recalled. "It's always been a hobby for us. I always been playing.
I just never thought it would turn into a successful thing . . . for money."
When they are not on the road together, the band scatters to their respective
homes around the U.S. and Canada. To cut down on wear and tear, they now
fly everywhere to all their shows.
"We've had too much bad luck with buses, don't ever buy a bus. It was
just too much of a hassle," McLeod warned.
Before leaving Iish Fest for the year, the band stayed backstage to
listen to the Young Dubliners playing after them. From there, it was back
on the road again for more shows in South Carolina, Maryland, Massachusetts
and Washington, D.C.
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