Rock? Yawn. Dance? Tired. Hip hop? Cliched. How about a blend of Jewish and Gypsy folk music played by one of Dublin's most entertaining live acts, asks Larry Ryan.
Last August two video clips surfaced on YouTube. The footage, shot on mobile phones, was taken during the Festival of World Cultures, in Dún Laoghaire. It showed a band of musicians playing an eastern stomp leading a gaggle of fans into a Burger King. Horns blew, the crowd roared. It was a joyous few moments. Then a security guard shut the whole shindig down. It was an oh-so modern Ireland moment, the sort to send David McWilliams scurrying off to whip up a few new pop- sociology labels.
The pied pipers in question were The North Strand Klezmer Band, who, not exactly doing what it says on the tin, play their own brand of Gypsy folk alongside traditional Jewish klezmer music. They are neither Roma nor Jewish, and they are not from Israel, anywhere else in the Middle East or, for that matter, anywhere in eastern Europe. In fact they're from Dublin - mainly, as you might guess from their name, the North Strand. "We call it the Golden Mile," says Peter Sheridan, the band's percussionist. "It stretches from Drumcondra to Marino. We're all from roughly around there."
Joining Sheridan are seven others: brothers Danz and Luke Page play clarinet and piano accordion; Stephen Daly plays guitar; Jack McMahon plays saxophone; Eoin Grace plays trumpet; Martin Gruet, a Frenchman, plays double bass; and Aindrias de Stack, a settled Traveller who is an occasional member of the band, plays fiddle.
Rooted in Hasidic and Ashkenazic Judaism, Klezmer is a largely celebratory dance music with melodies that echo the human voice. Gypsy music, which the band say is harder to play than klezmer, has a similar sound.
The Pages first heard klezmer through their father, the singer-songwriter Wally Page, who returned from a spell living in Turkey influenced by and armed with recordings of the music. Danz started to teach himself how to play it, and by the end of 2005 he and Sheridan were busking in Temple Bar. "In Crown Alley, the archway there," recalls Sheridan. "That's where we busked. We used to pack it out. The guards would always kick us out, because it would get so manic, and no one could get through."
More players quickly joined. Danz had only one stipulation. "I said to everyone: no electric instruments; everything is acoustic. When Luke joined he played piano, so the obvious choice was a keyboard, but we had an accordion, which is much better. And you can do it anywhere."
The band thrive in simple live settings; their infectious sound has earned them a reputation as one of the best live bands in Dublin. And the gigs have been coming thick and fast, from regular slots at the Gaiety and Annesley House to festivals around the country.
Sheridan recalls last year's Festival of World Cultures. "After Burger King we went down to the square in Dún Laoghaire, and about 200 people followed us. It was insane. The day after we did a TV appearance for RTÉ in a church. That was cool. But it's gas, the contrast between playing in Burger King and then the TV appearance."
Their profile has risen dramatically, with many more TV and radio appearances since then. For the moment, however, they are committed to developing the band in as many directions as possible. "The main aim for us is to progress with the sound," says Luke. "Not only to make it more accessible but to make it more enjoyable for us. Make it new from what it was originally."
The next step is to make a CD. They have spent some time in a studio but were disappointed with the results, which they felt lacked vibrancy. But they have started to record some of their gigs and may release a live album instead. They have also started writing their own lyrics, developing the Gypsy and klezmer music they play and incorporating other genres. At recent gigs they have added an element of Irish trad, and it has gone down well - although they're cautious of how they mix styles. "It's subtle. Not just a quick switch from one music style to the other," says Danz. "There's nothing worse than a terrible crossover in style. The Horslips did some questionable stuff."
As the band have expanded their repertoire the issue of their name has arisen regularly. Is having klezmer in it too restrictive, they ask themselves.Alongside this is the question of whether a bunch of lads from Dublin should be playing such music in the first place. "We know the background of it," says Daniel. "We're very conscious of it, how it's supposed to be played." Some klezmer musicians believe that only Jews should play the music. "Which is fair enough," says Danz. "They feel it's in the heart and soul. But for us the question is if it's good music. If it sounds good, it's good. But then again we're not Hasidic."
Others have taken exception for more politically charged reasons. "There was a Syrian guy one night when we were playing in the Gaiety," says Daly. "It was the first time I ever realised that side of it. He wanted to know why we were playing this Israeli music, but we were just having a good time."
The North Strand Klezmer Band play at Farmleigh Affair, Phoenix Park, Dublin 8, at 2pm tomorrow; Festival of World Cultures, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, on August 24th; and Electric Picnic, Stradbally, Co Laois, from August 31st to September 2nd