Neck (Band)
Encyclopedia
Neck is a six-piece Celtic punk
band from the North London neighbourhood of 'County Holloway' (known informally thus due to its Irish
population). Led by Leeson O'Keeffe, a former member of Shane MacGowan and the Popes
, the band blends traditional Irish music with punk rock
. Neck take their lead, both musically and ideologically, from two other London rebel bands: The Clash
and The Pogues
. Their anti-racism single "Everybody's Welcome to the Hooley!," charted in the UK Singles Chart
and UK Indie Chart
.
Their defiant, uplifting music reflects the life experience of the emigrant and second-generation Irish, and can be heard on The Emerald Diamond
, a documentary film about the Irish National Baseball Team; they contributed two songs, the traditional "Star of the County Down
" and the original "Every Day's Saint Patrick's Day." They also appeared performing the traditional "Carrickfergus
" and the original "The Ferry Fare" in the 1999, Belfast-set, film With or Without You.
Their musicianship is also well respected, with various members and ex-members guesting live and on other band's recordings: the most well known being O'Keeffe guesting, on banjo, with the Alabama 3
, as well as co-writing an original song "That's It, I Qquit" on the Hayseed Dixie
album No Covers.
Neck have toured extensively throughout Europe
, the United States
, UK
and Ireland
.
Celtic punk
Celtic punk is punk rock mixed with traditional Celtic music. The genre was founded in the 1980s by The Pogues, a band of punk musicians in London who celebrated their Irish heritage. Celtic punk bands often play covers of traditional Irish folk and political songs, as well as original compositions...
band from the North London neighbourhood of 'County Holloway' (known informally thus due to its Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
population). Led by Leeson O'Keeffe, a former member of Shane MacGowan and the Popes
Shane MacGowan and The Popes
Shane MacGowan and The Popes was a band formerly led by Shane MacGowan of the Pogues, who played a blend of rock, and Irish folk, sometimes referred to as Paddy Beat, borrowing from World Beat, a popular genre name in the 1980s. Shane MacGowan and the Popes released two studio and one live album in...
, the band blends traditional Irish music with punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
. Neck take their lead, both musically and ideologically, from two other London rebel bands: The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
and The Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
. Their anti-racism single "Everybody's Welcome to the Hooley!," charted in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and UK Indie Chart
UK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
.
Their defiant, uplifting music reflects the life experience of the emigrant and second-generation Irish, and can be heard on The Emerald Diamond
The Emerald Diamond
The Emerald Diamond is a documentary following the history of Baseball Ireland and the Irish National Baseball team. It was released in 2006....
, a documentary film about the Irish National Baseball Team; they contributed two songs, the traditional "Star of the County Down
Star of the County Down
"Star of the County Down" is an old Irish ballad set near Banbridge in County Down, in Ireland. The words are by Cathal McGarvey, 1866-1927, from Ramelton, County Donegal...
" and the original "Every Day's Saint Patrick's Day." They also appeared performing the traditional "Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus (song)
"Carrickfergus" is an Irish folk song. The origins of the song are unclear, but it has been traced to an Irish language song, "Do bhí bean uasal" , which is attested to the poet Cathal Buí Mac Giolla Ghunna, who died in 1745 in County Clare.The song appears on a ballad sheet in Cork City in the mid...
" and the original "The Ferry Fare" in the 1999, Belfast-set, film With or Without You.
Their musicianship is also well respected, with various members and ex-members guesting live and on other band's recordings: the most well known being O'Keeffe guesting, on banjo, with the Alabama 3
Alabama 3
Alabama 3 are a British band mixing rock, dance, blues, country, and gospel styles, founded in Brixton, London, in 1995. In the United States, they are known as A3, allegedly to avoid any possible legal conflict with the country music band Alabama...
, as well as co-writing an original song "That's It, I Qquit" on the Hayseed Dixie
Hayseed Dixie
Hayseed Dixie is an American band which began in the autumn of 2000 with the release of their first album, A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC. The band performs a mixture of cover versions of hard rock songs and original compositions in a style that is a unique fusion of bluegrass and rock music and are...
album No Covers.
Neck have toured extensively throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
Albums
- 2001: Necked (A Few Odds From the Oul' Sods)
- 2004: Here's Mud in Yer Eye!
- 2005: Sod `Em & Begorrah!
- 2009: Come Out Fighting!
- 2010: Come Out Fighting! (USA & Canada)
Singles and EPs
- 2000: The Psycho-Ceilídh EP
- 2002: The Fields of Athenry
- 2006: Everybody's Welcome to the Hooley! – proceeds go to Love Music Hate RacismLove Music Hate RacismLove Music Hate Racism is a music-oriented campaign based in Britain by the Anti-Nazi League and Unite Against Fascism. The campaign involves concerts aimed at spreading an anti-racist message...
Band members
- Leeson O'Keefe – lead vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, 5-string banjo - Liam Maher – tenor banjo, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
- Sara-Lou Bowrey – tin whistleTin whistleThe tin whistle, also called the penny whistle, English Flageolet, Scottish penny whistle, Tin Flageolet, Irish whistle and Clarke London Flageolet is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is an end blown fipple flute, putting it in the same category as the recorder, American Indian flute, and...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single... - Brendan Hartley – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Kieran Power - drums
- Seamus Mulready - fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...