ON-STAGE AT GLASTONBURY:
Introducing Paul’s band on The Acoustic Stage...
Paul Casey
Guitars & Lead Vocals
Paul Casey is perhaps Ireland’s best kept secret. And it’s a secret thirty years in the making...
For decades, the self-effacing musician has worked tirelessly at his craft. He’s at home in the studio. The quintessential musician’s musician, over the years Casey has composed and arranged, played and recorded, mixed and produced – all the time honing his craft at his Cable Junction home studio.
Paul Casey was born at a moment in Northern Irish life that shaped him unmistakably. His father’s records were a huge influence. Paul’s musical sensibility led to an encounter with the legendary Chris Rea. The shy teenager blagged his way backstage to ask for advice from his guitar hero. Rea advised the young novice, who took everything on board. Five years later Casey gave Rea a demo tape. He was impressed, and invited Paul to London. Thus began years of recording and touring together, and a friendship that endures to this day.
Another strand to Paul’s musical DNA is an uncompromising commitment to no-nonsense studio equipment, along with an enduring pursuit of the new recording tech that matters. And then, there’s the visuals; rented VHS tapes have fashioned his life, and his music. Paul is a videographer, a guitarist, a songwriter, producer, and singer – but ultimately, a performer. Now, in a set that’s been 30 years in the making, Paul and his long-time band are set to take to The Acoustic Stage at Glastonbury. Paul Casey is a collaborator; his band has always been the lifeblood of his sound, and each player is set to bring their unique musicianship to the Glastonbury proceedings…
Piano & Hammond
John McCullough
The masterful key strokes of Belfast’s John McCullough will take centre stage on the Acoustic Stage with Paul’s band. John has worked with artists such as Van Morrison, Sinead O’Connor, Sharon Corr, The Waterboys, and countless more.
As a teenager, he represented Ireland at the W.C. Handy Awards Blues Festival in Memphis, USA, where he was awarded third place. He then joined Irish rock band Relish for time, enjoying a successful stint in Japan where the band’s popularity had grown on the back of their 2002 No.1 hit “You I’m Thinking Of”. His career has seen him perform at major music festivals across Ireland, the UK, the US, mainland Europe and Asia.
In 2019 and 2020 he toured with Sinead O’Connor on what were her last ever European and US shows. Most recently he has played across Europe and the US with Van Morrison, and has contributed to Van’s last two studio albums.
Here’s John on keys for Nothing Compares 2 U with Sinéad O’Connor in San Francisco in 2020
Fiddle & Mandolin
Damien McGeehan
Groundbreaking IrIsh fiddle player Damien McGeehan is one of Ireland’s most exciting contemporary traditional musicians. But McGeehan is a whole lot more than simply a ‘trad’ player. He is a modern folk alchemist, pulling the heart of traditional Irish music into the sonic worlds of blues, jazz, folk, and indeed his very own ethereal musical cosmos. McGeehan is born of the rural Irish landscape, of that mystical Celtic air, of a deeply ingrained Gaelic folk tradition.
With his trailblazing arrangements, Damien McGeehan has perhaps single-handedly transformed the very DNA of modern Irish fiddle playing. But modifying an ages-old tradition comes with great responsibility; and Damien has delivered in spades, carefully crafting a Celtic soundscape for the ages, which he brings enigmatically to life in the live arena.
In the studio, he is recording traditional music for the 21st Century – and beyond – as he lays down a marker in Ireland, and worldwide, as a contemporary trad force to be reckoned with.
Drums & Percussion
Liam Bradley
The rock-solid Liam Bradley will – as always – be on drum and percussion duty for Paul’s Glasto set. Liam's touring and recording CV is testament to his chameleon-like stylistic prowess: Van Morrison, The Blue Nile, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Rufus Wainwright, Moving Hearts, Bob Dylan, Donal Lunny, Tim Robbins, Ronan Keating, Clannad, Mark Knopfler, The Chieftains, Paul Brady, The Daughters of Albion, Henry McCullough... the list goes on.
The Derry sticksman is a permanent member of celtic rock legends Moving Hearts, and has toured extensively with anti-Putin dissident Boris Grebenschikov, the Russian-speaking world’s Bob Dylan.
The Zildjian-endorsed percussionist has played on more than 200 albums, toured every continent, and performed live TV spots with Justin Heyward, John Prine, Nancy Griffith, Ian Dury, and Roy Wood to name a few.
Liam’s album credits are a who’s who of world-class musicianship: he's on eight Van Morrison records including No Prima Donnas featuring Marianne Faithful, Sinéad O’Connor, Lisa Stansfield and Elvis Costello, as well as albums by The Chieftains, Black, Paul Brady, Paul Young, Clannad, Ronan Keating, Eleanor McEvoy, Andy Irvine, and countless more. Here’s Liam playing on Letterman with Van, Sinéad and The Chieftains.
Bass
Nick Scott
Regarded in Ireland and internationally as a bassist of true calibre, Belfast-born Nick Scott’s career has seen him play some of the biggest stages in the world.
A member of Van Morrison’s band in the 1990s, Nick has also recorded or performed with artists such as Mary Black, Tom Jones, Bob Dylan, Eleanor McEvoy, Sharon Shannon, Paul Brady, Sinead O’Connor, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Nick Lowe, and Dr John, among others.
He continues to perform, tour and record, both at home and abroad and has been a contributor to many music education programmes.
A TV regular, his much sought-after bass chops have been seen on the BBC, UTV and RTE networks, and on PBS, CBS, NBC and FOX networks in the US.
Here’s Nick, live at Rockpalast with Van Morrison, along with Liam Bradley on percussion.
Guitars
John T. Doherty
The enigmatic Dr. John T. Doherty will be off medical duty on June 29, as he takes to the Glastonbury stage, on guitar, with Paul's band – the band will be in good hands, on all fronts!
Long-time friend of Paul, and big-time guitar enthusiast (he owns about 50 guitars – including a one of 50 replica of Peter Green’s iconic 1959 Les Paul built from the original that Kirk Hammett owns!), John will be Paul’s guitar wingman in the band for the Acoustic Stage show.
Backing Vocals
Lauren Doherty
A classically trained singer, Doherty delivers hauntingly evocative lyrics with her effortless pitch-perfect vocals. Her musicianship and vocal dexterity across genres has seen her travel the world.
She has sung all over the world, from the Royal Albert Hall to Carnegie Hall – and for President Bill Clinton. She has performed alongside Celtic Woman on their ‘Voices of Angels’ UK tour, and appeared as a soloist at the United States Senate.
She has also taken to the stage at the Grand Opera House in Belfast, in Northern Ireland Opera's production of Macbeth. Along with Paul, Lauren fronts acclaimed Irish duo Amberlight.
Paul and the band played The Acoustic Stage, Glastonbury on Saturday 29 June, 2024
Order the new album, LIFE IN REVERSE – The Studio Recordings of the Glastonbury Setlist
MERCH DROP! Get the special limited edition Paul Casey T-shirt to mark his Glastonbury performance