The Rich Celtic Tapestry of BLACKTHORN

Those looking to experience the rich colorful history of Irish culture happening  worldwide  each year through the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day only need to journey to Bay City’s State Theatre to experience an exceptional musical treat, as The Friends of Celtic Culture bring the eminently talented Celtic musical quartet known as  Blackthorn into the Great Lakes Bay Region for a special performance on Friday, March 14^th at 7:30 PM.

Based in Detroit and formed back in 1984, Blackthorn is a serious collective of musical minstrels who over the past 40-years have woven together a rich musical tapestry of Celtic music, ranging from traditional songs of emigration, sea shanties, lively jigs, and ancient airs combined with some of Ireland’s best contemporary songs or a musical experience capturing both the history and legend of Ireland and its people.

Consisting of founding member Richard McMullen, who was born and raised in Belfast and sings lead vocal, plays guitar, mandolin, cittern, bodhran, bones, and brings a wealth of stories and songs from his native land to the stage; Fred Klein, who is also firmly grounded in Celtic music and plays keyboards, tin whistle, wooden flute, and accordion; Dennis Green, who’s background includes choral training and plays bass guitar; and Michel Gavin, who grew up in an environment rich in traditional music and is equally at ease on guitar, fiddle, mandolin, tenor banjo, bouzouki, and vocals, since joining the band he has added an instrumental authenticity that can only come from being steeped in this catalog of amazing music since childhood.

With all members sharing in the vocals, what makes a Blackthorn show unique is the variety of tunes, tempos and textures. With each member playing multiple instruments, the range of coloration at the band’s disposal allows them to compliment the depth of each song they perform in a manner that blends seamlessly with their four-part harmonies.

Having released seven CDs, Blackthorn have performed with guest musicians such as members of the Michigan Opera Theater and the Motor City Brass Band; and in 2010 they were  voted "Best Folk Band/Artist" by the readers of The Detroit Metro Times.

Group founder Richard McMullen says his interest in traditional Irish music developed in tandem with his interest in popular music of the 1960s and ‘70s.  Growing up in war-torn Belfast when tensions between Protestants & Catholics was at its height and New Wave & Punk bands like U2 and The Clash were singing about ‘Belfast Cowboys’, McMullen says while like most kids of that era who were captured by the musical magic of groups like The Beatles and Rolling Stones, he had one friend in particular who helped foster his interest in the range of melodic texture and wealth of story-telling that could be found in the heritage of Celtic Music.

When asked about some of the artists that informed and influenced his sensibilities about Celtic music, McMullen explains how after he moved to the United States and was attending college from 1968-72,  there were a number of Irish performers playing and performing, but none that were really on his radar. “At the university they would have these Folk evenings, and for me my two biggest influences were this band called The Dubliners, and of course The Clancy Brothers, who were instrumental (no pun intended) in bringing Irish music to the fore in the United States.”

“When I was a teenager I remember hearing these Irish folk singers performing these corny old songs that were very popular, but one artist who could re-arrange and deliver them and bring them alive for audiences was Andy Irvine, whom I’ve had the pleasure to meet a few times,” he continues. “A band that really brought younger people into traditional Irish music was this group called Planxty who came on the scene in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s and blew it wide open. Andy was a founding member of that group.”

“Another guy in the band who was very instrumental was Christy Moore, an Irish singer and songwriter who had the ability to mesmerize audiences. One of our big attractions and the reason we’ve lasted 40-yers is that we also focus on incorporating the audience into our shows.”

“When a person comes to see us for the first time, they’re probably not going to know any of the songs we do, because we don’t performs songs like When Irish Eyes are Smiling or Danny Boy, which are part of what I like to call the New York Tin Pan Alley collection of Irish standards,” he reflects. “Instead we draw from hundreds of years’ worth of material and each of the songs we perform have great stories behind them and also contain excellent stories in the lyrics. We do a show and many people in the audience have been following us for 30 years now, so it’s great when they bring their kids and grandkids and are all singing along with the choruses to the songs we perform. When you hear 300-plus people signing a chorus to a song they never would have known, it’s that connection we build with the audience that distinguishes us from other Celtic groups.”

Although he started out as a solo artist, McMullen says with increased popular interest in Irish music he was able to get more bookings and the pivotal moment in his career happened in October of 1984. “The Detroit Tigers were in the World Series and I was at this bar called The Old Shillelagh, which is downtown Detroit’s oldest Irish Pub that’s been around for 50 years now. The owner had fired his house band and realized he didn’t have a group for the weekend and got my phone number. When I told him I was a solo act he said that wasn’t going to fly, so I called a bass player and guitarist I knew that I’d been gigging a little with, the three of us went down there, and it was pure bedlam - like that scene out of The Blues Brothers where they’re playing on a stage behind the chicken wire,” he laughs.

“We went over really well and kind of became the house band, but the owner wanted to call us The Old Shillelagh Band, which I didn’t want to get tied with because I wasn’t sure how long we’d be performing there,” he continues. “The owner was getting borderline bellicose about it, but his daughter was nearby and pointed out how a Shillelagh is a club cut from a Blackthorn bush, so that’s how we got our name.”

When I point out to McMullen that the Blackthorn bush has a rather sinister reputation in Celtic tree lore, being variously associated with witchcraft as it is said that witches’ wands and staffs were made using Blackthorn wood, he laughs and notes he was unaware of this tidbit. “I know they were brandished in early skirmishes, so given the growing pains in our early days that’s entirely fitting.”

As for the collective goal and vision for the group, McMullen says that Blackthorn are kind of like giant fish at the ceiling of the limited smaller realm in the world of Celtic music. “Getting to play annually at The Ark down in Ann Arbor for 14-years now is. feather in the cap, because only the best get to perform there and you need to be invited to get a gig there, so that’s been good because a lot of my musical heroes coming from Ireland and Scotland appear there.  When we fill the 340 seats it takes to fill that place it feels like we’ve made it in tiny sense.  We’ve played the Muskegon Irish Festival for 20 years now and also been invited to the Milwaukee Irish Festival three times, which is one of the biggest Irish festivals in the United States. When you rise to a certain level of recognition where these people contact you and you don’t need to contact them, that is definitely an accomplishment.”

Over the decades McMullen says he’s also noticed a definite increased interest in Irish Music. “Once River Dance and Lord of the Dance exploded world-wide it’s gone through the roof,” he notes. “I get back to Ireland once a year and her these 10-year old kids playing and singing amazingly well. My brother’s grand-daughter is 14 now and a great fiddler, What’s funny is that she probably has a whole bunch of Taylor Swift CDs, but like myself early on at that age while I was developing a full-on interest in the local Irish music, I also wanted to go see Mick Jagger and The Stooges.”

“Honestly, we’re astonished that we’re till going strong and thrilled to still be performing,” conclude McMullen.  “We have a faithful following,  the audience Is always integral to the show, and are blessed with a multi-generational appeal, so we can’t wait to get back up to Bay City to celebrate the rich history of Irish Music.”

Blackthorn will perform Friday, March 14^th at The State Theatre, 913 Washington ve. In Bay City at 7:30 PM. Adult beverages are available and tickets. Tickets are $25.00 and can be purchased by clicking this link,  visiting the State Theatre facebook page, or at the door.