What's the name of the band?

Ballyscully.

They do what?

Turn up to gigs wearing kilts and play hard out Irish style music for hours.

How many in the band?

Four. Bernard Wells, Ruairidh Morrison, Andy Linton and Paddy Burgin.

They play what?

Mandolins, concertina, bass guitar, plugged in acoustic guitars, wooden flute, shakers, whistles, harmonica, fiddle and they all sing.

What do they sing?

Anything from Tell me Ma, yer Dirty Old Town and Whiskey in the Jar to songs about fishing, whaling, geese, soldiers trying to have their way with housemaids and the obligatory highwaymen ballads. They also sing slow and slushy numbers like Raglan Road. Their songs are interspersed with interesting traditional Irish jigs,reels and hornpipes belted out on their many instruments.

Can they really play this stuff?

Their backgrounds are so varied it's a wonder they got together at all. Bernard Wells hails from the backblocks of the South Island and plays bass guitar and sings. When he's not playing in Ballyscully or his four other bands, he's teaching guitar, banjo and recorder to dozens of pupils. Andy Linton plays bouzouki (octave mandolin) and guitar and sings. An Irish born lad who's spent a lifetime tooling around with folksongs and shipyards. Returns to Ireland every so often for an accent refresher course. Ruairidh Morrison was born off the west coast of Scotland on a wee island called Islay. Legend has it he was holding a wee concertina in his tiny hands shortly afterwards. He has since added fiddle, wooden flute, harmonica and way too many whistles to his arsenal. Paddy Burgin also came in from the cold of the South Island backblocks to join Ballyscully. He sings and plays bouzouki, mandolin, guitar and slide guitar.

What do they drink?

Guinness.

Do they have fun?

Yes

Where do they play?

Every St Patrick's Day for years Ballyscully has kicked off proceedings at Wellington's downtown Irish pub, Molly Malone's by playing in their marquee in Taranaki Street. They also play Kitty O'Shea's and other bars around Wellington. The band performed live on the internet from a Lord of the Rings Premiere party a few years back, and have livened up dozens of weddings, birthdays and corporate functions. As a three piece, Ballyscully has had a residency at Molly Malone's for ten years, playing every Tuesday night.

So what's the big deal?

No big deal. Just letting you know that they're a bunch of cool and happy guys who enjoy playing music together and sharing it with other people. They have their own sound system and charge reasonable rates. If you want to know more you can contact the guys through this website.

Phone: 04 389 0870 / 021 477 103

Fax: 04 389 0871

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