Rathkeltair - About



Rathkeltair blends compelling and catchy original songs with tight, driving straight-ahead rock-n-roll, while never forgetting its Celtic roots. Based in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, Rathkeltair has been on the road full-time since 2003. Highly regarded for its extraordinary energy, showmanship and professionalism, Rathkeltair enjoys a loyal and rapidly expanding community of friends and fans. Rathkeltair features three veteran road-warriors from England, Northern Ireland and America. Noted singer-songwriter/guitarist Trevor Tanner, former front man for The Bolshoi, a mainstay of the UK club scene at the height of the MTV era and the subject of a rabid international underground cult following, writes most of the band's original material. Drummer Nick Watson (formerly of the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band) and bagpiper/multi-instrumentalist Neil Anderson are two of the original members of Clan Na Gael (7 Nations), the NYC-based band that kicked off the "kilt rock" phenomenon in the US in the mid-90's and inspired many of the groups working in that genre today. Rathkeltair's name-sake is a famous historical site in County Down, Northern Ireland, also known as the "mound of Down." Besides being close to the village where Nick was born and raised, the band chose the name as a tip of the hat to its Celtic heritage. "8," Rathkeltair's latest recording (February, 2013), delivers the extraordinary range, energy and dynamics fans have come to expect from one of the most talked about bands on the North American festival circuit. Rathkeltair fans made their voices heard during Bonnaroo Festival's Annual Road to Roo competition (April, 2011) propelling Rathkeltair to a very respectable 13th place finish out of over 1,000 entries. Rathkeltair was also voted "Best Celtic Rock Band" in the Celtic MP3 Music Magazine Annual Audience Poll. Rathkeltair is regularly featured at many of the biggest and best-known Celtic Festivals in North America including the Dublin Irish Festival (Dublin, OH), New Hampshire Highland Games (Loon Mountain, NH), Long's Peak Scottish-Irish Highland Festival (Estes Park, CO), Grandfather Mountain Highland Games (Linville, NC), and the Glengarry Highland Games, Ontario, Canada. As thousands of festival-goers will tell you, Rathkeltair always delivers and never disappoints. *Rathkeltair is coming soon to a festival near you- accept no substitutes!*

"What band could make people drive over 500 miles to see them live? There are only a handful...and Rathkeltair is one of them....Rathkeltair will win you over by their sheer talent and showmanship. Bottom line: If you are looking for top-notch musicianship at your venue or festival, I highly recommend hiring this band before it is too late...they are that good!" -Bernie Punt, Director of Sales & Marketing at Bryce Jordan Center, Penn State University

"Somehow this band makes it seem like whatever is going on musically is the most natural thing on earth even though this is something many long-time bands in the genre never manage to achieve. Truly ground-breaking-- Rathkeltair is really something to hear." Celtic MP3s Music Magazine

"...talented and creative...able to jump between genres without sounding artificial...high-energy performers who bring a fresh touch to this often-explored territory." Dirty Linen

"If you see only one Celtic rock band this season, make it Rathkeltair." Aurora Borealis

"It may be dangerous for me to say, since I have so many great bands on my e-mail list, but I will unapologetically state that this is one of the very best acts ever to grace our stage." Pat Byrne, Byrne's Pub, Columbus, Ohio

"I passed by as they were playing on stage only heard a few seconds of a song and was hooked. Bought a cd before I left and am buyin more asap. Never been into this kinda music before but RATHKELTAIR is different- in a good way." Dan L., entry on our Facebook page after Celtic Fling, 2010

"Combining the fluid, quietly humorous song writing of Trevor Tanner and the mind blowing bagpipe playing of Neil Anderson, Rathkeltair is one of the best Celtic rock bands touring the festivals today." Christopher Hivner, Amazon Reviews