Waxies Dargle

Waxies Dargle are one of the many traditional Celtic folk bands to come up through London's Irish pub circuit. The band, founded by Dubliner Gerry Heaney, derived its name from a popular Irish drinking song about a fair called "the Waxies Dargle" which was held by tailors from the coastal town of Bray early in the 20th century. Soon after the band's emergence on the London scene, they attracted a strong following with their lively blend of familiar Irish standards, original compositions, contemporary folk covers, and traditional North American folk tunes. The troupe, which describes itself as "two parts Dubliner and one part old Dublin City Ramblers," landed a deal with Brambus Records in 1993 and released their first album, World Tour of Ireland. With the support of the Switzerland based indie label, Waxies Dargle continued to cultivate a broader audience by touring throughout Europe. Their second Brambus record, Paddy Ryan's Dream, hit the market in 1995. Throughout their history the lineup behind Heaney has been a revolving door. On the 1997 release After the Gael the band was a four player ensemble consisting of Heaney (vocals, guitar and bodhran), Mike Franks (fiddle, banjo, harmonica, and vocals), Susannah Healy (backing vocals, fiddle) and Roland Humphries (bass, backing vocals). By 1999 the door had revolved again, with singer/fiddler Bernie O'Sullivan returning to the band as a replacement for Franks and Healy. Heaney has moved to London, where the band continues to draw pub audiences when they are not touring on the continent.