Fiddler's Green

Fiddler's Green were formed in 1990 in Erlanger and were major players in Germany’s folk-rock renaissance of the early and mid-’90s. They perform a balance of traditional Irish songs and original compositions in a style sometimes reminiscent of the Pogues and Oysterband, but they also add twists of ska and nods to Johnny Cash and Tom Waits. They helped spawn many comparable German bands like Tapsi Turtles, Paddy Whack, and In Search of a Rose. Their first three albums, Fiddler's Green, (1992) Black Sheep (1993), and King Shepherd (1995), were fairly consistent Celtic rock collections featuring exceptional playing by fiddler Tobias Rempe and accordionist Stefan Klug, coupled with Peter Pathos’ nifty original songs and intricate vocal harmonies. On and On (1997) was their first major-label release and also marked the beginning signs of a more rock-oriented sound for Fiddler's Green. Jim Crichton (Saga) was employed to produce Spin Around(1998), which cemented their sound transformation despite the inclusion of three traditional songs. With the release of 2000′s successful Another Sky, the band’s line-up continued to evolve with the hiring of fiddler Tobias Heindl and drummer Frank Jooss. In 2005, Fiddler's Green released their first DVD Celebrate! which commemorated their 1000th gig, followed by a second DVD Jubilate! in honor of their 15th anniversary as a band. New singer and guitarist Pat Prziwara joined the group in 2006 to record the album Drive Me Mad!, which was followed by 2007′s Sports Day at Killaloe. Throughout the next several years, the band continued to tour and returned in 2013 with Winners & Boozers, which reached number seven on the German charts. ~ Dave Sleger