Michael McGoldrick

This article is about the musician. For the Irish Gaelic footballer, see Michael McGoldrick (Gaelic footballer).

Michael McGoldrick
Michael McGoldrick, 2013
Background information
Birth name	Michael McGoldrick
Born	(1971-11-26) 26 November 1971 Manchester, England
Genres	Irish traditional, Celtic, folk
Occupation(s)	multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer
Instruments	Flute, tin whistle, low whistle, uillean pipes, tenor guitar, bodhrán, Vocals
Years active	1980s – present
Labels	Vertical
Associated acts	Flook, Lúnasa, Kate Rusby, Mark Knopfler, John McSherry, Transatlantic Sessions

Michael McGoldrick (born 26 November 1971, Manchester, England) is an Irish flute and tin whistle player. He also plays the Uilleann pipes and low whistle.

Bands

McGoldrick has been a member of several influential bands. In 1994 he was awarded the BBC Young Tradition Award, and in 2001 he was given the Instrumentalist of the Year award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

McGoldrick was a founder-member of the Celtic rock band Toss the Feathers while still at school. He also competed at that time in the Fleadhanna with Dezi Donnelly (fiddle) and John-Jo Kelly (bodhrán), whom he had met at local Comhaltas meetings. He made appearances at various local and national festivals and ran whistle/flute workshops at the Cambridge Folk Festival and for Folkworks on their "Flutopia" concert tour.

McGoldrick formed the band Fluke! (later renamed as Flook) with Brian Finnegan and Sarah Allen in November 1995. After one tour, he left to pursue other projects.

He was an early member of Lúnasa from 1997 until roughly 2000 and played on their first two albums. He also joined Capercaillie in 1997, playing on two albums.

In 1999 he joined Eden's Bridge and recorded three albums with them, "All in a Life," "Isle of Tides," and "Live - In a Little Room." He also recorded two albums with members of the band, "The View From the North" under the band name of Northern Lights, and "Celtic Melt."

McGoldrick has played regularly for Afro-Celt Sound System and Kate Rusby's band. As of 2011 he leads the Michael McGoldrick Band.

He has recorded four solo albums: Morning Rory showcases his traditional skills. Fused explores several other musical genres including trance, while Wired, released in October 2005, takes the experimental approach of Fused even further. His latest album Aurora, released in 2010, is less experimental but still adventurous. He also recorded an album, At First Light, with John McSherry (also ex-Lúnasa) going back to his traditional roots.

In 2010 Michael replaced John McCusker, joining Tim O'Brien on Mark Knopfler's US leg of the Get Lucky Tour. This being a success, he was invited (and accepted) to stay on for the remainder of the World Tour in Europe when John McCusker had returned. He went on to play on the next Mark Knopfler album, Privateering and played with the band for the subsequent World Tour.

Album discography

Solo/duo/trio

• Morning Rory – Aughgrim Records AUGH01 (1996)
• Fused – Vertical Records VERTCD051 (2000)
• At First Light (with John McSherry) – Vertical Records VERTCD061 (2001)
• Wired – Vertical Records VERTCD074 (2005)
• Aurora – Vertical Records VERTCD090 (2010)
• Live (with John McCusker & John Doyle, 2009 tour) – Vertical Records (2012)

As band member of

Flook

• Flook! Live! (Flook) – Small CD 9405 (1996)

Toss the Feathers

• Live at the 32 Club (Toss the Feathers) – ? (1988)
• Rude Awakening (Toss the Feathers) – Magnetic Music MMMRCD301 (1993)
• Columbus Eclipse (Toss the Feathers) – Magnetic Music MMMRCD401 (1989 & 1993)
• Awakening (Toss the Feathers) – ? (1991)
• TTF'94 Live (Toss the Feathers) – ? (1994)
• The Next Round (Toss the Feathers) – Magnetic Music MMMRCD1004 (1995)

Arcady

• Many Happy Returns (Arcady) – Dara Records DARACD080 (1995)

Eden's Bridge

• All in a Life EMI (2000)
• Isle of Tides (2002)
• Live - In a Little Room (2004)
• Richard Lacy, Michael McGoldrick etc - *Celtic Melt" (2008)
• Northern Lights - The View from the North (2012)

Capercaillie

• Beautiful Wasteland (1997)
• Nàdurra (2000)
• Live in Concert (2002)
• Choice Language (2003)
• Roses and Tears (2008)
• At the Heart of It All (2013)

Lúnasa

• Lúnasa (1998)
• Otherworld (1999)

Kate Rusby

• Hourglass (Kate Rusby) – Pure Records PRCD02 (1997)
• Sleepless (Kate Rusby) – Pure Records PRCD06 (1999)
• Little Lights (Kate Rusby) – Pure Records PRCD07 (2001)

Sharon Shannon, Frankie Gavin / Dezi Donnelly, Jim Murray

• Tunes (Sharon Shannon, Frankie Gavin, Jim Murray) – Compass (2005)
• Upside Down (Sharon Shannon, Dezi Donnelly, Jim Murray) – Daisy Label (2006)
• Renegade (Sharon Shannon, Dezi Donnelly, Jim Murray – Daisy Label (2007)

As guest artist

• 1 Douar (Alan Stivell) (1998)
• Volume 1: The Source (Big Sky) (1999)
• Volume 2: Release (Afro Celt Sound System) (1999)
• identités (Idir)
• Seal Maiden (Karan Casey)
• Yella Hoose (John McCusker) (2000)
• Shots (Damien Dempsey)
• The Arms Dealer's Daughter (Shooglenifty) (2004)
• ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM (Aquarium) (2005)
• Wayward Son (John Doyle (2005)
• Downriver (Karen Matheson) (2005)
• My Secret Is My Silence (Roddy Woomble) (2006)
• The Essential Collection 1995–2005 (Ten (2006)
• Peacetime (Eddi Reader) (2007)
• Cuilidh (Julie Fowlis) (2007)
• Before the Ruin (Kris Drever, John McCusker & Roddy Woomble) (2008)
• Imeall (Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh) (2009)
• Get Lucky (Mark Knopfler) (2009)
• On The Move (Colin Farrell) (2010)
• Summer Hill (Damien O'Kane) (2010)
• Last Star (Heidi Talbot) (2010)
• Exiles Return (John Doyle and Karan Casey) (2010)
• Privateering (Mark Knopfler) (2012)
• Angels Without Wings (Heidi Talbot) (2013)
• Gach Sgeul (Julie Fowlis) (2014)
• Make A Note (Colin Farrell) (2015)
• Tracker (Mark Knopfler) (2015)
• JEKYLL + HYDE (Zac Brown Band) (2015)

External links

• Michael McGoldrick
• Review of Fused
• Review of At First Light
• Review of Aurora by Folk Radio UK