2019-02-27 - CELTIC FOLK PUNK AND MORE, TEN YEARS AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE CELTIC PUNK / ROCK SCENE

“Days turn into months turn into years,

People come and go but you’re still here”

10 years. I couldn’t imagine back in 2009 that this day will come. 4.095 followers on Facebook. 2.307 followers on Twitter. 412 followers on Youtube. 527 Reviews. 84 samplers. 90 bootlegs and around 1.000 videos posted.

When the best of 2008 was discussed on the Shite’n’Onions forum, it was mentioned that more info about Celtic punk bands from Europe was needed. Then, I started to post some samplers there. I looked for free mp3 files on the Internet (MySpace and other sites, apart from the bands’ websites) and put them together for free download.

I had no plan, but I felt that more coverage was needed and therefore I started the webzine Celtic Folk Punk and More. Six samplers were posted on March 21, 2009: Vol. I The Netherlands, Vol. II Switzerland, Vol. III France, Vol. IV Italy, Vol V Belgium and Vol. VI Austria. Little by little, more sections were added: free downloads, boots, news, videos, featured band (Band of the Month) and the reviews.

I didn’t intend to write reviews. I only wanted to post legal music. The e-zine should be “music”, not “about music”.  But the lads from Pipes and Pints sent their debut album to me and asked me please to post a review. So I talked with my friend Chris who was writing reviews for Shite’n’Onions and an agreement was made. I’d send the CDs to him and he would write a review that would be posted on both Shite’n’Onions and Celtic Folk Punk and More. The first review, Pipes and Pints “Until We Die” was posted January 18, 2010. Chris did a great job and wrote 25 reviews before leaving. As I had plenty of CDs to review, I decided to give it a try. Then I wrote my first review and it was posted July 2, 2010: Les Ramoneurs des Menhirs “Amzer an dispac’h”. My last review, 500^th, was posted last October 28, 2018: In Search of a Rose "Horses for Courses". Almost every band in the scene has been reviewed at Celtic Folk Punk and More, even the heavyweights of the scene. Flogging Molly, The Tossers, The Real McKenzies, The Mahones, The Rumjacks ... I wish I had reviewed the albums by three well-known bands, but even if I contacted them, they never answered or they told me to talk to someone who failed to send the albums :-(

The samplers were left behind when the scene went stronger and global. And some people suggested that I should make a podcast or work on a 24/7 streaming radio. I bet on the second option and Celtic Folk Punk radio was launched on Radionomy (March 8, 2013).

When Celtic Folk Punk and More was established in 2009, there were basically 3 e-zines/podcasts/streaming radios: 2 in the USA, Shite’n’Onions and Paddy Rock Radio and 1 in Europe, Celtic Rock (in German). Celtic Folk Punk and More was the first e-zine to feature bands from countries such as Indonesia, Hungary, the Czech Republic  …  Little by little, other projects were launched by fans from other countries: Irish Punk Brasil (January 1, 2010- July 5, 2016), Paddy O’Punk Podcast (2011-2013, we miss you Drazzle! ), Rocking the Craic (June 23, 2011-May 31, 2013), Celtico (March 2013), London Celtic Punks (July 2013) … And even a 24/7 streaming radio from Germany has turned into a successful business.

Yes, the scene has changed. But one thing is for sure: Celtic Folk Punk and More has been at the forefront of this scene and has become a cult e-zine. Its legacy is huge. The ones that were there before CFPAM did a fantastic work. But CFPAM changed the rules: most of the e-zines were based on a “push” strategy, but CFPAM bet on a “pull” strategy. The bands send their stuff to the e-zines (“push”) and CFPAM looked for new bands and posted their stuff (“pull”).

CFPAM reached its peak in 2016-2017. Paddy Rock Radio and CFPAM began to cooperate and CFPAM also supported new podcasts such as Paddys Home and Pub Podcast and The Celtic Punkcast. Then I realized that things were changing and I went back to basics in 2018. For the first time in 10 years I had goals: posting my 500^th review and focusing on new bands. I should have posted a couple of reviews (drafts are somewhere on the PC), but after checking out and got the confirmation that my 500th review has been posted, I gave up writing reviews. (Two records by some bands were reviewed on some posts). Then I kept on posting about new bands that other sites have not talked about. Somebody told me that the e-zine was less interesting during the second half of 2018. Quite the contrary! It’s too easy to help popular bands. But, who cares about new bands? These are the ones that need help.

I will keep on adding videos to the Celtic FolkPunk YouTube channel and playing the music that I got on Celtic Folk Punk radio. But I won’t write reviews. As I said, this is music, not about music.

Anything to celebrate the 10^th anniversary? Hell yeah. I’ll be posting a full concert video everyday till March 21^st. The first one? The Pogues live in Munich (1985). Enjoy!