Celtic rock band Gaelic Storm returns to Iowa City

The old axiom "write what you know" may as well be emblazoned on a Gaelic Storm tour shirt. Some of the Celtic rockers finest songs were inspired by real life events.

One of the group's most colorful, offbeat and amusing tunes, "The Night I Punched Russell Crowe," was inspired by an encounter with the legendary actor.

Vocalist-accordion player Patrick Murphy actually clocked Crowe on the nose. "That song comes from a real story," drummer-multi-instrumentalist Ryan Lacey said while calling from his Chicago home. "Murphy used to own this bar in Santa Monica. A lot of stars would come in and drink. Crowe came in. He had a few drinks and then he started smoking a cigarette. Murphy told him to put it out. Anyway, Murphy kicked Crowe out. Crowe's bodyguards roughed up Murphy. But Crowe stopped it and said, 'This doesn't seem fair.' He let Murphy punch him in his face. He punched Crowe as hard as he could and just a little blood trickled out of Crowe's nose. Crowe hardly moved his head."

Crowe can take a punch and so can Gaelic Storm. The group, which formed in Santa Monica in 1996, has dealt with the ups and downs of an unpredictable business. The band has had 13 members leave the band. Original vocalist-guitarist Steve Twigger recently announced that he's no longer part of the touring band. Gaelic Storm was devastated by the arrival of the pandemic in March 2020.

"That was horrific," Lacey said. "Taking that time of the year away from an Irish band is like taking Christmas away. That was absolutely horrible, but you deal with it like you deal with lineup changes. You have to find a way to keep it going."

Gaelic Storm, which will perform Wednesday at the Englert Theatre, continues to grind it out delivering its blend of Celtic and Scottish music, which ranges from the traditional to the contemporary. Gaelic Storm's tunes run the gamut from visceral barnburners to tender ballads.

"We have a balance, which works out well," Lacey said. "The fans enjoy it. We have something that appeals to people."

That was evident from the start. Months after forming, Gaelic Storm was tabbed as the revelers performing in steerage during a pivotal scene in "Titanic," which is one of Hollywood's biggest all-time blockbusters.

"That's a pretty good beginning for a band," Lacey said. "You take the opportunities you get and run with it."

Gaelic Storm, which also includes multi-instrumentalist Pete Purvis and fiddler Natalya Kay, has added guitarist Parker Hastings to the group. "Parker is a great kid," Lacey said. "He's perfect for the band. Things are looking good for our band"

The group is still basking in the glow of opening for the Zac Brown Band for a New Year's Eve gig in Atlanta. "The Zac Brown Band treated us like family when we finally partnered up in Atlanta," Lacey said. "I'm a huge basketball fan, and I was blown away looking up at the jerseys in Atlanta hanging in the rafters."

Gaelic Storm, which joined ZBB for a spin of the country band's massive hit "Chicken Fried" and for a version of U2's "With or Without You," will be the support act for arena dates in April and May.

"It's going to be amazing," Lacey said. "Again, we're taking the opportunity we're receiving and running with it."

The band is looking forward to playing headline dates before opening for the Zac Brown Band. "We're excited about coming back to Iowa City," Lacey said. "We always have great shows there and great experiences."

Lacey chuckled when asked about his favorite Iowa City memories.

"I remember back in the day we had a tour manager who loved making money on bets," Lacey recalled. "I remember it was minus 2 degrees after a show in Iowa City, and he said we would run around the city in shorts while we pushed him in a shopping cart. He made $300. We were younger and stupider back then."

The focus will solely be on music when Gaelic Storm returns to the Englert. "We've been recording for five years and have some new music that we will release soon," Lacey said. "We'll play a new one, "Northampton Pickup" along with the familiar songs."