Perennial favorite Irish band Gobs O'Phun are once again booked for a St. Patrick's Day gig at Swallow Hill Music Association, 71 E. Yale in Denver.
The Gobs perform traditional Celtic folksongs. Their songs tell stories that run the gamut from silly to sad and everything in between. The emotion of the songs have a universal theme, appealing to diverse demographics and multicultural backgrounds. Their name is a play on words. It means what you might expect when you first hear it, but the word “gob” is slang in Ireland for your mouth, and since they are more of a vocal group than instrumentalists, it seemed even more appropriate. And when you hear the spontaneous, lively banter between the Gobs and their audience, you know you're in for gobs of fun.
Gobs O'Phun is a family band; members include brothers Denis and Tim Sullivan, along with their brother-in-law Martin Lambuth. They accompany themselves with guitar, bodhran, sticks, banjo and the awe-inspiring instrument not found in any other band -- Bagmonica-- which you just have to see to believe.
Gobs O'Phun has produced eight CDs: "Liverdance, A Collection of Celtic Drinking Songs"; "These Gobs are Revolting", historical rebel tunes; most requested pub favorites can be found on "Major Phuns Loyal Hearts Pub Band"; a collection of half Scottish and half Irish called "Highland Derry Airs"; songs of folknfun on "Barstools and Bad Habits"; a collection of all original material called "Out of Our Minds"; "Phun-duh-mentals" (with the emphasis on duh, or was that mentals); and their live concert at Swallow Hill featuring the music from the John Wayne movie, "The Quiet Man", titled "The Not So Quiet Men". The titles alone give you an idea of what to expect! And many of the cds feature some fantastic guest musicians, including local favorites Rich Moore and Chris Daniels.
This band can be found in pubs all over the region, and may even be singing in some of them. Their summers are filled with plenty of festival appearances in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Montana. Past festivals have included two of the largest in the country -- the Cherry Creek Arts Festival in Denver and the Longs Peak Scottish/Irish Festival in Estes Park. Career highlights include a special concert for FDNY firefighters five months after 9/11, a multicultural event at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Utah and a private event for the 2008 Democratic Convention here in Denver. In 2009, Gobs O'Phun placed in the top five on the Denver Channel 7 A*List for Best Local Band, not so much for their musical prowess as their ability to put smiles on the faces of their dedicated fans.
March 2012 will mark their 18th year performing as Gobs O’'Phun.
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