Sean Kelly

Description

I'm an Irish band-leader and singer/songwriter and I play guitar, bodhran and whistles. I'm looking for a solo position but would welcome forming groups with like-minded musicians. I can entertain and hold a crowd to the extent several of my weekly residencies in Auckland have lasted up to ten years. I understand crowds and perform accordingly. I can play the standard pub Irish songs and tunes but also crank out some great contemporary covers and originals when required. I have a very strong work ethic and understand the need to fit in with whatever the hosts demands are. My current set also c ... ontains music from the following artists The Pogue’s/Lorde/Lady Gaga/Rihanna/Kris Kristofferson/Van Morrison/U2/Metallica/Elvis Presley/Kodaline/The National/The Grateful Dead/Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova/Harry Styles/The Dubliners/Bob Dylan/Tim Buckley/Mazzy Star/The Waterboys/The Lemonheads/Britney, yes Britney Spears/David Brent aka Ricky Gervais/Lil Nas/John Prine/Inspiral Carpets/Damien Rice/Christy Moore/Jackson Browne/Jake Bugg/Neil Young/Cliff Richard/Elton John/Kenny Rogers/Simon & Garfunkel/George Ezra/Ed Sheeran/Bruce Forsyth, sorry Bruce Springsteen/Louis Armstrong/Dolly Parton/Old Crow Medicine Show/John Denver/Leonard Cohen/Johnny Cash& Nick Cave.
I also play most of the traditional Irish pub classics and instrumentals and know how to work a crowd like no other.
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Set-List

Traditional Irish/Scottish
Go Lassie Go
Whisky in the Jar
Black Velvet Band
Irish Rover
Maries Wedding
Raglan Road
Wild Rover
Leezie Lindsay
Caledonia*
I’ll Tell Me Ma
Star of the County Down
Loch Lomond/Red is the Rose
Fields of Athenry
Molly Malone/Cockles & Mussels
Danny Boy
Sean South
Black is the Colour
Homes of Donegal
Grace*
Maid of Culmore*
The Green Fields of France*
The Fields of Athenry in G
The Parting Glass
Christy Moore
Back Home in Derry
Ordinary Man
Lannigans Ball-Bodhran
Limerick Rake-Bodhran
Galtee Mountain Boy
Cliffs of Doneen
Crack was 90 ... in the Isle of Man
Nancy Spain
Patrick was a Gentleman
Raggle Taggle Gypsy
The Dalesmans Litany
Johnny Jump Up
Lisdoonvarna
Ride On
Before the deluge-Jackson Browne
Brendans Voyage
Irish ways and Irish laws
Unfinished Revolution *
Pogues
Dirty Old Town
Streams of Whisky
Rainy Night in Soho
Fairytale of New York
Waterboys
Fishermans Blues
Strange Boat
When Will We be Married
How long will I love you*
Van Morrison
Brown Eyed Girl
And it Stoned Me
Madam George*
The way young lovers do
U2
With or Without You
One
Simon and Garfunkel
The Boxer
Mrs Robinson
Me and Julio
Kathies song*
Instrumentals
Lark in the morning/Calliope House
Morrisons/The Kesh
Torbolton/Longford Collector/Sailors Bonnet
Hornpipe/The Beaux of Bluehill
Maid behind the bar
King of the Fairies
Contemporary (ish)
Peggy-O
Babylon-David Gray
Please forgive me-David Gray
Touble with a capital T/TPP-Horslips
Stay-Rihanna
I should live in salt-The National*
Broken-Jake Bugg*
Society-Eddie Vedder*
Black Boys on Mopeds-Sinead*
Wagon Wheel-Dylan*/Old Crow Medicine Show
Ants are marching-Dave Matthews band
Mustang Sally-The Commitments version
Cocky/Now I’m Easy-The Dubliners
Haleluhah*/Leonard Cohen
Royals-Lorde-Bodhran
Volcanoes-Damien Rice *
Hurricane-Bob Dylan*
Sia-Chandelier*
Breathless-Nick Cave*
Falling Slowly-Glen Handsard *
Give my love to Rose-Johnny Cash*
From Clare to here-ralph McTell*
Come as you are-Nirvana
Locomotive Breath-Jethro Tull
Whole lotta love-Lez Zeppelin
Original Sean Kelly
Mulroy Bay
What is my crime
Weary*
Break The Cycle*
Take Me Home*
Rainbow Warrior
Janie*
Lights Shining on the Water-Bodhran
Digging*
The Whale/An moil mor-Bodhran
By the way/Lets get it on*
The Black Shamrock*
The surface of the moon*
Hands Up Don’t Shoot-Bodhran
New World Order*
Hello*/the saddest man in the world
Irish pride-Bohran
Teacups and ponytails*
Run*
There but for the grace of God
Time of my life
Irish Love
Mulroy Bay
Tommy Gun
I’m a long way from home
Irelands Call-Phil Coulter
The Parting Glass
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Biography

Sean hails from ‘Lovely Derry on the banks of the Foyle’ but also has a very strong affiliation with Donegal, his spiritual home.
Sean’s’ interest in music started at a very young age listening to his mums’ record collection that featured Elvis Presley, Johnny cash and many of the well-known Irish showband style singers.
Sean’s first band was a rock outfit called Partisan that he joined when in London in 1986. Partisan enjoyed great live success playing at some of London’s best small music venues including The Mean Fiddler, Covent Garden’s Rock Garden and The Powerhouse.
Wh ... en Sean came to New Zealand in 1990 he formed the original band Rat Race Choir which also enjoyed great live success playing in some of Auckland’s best live music venues, The Gluepot, Java Jive and the PowerStation.
When Auckland’s first Irish Bar, Kitty O’Brien’s opened up in 1992 his fate was sealed. Sean found his groove in the music of Christy Moore, The Pogues, Van Morrison and continues to this day in that genre.
Seans’ band The Celtic Flyers is NZs top Irish show-band and have been the mainstay of Auckland’s annual St Patricks Festival for nearly twenty years
Sean is first and foremost a singer but also plays bodhran, whistle, low whistle and several years ago finally took up the guitar to write his own material is now delighted to have his own songs requested at gigs. Sean has sung Irelands Call twice before Ireland Vs All Blacks’ games at Eden Park. His move to Thames in 2014 has allowed him to ‘give up his day job’ and he is now a full-time musician and that has allowed him to progress his musical chops as never before. Sean Kelly now wants to travel the world playing music and is prepared to make sacrifices to be able to do so and promote his music on teh bigger world stage. Sean has joined Florence Welsh of Florence and the machine and The Cheiftains on stage in Auckland NZ and is NZs go to person for events including festivals and ceilis. Sean is best heard live where he can read an audience and interact accordingly. Sean always delivers.
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Experience

My first musical experiences were as a teenager in London playing original rock music. I moved to Auckland NZ in the 90's and have been playing Irish music there ever since, I'm now a full-time musician, living comfortably in The Coromandel area and still getting a buzz from playing music, sometimes up to five times per week.

Previous Clients

Father Teds Bar, Auckland, NZ owner Colin Fitzsimmons fatherteds@hotmail.com
The Clare Inn, Auckland, NZ owner Suzanne Conway manager@theclareinn.com
Malt Public House, Auckland, NZ manager Shane MacDonagh manager@maltpublichouse.co.nz
Grand Central Bar, Auckland, NZ owner dan@grandcentral.net.nz
St Patricks Festival, Auckland, NZ organiser Pam Glaser pglaser@crackerjackpromotions.co.nz

Suitable for

Anniversary Party Awards Ceremony Bachelor / Stag Party Birthday Party (Adult) Casinos Charity / Fundraising Event Christening Christmas Party Cocktail Party / Drinks Reception Community Event Concerts / Tours Conference / Meeting Corporate Event Cruise Ships Dinner Party Engagement Party Festival / Outdoor Event Funeral/Memorial Service Grand Opening Party Halloween Party High School Reunion HM Forces/Army/Navy/Military Event Holiday / Theme Parks Hotel Event New Year's Eve Party Nursing / Care Home Event Private Party Product Launch / Promotion Restaurant / Bar / Pub Event Retirement Party School Event Session Work Social Club Theaters / Stage Trade Show / Exhibitions University / College Event Virtual Event Wedding Ceremony Wedding Cocktail/Drinks Reception Wedding Reception