O'Brien Brothers Reunite
to Play in B.C. This Summer
The O'Brien brothers, Paul and Aidan, were born into an Irish family living in Manchester, England. From a very early age both brothers embraced Irish music, song and instrument.
Paul's first musical experience began at age eight, when he learned to play the bugle in the local Scout marching band. At 13 he took an interest in the guitar and after listening to some of the legendary Irish bands, he developed his own unique style.
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AIDAN O'BRIEN
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Aidan studied the trumpet and attended the Birmingham School Wind Orchestra. He taught himself the guitar and took lessons on the five-string banjo at school. Before long, he was drafted into his first band Ivermore, where he played alongside his brother Paul.
The band enjoyed great success, including supporting such acts as Christy Moore, Moving Hearts, The Furey Brothers and Stockton's Wing at venues all over the Midlands.
The life of the band was cut short when the family moved back to Ireland. Aidan wasted no time forming his own band at his new school and his focus shifted to the electric guitar.
Soon, he was playing with some big names on the Irish music scene, including Rob Strong. He toured the length and breadth of Ireland with Brush Shields and later with Christy Dignam and the Irish band Aslan.
Paul O'Brien had stayed behind in England, where he was later joined by Aidan again and the two brothers teamed up, playing numerous functions in Birmingham and London. They often played gigs back to back...such was the demand for their talent.
It was at this time that Aidan found himself thinking more and more about the intoxicating sound of the uillean pipes that he had heard when he was growing up in Dublin, and he decided to learn to play this notoriously difficult instrument himself.
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PAUL O'BRIEN |
He acquired a set of pipes and began to teach himself to play with nothing more than a tutor book. He threw himself into learning and often spent as much as 16 hours a day practicing. Aidan soon realized that the uillean pipes were definitely for him and he progressed to a full set of pipes.
For the last seven years, along with getting married and having two children, Aidan has devoted a lot of time to visiting primary schools in the city of Birmingham, encouraging children's interest in music and teaching the tin whistle. He is also working on his own solo album and is in the process of setting up a monthly Piper's Club in Birmingham, where he hopes to share his piping experiences and skill with a new generation of enthusiastic beginners.
Paul went on to play folk music for a living, touring from France, Germany, Scandinavia, Middle East, USA, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. He has always been a songwriter and has recorded two solo albums of his own material and plans a third this year. He has recorded 12 children's albums and has sold in excess of 90,000 copies and has been part of eight other album projects.
Since moving to Victoria, British Columbia in 2004, Paul recorded an album of original songs with Juno nominee, Joby Baker in 2006. The album has been featured extensively on CBC radio.
Paul regularly plays with well-known fiddle players, Dan Lapp and Calvin Cairns. His new project includes a trio called Triska, which is a Celtic and Ukranian mixture. The band will be touring all next year.
The two brothers, Paul and Aidan will again be united this summer in Victoria, where they will play at the Victoria Irish Times Pub from July 2-7. Following that, from July 8 to 13, they will both be teaching at the Summer School of the Pacific Institute of Piping and Performing Arts, that takes place every summer in Parksville on Vancouver Island.
For more information, visit: www.paulobrien.ca. To book Paul and Aidan O'Brien, or Triska, call Blue Cottage Artists at (250) 217-1458.
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