Michael McGoldrick

This article is about the musician. For other uses, see Michael McGoldrick (disambiguation).

Michael McGoldrick
Michael McGoldrick live in at the Festival Interceltique de Lorient in 2012.
Background information
Birth name	Michael McGoldrick
Born	(1971-11-26) 26 November 1971 Manchester, England
Genres	Celtic, folk
Occupation(s)	multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer
Instruments	Irish flute, tin whistle, low whistle, uilleann pipes, tenor guitar, bodhrán, Vocals,cittern,Acoustic guitar
Years active	1980s – present
Labels	Vertical
Associated acts	Flook, Lúnasa, Kate Rusby, Mark Knopfler, John McSherry, Transatlantic Sessions, Usher's Island, John McCusker, John Doyle, Dezi Donnelly, Kyle Carey

Michael McGoldrick (born 26 November 1971, Manchester, England) is a folk musician who plays Irish flute, uilleann pipes, low whistle and bodhran. He also plays other instruments such as acoustic guitar cittern and mandolin on some of his tracks.

Bands

McGoldrick has been a member of several influential bands. In 1994 he was awarded the BBC Young Tradition Award, and in 2001 he was given the Instrumentalist of the Year award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

McGoldrick was a founder-member of the Celtic rock band Toss the Feathers while still at school. He also competed at that time in the Fleadhanna with Dezi Donnelly (fiddle) and John Joe Kelly (bodhrán), whom he had met at local Comhaltas meetings. He made appearances at various local and national festivals and ran whistle/flute workshops at the Cambridge Folk Festival and for Folkworks on their "Flutopia" concert tour.

McGoldrick formed the band Fluke! (later renamed as Flook) with Brian Finnegan and Sarah Allen in November 1995. After one tour, he left to pursue other projects.

He was an early member of Lúnasa from 1997 until roughly 2000 and played on their first albums. He also joined Capercaillie in 1997, playing on six albums (one live) up to date.

McGoldrick has played regularly for Afro-Celt Sound System and Kate Rusby's band. As of 2011 he leads the Michael McGoldrick Band.

He has recorded Five solo albums: Morning Rory showcases his traditional skills. Fused explores several other musical genres including jazz, while Wired, released in October 2005, takes the experimental approach of Fused even further. Aurora, released in 2010, And his latest release Arc 2018 He also recorded an album, At First Light, with John McSherry (also ex-Lúnasa) going back to his traditional roots.

Between 2007 and 2013 McGoldrick played with the house band for the Transatlantic Sessions (Sessions 3-6) including performing some of his own compositions/arrangements.

In 2010 Michael replaced John McCusker, joining Tim O'Brien on Mark Knopfler's US leg of the Get Lucky Tour. This being a success, he was invited (and accepted) to stay on for the remainder of the World Tour in Europe when John McCusker had returned. He went on to play on the next Mark Knopfler album, Privateering and played with the band for the subsequent World Tour. McGoldrick also recorded for the 'Ceol Tacsi' project with many other British and Irish artists.

Album discography

Solo/duo/trio

• Morning Rory – Aughgrim Records AUGH01 (1996)
• Fused – Vertical Records VERTCD051 (2000)
• At First Light (with John McSherry) – Vertical Records VERTCD061 (2001)
• Wired – Vertical Records VERTCD074 (2005)
• Aurora – Vertical Records VERTCD090 (2010)
• Live (with John McCusker & John Doyle, 2009 tour) – Vertical Records (2012)
• The Wishing Tree (with John McCusker & John Doyle, studio album) – Under One Sky Records UOSR004 (2018)
• Arc - Vertical Records VERTCD111 (2018)

As band member of

Flook

• Flook! Live! (Flook) – Small CD 9405 (1996)

Arcady

• Many Happy Returns (Arcady) – Dara Records DARACD080 (1995)

Capercaillie

• Beautiful Wasteland (1997)
• Nàdurra (2000)
• Live in Concert (2002)
• Choice Language (2003)
• Roses and Tears (2008)
• At the Heart of It All (2013)

Lúnasa

• Lúnasa (1998)
• Otherworld (1999)

Kate Rusby

• Hourglass (Kate Rusby) – Pure Records PRCD02 (1997)
• Sleepless (Kate Rusby) – Pure Records PRCD06 (1999)
• Little Lights (Kate Rusby) – Pure Records PRCD07 (2001)

Sharon Shannon, Frankie Gavin / Dezi Donnelly, Jim Murray

• Tunes (Sharon Shannon, Frankie Gavin, Jim Murray) – Compass (2005)
• Upside Down (Sharon Shannon, Dezi Donnelly, Jim Murray) – Daisy Label (2006)
• Renegade (Sharon Shannon, Dezi Donnelly, Jim Murray – Daisy Label (2007)

Future Trad Collective (2011)

•Future Trad Collective

As guest artist

• 1 Douar (Alan Stivell) (1998)
• Volume 1: The Source (Big Sky) (1999)
• Volume 2: Release (Afro Celt Sound System) (1999)
• identités (Idir)
• Seal Maiden (Karan Casey)
• Yella Hoose (John McCusker) (2000)
• Shots (Damien Dempsey)
• The Arms Dealer's Daughter (Shooglenifty) (2004)
• ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM (Aquarium) (2005)
• Wayward Son (John Doyle (2005)
• Downriver (Karen Matheson) (2005)
• My Secret Is My Silence (Roddy Woomble) (2006)
• The Essential Collection 1995–2005 (Ten (2006)
• Peacetime (Eddi Reader) (2007)
• Cuilidh (Julie Fowlis) (2007)
• Before the Ruin (Kris Drever, John McCusker & Roddy Woomble) (2008)
• Imeall (Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh) (2009)
• Get Lucky (Mark Knopfler) (2009)
• Exiles Return (John Doyle and Karan Casey) (2010)
• On The Move (Colin Farrell) (2010)
• Bretonne (Nolwenn Leroy) (2010)
• Summer Hill (Damien O'Kane) (2010)
• Last Star (Heidi Talbot) (2010)
• Privateering (Mark Knopfler) (2012)
• Angels Without Wings (Heidi Talbot) (2013)
• Gach Sgeul (Julie Fowlis) (2014)
• Make A Note (Colin Farrell) (2015)
• Tracker (Mark Knopfler) (2015)
• JEKYLL + HYDE (Zac Brown Band) (2015)
• Folk Fever (The Band of Love) (2018)
• The Art of Forgetting (Kyle Carey) (2018)

External links

• Michael McGoldrick
• Review of Fused
• Review of At First Light
• Review of Aurora by Folk Radio UK