You’ve almost certainly heard The Irish Rovers’ songs, including “The Unicorn,” “Drunken Sailor,” “Wasn’t That a Party” and “Whiskey in the Jar.”
It’s hard to believe that in 50 years of touring the globe, the Rovers have never played on the Big Island. That’ll change Saturday night as their “Farewell to Rovin’” world tour makes a whistle stop at Hilo’s Palace Theater. Doors open at 7 p.m. with show time at 7:30.
“I’ve definitely drunk there and had some fun, but not played,” Rovers’ leader George Millar quipped in a phone interview from New Zealand earlier this month. In fact, the Irish-Canadian folk band has only played twice in Hawaii, on Oahu, more than three decades ago.
“The last time we played was when we were comin’ back from Australia, and we actually opened the show for Tom Jones,” he said. “… And we played St. Patrick’s Day concert at (Waikiki Shell). I go there a bit for vacation. I love Maui. But we haven’t played there in a long, long time.”
The current edition of the Rovers includes: Millar, a singer, songwriter and guitarist; Ian Millar, his cousin, on guitar and bass; Gerry O’Connor on fiddle; Wilcil McDowell on accordion; Fred Graham on bodhran; Sean O’Driscoll on mandolin, banjo and box; Morris Crum on keyboards; and Geoffrey Kelly on whistle and flute.
The Belfast-born Millar started the band in Canada about the same time The Chieftains began their musical reign on the Emerald Isle. At the time, America was ripe for their original, neo-traditional Irish folk music.
“Before us, there were the Clancy Brothers. They really were the ones who paved the way in North America for Irish music,” Millar noted. “They came in in the early ’50s. They were very good friends of ours. They’re all gone, now. They and (the late) Tommy Makem were the ones who really brought Irish music to the folk scene in America. We started around 1964, so we were a wee bit behind them.”
Celtic and Gaelic music festivals are now a worldwide phenomenon and routinely draw thousands.
“‘Riverdance’ opened up the world to Irish music,” Millar said. “A lot of young people looked at this and said, ‘It’s kind of neat, all these young people dancin’, all these good lookin’ girls and boys. I think that was the start of a big resurgence of Gaelic music all around the world, so I really have to take my hat off to them.”
Younger bands play a rock or even punk hybrid of Celtic and Gaelic music including The Pogues, who emerged in the 1980s, and Great Big Sea, who like the Rovers, are Irish-Canadians.
“The young bands who are playin’ the Irish music festivals are doin’ the right thing by makin’ it palatable to the ears of the young people,” Millar said. “They aren’t interested in old coots like us, they want to hear the younger bands, and that’s OK. That’s the way the music keeps goin’.”
Millar described the Rovers’ brand of music as “happy-go-lucky.”
“I think Irish music is like a polka,” he said. “You don’t have to like it, but if you’re close, your toes are gonna’ start tappin’. That’s the only secret that we have. We enjoy it, so the audience enjoys it and it’s just good, fun music. At the end of the evenin’, if people walk out hummin’ or whistlin’ ‘Drunken Sailor,’ we’ve done our job.”
Tickets are $40 general admission, available in advance at the Palace box office, CD Wizard, Hilo Guitars, Hilo Music Exchange, Waimea General Store, Taro Patch Gifts in Honokaa, Sound Wave Music in Kailua-Kona and Kiernan Music in Kainaliu. Both general admission and $60 gold circle seating are available online at lazarbear.com or by calling 896-4845.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.