The Waterboys, the perfect Irish/British folk group for the upcoming summer months

No, they're not just for your Mom and Dad, The Waterboys still have what it takes. Forget your summer compilation albums, there's only one band you need to get the party started during the summer months.

Lucy Earley

Mar 28, 2018

The Waterboys are an Irish band who will have "The Whole of the Moon" stuck in your head throughout all of the summer months.

No other band musically relates to or evokes an Irish summer like The Waterboys.

They seem to inspire everyone at late parties; out in back garden, with garden lanterns, white wine and a rendition of "Fisherman’s Blues" on guitar.

My best friend and I saw them play at Westport Festival of Music & Food in County Mayo. It was a fabulous festival, set in an idyllic part of West of Ireland: Westport House and gardens.

The Waterboys lived up to every expectation I had of them in a live format. The atmosphere was electrically tinged with excitement; nothing gels together better than a good shindig in West of Ireland and The Waterboys.

They’ve been around since 1983, disbanding in 1993, when lead singer Mike Scott went off to do some solo work. They reformed in 2000. With members coming and going, they’ve never really followed any musical genre, apart from their own. As my best friend, who’s also a huge fan, commented, “They’re the perfect mix of Irish and Scottish music, with that brilliant rocky vibe.”

They also fuse poetry with music in a unique way. William Butler Yeat’s "The Stolen Child," is my personal favorite.

We’re hoping to experience a particularly warm and sunny Irish summer this year, and while I keep likes of Clannad for winter months, to cheer me up, The Waterboys, Jimi Hendrix, and Jefferson Airplane are my summer staples.