Formed from the ashes of Fiddler's Dram, of "Day Trip To Bangor" fame, The Oysterband have moved from being one of the country's premier Ceilidh to being one of the country's foremost roots rockers.

Along the way the band have produced a series of great albums, including the folk album of the decade in the 1980's with the June Tabor collaborated "Freedom And Rain". Unlike a lot of their contemporaries, The Oysterband's albums have been a continual development along a theme, with each album marking a decisive step on the band's path to folk history.(The band were the fastest climbing folk act in this year's Record Collectors poll.)

Like the band themselves, their material and covers show a great sense of drive and determination. Their songs often contain messages and themes drawn from life's wide canvas. On election night in 1997, the band famously named a bottle of wine after each Cabinet Minister and drank it after they lost their seat, John, lead vocals and accordian, was quoted as saying "The bottle of Portillo was the finest wine I've ever drunk."

Needless to say it's not just on record that the band can turn in an excellent performance. Extensive touring and festival playing has honed The Oysterband into one of the best live acts on the circuit. Without having to rely on props and pyrotechnics, The Oysterband serve to remind lesser acts about what stage craft really is. The things Chopper can do with his cello really do have to be seen.

There is a tendency for established acts like this to get a bit stale and to rely on their back catalogue to get them through. Fortunately this has yet to afflict the Oysters who remain a vibrant and energetic combo that you should get along to for no other reason than having a good time.

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