Wickham relishing Waterboys’ Sligo return
He’s been touring for decades, but Steve Wickham says he still feels nervous when he plays in front of a Sligo audience.
Originally from Dublin, Steve is now based in Sligo and treasures the rare chance he gets to play a ‘ hometown’ gig with ‘ The Waterboys’.
The Waterboys will play the Knocknarea Arena at IT Sligo on Saturday 8th December 2018 at 8.30pm. The popular band are delighted to return following their rapturously received concert in the same venue 3 years ago when they brought the house down with a mixture of new material and their long-time favourites.
Ever since Mike Scott first brought The Waterboys to public attention their career has been marked by staking out bold, new territory with fresh approaches and inspirational collaborators. This short Irish tour will introduce Out Of All This Blue, The Waterboys’ 12 th and first double album and maybe the most brilliantly daring and accomplished reinvention of The Waterboys to date.
Mike and fellow travellers, Steve Wickham, Muscle Shoals bass legend David Hood and Deep South keyboard wizard Brother Paul, play like demons on a mission. But it’s Scott’s use of hip hop recording techniques – drum loops, samples and found sounds that ground the songs’ soulful awakenings – that gives the album a particularly thrilling momentum. Refusing to be cowed by past achievements Scott’s determination to forge new ground is pre-eminent. “I always wanted to be better than anyone else,” he admits.
“We’re really looking forward to the Sligo gig, it’s a hometown gig for me so I’m a bit nervous about it. Of all the concerts we do, it’s very rare that we get to come to Sligo,” Steve told The Sligo Champion.
“Three years ago was the last time we played here. All my mates will be there throwing things at me on stage!”
The Waterboys are currently touring around Ireland, kicking off their tour in Drogheda last Friday.
“We get all these smaller gigs in Ireland and they’re great but it’s nice to get to do a whole Irish tour as well and get to see different venues.
“Thankfully yeah we’re still as popular as ever. There’s only a few tickets left for our Sligo gigs.”
They’re a long time going, but Wickham says the group enjoy it as much now as they ever did.
“I love it. We’re still the best of friends. I only joined with the group in 1985 but they were together since 1982.
“We’re all based around the place. Memphis, Dublin, France. It can he hard to arrange rehearsals when we live apart and you have to travel all over the world to get to rehearse together.”
Tickets from www.sligolive.ie or by phone on (071) 91 61518