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IRA (Polish heavy metal band)
Encyclopedia
IRA - Polish rock band formed in 1987 in Radom
by Jakub Płucisz (guitar), Wojciech Owczarek (drums), Artur Gadowski
(vocal, guitar), Dariusz Grudzień (bass) and Grzegorz Wawrzeńczuk (keyboards). They gained a wide popularity in Poland in the early nineties, mainly after releasing the "Mój Dom" album, with the hit title song, which was still during their garage and semi-professional days. They also gained some local popularity amongst the Polish-speaking citizens in the United States, where they lived and worked for few months. After signing a professional contract back in Poland, they released a few albums which didn't prove to be commercially successful (except for the "Mój Dom" follow-up, which was "IRA 1993"), and the band disbanded afterwards. Artur Gadowski started a solo career. He opened for Brian May
before his show in Warsaw
in September 1998. Artur's solo efforts weren't very successful either, and what success he did gain was largely based on the then legendary status of IRA.
A few years later the band reunited, and exists up to now. Once again, they have not attained much popularity, but are well-known amongst hard rock fans in Poland (though they play mainly pop-oriented hard rock), and their concerts are selling rather well.
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There is a band in Brazil with the same name and meaning.
Radom
Radom is a city in central Poland with 223,397 inhabitants . It is located on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship , having previously been the capital of Radom Voivodeship ; 100 km south of Poland's capital, Warsaw.It is home to the biennial Radom Air Show, the largest and...
by Jakub Płucisz (guitar), Wojciech Owczarek (drums), Artur Gadowski
Artur Gadowski
Artur Gadowski is Polish rock musician, vocalist of a hard rock band IRA.-Biography:Gadowski comes from a musical family. His father played saxophone whereas his mother was a vocal instructor. His life's turning point happened in 1979 when he first heard The Beatles' album titled Sgt...
(vocal, guitar), Dariusz Grudzień (bass) and Grzegorz Wawrzeńczuk (keyboards). They gained a wide popularity in Poland in the early nineties, mainly after releasing the "Mój Dom" album, with the hit title song, which was still during their garage and semi-professional days. They also gained some local popularity amongst the Polish-speaking citizens in the United States, where they lived and worked for few months. After signing a professional contract back in Poland, they released a few albums which didn't prove to be commercially successful (except for the "Mój Dom" follow-up, which was "IRA 1993"), and the band disbanded afterwards. Artur Gadowski started a solo career. He opened for Brian May
Brian May
Brian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
before his show in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
in September 1998. Artur's solo efforts weren't very successful either, and what success he did gain was largely based on the then legendary status of IRA.
A few years later the band reunited, and exists up to now. Once again, they have not attained much popularity, but are well-known amongst hard rock fans in Poland (though they play mainly pop-oriented hard rock), and their concerts are selling rather well.
Etymology
The name "IRA" comes from a Latin word IRA, meaning anger (this was the band founders' intention), however most people think they used an acronym for Irish Republican ArmyIrish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
.
There is a band in Brazil with the same name and meaning.
Current line-up
- Artur GadowskiArtur GadowskiArtur Gadowski is Polish rock musician, vocalist of a hard rock band IRA.-Biography:Gadowski comes from a musical family. His father played saxophone whereas his mother was a vocal instructor. His life's turning point happened in 1979 when he first heard The Beatles' album titled Sgt...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
(1987–2007) - Piotr Sujka – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(1989–2007) - Wojtek Owczarek – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(1987–2007) - Marcin Bracichowicz – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(2004–2007) - Piotr Konca – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(2005–2007)
Other musicians
- Kuba Płucisz – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(1987–1996) - Darek Grudzień – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(1987–1989) - Grzegorz Wawrzeńczuk – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(1987–1988) - Tomek Bracichowicz – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(1988–2004) - Piotr Łukaszewski – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(1991–1996) - Jarek Zarychta – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(1989–1991) - Paweł Matrack – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(1990–1991) - Zbigniew Suski – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(2002–2004) - Sebastian Piekarek – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(2004) - Maciek Gładysz – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(2004)
Discography
- IRA (1989, Gadowski, Płucisz, Owczarek, Grudzień, Bracichowicz)
- Mój dom (1991, Gadowski, Płucisz, Łukaszewski, Sujka, Owczarek)
- 1993 rok (1993, Gadowski, Płucisz, Łukaszewski, Sujka, Owczarek. Gościnnie w utworze Wiara na fortepianie T. Bracichowicz)
- Live (1993)
- Znamię (1994, Gadowski, Płucisz, Łukaszewski, Sujka, Owczarek. Gościnnie w utworze "Wojna" D. Sadoś, G. Zamorski)
- Ogrody (1995, Gadowski, Płucisz, Łukaszewski, Sujka, Owczarek. Gościnnie S. Piwowar oraz Lech "Groszek" Grochala – obaj na instrumentach perkusyjnych)
- Tu i Teraz (2002, Gadowski, Owczarek, Sujka, Suski)
- Ogień (2004, Gadowski, Owczarek, Sujka, Piekarek, Gładysz, Bracichowicz)
- Live 15-lecie (2004)
- Londyn 08:15 (2007)
- 9 (2009)