Steve Wickham
Encyclopedia
Steve Wickham is an Irish
musician described by Mike Scott
as "the world's greatest rock fiddle player" and by New Musical Express as a "fiddling legend." Originally from Marino
, Dublin, but calling Sligo
home, Wickham has appeared on recordings by Elvis Costello
, the Hothouse Flowers
, Sinéad O'Connor
, U2
(he played violin on classic song Sunday, Bloody Sunday), and World Party
and is a long-standing member of The Waterboys
. Wickham plays both rock and roll
and traditional Irish music on fiddle, and has developed a rock music technique he calls the "fuzz fiddle".
Scott invited Wickham to participate in The Waterboys after hearing his work on an O'Connor demo tape at Wallinger's studio. Wickham contributed his fiddle to the song "The Pan Within" on The Waterboys' This Is the Sea
. After the album was released, Wallinger left The Waterboys and Wickham joined the group officially. Wickham invited Scott to move The Waterboys to Dublin, Ireland
in 1986. Wickham's influence and the new environment resulted in the traditional Irish music and traditional Scottish music sound of Fisherman's Blues
(1988). In 1990, Wickham, preferring an acoustic sound over rock
, disagreed with Scott and Anthony Thistlethwaite
over the direction of The Waterboys, and the group disbanded. Scott reformed the band seven years later. Wickham appeared as a guest at some Waterboys concerts in Dublin in 2000, and, according to Scott "it felt so good he re-joined the band". The Waterboys now continue to record music and tour, with Wickham as a prominent member. While some of the band's recent releases have been dominated by a rock sound, such as the album A Rock in the Weary Land
, Wickham's musical preferences can be seen in Universal Hall
and in his own side-projects. Wickham also regularly performs with the Sligo Early Music Ensemble
.
Wickham has experimented with a technique he calls "fuzz fiddle", partially inspired by rock fiddler Warren Ellis
and the genre of grunge
music. Wickham's first attempt at a distorted rock fiddle sound was with a band named Juggler, which existed between 1978 and 1981. Wickham fed his fiddle through a guitar distortion pedal, but disliked the amount of feedback and the fact that it "was very difficult to control". While attending a Nick Cave
concert with Scott, Wickham observed Ellis use a fiddle with a fuzz pedal successfully. Wickham, after experimenting with some combinations, settled upon an amplifier
, fiddle and pedal combination he was pleased with, "and the fuzz-fiddle was reborn". Wickham has used the technique for The Waterboys song "Is She Conscious?", a cover of Bruce Springsteen
's "Independence Day" and, in a nod to Jimi Hendrix
's version of "The Star Spangled Banner", has also used it in a performance of "Amhrán na bhFiann
".
Wickham is also accomplished with the violin
, mandolin
, tin whistle
, concertina
, saxophone
, piano
, guitar
and bones
. Wickham identifies his musical influences as Lou Reed
, Van Morrison
, Toni Marcus, Mozart
and Mick Ronson
, among others.
Wickham has performed on numerous albums as a guest or band member. His first solo album, Geronimo was released in 2004 (see 2004 in music
). The album is named after Wickham's name for his "beloved" violin.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
musician described by Mike Scott
Mike Scott (musician)
Michael 'Mike' Scott is the founding member, lead singer and chief songwriter of rock band The Waterboys. He has also produced two solo albums, Bring 'em All In and Still Burning...
as "the world's greatest rock fiddle player" and by New Musical Express as a "fiddling legend." Originally from Marino
Marino
Marino, Mariño or Maryino may refer to:In places:* Marino, Lazio, a town in the province of Rome, Italy* Marino, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide* Marino, County Down in Northern Ireland...
, Dublin, but calling Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
home, Wickham has appeared on recordings by Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
, the Hothouse Flowers
Hothouse Flowers
The Hothouse Flowers are an Irish rock group that combines traditional Irish music with influences from soul, gospel and rock.-Career:The group first formed in 1985 when Liam Ó Maonlaí and Fiachna Ó Braonáin began performing as street musicians, or buskers, on the streets of Dublin,Ireland as "The...
, Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
(he played violin on classic song Sunday, Bloody Sunday), and World Party
World Party
World Party is a British pop/alternative rock band, which is essentially the solo project of its sole member, Karl Wallinger. He started the band in 1986 in London after leaving The Waterboys.-Career:...
and is a long-standing member of The Waterboys
The Waterboys
The Waterboys are a band formed in 1983 by Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland and England. Edinburgh, London, Dublin, Spiddal, New York, and Findhorn have all served as homes for the group. The band has played in a...
. Wickham plays both rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
and traditional Irish music on fiddle, and has developed a rock music technique he calls the "fuzz fiddle".
Scott invited Wickham to participate in The Waterboys after hearing his work on an O'Connor demo tape at Wallinger's studio. Wickham contributed his fiddle to the song "The Pan Within" on The Waterboys' This Is the Sea
This Is the Sea
This Is the Sea is the third and last of The Waterboys' "Big Music" albums. Considered by critics to be the finest album of their early rock-oriented sound, described as "epic" and "a defining moment", it was the first Waterboys album to enter the United Kingdom charts, peaking at number...
. After the album was released, Wallinger left The Waterboys and Wickham joined the group officially. Wickham invited Scott to move The Waterboys to Dublin, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 1986. Wickham's influence and the new environment resulted in the traditional Irish music and traditional Scottish music sound of Fisherman's Blues
Fisherman's Blues
Fisherman's Blues is the 1988 album by The Waterboys. The album marked a change in the sound of The Waterboys', abandoning their earlier grandiose rock sound for a mixture of traditional Scottish music, country music and rock and roll. Critics were divided on its release with some disappointed at...
(1988). In 1990, Wickham, preferring an acoustic sound over rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, disagreed with Scott and Anthony Thistlethwaite
Anthony Thistlethwaite
Anthony "Anto" Thistlethwaite is a British multi-instrumentalist best known as a founder member of the folk-rock group The Waterboys and later as a long-standing member of Irish rock band The Saw Doctors.After a year busking in Paris, playing tenor saxophone around the streets of the Latin...
over the direction of The Waterboys, and the group disbanded. Scott reformed the band seven years later. Wickham appeared as a guest at some Waterboys concerts in Dublin in 2000, and, according to Scott "it felt so good he re-joined the band". The Waterboys now continue to record music and tour, with Wickham as a prominent member. While some of the band's recent releases have been dominated by a rock sound, such as the album A Rock in the Weary Land
A Rock in the Weary Land
A Rock in the Weary Land was an album released in 2000 by The Waterboys. It was their first album after a seven year break...
, Wickham's musical preferences can be seen in Universal Hall
Universal Hall
Universal Hall is a 2003 album released by The Waterboys. It is named after the theatre and performance hall at the Findhorn Foundation, which is pictured on the album cover. The album shows much more influence from folk music than its predecessor, A Rock in the Weary Land...
and in his own side-projects. Wickham also regularly performs with the Sligo Early Music Ensemble
Sligo Early Music Ensemble
The Sligo Baroque Ensemble is an amateur orchestra which specialises in late Baroque music. It is based in Sligo town and plays about 10 concerts a year in venues around the north-west of Ireland....
.
Wickham has experimented with a technique he calls "fuzz fiddle", partially inspired by rock fiddler Warren Ellis
Warren Ellis (musician)
Warren Ellis is an Australian multi-instrumentalist and composer, best known for his work with Dirty Three, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman and his soundtrack scores with Nick Cave. He plays violin, piano, bouzouki, guitar, flute, mandolin, and tenor guitar...
and the genre of grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
music. Wickham's first attempt at a distorted rock fiddle sound was with a band named Juggler, which existed between 1978 and 1981. Wickham fed his fiddle through a guitar distortion pedal, but disliked the amount of feedback and the fact that it "was very difficult to control". While attending a Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
concert with Scott, Wickham observed Ellis use a fiddle with a fuzz pedal successfully. Wickham, after experimenting with some combinations, settled upon an amplifier
Amplifier
Generally, an amplifier or simply amp, is a device for increasing the power of a signal.In popular use, the term usually describes an electronic amplifier, in which the input "signal" is usually a voltage or a current. In audio applications, amplifiers drive the loudspeakers used in PA systems to...
, fiddle and pedal combination he was pleased with, "and the fuzz-fiddle was reborn". Wickham has used the technique for The Waterboys song "Is She Conscious?", a cover of Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
's "Independence Day" and, in a nod to Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
's version of "The Star Spangled Banner", has also used it in a performance of "Amhrán na bhFiann
Amhrán na bhFiann
is the national anthem of Ireland. The music was composed by Peadar Kearney and Patrick Heeney, and the original English lyrics were authored by Kearney. It is sung in the Irish language translation made by Liam Ó Rinn. The song has three verses, but the national anthem consists of the chorus only...
".
Wickham is also accomplished with the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, tin whistle
Tin whistle
The tin whistle, also called the penny whistle, English Flageolet, Scottish penny whistle, Tin Flageolet, Irish whistle and Clarke London Flageolet is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is an end blown fipple flute, putting it in the same category as the recorder, American Indian flute, and...
, concertina
Concertina
A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It has a bellows and buttons typically on both ends of it. When pressed, the buttons travel in the same direction as the bellows, unlike accordion buttons which travel perpendicularly to it...
, saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, guitar
Guitar
The 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...
and bones
Bones (instrument)
The bones are a musical instrument which, at the simplest, consists of a pair of animal bones, or pieces of wood or a similar material. Sections of large rib bones and lower leg bones are the most commonly used true bones, although wooden sticks shaped like the earlier true bones are now more...
. Wickham identifies his musical influences as Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
, Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
, Toni Marcus, Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
and Mick Ronson
Mick Ronson
Michael "Mick" Ronson was an English guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. He is best known for his work with David Bowie, as one of The Spiders from Mars...
, among others.
Selected discography
2004 in music
See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol....
). The album is named after Wickham's name for his "beloved" violin.
- Solo albums:
- Geronimo (2004)
- As a band member
- The WaterboysThe WaterboysThe Waterboys are a band formed in 1983 by Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland and England. Edinburgh, London, Dublin, Spiddal, New York, and Findhorn have all served as homes for the group. The band has played in a...
:- This Is the SeaThis Is the SeaThis Is the Sea is the third and last of The Waterboys' "Big Music" albums. Considered by critics to be the finest album of their early rock-oriented sound, described as "epic" and "a defining moment", it was the first Waterboys album to enter the United Kingdom charts, peaking at number...
(1985) - Fisherman's BluesFisherman's BluesFisherman's Blues is the 1988 album by The Waterboys. The album marked a change in the sound of The Waterboys', abandoning their earlier grandiose rock sound for a mixture of traditional Scottish music, country music and rock and roll. Critics were divided on its release with some disappointed at...
(1988) - Room to RoamRoom to RoamRoom to Roam is an album by The Waterboys; it continued the folk-rock sound of 1988's Fisherman's Blues, but was less of a commercial success, reaching one-hundred and eighty on the Billboard Top 200 after its release in September 1990. Critical response continues to be mixed...
(1990) - The Best of the Waterboys 81–90 (1991)
- The Secret Life of the Waterboys 81–85The Secret Life of the Waterboys 81–85The Secret Life of the Waterboys 81–85 is an album of outtakes, live tracks, and demos, released by The Waterboys in 1994.-Track listing:Tracks written by Mike Scott, unless otherwise noted.# "Medicine Bow" – 5:07...
(1994) - The Live Adventures of the WaterboysThe Live Adventures of the WaterboysThe Live Adventures of the Waterboys is a concert recording, released by The Waterboys in 1998. Mike Scott refers to this album as an "unofficial release" or bootleg recording, but praises the recording period as a "classic" period for the Waterboys...
(1998) - The Whole of the Moon: the Music of Mike Scott and the Waterboys (1998)
- Too Close to HeavenToo Close to HeavenToo Close to Heaven is a collection of outtakes, alternative versions, and unreleased tracks from The Waterboys' Fisherman's Blues period, released September 2001. The album was released as Fisherman's Blues, Part 2 in the United States with five additional tracks in July of that year.The title...
(2002)- as Fisherman's Blues, Part 2 (2002) in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
- as Fisherman's Blues, Part 2 (2002) in the United States
- Universal HallUniversal HallUniversal Hall is a 2003 album released by The Waterboys. It is named after the theatre and performance hall at the Findhorn Foundation, which is pictured on the album cover. The album shows much more influence from folk music than its predecessor, A Rock in the Weary Land...
(2003) - Karma to Burn (2005)
- Book of LightningBook of LightningBook of Lightning is the ninth studio album by The Waterboys, released April 2, 2007 through W14/Universal Records. The album contains ten tracks, produced by Mike Scott and Philip Tennant, with musical contributions from Steve Wickham , Richard Naiff , Brady Blade , Mark Smith , Leo Abrahams ,...
(2007)
- This Is the Sea
- The Waterboys
- As a featured instrumentalist:
- Declan O Rourke:
- Since Kyabram (2005)
- CaliCalìCalì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
:- MenteurMenteurMenteur is the second album of the French singer Cali, released October 10, 2005. All songs are written and sung by Cali with the exception of track 12...
(2005)
- Menteur
- Elvis CostelloElvis CostelloElvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
:- SpikeSpike (Elvis Costello album)Spike is the 12th studio album by the British rock singer and songwriter Elvis Costello, released on and compact disc as Warner Brothers 25848. It was his first album for the label. It peaked at #5 on the UK album chart, and at #32 on the Billboard 200....
(1989)
- Spike
- Hothouse FlowersHothouse FlowersThe Hothouse Flowers are an Irish rock group that combines traditional Irish music with influences from soul, gospel and rock.-Career:The group first formed in 1985 when Liam Ó Maonlaí and Fiachna Ó Braonáin began performing as street musicians, or buskers, on the streets of Dublin,Ireland as "The...
:- Home (1990)
- Sinéad O'ConnorSinéad O'ConnorSinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
:- The Lion and the CobraThe Lion and the CobraThe Lion and the Cobra is the 1987 debut album by Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor. O'Connor, age 20 at the time, recorded the album while heavily pregnant with her first child....
(1988) - I Do Not Want What I Haven't GotI Do Not Want What I Haven't GotI Do Not Want What I Haven't Got is the second album by Sinéad O'Connor. It was released in 1990 on Chrysalis Records.-Description:The critically acclaimed album contains her most famous single, "Nothing Compares 2 U", and was one of the best selling records in the world in 1990, topping the charts...
(1990) - Sean-Nós NuaSean-Nós NuaSean-Nós Nua is the sixth full-length album by Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor. It consists of traditional Irish songs, the title meaning "new old-style".The album sold 225,000 copies worldwide.-Track listing:#"Peggy Gordon" – 5:45...
(2002)
- The Lion and the Cobra
- U2U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
:- War (1982)
- World PartyWorld PartyWorld Party is a British pop/alternative rock band, which is essentially the solo project of its sole member, Karl Wallinger. He started the band in 1986 in London after leaving The Waterboys.-Career:...
:- Private RevolutionPrivate RevolutionPrivate Revolution is the 1986 debut album by the British rock band World Party. At this point, singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Karl Wallinger was the only member of World Party, and the only person pictured on the cover....
(1986) - Goodbye JumboGoodbye JumboGoodbye Jumbo is the second album by World Party. Released in 1990, the album was essentially a solo project by Karl Wallinger, aided by a number of guest artists, including Sinéad O'Connor and former members of The Waterboys. The album was voted Album of the Year by Q magazine in 1990. In 2000, Q...
(1990)
- Private Revolution
- Declan O Rourke:
Geronimo track list
- "Lazy Days"
- "Mouth of the Shannon"
- "Fado"
- "The Hunter"
- "One of these Days"
- "A Snow Year"
- "Midnight Boy"
- "Lament for Pearl"
- "The Livestock Polka"
- "Polka Art O Leary"
- "Point to Point"
- "The Eclipse"