Vincy Keehan, (mandolin,guitar,vocals) comes from County Galway and has lived in San Francisco since 1982. As well as playing mandolin, Vincy has composed many songs and hosts a very popular singing session at The Plough and Stars Pub once a month.
Kenny Somerville, ( banjo,guitar,vocals) comes from County Fermanagh and moved to San Francisco in 1993. Kenny started out playing guitar and singing at the popular holiday destination of Bundoran, County Donegal.
Cormac Gannon, (bodhran,vocals) comes from County Mayo and has lived in the Bay Area since 1991. He began playing in sessions while living in England. Cormac also has the distinct pleasure of trying to organize the affairs of The Gas Men (Minding Mice at Crossroads).
Vinny Cronin, (flute,whistles,vocals) comes from Boston and moved to San Francisco in 1978. Vinny began playing with his dad, well known fiddler, Paddy Cronin and his uncle Johnny Cronin.
Barry O' Connell, (accordion,vocals) from County Cork moved to the Bay Area in 2000. Barry started out playing sessions in his native Cork.
John Caulfield, (fiddle,mandolin,vocals) has been in many bands and has played gigs with Johnny Moynihan in Amsterdam, Dublin and New York, where he moved to with his family from County Louth. Since moving to the Bay Area, John has played with The Mild Colonial Boys, 42 and The Core.
Influences
The Cheiftains, The Bothy Band, Joe Cooley, Christy Moore, Stocktons Wing, Horslips, De Dannan, Billy McComisky, The Dubliners, Paul Brady, Planxty, Jimmy McCarthy, and many more
The Gas Men play Irish Traditional music (jigs,reels,hornpipes,polkas) and the many singers in the band perform a wide variety of songs .
From Alaska to Argentina, the band have enjoyed playing music and entertaining audiences since the early ninties .
Starting out as Vincy Keehan and friends, the band were joined in 1995 by singer Orla Morrison and her guitar playing husband Richard Morrison (Orla penned the name The Gas Men).
Orla and The Gas Men released a CD in 1998 called Minding Mice at Crossroads .
The band had nine members. Orla Morrison, vocals; Richard Morrison, guitar, vocals; Vincy Keehan, mandolin, guitar, vocals; Kenny Somerville, banjo, guitar, vocals; Jimmy O' Meara, octave mandolin, guitar, vocals; Dana Lyn, fiddle; Vinny Cronin, flute, whistles; Colm O' Riain, fiddle; and Cormac Gannon, bodhran and vocals.
Orla, Richard and Jimmy moved back to Ireland and Dana and Colm went on to work on other musical projects. The remaining members became The Gas Men.
From 1998 to 2000 Michael Stack played fiddle with the band.
Accordion player Barry O' Connell joined the band in 2001.
After playing with numerous bands, including gigs with Johnny Moynihan in Dublin, Amsterdam and New York , John Caulfield, fiddler, mandolin player and singer, found his home with The Gas Men in 2002.
great to meet yee i nGallimh lads, hope yer keepin her topped up out there with tunes, songs an plenty of craic, see yis in a few weeks... as the lad says eh... close the deal ;-)
