Derek Wade - Lead Vocals, Harmonica, Mandolin, Cowbell, Has a Sexy Beard, Enjoys long walks on the beach and Barry Manilow.
Paul Bruno - Guitar, Accordion, Bodhran, Vocals, Has a Cool Collection of 2 Guinness Glasses obtained legally, and likes a clean, ironed shirt before shows.
TK (yup, that's his name) - Drums, Percussion, Backup Vocals, Floating Head Above Cymbals, Car-Bomb Technician, Nipple Ring.
Influences
The Clancy Brothers, Tommy Makem, The Dubliners, Great Big Sea, Gaelic Storm, The Pogues, Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, Guinness, Jameson, Bailey's
Sounds Like
A Blend of Happiness, Sadness, Pissed Off Irishmen, 2 Kegs of Guinness, Nitroglycerin, and Buffalo Wings. Shake 'em All Together in a Titanium Bar Shaker, and Serve with a Glass of Ice Water and 3 Tylenol for the Hangover!
Let’s be honest folks… Detroit isn’t exactly the place you think of when you’re asking yourself where the best Celtic music is from – if you’re not from there. That’s exactly the thing that makes people give The Kreellers a complete double-take. To be honest, it makes the boys laugh when people come up at nearly every show and say, “You’re seriously from DETROIT?” Yep.
Ten+ years ago, brothers Derek Wade and Paul Bruno started the wheels in motion by playing local venues as a duo. Not surprisingly, the community grabbed hold of them and didn’t let go. Their blend of traditional Irish music with original tunes would seem pretty cliché – if you didn’t know the brothers. Far from the soft-spoken ethereal lullabies people normally expect; the actual end product is something akin to a runaway 1969 GTO fueled by nitrous and Guinness. Good Celtic music needs to be 100% energy from first note to last. Not so with The Kreellers – they go 110% and then some, and show no signs of stopping.
The brothers put their heads together and asked themselves what would make a great show even better. A few phone calls later brought the third member into the fold. TK and Derek had known each other for nearly 10 years and the hyper percussionist shares a lifelong love for Celtic music. Since Celtic music is complete energy, TK was tossed like B’rer Rabbit into the briar patch; first show with zero rehearsal time. The results should’ve been chaos, but instead was love at first sound between all involved. Every show since has gotten better and better.
Playing venues all over the East Coast, Canada, and just about everywhere else, the band continues to attract fans. They try to give as much to the fans as the fans give. Between sets, they can be found sharing a few pints with everyone, having a blast, and even having a few impromptu a-cappella sessions long after the pubs lights shut off. Every band worth its salt does it for the fans. Not every band recognizes that the blend of self love with fan love creates a symbiotic relationship that transcends any barriers – no matter what the genre. This is the heart of The Kreellers. This is only the beginning. Strap in, hang on, and scream loud.
The latest and greatest! Full force at O'Callaghan's, Milford.
I got my CD in the mail today and...well...I guess it's OK...just kidding! It's great! TK is a WONDERFUL addition to the band! I threw it on my iPod before I went to the gym today so I have had a chance to listen to it almost three times already! It was great to hear Brigid Flynn. That's been one of my favorite Trad Irish songs since I was a wee lad! And the new recording of Just A Hero is awesome too! No disrespect to the old version! So definitely soon, I'll be rounding up a few friends and we will be heading east to catch you guys performing at a D Town pub! Again thanks for sending me a CD! You guys rock!
