Boys Keep Swinging

Simon Morgan 10JAN20

he mighty Moving Hearts formed when Donal Lunny and Christy Moore wondered how their old band, Planxty, would sound mixed up with a little contemporary jazz.

With The Gloaming, it was largely the restless Martin Hayes getting into leaba with Afro Celt Sound System’s Iarla Ó Lionáird, whilst The Incredible E.G. O’Reilly saw The Dubliners team up with Terrence Trent D’Arby as the latter spent a few very, very stoned months hiding away from sudden fame in shadowy Ireland.

For the county’s latest supergroup, the meeting of The Café Orchestra guitarist Drazen Derek, acclaimed baritone Simon Morgan, world-renowned saxophonist Richie Buckley, much-loved keyboardist Myles Drennan and the globe-trotting piano accordianist Nigel Linden was a little, let’s say, off-menu.

The various musicians were at the Creative Connections festival in Sitges, Barcelona, as some of Ireland’s finest jammed with some of Spain’s. In the mix was The Dubliners’ John Sheahan, and he would soon become a champion of the new Irish group that would emerge out of one very drunken night. The man had been here before.

Turns out there was a neighbouring gay festival also kicking off that very same Barcelona night, and, being musicians, Derek, Morgan, Buckley and the rest of the gang decided dressing up in drag might just take this already giddy gathering of top musicians that little bit higher.

Which, of course, it did. And a beautiful band of gypsies was born, the five high-flying Irish session musicians settling on the name Stolen Chicken.

With their debut album completed – an album that features the very last performances of Café Orchestra co-founder, Patrick Collins – Stolen Chicken follow up their official live debut at The Whale back in February 2020 with a Christmas Crooners extravaganza on December 17th – tickets here.

Before the band get to spread their Christmas cheer though, we caught up with their classically-trained vocalist, Simon, at Café Grey, to discuss fusion, friends, funky chickens and forging a new musical path…

You can find out more about Stolen Chicken when they return to The Whale on Saturday, December 17th 2022 right here. This interview originally appeared on Jan 15th 2020.