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Ballyrag is a Celtic rock band which is based in Christchurch and plays at bars, weddings, corporate and private functions, and festivals throughoutthe South Island. The music is predominantly Irish and ranges from updated traditional Irish ballads through to more contemporary music by The Pogues, Van Morrison, The Waterboys, Saw Doctors, The Proclaimers and U2. We often get asked to “play some country!” or rock and roll music so a Pogues song could sometimes be closely followed by some Johnny Cash, NancySinatra, The Beatles or Elvis Presley – even John Denver on occasion. This is foot stomping, fun music, guaranteed to get people of all ages up dancing and having a great time. Between us we create combinations of guitars, mandolin, accordion, piano and bass guitar, plus 3 voices, giving a full and diverse sound. The members of the band are all experienced musicians who have previously played in various solo, duo and Christchurch bands including: Bullfrog Blues Band, The Murphy’s, Tin Soldiers, Briggs & Stratton, KarmaSuits Ya and The Mickey Finns.
Band Lineup:
Peter Shapcott – vocals, guitar, mandolin
Sita Moran – accordion, piano, vocals
Steve Burroughs – base, acoustic and lead guitar, vocals