Casino Lethbridge caught an early taste of St. Patrick’s Day, Saturday, Feb. 28 as Toronto area Celtic rock band the Mudmen came to town to rock the place bagpipe style.
I only caught the last of the band’s three sets for the full room.
The tight band featured big bagpiping brothers Sandy and Rob Campbell playing their pipes in tandem, towering over lead singer and guitarist Steven Gore.
Anthony Albanese stood back and held the Celtic feel of the band on mandolin and tenor banjo and lead guitar while on the other side of the stage bassist Mario Bozza locked in with drummer Jeremy Burton.
Bozza played a big bass solo during the traditional Celtic song “The Irish Rover.”
Even more impressive, they turned Johnny Cash’s country classic “Ring of Fire,” into bagpipe powered Celtic drinking song.
They had a great crowd and attracted several dancers.
The Mudmen ended with a tight, extended jam with multiple time changes on their best known song “ Drink and Fight.”
