Fiddler's Green

by Dave Sleger
Fiddler's Green were formed in 1990 in Erlanger and were major players in Germany's folk-rock renaissance of the early and mid '90s. They perform a balance of traditional Irish songs and original compositions in a style sometimes reminiscent of the Pogues and Oysterband but they also add twists of ska and nods to Johnny Cash and Tom Waits. They helped spawn many comparable German bands like Tapsi Turtles, Paddy Whack and In Search of a Rose.
 
Their first three albums Fiddler's Green, (1992) Black Sheep (1993) and King Shepherd (1995) were quite consistent Celtic rock collections featuring exceptional playing by fiddler Tobias Rempe and accordionist Stefan Klug coupled with Peter Pathos' nifty original songs and intricate vocal harmonies. On and On (1997) was their first major label release and also marked the beginning signs of a more rock oriented sound for Fiddler's Green. Jim Crichton (Saga) was employed to produce Spin Around(1998) which cemented their sound transformation despite the inclusion of three traditional songs.