Being a decade (and a bit) of Los Stompers
1997- Group formed in Barcelona by tourist concentration camp escapees Dara "Dadito" Luskin & Don Quicote Fergananym, immediately banished therefrom for perpetration of "unspeakable crimes" against Irish music and general infringements of Celtic fringes. Tours of Sweden & Finland serve to enhance bands burgeoning reputation.
1998- Pax Rumbana: back in Barnytown, tactical alliance with local Rumbamongers Los Manolos and their record company, Ventilador Music, assists in social reinsertion; celebrated by release of Mezzy on Stage (a rough n'tumble romp through the pub-trad repertoire, captured alive a lailo-ho)
1999- A propos, scandals and wrangles of Scandinavian tour provide inspiration for follow-up disc Pub Friction, with aforementioned Manolos as unwitting witnesses to the birth of the Rumba Celta. Inevitable Spanish tour in wake of overwhelming nonchalance.
2000- T-shirts and Symphonies, turn of millennium finds our heroes time divided 'tween work and study, touring and recording, excursions and incursions, resulting in...
2001-Not so much Space odyssey as neworold underture, Belmondo Café, a cosy nightmare vision of Eurothemebarland, spreading joyous tidings of Barcelona Irish Sound, characterised by frantic, fragmentary eclecticism in confined space of controlled environment.
2002- Departure of the Belmondo Express tour, calling at various centres of population and their respective broadcasting media of the written, spoken and viewable variety. Live performance comes as standard.
2003-5- The wilderness years, little is known of this period, details scant, documents extant of largely incomprehensible nature. Rumours of rest and recuperation blown up to Rock & Roll proportions, tales abound of Robin Hood like existence in the wilds of Barcelona's Barrio Chino.
2006- As if to confirm said rumours, lead singer "Al Cúrruton" hires his soul to the Ol' Timers Research Institute and departs from group. Various disguises adopted by remaining members as survival strategy.
2007-In the thick of thin trench welfare-state, new re-crut Brian O'Mahony stomps into the breach as frontman. Following a series of variably combustible drummers, fiddlers and "boxers", consolidation looms perilously close in the shape of new additions David Holmes and Marcos López.
2008- Ventilador Productions in-house private eye Joe Gumshoe contracted to track down Los Stompers. Faithfully following their trail through triumph and failure in the Manresa Triangle and beyond, finally finds them labouring at snails'pace on gestation of Post-Irish Sound. New record deal ensues.
2009-10 "And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Barny to be born?" Well, Animal, Vegetable, Miserable, wherein fully-fledged Post-Irish Sound unleashed upon unsuspecting public.
"I don't know what it is, but it sure ain't Rock & Roll"