Celtic Lounge is a portal for all things Celtic. The idea first came to me while driving back to NYC from Cleveland at the end of a book tour. I had been reading to audiences of from 20 to 50 people in stores across the Mid-West and now I was dozing off at the wheel with still over 400 miles to go. There had to be an easier way to introduce my work to sympathetic audiences. Being the leader of Black 47 I already had a readymade community but who was to say that these people would have the time or inclination to visit a bookstore? And speaking of Black 47, though the band is still a national act, our days of massive exposure on MTV and commercial radio have gone. Much of our audience is either too young for over-21 clubs or too consumed with raising families to see the band on a regular basis. They can, of course, visit our thriving website and myspace page but that's often preaching to the gallery. There is a massive international audience for Celtic music - from the hard-edged punk anthems of Flogging Molly to the dreamy vistas of Enya. Why not create a social space where people who love things Celtic can gather, hear the music, read the books, create their own individual pages and meet other people of like minds.
But, perhaps, the idea would have languished if I hadn't been invited to host and program Celtic Crush, a show on Sirius Satellite Radio. I was suddenly face to face with the fact that Celtic artists from around the world had little or no national forum in the USA. CDs from artists of the caliber of Alan Stivell of Brittany, Runrig from Scotland, Ireland's Saw Doctors, Super Furry Animals from Wales, England's Richard Thompson, Milladoiro from Galicia piled up while I tried to make room for them on a twice-weekly three hour show. Not to mention that I was also trying to fit in the North American Celtic Rock explosion of bands such as The Dropkick Murphys, Irish singer/songwriters the like of Damien Dempsey, Celtic fusion from Afro-Celt, and historical references to Horslips, Fairport Convention, Thin Lizzy, June Tabor and a veritable legion of other relevant artists. All deserved an airing and will get it in reviews, articles, and through our online radio station which will feature not only the great, but the soon-to-be-great.
And what of writers such as the McCourts, Paul Muldoon, Colum McCann, Tom Kelly? We hope to do interviews with those and many more, all the while introducing new voices. We see a day when agents and publishers will come to Celtic Lounge seeking out and signing up new talent. Musicians and writers are not our only interest; in time, we intend to be a one-stop for the entire international Celtic community of painters, photographers, filmmakers and graphic artists. And why stop there? If you have an organization, are a travel agent, a pub owner or a businessperson who in some way caters to thing Celtic, this is the site for you - a vibrant, thriving online community.
We intend to make Celtic Lounge as inviting as the best Irish pub. Here you'll find everything you ever wanted in Celtic culture: conviviality, craic, commerce, ideas, friendship, romance and all within easy grasp. You don't have to be a Celt to enjoy our site; all you need is an interest in things Celtic. So, come on in, hang out at the Celtic Lounge.