The Irish rockers will perform on Sunday at the Calvin Theatre in Northampton.
View full sizeThe Saw DoctorsThere is only one similarity between the fictional comedy band Spinal Tap and the real-life Irish band the Saw Doctors: the guy in the drum chair keeps changing.
Unlike the Spinal Tap drummers, however, the Docs' timekeepers (fortunately) don't explode.
As the band makes its way the Calvin Theatre for its Sunday show, it once again has a new person anchoring the rhythm section with bassist Anthony Thistlethwaite. His name name is Rickie O'Neill and he is receiving rave reviews, both from fans and his bandmates alike. O'Neill is the band's fifth drummer.
"He's fantastic, absolutely brilliant," said guitarist and founding member Leo Moran during a telephone interview from his home in Tuam a few weeks ago. "He only has to hear something once and he can remember it. I don't know how he does it. He's also a lovely person."
O'Neill took the place of former drummer Eimhim Craddock, who left on friendly terms to pursue other projects. The split was so amicable that Craddock actually recommended O'Neill—who was his student—for the job.
The transition kept the Docs busy during what is usually a fallow period for them. They usually take January and February off, but getting the new drummer rehearsed, along with the surprise success of the band's latest single—a cover of Petula Clark's "Downtown"—pushed them to do a few shows in the early parts of 2012.
The single even includes Clark singing on parts of the chorus. Moran said the band was surprised and thrilled she agreed to do it. But she had one caveat: Lead singer Davy Carton had to sing it, not her.
"We didn't think she would be into doing it, but she was," he said. "But she was quite adamant that she wouldn't sing it. She agreed to be on it but said 'I don't want to sing the song. I've already sung it.'"
The song started as part of the band's usual show-ending tune, "Hay Wrap," during which keyboardist Kevin Duffy breaks out into some current hit or golden oldie during the middle section of the song. "Downtown" received such a great reaction that the band took extra notice.
"It was one of those songs we tried and it went over really well," Moran said. "You really do find out which songs are in the folk memory of your audience."
The song went to No. 2 on the Irish charts which didn't shock Moran, as he knew it was a great song. But it did "pleasantly surprise" him, he said.
"If you write songs and you play songs, then you go and study the arrangement and writing of ("Downtown") and you realize it's just fabulous," he said.
Moran added that the band would like to do an album of cover songs someday, but not quite yet. "We need to concentrate on our own material right now," he said.
The current U.S. tour sees the band doing an old favorite about Irish politics, "Michael D. Rockin' the Dáil." The tune is about former T.D. (senator) Michael D. Higgins, who was just elected Ireland's ninth president. Moran had him as professor when he studied at the National University of Ireland at Galway.
"He's a wonderful man, so knowledgeable, intelligent and compassionate. A true man of the people," Moran said. "We can trust him to represent our country."