Waif
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Waif

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Discography

2002 - On The Brink EP
2004 - Once Too Often EP
Upcoming release - late 2006 - Nothing Left To Fall Back On EP

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Bio

You are 20 years old, your idols consist of Kurt Cobain, Billie Joe Armstrong and Bono, but you live in County Leitrim in the North West of Ireland where Country music is king and Enya is seen as a subversive influence, so what do you do….
Well you round up yours pals, write some killer songs and set about annoying the good burghers of all the surrounding towns and cities by breaching their country strongholds and blasting out rock music, while converting quite few to the new Gospel along the way….
This is exactly what the new and exciting Irish rock quintet ‘Waif’ did and four years later they are now accepted in critical circles as one of the most dynamic and impressive live acts currently on show on the live circuit. Combining elements of punk, rock and pop, Waif have received plaudits from many corners for their engaging stage shows, their rapport with their ever growing audiences and most importantly their catchy songs.
Hotpress recently described the band as “pure stadium rock…. Damn good…. Destined for greatness” while the Sligo Weekender saw the band as “ the best live act to come out of the north west since…. Well maybe ever”.

Yet, as lead singer Paddy McKenna explains, reviews mean nothing if you can’t produce the goods:
“ We’ve had reviews bad and good and try not to take too much out of either… the main thing is that when people hear that Waif are a great band to go see live and come to see us for the first time, that we put on a show and leave them going home happy… so regardless if you play to ten people, or ten thousand, you gotta give the audience everything you got”
Consistency is something the band obviously regard as very important, coupled with a live shows that engage the audience rather than ignore, as many modern bands tend to do, McKenna continues:
“ I mean you see these bands and they go up play their songs and barely announce them… their attitude is kinda like ‘ okay, we’re playing our song now and if you want to bow at our altar you can, otherwise piss off’, like no attempt is made to charm or win over the audience… that’s why I really admire bands like Nirvana, Green Day, The Beatles who made or still make you sit up and really appreciate a live performance as a complete show”
Many would sat it’s this commitment to ‘charming the audience’ that has helped Waif to capture the Galway Band of the Year 2004, the 2FM Irish band of the year in 2003. Yet these boys still see pastures further a field as the true measure of the bands capabilities, as lead guitarist Tony Tighe explains:
“ Winning those competitions was nice but we still see the UK and USA as the place where Waif will find its’ true niche… many excellent Irish bands tend to remain unnoticed in Ireland and only the lucky get a chance in England or America. I wouldn’t say playing around Ireland for years is a waste of time but why play for a market of four million when you can cross the Atlantic and play to three hundred million who will definitely ‘get’ our music”
Waif intend to launch their grand assault on the UK by 2007 and make sure you catch them at a venue near you when you can before you’re paying top dollar to watch them in your nearest stadium by 2008!