Artist Profile: Ceili Rain
According to their
website: "Ceili" (say: KAY-lee) is a Gaelic (Irish) word that means "party,"
specifically one with live musicians, dancing and general merriment. "Coeli" is
a form of the Latin word for "heaven." Rain is that stuff that falls from the
sky. Thus, Ceili Rain is a "downpour of heavenly partiness."
CEILI RAIN is an innovative blend of pop-rock music with a dash of Celtic/Irish
flavor and a subtle, but sincere, spiritual message. The band is led by frontman,
Bob Halligan Jr. As a songwriter, Bob Halligan, Jr., has had over 140 songs
recorded by well-known rock artists, including Cher, Michael Bolton, Judas
Priest, KISS, Kathy Mattea, Bob Carlisle, Rebecca St. James, Jump 5, Maire
Brennan and countless others. He has published over 870 songs and his songs have
sold more than 30 million units.
In 1995, Bob Halligan Jr (while living in Nashville) sat down with his dear
friend Dan Keen from ASCAP. Dan looked him in the eye and said: Bob, buddy, I
think you have to decide if you want this be a Christian band or a mainstream
band. Bob's reply set up & defined the joys & struggles of the last 10 years:
Dan, I have decided. I want it to be CEILI RAIN! Stupid or stubborn, you decide!
Now 10 years and 56 band members later, he still loves the mission of this
group: which is to bring faith-based music to people of all faiths (and no
faith); to encourage people to talk to (and more important LISTEN to) God
whether or not they feel the slightest inclination to do so; to mix rocknroll
and Celtic flavors in a way that is exciting, danceable, joyous and musically
solid.
The discography of CEILI RAIN continues to grow due to the overwhelming support
of a seriously committed underground fan base. Fans of this band have given up
everything to drive across the country to follow their favorite fella's and
label artists representing a variety of musical styles have even gone on to
cover CEILI RAIN tunes. For example, Christian recording artist Rebecca St James
covered the song ME THEN YOU THEN YOU THEN ME on her incredibly successful CD
titled GOD. Kathy Mattea not only covered the song LOVE TRAVELS but she went on
to name an entire tour after the song.
In 2004 CEILI RAIN released CHANGE IN YOUR POCKET found on the OCP/Spirit and
Song Record Label and distributed to the mainstream by Compendia Music/Koch
Entertainment. This CD went on to win 5 UNITY AWARDS and spawned 3 videos. One
of the highlights of this release was their trip to Ireland where 2 of the
videos were filmed. These videos are now showing on video channels across the
world.
CEILI RAIN has played some of the top venues in the country including Reliant
Stadium, The RCA Dome and The Georgia Dome. They have played many key festivals
from Kingdom Bound to CreationFest to World Youth Day. They have been invited to
perform at numerous celtic and community events from the Slainte Festival to the
Bethlehem Musikfest. They have played at major conferences including NCYC and
Youth Specialties and have even performed for major corporations like Nextel.
International travels have taken them to several countries including Canada,
Belgium, Italy and others.
In Fall 2006, CEILI RAIN will release their 5th studio album which will be
titled, WHATEVER MAKES YOU DANCE. There's no doubt whether you are a new CEILI
RAIN fan or a die hard CEILI RAIN fan that there is truly something for everyone
on this CD. There's no doubt, however, that it will be difficult for you to
choose a favorite song...as there will just be too many to choose from.
So...Kick off your shoes, stand on a table, grab yourself a pint, dance a jig
and join CEILI RAIN as they carry on in their next decade of heavenly partiness!!