The Ocrastra
The Ocrastra; a musicians' collective set up by Seamus Gavin to record the album Justice. The core of the live band is myself, mandolin; Seamus, guitar vox and harmonica and his son James on fiddle.
We have been playing the north London folk scene, on the bill with Andy Irvine in Letchworth and we recently played the May Fair at Wivenhoe.
Tell me about your history? How did you get where you are now?
The Ocrastra; a curious combination. Where it comes from is a rain-lashed Ballyshannon festival with Donal Lunny on mixer, bikers on whiskey, hippies on the bridge and poitin on the roof of Sweeney’s bar. It was there at dawn on Easter Sunday on Topped mountain where our pagan ashes welcomed the Salvation Army to serenade their mangod with with their backs to the east for fear they’d see the sun dance. Some of it was flemenco guitar cutting the sound of the sirens in squattie London dives. It comes with a lament for a flute now silent and a bodhran unbeaten. And the soundtrack was Horslips and Woody and Crazy Horse, fast fiddlers and loose pipers, electric guitars and bog oak mandolins. We were neither wise nor given to lies and deceit, but we did go on ahead.
Have you performed live in front of an audience? Any special memories?
We gig as a trio at present; folk clubs, pubs, concerts, festivals.
We backed up Andy Irvine at Letchworth Folk Club.
Wivenhoe May Fair was good.
Your musical influences
Planxty, Neil Young, Horslips, Roy Harpur
