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List of Waterboys members
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The Waterboys are a band formed in 1983 by Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of Scottish, Irish, English, Welsh and American musicians, with Edinburgh, London, Dublin, Spiddal, New York and Findhorn serving as a base for the group. They have explored a number of different styles, dissolved in 1993 when Scott departed to pursue a solo career and then reformed in 2000. They continue to release albums and tour worldwide. World Party was made up of former Waterboys members.[a]
left to right: Richard Naiff (obscured), Steve Wickham, Mike Scott, Damon Wilson (on drums) and Mark Smith
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left to right: Melvyn Duffy, Mike Scott, Marc Arciero, Ralph Salmins and James Hallawell (Steve Wickham not shown)
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left to right: Ralph Salmins (on drums), Steve Wickham, Mike Scott and David Hood (Zach Ernst and Brother Paul Brown not shown).
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left to right: Steve Wickham, Ralph Salmins, Mike Scott, Aongus Ralston and Brother Paul Brown.
left to right: Eamon Ferris, Brother Paul Brown, Aongus Ralston, Mike Scott and James Hallawell
The Waterboys performing in 2003, 2007, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2023
Over 85 musicians have performed live as a Waterboy.[1][2] Some have spent only a short time with the band, contributing to a single tour or album, while others have been long-term members with significant contributions. Scott has stated that "We’ve had more members I believe than any other band in rock history" and believes that the nearest challengers are Santana and The Fall.[3]
The Waterboys have gone through different musical phases as well as line-ups. In 2019 Scott wrote "The Waterboys is a timeless, genre-confounding band. We belong in no box."[4]
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1982–1993: original run
The Waterboys were formed by Mike Scott in 1982, under the name The Red and The Black, having recently split from his original band Another Pretty Face.[5] Scott was soon joined by saxophonist Anthony Thistlethwaite. Under this name, the band played nine gigs before starting recording. Scott and Thistlethwaite were joined by drummer Kevin Wilkinson.[5] In March 1983, the band released their first single "A Girl Called Johnny" under the name The Waterboys.[6]
For the band's first performance under this name was in May 1983 on the Old Grey Whistle Test, they were joined by Norman Rodger on bass, Karl Wallinger on keyboards, and Preston Heyman covering for Wilkinson on drums.[5] The band released their first, self titled album in July, it featured demos that Scott had recorded between 1981 and 1982, some featuring Thistlethwaite, Wilkinson and Rodger.[7]
The band's first ever concert took place in February 1984, and included Scott, Thistlethwaite, Wallinger and Wilkinson, alongside trumpeter Roddy Lorimer, backing vocalist Eddi Reader, bassist Martin Swain and lead guitarist John Caldwell.[5] The band returned to a five piece for touring (without Lorimer, Reader and Caldwell).[5] Wilkinson was replaced by Chris Whitten in late 1984.[8] In mid 1985, Steve Wickham joined on fiddle, influencing the band's style into folk music. After a north American tour in November 1985, Whitten and Wallinger both left. The two were replaced by Dave Ruffy and Guy Chambers respectively.[5]
In January 1986, Scott and Thistlethwaite relocated to Dublin (where Wickham is from), creating a new line-up with bassist Trevor Hutchinson and drummer Peter McKinney.[9] Fran Breen briefly replaced McKinney for a show in August.[9] In December, Scott, Thistlethwaite and Wickham did some sessions in San Francisco with legendary drummer Jim Keltner and jazz bassist John Patiticci.[9]
The band returned to live performances in April 1987, again with Hutchinson and McKinney, although McKinney was replaced by Breen in May.[9] The band was also joined by pipe and whistle player Vinnie Kilduff.[9] Roddy Lorimer also briefly rejoined.[9] In April 1988, the band returned to recording, with new drummer Jay Dee Daugherty, gaelic singer Tomas Mac Eoin and flautist/pianist Colin Blakey.[9] Breen returned in December for touring, although he was again replaced by Daugherty in February 1989.[9] Accordionist Sharon Shannon joined in May 1989, replacing Kilduff, alongside Noel Bridgeman, replacing Daugherty.[9]
Despite the success of this line-up (which played profusely and popularly over the next year-and-a-half), Bridgeman was dismissed in July 1990 due to Scott and Thistlethwaite wanting a "tougher" sound, leading to the departure of a dissatisfied Wickham.[9] Ken Blevins was hired as Bridgeman's replacement on drums but the band then moved away from Irish folk music, causing Shannon and Blakey to also depart.[9] Scott, Thistlethwaite, Hutchinson and Blevins fulfilled outstanding tour dates, after which Blevin departed, with Hutchinson leaving in April 1991 to join Shannon's band.[10] The band entered a hiatus after their contract with Ensign Records expired in May and Scott and Thistlethwaite split in December.[10] In January 1992, Scott began recording Dream Harder in New York with many American musicians, most notably Chris Bruce (guitar), Scott Thunes (bass) and Carla Azar (drums), all of whom played with Scott on Top of the Pops.[10] In August 1993, after failed attempts to put together a full-time Waterboys touring lineup, Scott ended the band altogether and spent seven years pursuing a solo career.
1999–present: reformation
In January 1999, Scott began recording what would become A Rock in the Weary Land, on 25 November 1999, Scott played a gig of new songs with Richard Naiff on piano and organ. In Summer 2000, Scott officially reformed The Waterboys with a line-up including Naiff on keyboards, Livingston Brown on bass and Jeremy Stacey on drums, all of whom had played on A Rock in the Weary Land which was released in September.[11][12] In October, Scott and Naiff were joined by Tom Windriff (drums, backing vocals), John Baggott (keyboards, backing vocals) and Gordon Davis (bass, backing vocals).[12] In January 2001, Jo Wadeson and Ian McNabb replaced Davis and Baggott respectively.[13]
Wickham officially rejoined in March 2001, having made regular guest appearances since the band reformed. Also returning was Jay Dee Daugherty, although he was replaced by Ray Fean in July, who in turn was replaced by Geoff Dugmore in August.[13] McNabb returned in May 2002, replacing Wadeson on bass.[14] In June 2002, Brad Waissman and Paul Beavis joined on bass and drums respectively.[14] Dugmore returned in January 2003.[15]
Steve Walters (bass) and Carlos Hercules (drums) joined as new rhythm section in October 2003.[15] In May 2005, Scott, Wickham and Naiff were briefly rejoined by Thistlethwaite (on bass) and Fran Breen, as well as Sharron Shannon and Leo Moran for one show.[16] The band were also briefly joined by Liam O'Maonlai on keyboards, covering for Richard Naiff on some acoustic TV appearances.[17] Walters and Hercules returned in January 2006. By the time the band started recording in August 2006, they were joined by Leo Abrahams on lead guitar, Mark Smith on bass and Brady Blade on drums, among others. Although when it came to touring in March 2007, Abrahams and Blade did not participate. Damon Wilson took up drums.
In February 2009, longtime keyboardist Richard Naiff departed the band.[18] He was replaced by John McCullough,[19] as well as Carlos Hercules returning on drums.[20] Bassist Mark Smith died in November 2009.[21] In March 2010, the band expanded the line-up for a new show called An Appointment with Mr Yeats, musicians featured Joe Chester on guitars and vocals, Simon Wallace on keyboards, Ash Soan on drums, Katie Kim on second vocals, Marc Arciero on bass, Blaise Margail on trombone, Ruby Ashley on oboe and cor anglais, and Sarah Allen on flute.[22] Paul "Binzer" Brennan replaced Soan in June 2010,[23] and James Hallawell replaced Wallace that August.[24]
In January 2011, the band were joined by Ralph Salmins on drums and Kate St John on oboe and sax, replacing Brennan and Allen),[25] these musicians played on An Appointment with Mr Yeats album. Melvin Duffy (pedal steel, guitar) joined the band for 2011 non Yeats summer shows, alongside Scott, Hallawell, Wickham, Arciero and Brennan.[26] Salmins returned in May 2011.[27] Duffy continued to perform with the band until March 2012,[28] after which the band continued as a five piece. The band played some Australian Yeats shows in early 2013, at which they were joined by Sarah Calderwood on flute and vocals.[29] For North American Yeats shows in 2013, Scott and Wickham were joined by Elizabeth Ziman (vocals), Jay Barclay (guitar), Daniel Mintseris (keyboards), Malcolm Gold (bass), Ezra Oklan (drums) and Chris Layer (flute).[30] For more North American non Yeats dates, Ziman and Layer departed and Chris Benelli replaced Oklan on drums.[31]
When the band returned to Britain/Ireland in November, they were joined by the returning by Arciero, Duffy and Salmins and new organist Brother Paul Brown.[32] Thistlethwaite and Trevor Hutchinson returned for a Fisherman's Blues revisited tour in December 2013, alongside Scott, Wickham and Salmins.[33][34] In June 2014, the core trio and Brown were joined by Niall C. Lawlor (lap steel) and Shane Fitzsimmons (bass). Richard Naiff briefly returned for some shows in July 2014 before Brown returned.[35][36] Lawlor and Fitzsimmons were replaced by Zach Ernst (lead guitar) and David Hood in 2014, when the band relocated to Nashville, Tennessee.[37] This line-up continued until August 2016.[38]
In 2017, the band consisted of Scott, Wickham and Brown, alongside Bart Walker (guitar), Aongus Ralston (bass), Jon Green (drums) and backing vocalists Jess Kavanagh and Zeenie Summers. Walker and Green departed in 2017, Salmins returned again. Gavin Ralston joined on guitar for a European tour in 2019. Aongus Ralston was briefly replaced by Jeff Adams for a North American tour in the same year,[39] tech Neil Mahony also played bass as he had previously done in 2016.[40] All subsequent touring was cancelled due to COVID-19.
When the band returned in late 2021, Hallawell rejoined as pianist, performing alongside Brown playing Hammond organ, and Eamon Ferris replaced Salmins on drums. Wickham retired from the band in February 2022.[41] In April 2025, Barny Fletcher joined the band on second vocals.[42]
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Anthony Thistlethwaite was an original member of the band, and remained a member until 1991 when the band broke up, although he also joined a few recording sessions for A Rock in the Weary Land (1999). Behind Scott and Wickham, Thistlethwaite has more songwriting credits than any other Waterboy. His saxophone (regularly featured in solos) was one half of the early group's distinctive brass section, while his mandolin playing came to the forefront during the group's Irish folk phase; but he has also played bass, keyboards and guitars. He pressed to return the Waterboys to a rock music sound after Room to Roam (1990), but this did not occur until Dream Harder (1993), which was recorded after his departure. He is now a member of The Saw Doctors, and has also released three solo albums. In November 2013, Thistlethwaite and former bassist Trevor Hutchinson returned to the band for a Fisherman's Blues revisited tour.[33][34]
Original member Kevin Wilkinson was the band's drummer from 1983 to 1984, and continued to play in some studio sessions afterwards. He later appeared on A Rock in the Weary Land (1999), one of his last sessions before his death. Scott describes Wilkinson's drumming as "bright and angular, an unusual sound".[43]
Karl Wallinger joined the group in 1983, playing on their first TV appearance.[44] He left the group two years later, but in that relatively short period made important contributions to both A Pagan Place and This Is the Sea. He co-wrote "Don't Bang the Drum", the environmentalism anthem on the latter album.[45] Wallinger's World Party project was heavily influenced by his work with the Waterboys and also featured other former members.[46]
Steve Wickham transformed the group when he joined in 1985; his interest in folk music directly resulted in the band's change of direction.[47] His initial involvement with the Waterboys ended in 1990 when Scott and Thistlethwaite wanted to return to rock and roll.[9] Wickham rejoined the group in 2001,[13] and remained until 2022 (when he stepped down from touring).[41] Described by Scott as "the world's greatest rock fiddle player",[48] he has written more songs for the band than anyone other than Scott, including the group's handful of instrumental recordings.
Richard Naiff first recorded with the band in 1999, and joined permanently in 2000. As of 2007, he was a core member, along with Scott and Wickham. He is a classically trained pianist and flautist, and plays keyboards for the Waterboys. Ian McNabb described him as Scott's "find of the century"[49] and reviewers have described him as "phenomenally talented".[50] Naiff officially left the Waterboys in February 2009 to spend more time with his family.[51] He briefly returned to The Waterboys for some shows in July 2014, before Brother Paul Brown took over keyboards again.[35][36]
Other notable past members have included Ian McNabb (leader of The Icicle Works), Sharon Shannon (who became Ireland's all-time best-selling traditional musician),[52] experimental musician Thighpaulsandra, producer Guy Chambers, Patti Smith drummers Jay Dee Daugherty and Carlos Hercules and bassists Steve Walters and Mark Smith who was the band's bassist when he died on 3 November 2009.[53]
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