Pat McManus -
Guitars, Fiddle with Irish Rock band "Indian".
Pat fiddles Pat was born in Derrylin, Co. Fermanagh into a family steeped in a rich tradition of Irish music, so it was inevitable that he would take up an instrument. Pat chose the Fiddle, which he learned from his American born Irish father, himself an accomplished player of both Fiddle and Saxophone. He also learned tunes from his mother who is a fabulous Irish and Contemporary singer, with a wealth of tunes passed down over many generations by way of lilting or by those who could play (or afford) an instrument.
As a child, Pat, his brothers and sisters and parents all performed live in a family band. During this time he entered many competitions; and by the age of eleven he had won the All-Ireland. At fourteen, he won the Fiddle of Oriel in the adult category.
As a teenager, Pat took up the guitar, encouraged by local musicians such as Cathal McConnell of 'The Boys of the Lough'.
By his late teens, Pat and his brothers, John and Tommy, were beginning to feel the influence of less traditional music; and after becoming a big fan of Irish band 'Horslips', began to explore Rock music. They formed their first outfit, 'Pulse' which developed into 'Mama's Boys'. The band quickly grew in popularity across Ireland, and they recorded their first album on their own label. Before long interest grew from the major labels and the band were signed to Jive in the U.K. and Arista in the U.S.
'Mama's Boys' went on to have international hits and toured extensively in the UK, US, Europe and the Far East. During this time, they worked with acts such as Scorpions, Foreigner, Bon Jovi, Sting, and many more. Pat was also called to do sessions for such diverse acts as John Parr of 'St. Elmo's Fire' fame, to 'Tricky' by Massive Attack on his highly rated 'Pre-Millennium Tension' album.
In 1994, Pat's brother Tommy, the drummer in 'Mama's Boys' died after a long battle with Leukaemia which he bravely fought from the age of seven. This left Pat and John unable to carry on with the band, as it was always the three of them and it wouldn't be right to replace Tom.
After a time of reflection, music seemed the best way to heal their loss, and Pat and John went on to write new and different material, incorporating both rock and their love of Irish music; and out of this came 'Celtus'. They were signed by 'Muff Windwood' to Sony on his S2 label. Albums, singles and tours followed, all favourably met by critics, culminating in winning best new album at the Irish music awards.
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