About the Band
Photo: Alejandro Aranda
Old Man Flanagan's Ghost have been bringing music with a Celtic heart to audiences for years. They are inspired by bands such as Great Big Sea , The Pogues, The Dubliners, Flogging Molly, and more! Best described as ‘engaging Celtic folk/rock’, they combine the sound of traditional folk instruments with a passionate intensity during fiddle tunes and sing-a-long pub rousers, and when the mood shifts to folk-style story-telling songs, the haunting melodies and warm vocals created by these musicians would ‘bring a tear to a glass-eye’.
Launched in Jan 2012, they have continued to impress audiences, playing notable Ontario events (see past shows). Their original music is their true passion. The debut album Sociable! (2015), hit #4 on community and college radio stations across Canada, including #1 positions on weekly Top 30 and folk charts. Their sophomore album Far From Shore (2018) received play on CBC, and again appeared on several college and community Top 30 and folk charts. During the Covid Pandemic, they released a collection of covers recorded during a live-stream event on their third album affectionately titled LIVE. Their newest album Simple Little Boat released August 23rd, 2024 (see reviews).
With several talented guest musicians occasionally joining OMFG for live performances, they are regarded as featuring dynamic fiddling, with engaging songs, energy and passion. The core of OMFG members still exist with Bexy Ashworth on fiddle, the talented multi-instrumentalist/luthier Matti Palonen on tin whistle and double-bass, Scot Allan on bodhrán, and Stephen Lamb on guitar and lead vocals. With their rendition of classic Celtic and east coast covers, traditional fiddle tunes, and a variety of original tunes, they invite the audience to participate in a fun, energetic stage show that can be enjoyed by all.
Imagine the smell of the sea, cold pints of beer, old shipwrecks, stories of love and loss, and boisterous friends sharing a laugh and a song. Now mix it with an instrumentation that takes you on a journey east, and a feeling of being welcomed into your neighbour’s home for a kitchen party, THAT is the essence of Old Man Flanagan’s Ghost.
Launched in Jan 2012, they have continued to impress audiences, playing notable Ontario events (see past shows). Their original music is their true passion. The debut album Sociable! (2015), hit #4 on community and college radio stations across Canada, including #1 positions on weekly Top 30 and folk charts. Their sophomore album Far From Shore (2018) received play on CBC, and again appeared on several college and community Top 30 and folk charts. During the Covid Pandemic, they released a collection of covers recorded during a live-stream event on their third album affectionately titled LIVE. Their newest album Simple Little Boat released August 23rd, 2024 (see reviews).
With several talented guest musicians occasionally joining OMFG for live performances, they are regarded as featuring dynamic fiddling, with engaging songs, energy and passion. The core of OMFG members still exist with Bexy Ashworth on fiddle, the talented multi-instrumentalist/luthier Matti Palonen on tin whistle and double-bass, Scot Allan on bodhrán, and Stephen Lamb on guitar and lead vocals. With their rendition of classic Celtic and east coast covers, traditional fiddle tunes, and a variety of original tunes, they invite the audience to participate in a fun, energetic stage show that can be enjoyed by all.
Imagine the smell of the sea, cold pints of beer, old shipwrecks, stories of love and loss, and boisterous friends sharing a laugh and a song. Now mix it with an instrumentation that takes you on a journey east, and a feeling of being welcomed into your neighbour’s home for a kitchen party, THAT is the essence of Old Man Flanagan’s Ghost.