In late January 2026, The Celtic Social Club gathered in Poitiers for a working session focused on writing new material for an upcoming album planned for 2027. To warm up and find their sound, the band played several tracks from their latest album YOU SHOULD KNOW acoustically — including three already tested in unplugged versions during English radio sessions in November 2025.

The idea emerged spontaneously: record these versions as they were, without artifice, simply for the pleasure of capturing the moment. In barely two days — one day of recording, one day of mixing — the essentials were locked in. From this unplanned interlude came this Unplugged EP: five tracks as a snapshot of the band — three acoustic tracks drawn from YOU SHOULD KNOW and two captured during the closing night of their 10th Anniversary Tour in Niort.

Pre-save now!

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During those ten years, they have succeeded in asserting a sound, a style, and a name. With four studio albums and three live albums on the counter; travelling across stages, festivals, and continents, the seven Franco-Irish musicians continue to refine their elegant and daring re-reading of the Celtic music tradition, shaken with great blows of rock energy, pop melody and folk magic… Quite a journey for a band that was only to be a « one-shot » creation at the « Vieilles Charrues festival », in July 2014…

The energy, the desire and the freshness will therefore have been the strongest for this gathering of adventurers, rallied around the name « THE CELTIC SOCIAL CLUB » and a simple artistic program: propelling traditional Celtic music (Brittany, Ireland, Scotland, Asturia) by mixing it with rock, pop, folk and groove. Organized like a stage commando, the «CELTIC » plays a lot in Europe, flies to Asia, and then the United States, (including an emblematic show in Central Park, New York). They then set out to conquer the United Kingdom, even though they knew that the English were not inclined to indulge in “French” groups, with their fourth album, DANCING OR DYING? (2021). Discovered by the emblematic Janice Long from BBC, the singles « Home » and « Over The Line » were then regularly played on BBC 2, the biggest radio station in Europe. The « CELTIC » obtained a fullpage interview in the culture section of THE TIMES newspaper, a rare event for a French group in England, and also appeared on the cover of ROLLING STONE magazine in France !

If The Pogues and The Clash have often been cited in an attempt to summarize this energetic and ambitious musical “mash-up”, the « CELTIC » has little by little found its marks and its stability, to the point of making references and comparisons obsolete today. The BAND continues the DANCING ON DYING TOUR, culminating in an appearance on the main stage of the « Vieilles Charrues festival » on July 14, 2023, and is preparing new material with its new singer from Dublin, the talented Taylor Byrne, who has already proven himself on several singles (The Auld Triangle, Far Away From Here, Suddenly…). Releases which prove that Manu Masko, Goulven Hamel, Pierre Stephan, Céline Rivaud, Mathieu Péqueriau and Richard Puaud have ambition to spare and a formidable stage commitment to assert their position as a challenger!

Whelan’s Main Venue • Wed 4th February 2026

€18 available online from Whelan’s – €1 per ticket service charge applies. Strictly over 18′s, I.D. may be required

AFTER THE GIG

Whelan’s Silent Disco from 10:30pm – 2 DJs, just pick the one you like best (€5 cover charge), plus Late Bar

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From Monday to Friday at 6:10 PM, tune in for a series of segments about upcoming projects, the band’s latest news, and their next live dates. The perfect way to get in the mood before the Breton concerts:

📍 February 13 — Brest: Cabaret Vauban
📍 February 14 — Penmarc’h: Salle Cap Caval

🎶 Stay tuned all week on Breizh Music Actu.

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Back in Greece, he shared our music with Filippos Pliatsikas, a major figure of Greek rock and founder of the band Pyx Lax.

Filippos in turn fell in love with our track Self-Important Clown and wanted to create a Greek version of it.

The lyrics were adapted so they could be sung in Greek, while staying true to the spirit of the song.

Today, Self-Important Clown is crossing the sea.

Just UNBELIEVABLE 🙂

Pyx Lax (Greek: Πυξ Λαξ, meaning “punching and kicking”) is a Greek rock band. Originally formed in 1989, they released their first recording in 1990, and had a critical and commercial success in the Greek music industry for fifteen years, before being dissolved in 2004. They reunited in 2011 for a tour in honor of Manos Xydous who died in 2010. In 2018, they reunited permanently. They are considered as the most successful, commercially, group in the history of Greek discography with three gold and five platinum albums (among which: Gia Tous Prinkipes Tis Dytikis Ochthis, Stilvi, Yparchoun Chrysopsara Edo?). Some of their greatest hits were: “De Tha Dakryso Pia Gia Sena”, “Ti Ine Afto Pou Mas Enoni?”, “I Palies Agapes Pane Ston Paradeiso”, “Mia Synousia Mystiki”, “Epapses Agapi na thymizeis”, “Poula me”, and “Monaxia mou ola”.

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“A unique hybrid of rock, folk, punk and traditional Celtic music” – Hot Press

The Homecoming

This isn’t just another gig. For our very own Taylor Byrne, this is a personal mission. Bringing the energy of our latest album, You Should Know, back to his home turf at Whelan’s is going to be electric.

Expect the raw power of Brittany meeting the rebel soul of Ireland. No borders, no limits, just pure high-voltage Celtic rock.

SAVE THE DATE

📍 Where: Whelan’s (Main Room), Dublin

📅 When: Tuesday, February 4th, 2026

🕖 Doors: 7:00 PM

Don’t wait until the last pint is poured—tickets are moving fast. Come witness the band that turned a one-off festival experiment into a global folk-rock machine.

👉 [READ THE FULL HOT PRESS ARTICLE HERE] 👉 [GRAB YOUR TICKETS NOW – LINK]

See you in the pit! 🤘🔥

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In an interview published by The Irish Post, the best-selling Irish newspaper in Great Britain and worldwide, Taylor Byrne looks back on his unlikely journey — from busking on the streets of Dublin to becoming the lead singer of The Celtic Social Club. A story shaped by intuition, encounters, and a shared Celtic soul. When Taylor Byrne first received a message on Instagram from a French band he had never heard of, he thought it was a scam. He ignored it for two weeks. Not long after, he found himself standing on a festival stage in western France, singing in front of 2,000 people. At just 24 years old, Byrne is now the Irish lead singer of The Celtic Social Club, joining the band in 2022 and becoming its only non-French member. Formed in 2013 by drummer and founder Manu Masko, the group already had more than a decade of history and an impressive international touring résumé when Byrne stepped in. “I literally went from playing to no one on Grafton Street to playing festivals,” he says. “It all happened very fast.” Originally from Finglas, on Dublin’s north side, Byrne had only been busking for six months before music became his full-time profession. Once street performances paid the bills, he left his job at IKEA without hesitation. Busking, he says, was his real training ground. “People aren’t there to listen to you — you have to stop them, make them engage.”

“That’s the guy”

A first performance in Temple Bar marked a turning point. Guitar in hand, something clicked. The flow, the connection, the feeling — it was undeniable. One of those moments would soon change everything. Manu Masko had come across a YouTube video of Byrne performing Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out. At the time, The Celtic Social Club had just lost its previous singer and needed to move fast to honour upcoming tours. “Manu saw the video and immediately said, ‘That’s the guy,’” Byrne recalls. Trusting his instinct, Masko reached out. After finally replying, Byrne met him for coffee in Dublin. The connection was immediate. Two weeks later, he was in France for rehearsals. Soon after, he was on stage in Saint-Palais, near La Rochelle, for his first show with the band. The excitement, however, came with doubts. For a long time, Byrne struggled with imposter syndrome, joining a group with years of experience and tours across Europe, the US and China. “It took me time to understand what they saw in me.” Today, that doubt has faded. Byrne describes the experience as life-changing, crediting his bandmates for teaching him what it truly means to be a professional musician. Sharing the stage with them, he says, is “an immense privilege”. Though largely French, The Celtic Social Club has deep Celtic roots. Most members come from Brittany, a region that proudly embraces its Celtic identity. “There’s a romantic view of Ireland in France,” Byrne says, “but more than that, there’s real respect — for the culture, the music, the history.” Ironically, it was after moving to France that Byrne truly discovered traditional Irish music, having not grown up in a household where it was part of daily life.

“But I did — and I’m glad I did. Why not?”

His earliest musical influences came instead from across the Irish Sea. “The Beatles were my first love,” he remembers — a radio moment that led him to pick up a guitar and start writing songs of his own. Songwriting now takes centre stage on You Should Know, the band’s latest album, released in October. Byrne was deeply involved in the writing process, eager to prove himself creatively. “I wanted to show that I could bring something to the table.” Recorded collectively by all seven members in the bassist’s studio, the album captures that shared energy — friends making music together. Produced by Nick Davis (Genesis, The Pogues, XTC), You Should Know marks a new chapter for the band. As the tour continues across Ireland, England and France, Byrne looks back with perspective. “If I hadn’t been so young and naïve, I probably wouldn’t have said yes,” he reflects. “But I did — and I’m glad I did. Why not?”

Link : https://www.irishpost.com/entertainment/how-a-dublin-busker-became-the-voice-of-the-celtic-social-club-302485

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A signature sound from the very first track

Throughout his review, Seuras Og goes through the album track by track :

Overall, he feels the album marks “a new chapter” for the band, brighter and more pop-leaning, without abandoning our Celtic folk roots.

“Love Madness”, the opening track, is described as an “insufferably catchy burst” — driven by a sparkling 12-string guitar, strong percussion and our trademark twin fiddles that bring the unmistakable Celtic touch.

The title track “You Should Know” carries a lively jugband-blues energy, with a bouncing bassline and fiddle lines reminiscent of Dexys.

He also highlights Taylor Byrne’s voice and shares the story of how he joined the band after being spotted performing in the streets of Dublin — a detail he recounts with humour and admiration.

Genre-blending done right

One of the surprises for him is “I Know Who You Are”, built on a clearly hip-hop-influenced drum pattern and a near-sprechgesang vocal line. A bold move — but one that, he says, works “curiously well” thanks to the fluid guitars and the Gallic-folk textures added by the fiddles. The instrumental “Imbloc” reminds him of the atmospheric soundscapes of Clannad, which he considers a beautiful compliment.

A nod to 1960s British rock

Seuras Og also drops a series of delightful rock references throughout his review:

• Speaking of “I Will Go”, he wonders: “What would the Stones or the Pretty Things of 1964 sound like with fiddles?” — before answering: “Delicious.”
• “Never Get Enough” evokes The Kinks, with even a hint of “Ticket To Ride” in the guitar work.

These echoes help anchor the album in a shared musical heritage between France, Ireland… and Britain.

An intimate and emotional ending

The reviewer admits that “Winter’s Nearly Done” initially surprised him — a stripped-back, fragile, intimate closing track.
But he soon realises that its sincerity and slow rise, carried by the fiddles, make it one of the album’s highlights.

“A really rather special experience”

In conclusion, At The Barrier describes the album as “a really rather special experience” and encourages readers not to keep the band a secret any longer. He ends with a sentence that sums up the spirit of the entire review: “If I see their name on any lineup in ’26, me and my tent, we’ll be heading thataway.” A promise that means a lot to us.

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After touring across Europe, The Celtic Social Club will finally stop in London for a one-night-only show at The Grace. Expect a unique blend of rock energy, traditional melodies, and pure joy on stage.

Formed in 2014, the band has been redefining Celtic music with an irresistible groove and modern edge. From the Transmusicales de Rennes to major European festivals, their shows are a celebration of sound, friendship, and freedom.

DHP Family

🎸 Date: Saturday, November 22, 2025
📍 Venue: The Grace, Highbury Corner, London
⏰ Doors open: 7:00 PM GMT

👉 Get your tickets now

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