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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Born in Paris in 1970 and raised in Brittany, he grew up obsessed with rock, guitars, and soundscapes that are as rough as they are tender. Known as a “six-string sharpshooter,” his style is precise, elegant, and deeply soulful. Before joining the Celtic Social Club, he sharpened his craft alongside Bruno Green, Miossec, Philippe Pascal (Blue Train Choir), Les Nus, and through his own projects Santa Cruz, Rockoko, and Holy Dust. Always chasing the right sound—somewhere between folk-rock grit and raw emotion—Goulven favors authenticity over flash, and it shows.

Based in Nantes, he switches with ease between acoustic and twelve-string guitar, banjo, mandolin, bouzouki, and piano. He also composes for live shows (dance, illustrated concerts) while running a parallel career as both a children’s author and a music journalist.

In 2021, he dropped his solo project Halven, a heartfelt tribute to North American country-folk. Recorded DIY during lockdown, the album Country Code channels the spirit of Hank Williams, Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan, and Tom Petty. It reveals another side of Goulven: a low-key but powerful singer with a warm voice and razor-sharp songwriting.

With The Celtic Social Club, Goulven embodies the band’s folk soul—rooted in Brittany but always reaching out toward the vast American landscapes. On stage, he weaves rich sonic textures that give the group’s sound its unique emotional depth.

Photo : Alex Giraud

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