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 the start, Mathieu brought a unique spark to the band—a bluesy fire, an acoustic touch, and a groove steeped in jazz and rock’n’roll. His expressive harmonica, infectious washboard rhythms, and warm stage presence make him one of a kind, bridging American roots with reimagined Celtic sounds.

His journey has always been eclectic: reggae, drums, and alternative music in the ’90s, then countless collaborations with artists like Christine Authier, Laurent Girard (L’Oranger), Ben Ricour, Pierre Souchon, and the cross-cultural project UNI.K in Bamako, mixing African and European musicians. That path shaped an instinctive, free-spirited style—just as at home lighting up a street corner as igniting a festival crowd.

Within The Celtic Social Club, Mathieu slips perfectly into the band’s hybrid sound—raw yet refined—where acoustic rhythm collides with traditional instruments and electric guitars. On stage, he’s pure energy; off stage, he’s a sensitive creator, always ready to experiment.

He’s also lent his talent to projects like Fest-Rock (with Red Cardell and Bagad Kemper), the Gwenn ha Du show for stylist Pascal Jaouen, and even children’s albums and handmade studio productions. Beyond the band, he runs workshops, records, and keeps weaving ties between the music scenes of Nantes, Poitiers, and Brittany.

A nomadic artist, a musician of instinct and emotion, Mathieu Péquériau embodies the very spirit of The Celtic Social Club: an open road between folk, rock, groove, and tradition.

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