What began as a simple peasant band has since evolved into troupe of performers bent on one thing: making you laugh. This is the most important thing I discovered when I first saw The Dregs perform in late 2004. Having heard a few of their songs on CD, I wasn't exactly blown away by their musical talent. That's why I was pleasantly surprised to see them live and to learn a secret that Dregs fans have known for years: Half of the entertainment never leaves the stage!
The heart of The Dregs' act is comedy, delivered in a variety of fashions. Often, the lyrics of a silly jig are enough to make you smile. But the real laughs can be found in the banter between their songs, their antics and props, and on the faces of each of the performers themselves. On stage, they create an environment that draws the audience into a twisted, goofy version of reality that incorporates song, drink, wit, and jackass behavior that you can't help but laugh at. This is the entertainment that never makes it onto an album.
I joined The Dregs in late 2005 and quickly discovered a rare talent in this band. We all have a natural ability to harmonize on the fly. One person can start a melody, a second will join in, and the rest follow suit, in perfect harmony, without previous rehearsal. During our "practice sessions" there have been times when we've literally run a song just once, mastered it on the first try, and found it worthy to perform on stage. In addition, I can apply this trait to guitar music, making it possible to perform a song that I've never played before. During our shows, this ability frees us to focus on other aspects of the performance, such as improv jokes and impromptu cover songs.
Because of this, it should come as no surprise that we've come up with several parody songs such as Million Chickens, In the Village, and Barbara Allen. Sometimes, simply for fun, we'll cook up a new version to an existing song. This is the case with Wild Mountain Thyme. At this point, it has become a running joke to include at least one version of this song on each of our albums including a jazz rendition, a Do-Wop number, and a toe-tapping bit we have no logical moniker for and have since dubbed Wild Mountain Rama Lama Ding Dong. We've also been caught on camera performing a unique version of Health to the Company.
It's a well-known fact that we'll perform any song for $5 dollars... even if we don't know it. Half of the time, we really won't know the requested song, and can pull off a reasonable facsimile from scratch. But this phenomenon has led to such perversions as "Lesbians in Socks", a version of Queen of Ol' Argyle using alternate lyrics. Originally, the traditional Irish song was written about a man's fondness for a maiden in the town of Argyle (yes, like argyle socks). Because our version is sung by a woman, does that make her a lesbian? We're not sure, but we've raised our rates to at least $10 on this song. And "Danny Boy" is simply the Irish version of "Free Bird", which we'll play for no less than $20. (Prices may vary. Subject to change without notice. See dealer for details.)
Not all of our songs feature gay sailors and homicidal children, however. The majority of our repertoire is comprised of traditional Irish songs, including a few original hits such as God Hates a Whiskey Waster, Sleeping in the Deep, O Shepherd Boy, Six Days on Land, and "Mangan's Lament". And even with the addition of instrumentation, we often enjoy going back to our a Capella roots to cover songs like the not-so-Irish Take a Chance on Me.
To throw a wrench in the works, we've got a growing number of synthpop and dance remixes featured on our albums. What's wrong with a Chemical Workers'/People Are People remix? Everything! Which is exactly why you'll find it alongside catchy versions of Johnny Jump-Up, "Old Maid in the Garret", and "Charlie" which was featured in the closing credits of the Dregs Documentary. Will they ever play us in the night clubs? We're not sure, but don't be surprised to run across techno versions of "By the Hush", "Wednesday Mourn", or "O'Donnel Abu".
While most of our fans see us performing at various Renaissance faires across the Midwest, we frequently play other venues (provided they can tolerate the Irish) and cater to the crowds. Perhaps the most important factor in our success has been no secret at all; We have fun performing, and it's infectious! See for yourself at any of our upcoming shows!