The Celtic Social Club


The Celtic Social Club is a Franco-Irish band formed in 2013, blending Celtic music with rock, folk, reggae, and punk.
Originally created for a one-off concert at the Vieilles Charrues Festival in 2014, the project quickly turned into a permanent band and began touring internationally.
To date, the band has released four studio albums, one best-of album, and is preparing a fifth album scheduled for release in October 2025.
WWW celticsocialclub.com𝕏 Celtic_Soc_ClubFB the.celtic.social.clubYT thecelticsocialclubIG the_celtic_social_club

History

Origins and formation (2013–2014)

In 2013, drummer and producer Manu Masko imagined a project mixing traditional Celtic music with contemporary influences, inspired by the concept of the Buena Vista Social Club. He brought together artists from different scenes — rock, folk, reggae, as well as Breton, Scottish and Irish music — with the aim of adapting traditional tunes into a modern format.
The project took shape with an initial performance, originally intended as a one-off, at the Vieilles Charrues Festival on 18 July 2014, before an audience of about 40,000 spectators.
The first line-up included Jimme O’Neill, Jean-Pierre Riou, Ronán Le Bars, Pierre Stéphan, Mathieu Péquériau and Richard Puaud. Guest performers at this concert included Breton singer Louise Ebrel, New York rapper IC Will, and Breton folk singer Colline Hill.
The first single, "Celtic Social Club", entered the playlist of France Inter, which broadcast the concert in its entirety the same evening.
Prior to this concert, the group had recorded their debut album, The Celtic Social Club, produced by Manu Masko, at La Sirène, mixed in New York by Ariel Borujow, and released on 18 June 2014 on the Breton label Keltia Musique. The album alternates between original compositions and re-interpretations of traditional themes from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, and other Celtic regions.

First tours and affirmation of style (2015–2017)

Following positive reactions from audiences and the media, the band began touring in March 2015, with concerts in France, Switzerland, Germany, and the United States. A notable appearance in New York led to the recording of the live album Unplugged in NYC, released in October 2015 and mixed by Ariel Borujow.
Jean-Pierre Riou left the band after a concert at Moulin du Roc in December 2015, and was replaced by Goulven Hamel, who had previously contributed to the group's communications.
In January 2016, the band recorded three tracks with producer John Reynolds at La Sirène, before finalizing the album at Alhambra Colbert studio and mixing it in New York with Ariel Borujow.
The second studio album, A New Kind of Freedom, was released in 2017. The band continued touring in China, Vietnam, Turkey, and Algeria.
In October 2016, the group played in Central Park as part of the 25th anniversary of the Vieilles Charrues Festival. A short U.S. tour followed in September 2017, although it did not fully meet expectations due to logistical and financial difficulties.

Former member

Guests