Leo Moran and the Saw Doctors
By Brian Mengini
Celtic rockers, The Saw Doctors, who will be playing the TLA in Philadelphia on Tuesday, March 13, draw on a variety of musical influences to produce their distinctive sound: Performers like Buddy Holly, Bruce Springsteen and Lucinda Williams, styles ranging from country to punk. And, of course, Petula Clark.
Petula Clark? I talked to guitarist and band founder Leo Moran recently, and asked him how a celtic rock band wound up recording a Top 40 hit—the Tony Hatch iconic “Downtown”–with a ‘60s songstress and doing a music video with Clark, now 80.
Moran told me that one night, the group ended the show with their version of “Downtown,” and the crowd went wild. It was an audience favorite for years, in fact, and when the Saw Doctors decided to record it, they asked Petula Clark to reprise her hit. She agreed, and the song hit #2 on the Christmas charts in Ireland. “It was amazing to record with a musical legend like her,” admitted Moran. “She was a lot of fun and we had a great time!”
The band kicked off its largest ever US and Canada tour on February 22 in Ponte Vedra, Florida. The tour will include 29 shows and will conclude April 1 in Los Angeles at the famous Troubadour Club. What is Philly like for a “Doctors” show? We’re “like family,” Moran says. He says he often sees familiar faces in the crowds. In fact, some have likened Saw Doctors’ international fan base to Deadheads, devoted followers of the band, The Grateful Dead.
How would Moran describe a Saw Doctors show for someone who has never seen one? “They are upbeat and downbeat. The shows are uplifting and positive overall. People genuinely enjoy the shows and sing along. Then they tell their friends and the word spreads.” And it’s not all pounding rock. Moran’s own favorite song to play is “’Same Oul Town,’ because it’s slow,” he says. “I feel it’s good to have a balance in the set.”
Opening for The Saw Doctors will be the Philly-based John Byrne Band, which has its own loyal following. You can even get discounted tickets to the show via Byrne, a Dublin native, by emailing him at j-kbyrne@msn.com. I’ll be there on Tuesday night and will have photos for you afterwards.
Brian Mengini is a contributing writer and photographer to www.irishphiladelphia.com.
