Rekindling Nagoya's Irish Folk Scene
In the smoky haze of mid-90s Nagoya, when the city's international music scene was first finding its wobbly footing, a band emerged that would become legendary among international residents and locals alike.
With their infectious blend of traditional Irish folk and eclectic world music influences like a musical Guinness float with wasabi ice cream, The Rising Pints became the soundtrack to countless nights in now-vanished venues across the city. And now, like a familiar ghost from Nagoya's musical past—or that boss who keeps texting after midnight—they're back for a St. Patrick's Day mini-tour that promises to rekindle those glory days, liver damage and all.
I still remember the first time I caught them at Big Jerry's back in '96. The cramped space was standing-room only—though by midnight, "swaying room only" became the more accurate description—as Brian Cullen's soulful vocals soared over Mark Renburke's driving guitar rhythms. William Matheny added depth with his bass and mandolin, while Mayumi Nagaura's accordion and Eiji Wakami's bodhrán created that unmistakable Celtic pulse that made your heart beat in 6/8 time whether it wanted to or not. They played with such authenticity that you could almost taste the Guinness in the air—even when you were just drinking Asahi.
Their rise was meteoric by local standards, which in Nagoya's expat scene meant they could actually pay for a beer with their gig money. From sweat-drenched sets at the shady stage of America's Cup, where salarymen and teachers crowded shoulder-to-shoulder in the haze of cigarette smoke, to those magical midnight sessions at Santa Barbara where the stomping feet of the crowd truly angered the neighbors. These ghosts of Nagoya's nightlife may have vanished, but the memories still resonate, particularly in the ears of those who forgot their earplugs.
Their 1998 debut album release at The Bottom Line in Imaike—a venue that still opens its doors—drew 300 fans! In the intimate confines of Nagoya's live house circuit, where success was typically measured by whether the band outnumbered the audience, this was practically like packing the Tokyo Dome.
"We were dedicated, young, energetic, and really well practiced," Cullen reminisces about those early days—conveniently omitting the "and perpetually hungover" part.
That dedication paid off with regular bookings at the popular Dubliners Irish bar chain across Japan. "The place was completely jammed, and people wouldn't let us leave the stage until after the fifth encore," he recalls of one particularly memorable St. Patrick's Day gig in Osaka—though whether this was due to musical appreciation or the audience physically blocking the only exit remains debatable.
Like all great local bands, their history is peppered with colorful anecdotes that have become local lore: a stolen camera in Kyoto that prompted an unusual classified ad offering the cables to the thief (who presumably was puzzling over how to charge the thing without them); a speaker falling on Matheny's head at Bumphy's, with the trooper finishing his mandolin solo before addressing the bleeding (earning him the nickname "Concussion Concerto"); the band cramming themselves and their instruments into tiny capsule hotels while touring Osaka and Tokyo, testing the very laws of physics and the band's devotion to their fans.
When the original lineup dispersed after 1998, various incarnations of the group continued under Cullen's direction. However, the band's early magic remained captured primarily in memory and on their debut album, "The Rising Pints" (now fetching upwards of ¥500 in used CD shops, if you can find a CD player to match). The landscape changed too—many venues hosting their raucous performances have vanished into Nagoya's history, victims of changing tastes, economic reality, and more than a few noise complaints to tricky landlords.
But some flames never fully extinguish, much like that lingering heartburn from late-night Lawson konbini food. The Rising Pints return to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a mini-tour of Japan this month. Cullen and Renburke have been working on a new album of traditional Irish drinking songs—as if Japan needed more encouragement for nomikai culture—and Renburke has been documenting the band's history on film, presumably editing out the parts that would violate obscenity laws.
For those of us who "remember the magic," it's a chance to revisit the soundtrack of our younger days and pretend our knees don't crack when we attempt a jig. For newcomers, it's an opportunity to experience the authentic spirit of Irish music that once defined a significant chapter in Nagoya's international music scene.
Performance Dates
March 14
Shamrock Pub
Fushimi, Nagoya
Time: 19:30 - 22:30
Charge: Tips welcomed
MAP
March 15
Midtown BBQ
Fushimi, Nagoya
Time: 18:00 - 22:00
Charge: ¥400
MAP
March 16
Shooters
Fushimi, Nagoya
Time: 19:30 - 22:30
Charge: ¥500
MAP
March 17
The Blarney Stone
Umeda, Osaka
Time: (TBA)
Charge: Tips welcomed
MAP
#RisingPints #StPatricksDay #NagoyaMusic #IrishFolk #LiveMusicJapan #NostalgicNagoya
#ライジングピンツ #セントパトリックスデー #名古屋音楽 #アイリッシュフォーク #ライブハウス #昭和レトロ音楽
Leave a Comment