Live at Kendal Brewery Arts Centre in Cumbria: McGoldrick, McCusker & Doyle

Between them, Michael McGoldrick (flute, uilleann pipes, whistles), John McCusker (fiddle, whistles, harmonium) and John Doyle (vocals, guitar, bouzouki, mandola) have helped shape the sound of the genre for more than three decades. Their collective CV tells its own story: founding members of era-defining bands, vital members of the Transatlantic Sessions house band, BBC Folk Award winners, composers, producers, and solo artists whose fingerprints can be found across the most influential traditional and roots recordings of the last generation.

What elevates the trio even further is the extraordinary regard they command from their peers. As a collective, they are highly sought after for guest appearances and studio collaborations, bringing their unmistakable musical intelligence to projects across genres. Their playing features on work by artists such as Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Paul Weller, Steve Martin, Joan Baez, David Gilmour, Eddi Reader, Julie Folwis to name but a few – testament to the respect they hold at the highest levels of the music world. When McGoldrick, McCusker & Doyle appear on a record, it signals authenticity, mastery, and a deep-rooted connection to the heart of the tradition.

Their own trio work is equally acclaimed. From the instinctive brilliance of their first studio album The Wishing Tree to the electrifying spontaneity of their live concerts, they create music that feels both timeless and urgently alive. Sets unfold like conversations, tunes and songs passed back and forth with ease, humour, precision and playfulness, the kind of musical telepathy that can only come from growing up, travelling and playing together for most of their lives.

Bridging the Irish and Scottish traditions with grace and innovation, McGoldrick, McCusker & Doyle have become a defining ensemble of their generation. Their performances are celebrated as masterclasses in ensemble playing, rich in tradition yet always forward-looking. Audiences and critics alike praise their shows as moments of musical alchemy: spontaneous, moving, and thrillingly alive.

As individuals they are exceptional; as a trio, they are iconic.

“Traditional music at it’s most graceful, ingenious and jaw dropping” – The Guardian