Standing true

Stand appear to have developed a drink habit during their exile in New York. Having previously supplied the music for a Harp Lager USA radio commercial, the Dubliners have now been co-opted onto Budweiser’s True Music campaign. “Budweiser recorded a show we did at Arlene’s Grocery in New York and are using it when they go out and do promotions round the country,” explains singer Neil Eurelle. “They’re trying to rock ’n’ roll up their image which at the moment is a bit redneck-y. The other thing we’ve just landed is the soundtrack to an independent American film called Nina which is entered into the Sundance Film Festival.”
Although yet to land a major deal, the band are regulars at such legendary venues as the Mercury Lounge, Irving Plaza and Bowery Ballroom and were described by Billboard as “one of the most exciting things happening within the New York rock scene.” They’ve also notched up their fair share of celebrity fans with Saturday Night Live’s Will Ferrell, MTV’s Carson Daly,
Rolling Stones pianist Blondie Chaplin, David Bowie and Miami Steve Van Zandt all regulars at their shows.
“I met David Bowie one night in an Irish bar across the road from where he lives in the East Village,” Eurelle continues. “I went, ‘Look, we’ve a gig coming up you should come to,’ and, fuck me, he did! He was really cool afterwards, saying, ‘I might need a support band, so stick with it.’ Miami Steve saw a couple of shows and was interested in managing us for a while,
but then his character in The Sopranos took off and that was all his spare time gone.”
A brief Irish tour completed, it’s back to The Big Apple where Stand are working on their third album in what’s been an eventful eight year career.