Live Report: The Celtic Social Club charm Whelan's crowd

Trad is not just having its moment in Ireland, and The Celtic Social club have been a great example of that for over a decade now. They were formed in 2013 in France's Celtic region, Brittany. Their music is defined by genre-mixing, with a driving Celtic beat to it.

Last night, they offered a show in Whelan's that blended Celtic music with rock, folk, pop, and punk. Some songs were more genre focused, while others explored different sounds, giving the set a dynamic yet cohesive feel.

Perhaps it was his sweet yet nonchalant stage presence, lighting, the black and white outfit, or the dark and bluesy sound of certain songs, but frontman Taylor Byrne evoked a strong sense of AM-era Alex Turner.

The Celtic Social Club at Whelan's on February 4 2026. Copyright Maizy Kharrazian/hotpress.com

The overall atmosphere resembled a wholesome pub outing, with friends having pints and a few heartfelt chats, accompanied by laughter and trad music.

The Celtic Social Club consists of 2 fiddles, a bass, electric and acoustic guitar, as well as drums and percussion with washboard, cymbals, and harmonica. You could feel the serotonin bouncing off the walls during opening track 'You Should Know', with big boot stomps resonating on Whelan's stage and floor to the rhythm of the song.

"It’s very hot in here, isn’t it?," Byrne shouted about twenty minutes into the gig. It was unclear if he commented on the actual temperature or the energy in the room.

On the subject of heat, they played 'Sunshine', which lit up the room with its optimistic and romantic lyrics like "On a beautiful morning that came without warning" and "It's a beautiful feeling that got me believing".

Parts of the tracklist were a call back to early 2000s acoustic pop ballads, resembling The Script and The Fray. 'Sufffer For You' makes a beautiful soft rock classic. Long trad instrumentals with prominent fiddles at the centre seamlessly transitioned one track into another, further highlighting the band's blending ability.

The Celtic Social Club at Whelan's on February 4 2026. Copyright Maizy Kharrazian/hotpress.com

Mathieu Péquériau played the percussion as well as a harmonica, which transformed longing ballads into old tavern anthems like 'Pauper's Funeral'.

At their shows, The Celtic Social Club usually ask people to sing along to the chorus of 'Eldorado'. Byrne explained nonchalantly that he doesn't want to do that as a front man anymore, saying that it’s too easy to sing along to the words “on the road”. He continued to tease the crowd by shouting "don't do it". The crowd obviously didn't oblige, singing along like they were part of the band.

Towards the end, Byrne took some time to speak with the audience, saying he normally wouldn't speak at their shows in France, jokingly adding that "no one would understand".

"But now, I’m in Dublin in front of friends and family," he said.

The set ended with the guitarists bowing their heads, signifying it was the time for the curtains to come down. The band got off stage, just for Byrne and fiddle player Céline Rivaux to immediately go back up again. It wouldn't be a show in Ireland without "one more tune" chants at the end, and Byrne and Rivaux were quickly joined by other band members to deliver 'Winter's Nearly Done' from their new album You Should Know.

The gig erupted by into a mini trad session, with Byrne jumping into the crowd to dance with the concertgoers.

To finish, bass player Richard Puaud said a few words about the formation of the band. He talked about their instant chemistry with Byrne, who joined in 2022.

"I immediately said: okay, I don't know who he is, but if he's from Dublin..." said Puaud, while introducing the singer. The applause lasted for twenty seconds before the crowd started chanting 'Olé, Olé, Olé', capping off Byrne's hometown welcome.