Some might say this is year the Saw Doctors will take the United States by storm.
Not that the band hasn’t created quite a ruckus during its 25-plus-year history. For evidence, just look at the Saw Doctors’ rock-solid U.S. fan base. The America fans combined with those from the United Kingdom and throughout the world are so die-hard that they follow the group from town to town, something akin to the Deadheads who followed the Grateful Dead.
“We have a very loyal following, they’re very proprietary to us,” said guitarist Leo Moran of the fans, who also have a constant and strong online presence. “They’ve [become fans in a] very slowly and very steady fashion and have deep roots. … We look out at the audience see lots of familiar faces; I can see faces of people we know from all over the country.”
| Onstage |
| Saw Doctors |
| » Where: The Fillmore Silver Spring, 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring |
| » When: 8 p.m. Thursday |
| » Info: $30; 301-960-9999, 202-397-SEAT (7328); filmoresilverspring.com, ticketmaster.com |
Much of that devotion has come to the band because of its high-energy shows. The band has only released a handful of albums during its career. Still, those releases have resulted in 18 top-30 singles and three No. 1 hits in Ireland.
All the more reason for excitement about the U.S. release of the band’s latest album, “The Further Adventures of … the Saw Doctors,” which was critically acclaimed in the U.K. for what is referred to as its “angst-driven tempo and layered guitars.”
Moran said that although the group was anxious to satisfy fans’ demands to release the album in the States, the current dynamics of the record industry, combined with the band’s always hectic touring schedule, prevented that release until now.
“You have to leave time sit and think,” said Moran of the process of recording and releasing a studio album. “When you are out on the road as a performer, you are an actor in a play. In our vocation, you also have to be a playwright, and that’s more of a solitary thing. And nobody wants to see a playwright at work!”
Plus, Moran said it made sense to release the album in the U.S. when the group had a major tour scheduled. Indeed, the band will hit more than 25 major U.S. cities, including the D.C. area.
Playing songs from the new album, as well as the band’s classic tunes, not only is a treat for fans but for the band, too.
“Some of [the songs] were handing around for quite a while. Others we wrote in one day in the studio,” he said. “[It’s important] to do a new album every once in a while so you’re not going around with the old sounds. That is one of the reasons the album as an art form will survive.”
