Dunnstown band Old Melbourne Road has set their sights overseas.
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The band will be putting aside their Australian festival and pub appearances in September as they head to Ireland for a tour.
A family affair, the band consists of brothers John and David Murphy, John's two sons Lachlan and Patrick, nephew Sean Carragher and cousins Paul Britt and Brendan Spratling.
“We started playing together about five years ago and we have been frequently performing all around Victoria ever since,” Lachlan Murphy said.
The diverse array of instruments featured in the seven piece Irish/Australian folk family band includes two acoustic guitars, a mandolin, bass guitar, lead guitar, drums, piano accordion, harmonica, bodhrán, keyboard, and a tambourine.
“We have always loved playing songs from Irish artists The Pogues and Christy Moore as well as Australians Weddings Parties Anything and Redgum,” Mr Murphy said of their inspiration.
The genre of music the band plays has been ingrained in all the members from an early age according to Mr Murphy.
“We have all grown up with this sort of music.
“The area we come from (Dunnstown) is steeped in Irish heritage and our parents and grandparents have had this music deeply entrenched in their DNA.”
Mr Murphy listed the the Port Fairy Folkie and Koroit Irish Festival as some of the events they most enjoyed playing at.
“It has always been a dream of ours to tour Ireland so we set out to play as many gigs as possible to be able to afford it” he said.
“Once we were in the right position financially, that dream had soon become a reality. We contacted a few venues over there and as a result we were able to string together a tour.”
For the Dunnstown-based group, the band’s name has a special significance.
“Old Melbourne Road runs through our home town in Dunnstown and every single band member either lives on or has a strong connection to it,” Mr Murphy said.
“We'll be playing a farewell tour launch show on Sunday, 6th of August at Irish Murphy's in Ballarat.”
Their three-week Irish tour includes Armagh, Derry, Cork, Limerick and Roscrea.
“We all fly out separately and meet in Dublin on the 13th of September. From there we will be going anti-clockwise all around Ireland,” Mr Murphy said.
“We are mostly looking forward to absorbing the unique and vibrant culture that Ireland is renowned for.
“We have met many Irish people over the years playing at Irish and Celtic festivals as well as Irish pubs and we can't wait to experience 'the craic' first hand in their country.”
For more information about the band visit www.facebook.com/OMRBand.