LAST NIGHT'S FUN.

Pictured here at the Afternoon in Ireland, put on by the Irish American Claddagh Society. From left to right, Mark Ward, Tom Walker, Dan Possumato, John Walsh, Richard Gelardin & Gerard McDonnell. Photo by Michael Dinneen.

Based in Anchorage, LAST NIGHT'S FUN is a band that plays Irish Folk and Traditional music, with occasional trips in to other traditions. The band is made up of 5 members, Mark Ward on Fiddle, Guitar, Whistle, Mandolin & Vocals, Ken Karabelnikoff on Guitar & Vocals, Dan Possumato on Accordion & Melodeon, Gerard McDonnell on Percussion & Vocals and John Walsh on Banjo, Mandolin & Vocals.

The original trio, Tom Walker (just back from Germany) John Walsh and Mark Ward were the founding members of the band, known as GAEL FORCE, which the Anchorage Daily News described as "Anchorage's Premier Irish Band".

Although as a band they rarely tour outside the State, on a tour in Pennsylvania, they played to packed houses everywhere they went and hope to return in the near future, at the request of the local promoters.

Select Alaskan Appearances : University of Alaska Fairbanks Kenai Peninsula College The Alaska State Fair Dillingham Arts Council Alaska Irish Music Festival Anchorage Folk Festival Juneau Folk Festival

GERARD MCDONNELL - Bodhran, Djembe, Doumbek, Bongos, Vocals

Mountain scrambler, photo stealer and general jig-act con-tractor specializing in engineering Tom Foolery who claims to be the only Irishman silly enough to have played a bodhran on top of Denali (Mt. McKinley). Next to Jaffa Cakes and Club Milks he finds daily inspiration in Twinkies and Mars bars. He lists the New Caledonia strain 20-99, the Moscow 10-99 and the Panama 2007-99 as some of his many influenzas that he's caught over the years in his native county Limerick. After stumbling upon his first bodhran stall outside a pub, at a Fleadh Ceoil in Clonmel, he decided he'd purchase one to protect himself from the locals. Playing it was an after thought. Self taught, his style resembles the complex rhythms achieved by putting sneakers in a dryer. On a more serious note, Gerard is the most sought after Irish Percussionist in Alaska, bar none.

JOHN WALSH - Tenor banjo, Mandolin & Vocals

Dublin native, John Walsh was a late-comer to the music as he says himself. Although he grew up in a musical family, he didn't start playing banjo till around 1981. After leaving school in the seventies, John Walsh turned to fishing for full-time employment, and its from this community that he got and still gets, his extensive repertoire of tunes and songs. John's playing style would have many influences, but his major influence would have to be Barney McKenna : "The man who put the banjo on the map in Irish Music".

Nowadays, John can be found at the forefront of the Irish music scene in Alaska, where he plays with the Anchorage based band LAST NIGHT'S FUN formerly, GAEL FORCE, which has been described by The Anchorage Daily News as "Anchorage's Premier Irish Band".

John has toured extensively with numerous well known Irish musicians and continues to tour and teach, he has also appeared on stage with many artists that have toured the State.

Some of the artists, John performs with are Tommy Martin, Finn MacGinty, Dale Russ, Patrick Ourceau, Dana Lyn, Eamon O'Leary, Linda Hickman Tony De Marco and many more. In the past, he has also toured with Aidan Brennan, Martin Hayes & Paddy O'Brien, Laurence Nugent & Pat McManus

For the years 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 & 2006 John was on the staff of The "Irish Week", as assistant banjo tutor, in Elkins, West Virginia.

For 2002, 2003 & 2004, 2005 John was also on the staff of the Alaska Fiddle camp.

He was on the Speakers Bureau of the Alaska Humanities Forum and is considered to be the "state's foremost authority on traditional Irish Music & culture".

"John is held in the highest regard by his musical peers in the Irish music scene in the Northwestern United States" - Dr. Mick Moloney, NYU Professor of Irish Folklore Studies and Musician.

MARK WARD - Fiddle, Guitar & Vocals.

Mark Ward was raised in Anchorage, and has been playing music in one form or another since the age of seven. While growing up he was exposed to many different types of traditional music by his parents, but it wasn't until they started playing a record, Mark's Uncle, Rock Eggen, made with 'The Deseret String Band', that he started to take an interest in the music. He firmly believes that it was this recording that led him back to the Irish fiddle, after experimenting with many other forms of music and instruments.

He has studied Irish fiddle with musicians, that are considered to be Masters, James Kelly, Brian Conway and Martin Hayes. In the late 1991, Mark joined up with John Walsh, Tom Walker and legendary guitarist, Ken Karabelnikoff to form the band, "GAEL FORCE". Although, Ken went on to pursue other musical interests, the trio (Mark, Tom and John) continued to perform together, with the addition of accordion-player, Dan Possumato, they formed "LAST NIGHT'S FUN".

Although, Mark is fine singer and guitar-player, its his impeccably clean traditional style as a fiddle-player, that he is perhaps best-known. He is also a very fine whistle-player, and its not unknown for him to pick up a bodhran, now and again.

KEN KARABELNIKOFF - Guitar & Vocals

Ken Karabelnikoff is one of the most talented musicians in Alaska. He has been to Ireland many times and has played with some of the top names in the Irish traditional music scene, including The Chieftains, Mick Moloney, Mary Staunton, Larry Nugent, the Ceili Bandits and a host of others. Although Ken is best known as a Guitarist he can on occasion be coaxed into singing and can bring audiences to tear with both his humorous and sad songs. Ken has been around the Alaska Folk scene all his life and has played with many great players, not just in Irish music.

DAN POSSUMATO - Accordion & Melodeon

Dan Possumato left his home in Pittsburgh in 1969 and has wandered far and wide since then. The fact that he was born on Saint Patrick's Day and had several Irish friends in college contributed to his love of Irish music. He's a melodeon player (one row diatonic button accordion), who plays in the old "push and pull" style. In addition to his one row boxes, he also plays a two row box tuned in D and G. Dan spent 15 years living in Germany, while there he joined up with four Irish musicians from Cork in the band "Rannoch," with a large following among the expatriate Irish population in both Dusseldorf and Cologne.

He also played in Europe for a time with Brian O'Connor, the brilliant flute & whistle player from the Cork-based band Ossian. Dan has spent much time visiting Ireland, which has enabled him to learn many esoteric tunes, especially ones traditionally associated with the melodeon. Many of these tunes were learned first-hand from John Bass, several times All-Ireland melodeon champion.

Dan has assembled a real collection of boxes over the years. He owns two Castagnari melodeons, an early version of a Saltarelle Nuage two row, a French-made box by Bertrand Gaillard, a two-row Castagnari box, and an old 1930's vintage one-and-a-half row Baldoni Bartolli. Dan graduated from the Army War College in Pennsylvania this past June. While in that state he often played with the band Medicinal Purpose, one of the east coast's most popular contra dance bands.

Sometimes member, Richard Gelardin has been playing Irish fiddle since 1985. He attended the Willie Clancy summer school in County Clare Ireland for three Summers . He has been to Ireland to Play sessions at least twelve or more times and feels this helps his interpretation of the music.

Richard has played Irish music with John Walsh and other Anchorage Irish musicians, for almost as long as he has been playing the fiddle.

In the late 1980s Richard was awarded sabbatical by the University of Alaska to study Bluegrass music at South Plaines College for a year. He is known as a utility man, that is to say he is useful as a musician on not only fiddle , but mandolin, guitar, tenor banjo(Irish ) Bluegrass banjo, and if pressed he can sing too. While Richard is at home playing , western swing,and bluegrass, his first love and deepest commitment is to Irish music.

Quotes about Last Night's Fun