3 Pints Gone In Ireland—A Live Recording Story

3 Pints Gone is a Midwest-based Celtic trio made up of founding members Bill (vocals) and Kathleen Masino (vocals, Irish tin whistle, tambourine and shaker), along with acoustic guitarist and vocalist Jeremy Magyar-Groom.

The band is known for its fun, rowdy blend of traditional Scottish and Irish songs, sea shanties and reworked Celtic takes on classic folk, rock and pop songs that it performs around the U.S. and abroad.

In the studio and on stage, the band is often joined by a rotating cast of fiddlers, percussionists, bass players and more—as well as fans and friends, collectively known as the “Chasers,” who step up to the mic to join in on vocals.

My history with the band dates back to 1999 when I recorded the album Scotland’s Depraved for the band’s previous incarnation, Wild Mountain Thyme. Over the preceding years, I have had the pleasure of recording five further studio albums, two live albums and a greatest hits collection featuring both new recordings and remixes for the group.

Recently, the band partnered with Hammond Tours (hammondtours.com), taking more than 70 people on two coach-style buses for biannual sightseeing tours across Scotland and Ireland, featuring concert performances at castles, pubs, and more along the way.

For the band’s recent jaunt in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, I was fortunate to resume my role as the band’s recording and live sound engineer.