Damh the Bard

Damh the Bard (born Dave Smith) was obsessed by music from a very tender age. Regularly found by his parents singing at the top of his voice on his rocking horse to John Denver and Ralph McTell, it soon became apparent what his life-long goals would be. He got his first guitar aged 8 years old, and was taught Irish folk by his teacher, a multi-instrumentalist Irishman by the name of Tim O’Leary. Dave played his first live concerts at the age of 11 in pubs on the Isle of Wight, and took his guitar to school at every opportunity to entertain his classmates.

During the 1990s he was trained as a Bard, poet and storyteller in the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, and it was during this time that he found his artistic expression within folk music, forming the ‘Mystic Folk’ band Spiral Castle who played regularly during the late 90s at festivals.

In 2000 Damh made the decision to go it alone, and marked this with the release of his debut solo CD Herne’s Apprentice in 2002 to extremely favorable reviews, following this up with The Hills they are Hollow in 2003, Spirit of Albion in 2006, The Cauldron Born in 2008, all equally well received by fans and the music press. In 2009 he released Tales from the Crow Man, an album of mostly traditional folk songs alongside Eric Bogle’s classic anti-war song Green Fields of France. In 2010 he released a long-awaited live album As Nature Intended (download only). Antlered Crown and Standing Stone was released November 2012, and his latest album of original songs Sabbat was released in 2014.

Damh has always believed that his job is to entertain his audience and take them on a journey through the old stories and myths of this land. His audiences leave his concerts having been fully engaged by Damh, and with a deeper understanding of this land’s ancient heritage.

On the Summer Solstice 2010 Damh was initiated as the new Pendragon of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, taking over from artist Will Worthington who has served the Order as Pendragon for the previous 19 years.