by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

"Sadly, I feel that the Celtic music scene in Montreal is a wee bit romanticized, contrived, even fractured," says Montreal musician Andriù MacGabhann, aka Belfast Andi. "In my native Belfast, Irish or Celtic music is a way to bridge religious and political gaps - leave the war songs at the door. I still feel a division here.

"Every Irish pub or trad-music venue has its cliques. The elitist traditional musicians - folk Nazis - rarely mix with beginners or people who do not play purist tunes." Not so at MacGabhann's jam sessions at McKibbin's (weekend evenings), Pub Claddagh (Sunday afternoons) and Hurley's (Saturday afternoons, twice a month), for which Celtic is only a starting point.

MacGabhann is clearly out to nail down both where the Celtic sound is coming from, and where it can go. On the latter note, he's launching his new CD (Swift Years are his backing band on it), one that steers away from Celtic purism. "All That Glitters has a more country-roots feel. Instead of the usual fiddle on practically all local Celtic albums, I use the banjo and mandolin to play the melodies. It sounds American, but in Ireland, a lot of the trad players use them. I added three of my own songs which, even though they're Irish in spirit, have a rock 'n' roll touch."

At the same time, he's been enlisted as musical researcher for CJAD 800's new monthly program The Irish Show, debuting tonight, Thursday, March 10 at 7 p.m. "It's a monthly community talk show relating to anything Irish here in Montreal and abroad. I will help add some music to animate the show. Music old and new, contemporary and traditional, with an Irish connection."

Post-float notes

For any Montreal musician with an Irish connection, of course, tradition number one is the festivities surrounding the St. Patrick's Day Parade, which starts this year on Sunday, March 13, at noon at Fort and Ste-Catherine. Paddy, the parade's somewhat disturbing mascot, won't be playing any tunes, but Belfast Andi will at McKibbin's Pub on Sunday morning, alongside the pre-parade breakfast (8 a.m. to 11 a.m.) - Salty Dog, the Crazy Folkers and Sona should pop up there during the day as well - and by 2 p.m., he'll be over at Andrew's Pub.

Many other troubadours will be scampering helter-skelter through the pub district on parade day. Hurley's gets started early with Charlie & Jono playing their parade breakfast at 8 a.m. The afternoon set goes to Solstice, and if you're still standing at 9:30 p.m., catch Salty Dog (a precursor to Monday morning's hair of the dog?). Next door at O'Herlihy's, Squid Jigger will serenade you as of 8 a.m., Joshua hold the 3 p.m. slot and nighttime sees Nova Scotia's Pogey.

O'Hara's has Ed Zawada at 2:30 p.m., and the Slaters are at Brutopia at 3 p.m., same time the Capones hit the stage at Grumpy's and Canadian Celtic heavyweights the Mahones roll into Club One. The Old Dublin has Liam Callaghan and friends, plus the Starchy Tubers, starting at 2 p.m., while O'Regan's serves up the ShaSha Kats at 9 a.m. for the breakfast (and again at 10 p.m.), and U2 tribute band Zoo2 rocking the afternoon crowd.

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