IRA

IRA - Polish heavy metal band formed in 1987 in Radom by Jakub Płucisz (guitar), Wojciech Owczarek (drums), Artur Gadowski (vocal, guitar), Dariusz Grudzień (bass) and Grzegorz Wawrzeńczuk (keyboards), during the fall of communism in Poland. They gained a wide popularity in Poland in the early nineties, mainly after releasing the "Mój Dom" album, with the hit title song, which was still during their garage and semi-professional days. They also gained some local popularity amongst the Polish-speaking citizens in the United States, where they lived and worked for few months. After signing a professional contract back in Poland, they released a few albums which didn't prove to be commercially successful (except for the "Mój Dom" follow-up, which was "IRA 1993"), and the band disbanded afterwards. Artur Gadomski started a solo career which stylistically spanned heavy-metal to pop music. He opened for Brian May before his show in Warsaw in September 1998. Artur's solo efforts weren't very successful either, and what success he did gain was largely based on the then legendary status of IRA. A few years later the band reunited, and exists up to now. Once again, they have not attained much popularity, but are well-known amongst heavy metal fans in Poland (though they play mainly pop-oriented hard rock), and their concerts are selling rather well.