Flook

After 30 years Flook show no sign of letting up in their brilliance, their dynamism, or their inventive flair. What began in 1995 as a ground-breaking union of musicians and instruments, has continued as a unique musical offering through one live album, five studio albums and countless outstanding performances. In 2025, Flook’s enduring class shone bright as they stepped into their 4th decade with their exhilarating new release, Sanju, and an extensive tour schedule throughout the year, taking them all around UK and Ireland, to Japan, France, Belgium, Spain, The Netherlands, Denmark and Canada, and culminating in a breathtaking celebratory performance at London’s beautiful Union Chapel, a raucous spirited night at The Empire in Belfast and a high octane all-standing show at Dublin’s Opium. Flook’s achievement to date was honoured with an award from Ireland’s TG4 Gradam Ceoil TG4 Group of the Year 2025. The band early on evolved an inimitable trademark sound and hold fast to their rightful reputation as exceptional musical innovators; the whistles and flutes of Brian Finnegan and Sarah Allen, the guitar of Ed Boyd and the bodhran of John Joe Kelly weaving and spinning tunes rooted in tradition over precise acoustic grooves, with a rare blend of fiery technical brilliance, delicate ensemble interaction and a bold, adventurous musical imagination. There is an ever-present abundance of individual virtuosity amongst Flook’s four members, but there is also something wholly unique when this iconic Anglo-Irish band step on stage together, their playing always an intuitive, almost symbiotic, exchange between the various flutes, whistles, frets and skins. Sanju (meaning 30 in Japanese) is a timely reminder at this landmark juncture of what a potent artistic force Flook still remain, in their perpetual push to grow creatively - fondly acknowledging where they've come from while reaching outward and forward, their hunger for innovation burning brighter than ever.