About us
The Broken Pokers are one of Australia’s finest Irish folk and traditional outfits, sharing their love for music with anybody who will lend an ear for a cheeky tune, a rousing ballad or a road-worn yarn.
Derrick (guitar/bouzouki/vocals) is an Irish expat who’s called Australia home for the last 20 years. Ben (banjo/mandolin/whistles/vocals) is from the West Australian Wheatbelt. Together, they blend classic, rare, and contemporary Irish repertoire with jigs, reels and other instrumentals, and the folk songs of Australia, creating a lively counterpoint of stories and tunes.
In addition to their non-stop schedule of local and regional shows around Perth and Western Australia, the Broken Pokers have toured in Singapore, Malaysia and Ireland.
August 2024 saw the duo return to Ireland for their fourth tour, a month-long trip with shows in Counties Westmeath, Offaly, Sligo, Down, Donegal and Tyrone, coming off the back of their hugely successful 2023 tour for the national Irish traditional music festival, Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.
This festival, in Derrick’s native Mullingar, Co.Westmeath, culminated in 15 live shows over 9 days of the Fleadh, where they enjoyed a rapt and welcoming reception while performing in their trademark style to a great number of the festival’s 600 000+ revelers and music lovers.
It’s a show not to be missed - the combination of their high energy performance, a muscular sound that belies the expectations of a mere duo, deep and broad musical influences, all wrapped up in a fun and humorous sensibility makes for a unique and memorable experience that has to be seen to be believed.
About us
The Broken Pokers are one of Australia’s finest Irish folk and traditional outfits, sharing their love for music with anybody who will lend an ear for a cheeky tune, a rousing ballad or a road-worn yarn.
Derrick (guitar/bouzouki/vocals) is an Irish expat who’s called Australia home for the last 20 years. Ben (banjo/mandolin/whistles/vocals) is from the West Australian Wheatbelt. Together, they blend classic, rare, and contemporary Irish repertoire with jigs, reels and other instrumentals, and the folk songs of Australia, creating a lively counterpoint of stories and tunes.
In addition to their non-stop schedule of local and regional shows around Perth and Western Australia, the Broken Pokers have toured in Singapore, Malaysia and Ireland.
August 2024 saw the duo return to Ireland for their fourth tour, a month-long trip with shows in Counties Westmeath, Offaly, Sligo, Down, Donegal and Tyrone, coming off the back of their hugely successful 2023 tour for the national Irish traditional music festival, Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.
This festival, in Derrick’s native Mullingar, Co.Westmeath, culminated in 15 live shows over 9 days of the Fleadh, where they enjoyed a rapt and welcoming reception while performing in their trademark style to a great number of the festival’s 600 000+ revelers and music lovers.
It’s a show not to be missed - the combination of their high energy performance, a muscular sound that belies the expectations of a mere duo, deep and broad musical influences, all wrapped up in a fun and humorous sensibility makes for a unique and memorable experience that has to be seen to be believed.