Austria · international line-up · Celtic rock band
CELTICA · Pipes Rock!
Celtic rock · folk · world
Career2009 — present
ReferenceHunting the Horizon · Celtic Spirits
Availability, line-up, format and terms are confirmed for each proposal.
Introduction
The project
Bagpipes sit at the centre of CELTICA · Pipes Rock!’s sound, where Celtic melodies meet the intensity of guitars and percussion. Tradition provides a starting point for a rock-oriented stage language, with room for original compositions and new musical interpretations. The contrast between the pipes’ melodic expression and the band’s drive gives the project a defined instrumental identity. For festivals and cultural programmes, the proposition can bring folk and rock audiences together without asking them to choose sides. Its appeal lies precisely in the encounter: recognising a traditional reference and hearing it take on another scale, another weight and another relationship with movement.
Career
Artistic journey
Austrian guitarist and composer Gajus Stappen founded CELTICA in 2009, beginning an international career that includes Wacken Open Air. Their discography developed the meeting between Celtic music and rock, also explored in recordings such as “Celtic Spirits at Merkenstein”, a special production featuring a choir, guest musicians and dance. In 2025, “Hunting the Horizon” became their sixth studio album, with ten original compositions and a cover of Gary Moore’s “Over the Hills”, giving more space to vocals. This evolution adds contrast between instrumental passages and song while keeping the pipes as a sonic reference point. Line-up and stage scale are defined for each presentation; elements from special productions are not automatically included in every proposal.
Selected content
Videos and tracks
Explore the original videos and tracks on YouTube. These links open the original content.Booking & Beyond