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    Mike.

Born in Buckinghamshire in 1963, Mike grew up in a house steeped in traditional music. His Grandfather from donegal, a fine harmonica player and singer; His Father, Packie McDaid , a piano accordianist from Strabane in Tyrone; and his Mother, Pearl, an adept player of mandolin and banjo who was also a singer. From the late 1960s to the early 2000s, Packie and Pearl McDaid were members of the Gaberlunzies Ceili Band, a lively outfit with Scots songwriter and erstwhile folksinger Matt Armour.

The young Mike chose to follow in his Fathers footsteps and learn the piano accordian. Very soon Mike was sitting in with the "Gabs" at Ceilis and sessions throughout the South of England.

Mike moved to Weymouth in 1983 where he quickly became part of both the thriving traditional music and contemporary jazz-funk scenes. He forged an excellent reputation for himself as a "keyboardist" with the band Rikki Bites Back before securing his firstrecord contract in Germany with the band Blow in 1993.

Several years on, and in his own words "older and madder", Mike says his roots are even more firmly entrenched within Irish Traditional Music where he finds his presence has been in constant demand as a session player. His most recent escapades include guest solos on London based singer Clare Mee's latest albums "The Uniquiet Brave" and "The Thing About Clouds" and various accordian arrangements with the band Automobile on their album "Pedestrian".

Mike is also one of the founding members of the Wessex Folk Festival where he can often be seen leading sessions and playing with the "festival band" The Treefellahs.