Since Mike Scott formed The Waterboys in 1983, the band have followed a path that has never fitted neatly into a single genre. The expansive rock of This Is the Sea and “The Whole of the Moon” gave way a few years later to Fisherman’s Blues, where Irish folk and acoustic roots radically reshaped their sound. That freedom to change while keeping Scott’s songwriting at its core has defined more than four decades of music, with his songs covered by artists including Prince, U2 and The Killers. In 2025 they released Life, Death and Dennis Hopper, an ambitious 25-song cycle inspired by the American actor’s life and featuring Bruce Springsteen, Fiona Apple and Steve Earle. Twenty-one years after their 2006 appearance at Mendizabala, The Waterboys return to Azkena Rock Festival with a career that has never stood still.
