| Richard Naiff | |
| Birth Name: | Richard Naiff |
| Genre: | Rock, folk, folk rock, blues |
| Birth Place: | London, England |
| Instrument: | Piano, keyboards, flute |
| Occupation: | Musician |
| Associated Acts: | The Waterboys Soulsec The Catacoustics Icicle Works |
Richard Naiff is a British pianist and flautist from London who has performed with the bands Soulsec, The Catacoustics, The Waterboys and The Icicle Works. Naiff is a classically trained musician, having joined the Guildhall School of Music at age ten. The Irish music website Cluas.com describes Naiff as "phenomenally talented".[1]
Naiff was invited to participate on The Waterboys' album A Rock in the Weary Land after the group's leader Mike Scott heard his piano work in a studio next to one where the recording sessions for A Rock in the Weary Land were taking place. Naiff joined the band officially in June 2000.[2] Along with Mike Scott and Steve Wickham, Naiff makes up the core of the post-2000 Waterboys band.
Former Waterboy Ian McNabb described Naiff as Scott's "find of the century".[3] Not coincidentally, while keeping his membership in the Waterboys, Naiff also joined McNabb's touring band in 2004, and became a member of a revived version of McNabb's old band The Icicle Works in 2006.
Naiff's rock and roll influences include The Damned.[2]