The Evangelists are an Irish rock band from Donegal (Ireland) and Derry. (Northern Ireland). They initially got together in 2000 after Eamonn McColgan (vocals), Liam Gorry (guitar) and Eoghan Holland (bass) were studying a BTEC National Diploma in Popular Music. They teamed up with the first Evangelists drummer Michael Lynch shortly after. Their first EP, entitled "Hey Presto!", contained five tracks. It was recorded from The Nerve Centre practice rooms by Paul Sayers as part of the Gasyard Wall Feile 2000 Radio station. In February 2001, Michael Lynch departed the band and was replaced by Craig Hawthorne, who was also studying at the same college. The same year, they recorded "If It Flies It Dies" in the N.W.I.F.H.E. Studios in The City Factory in Derry. It was engineered by two Italians and the band themselves. They were included in a French documentary about the Irish music scene. In 2002, the band approached Blast Furnace to record their first professionally recorded sessions. The result produced the six track "This is a Real Rabbit". The Evangelists song "Community Love Song" was included in the BelFEST 2002 compilation CD released on Creeping Herb Records. Guitarist Gorry performed with The Dangerfields at a handful of shows in 2003. Their 12-track début album Muff Against Bush was launched in late 2005. In early 2006, Craig Hawthorne was relieved of drumming duties and was replaced by Brian Doherty but returned again in early 2010. Over the years they have played hundreds of shows in Ireland and the UK. They have previously supported The Undertones, Electric 6, Electric Eel Shock, Bad Manners, The Damned and Therapy?. The Evangelists played on the I.M.R.O. Showcase Tour in May 2006. The ostentatious and sometimes downright strange band have been described as "one of the most entertaining, energetic and exciting bands to emerge from the North West in a decade" (Derry Journal) and "very raw and very entertaining" by the late Radio 1 presenter John Peel.