The name Dropkick Murphys is instantly recognisable among every punk, rocker and metal-head on this little island; a badge of honour the band would no doubt wear with pride! A seven-piece Boston- Irish collective, Dropkick Murphys are known for their high energy celtic punk anthems, their raw and powerful takes on traditional Irish folk songs and of course; the raucous live performances that first catapulted the band onto the global stage in 1997 (when they supported and often outshone The Mighty Mighty Bosstones on the US and European leg of the Boston on the Road tour). The group have since maintained their position as one of Boston’s most prominent punk outfits; helmed still by founding frontman and primary songwriter Ken Casey despite the many personnel changes the group have seen since their inception. Now, 27 years and 12 albums later, Dropkick Murphys have shipped into Dublin to show us locals how a session is had!
For many, the summer Sunday evening had swung into action long before the Iveagh Gardens had opened its gates at 6:30pm! Dozens of fans had waited eagerly outside the venue for hours before the event while others had spent their day readying themselves for the occasion in nearby bars off Camden and Wexford Street. As I entered the venue, the sun shone through the lofty foliage encircling the arena, reflecting off the white-topped tent bars which continuously drew a mass of excited patrons as the venue filled. The smell of stout, larger and Gin hung on the gentle summer breeze that filled the venue in the heart of Dublin city centre. This was going to be a good night!
Dublin locals Ispíní Na Héireann set to the stage as support, delivering a fun set of lively, tongue in cheek folk songs with which they led many into united choruses, chants and fits of laughter. While a number of people at the rear of the venue had been deep in conversation, laying back in the grass and saving their energy for the headliner, a loyal fanbase of Dubs had pressed themselves towards the stage to respond to every syllable of the bands setlist; a reception lead vocalist Tomás Mulligan remarked upon with genuine gratitude. Though their production was modest, Mulligan and co. won over most of the crowd in their short time on stage; engaging their fans in banter between songs and punctuating each song with gleeful laughter as they were met with praising cheers. Please Don’t Start the Fun was the best of their set; drawing the audience to push closer still to the stage, inciting singing, clapping, dancing and goading all into high spirits in the lead up to the night’s main act.
As they departed the stage, an expectant silence fell over the crowd. Loud, lively conversations faded and were replaced with whispers and murmurs. The queues for the bar and merch stand became more sporadic and hurried. The sun grew dimmer in the sky above and cloud cover fell over the stage casting it in a cool shade as the minutes ticked slowly towards 9pm.
Ispíní Na Héireann photos:
As the clock struck 9, a taped intro of Sinéad O’Connor’s Foggy Dew poured through the mainstage speakers, slowly growing louder and louder until Ken Casey and Co. vigorously rushed the stage to a zealous flurry of cheers. Their opening track, a cover of the Fureys’ The Lonesome Boatman got an immediate reaction from the Irish crowd; singing, clapping and dancing instantly erupted throughout the venue. With each successive song, the crowd chanted every lyric right back at the stage; filling the Dublin park with an energy that appeared to spill out over its walls and into the streets around it. Their fourth song; Good as Gold, then opened with a burst of golden light from the stage which washed throughout the crowd, mirroring the sunshine which now gently illuminated the clouds hanging over the arena. The night was well underway, and the energy was everything I had expected.
From here, Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya, Bastards on Parade and Gotta Get to Peelskill continued to receive phenomenal response from the boisterous crowd who were getting louder, drunker, and rowdier by the second. Frontman Ken Casey fuelled the fire further with a cover of Fields of Athenry, which he dedicated to Dublin’s very own The Scratch (of whom vocalist Daniel Lang was in attendance). Smash Shit Up provoked manic displays of passion as t-shirts spun wildly overhead and women and children perched precariously above the shoulders of seasoned moshers who relentlessly pushed toward the stage throwing the crowd into a state that mirrored the ebb and flow of a churning ocean wave.
The highlight of the night however was Maria; a super-fan who had been front row all evening, invited onto the stage by the band to sing Rose Tattoo in honour of her dearly departed father. The crowds embraced her as if a fully-fledged member of the group, chanting and cheering her name in support of her heartfelt tribute and guiding her through every verse of the song in unison. It was a truly beautiful moment; one which perfectly demonstrates the bands’ incredible ability to connect with their fans and bring them together through their music.
As a once very passive listener of Dropkick Murphys who had only ever known a handful of their songs from various films, TV shows and other media; I can now safely say that I’ll be listening to them much more actively in future! Next time they play, I hope to be involved in the madness rather than merely watching it from the sidelines!
Dropkick Murphys photos & set-list:
Set-list:
Foggy Dew (Charles O’Neill song) (Sinéad O’Connor version taped intro)
The Lonesome Boatman (The Fureys cover)
The State of Massachusetts
The Boys Are Back
Good as Gold
Climbing a Chair to Bed
Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya – 66
Two 6’s Upside Down
Bastards on Parade
Gotta Get to Peekskill
Captain Kelly’s Kitchen
The Fields of Athenry (Pete St. John cover)
Forever
Mick Jones Nicked My Pudding
You’ll Never Walk Alone (Rodgers & Hammerstein cover)
Worker’s Song
The Hardest Mile
Smash Shit Up
Rose Tattoo
Out of Our Heads
The Body of an American (The Pogues cover)
The Irish Rover (Joseph M. Crofts cover)
I’m Shipping Up to Boston
Until the Next Time
Reviewer – Joe Moran @iosaf_o_explosiff
Photos – Ian Mc Donnell @mcgigmusic