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Dropkick Murphys

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Dropkick Murphys
Dropkick Murphys at Shamrock Fest in 2011.
Dropkick Murphys at Shamrock Fest in 2011.
Background information
OriginQuincy, Massachusetts, USA
GenresPunk rock, Celtic punk, folk punk, hardcore punk
Years active1996–present
LabelsHellcat, Born & Bred
MembersTim Brennan
James Lynch
Al Barr
Ken Casey
Matt Kelly
Josh "Scruffy" Wallace
Jeff DaRosa
Past membersMarc Orrell
Mike McColgan
Rick Barton
Spicy McHaggis (Robbie Mederios)
Ryan Foltz
Jeff Erna
Joe Delaney
Websitewww.dropkickmurphys.com

Dropkick Murphys are an American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996.[1] The band was initially signed to independent punk record label Hellcat Records, releasing five albums for the label, and making a name for themselves locally through constant playing and yearly St. Patrick's Day week shows, held in and around Boston. The bands final independent release, 2005's The Warrior's Code, featured two charting singles, Tessie, which was recorded for the Boston Red Sox to be played after home game wins, and I'm Shipping Up to Boston, which was featured in the Academy Award winning movie The Departed. In 2007 the band signed with Warner Bros. Records, and have seen each of their subsequent albums, The Meanest of Times and Going Out In Style, chart in the Billboard top 20.[2][3]

Name origin

There are differing stories as to the origin of the band's name. Former band member Marc Orrell has said:

The Dropkick Murphy will come and get you if you don't go to sleep tonight. It's a rehab center, I think it's in Connecticut. I think it was the guy who used to come around late at night for all the drunks, like if you were too drunk to drive home, he would come and get you and put you in this hole that you couldn't get out until you were sober enough, I don't know. There's a bunch a stories, it's also a boxer, a bunch of things, a rehab center in Connecticut, grandparents used to scare kids with it.[4]

History

Mike McColgan era: 1996-1998

Dropkick Murphys was originally formed in 1996 in Quincy, Massachusetts, initially consisting of lead vocalist Mike McColgan, bassist/vocalist Ken Casey, guitarist Rick Barton, and drummer Jeff Erna (who would be replaced in the next year by Matt Kelly). The band first started playing in the basement of a friend's barbershop and soon found that people loved their music, and as a result began to tour and record. They received their first big break when The Mighty Mighty Bosstones selected them as the openers for their 1997 tour in support of Let's Face It.[5]

After putting out a series of EPs, they were signed by Hellcat Records. In 1998 they released their first full-length album, Do or Die, which was produced by Rancid's Lars Frederiksen.[6] Lead singer Mike McColgan left the band later that year to pursue his life-long dream of becoming a Boston firefighter (but later returned to the punk scene with the Street Dogs).

Hellcat years: 1998-2007

Ken Casey in front of the crowd, 2007

McColgan was replaced by The Bruisers lead singer Al Barr, who was referred to Ken Casey by Derek TC NYSR producer–founder of the groundbreaking 1990s Oi!–Skampilation series at the Middle East Club in Cambridge.

In 1999, they released their follow-up album, The Gang's All Here, the first to feature new singer Al Barr and the last album to feature founding guitarist Rick Barton. The album featured more of a hardcore–street punk sound closer to that of Barr's former band, The Bruisers, and more of an Irish influence than on their debut album. The band gained their first mainstream exposure when the video for their single "10 Years Of Service" received airplay on the MTV show 120 Minutes.

Under the name McBusiness, the band along with English Oi!–punk rock band The Business, released a split single titled "Mob Mentality" in 1999. A year later they released a full-length album of the same name featuring the two bands covering each other's songs along with songs from other artists. Dropkick Murphys even re-recorded their own song "Boys On The Docks" with Al on vocals.

In 2001, they released their third album, Sing Loud, Sing Proud!. The album showcased their developing sound as the band widely progressed from being a four-piece punk rock outfit, and included collaborations with Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan and Cock Sparrer's Colin McFaull. It also marked a significant lineup change for the band. Original guitarist Rick Barton was replaced by former The Ducky Boys guitarist James Lynch and Marc Orrell, and additional instruments were added and played by new members Ryan Foltz and Robbie "Spicy McHaggis" Mederios, whose name was inspired by a McDonald's menu item while the band was on a 1999 tour in Scotland.[7] Mederios became the full-time piper after original Dropkicks touring piper Joe Delaney could not commit full time to the band. Shortly after in 2001, both Foltz and McHaggis left the band, being replaced by mandolin–guitar player Tim Brennan and bagpiper Scruffy Wallace.

Their next album, Blackout, was released in 2003. The album included the radio hit "Walk Away", as well as the fan favorite song "Fields of Athenry". "The Dirty Glass" with female vocals from Stephanie Dougherty (Deadly Sins) is a song about a bar in Quincy, Massachusetts called Darcy's. Dougherty became an unofficial member of the band and would also join them on tour working their merchandise table. The song "Time To Go" was written about the Boston Bruins, and the band performed the song live at the TD Garden during at a Bruins game during intermission at a November 2003 game.

For the 2004 baseball season the band released a re-working of an old Boston Red Sox song, "Tessie". "Tessie" was used in the major motion picture Fever Pitch and was included on the EA Sports MVP Baseball 2005 soundtrack. The band was invited to the Fever Pitch premiere of the movie which was held at Fenway Park where the video was also shot. The song continues to be played at Red Sox games along with Dirty Water after games the team wins.

In 2005, Dropkick Murphys released Singles Collection Volume 2, featuring covers, B-sides, and other material that didn't make it onto previous albums, and the band contributed a recording of "We Got the Power" to Rock Against Bush, Vol. 2.

Their fifth studio album, The Warrior's Code on Hellcat Records, was released on June 21, 2005 and made its debut at number 49 on the album charts, which at the time was the highest debut for a Dropkick Murphys album. The album features the singles "Sunshine Highway" and "The Warrior's Code" as well as the bonus track "Tessie".

The song, "Last Letter Home", contains excerpts from personal letters between Sgt. Andrew Farrar, his mother and his wife. The following is taken from the album notes:

We had already finished this song that was based on general correspondences to & from the soldiers serving in Iraq, when we were contacted by the family of Sgt. Andrew Farrar who had recently died while serving there. The family wanted to tell us he was a big supporter of the Dropkick Murphys. They also passed on a letter that he had written to his mother shortly before his death in which he thanks her for sending him a Dropkick Murphys CD & said that if anything should happen to him while in Iraq, he would like one of our songs played at his funeral. He also left behind a wife, Melissa and two young boys Tyler & Liam. His tour of duty in Iraq was coming to an end & he was due to come home & renew his wedding vows with Melissa to another song of ours, "Forever". Sgt Farrar died on January 28th, on his 31st birthday. We were present at his funeral to grant his wish and played "Fields of Athenry" as his casket entered the church. This song was re-written to include excerpts from that letter.

The band released a single, with the family's permission, including the Andrew Farrar-dedicated "Fields Of Athenry" and "The Last Letter Home". All proceeds went to the Farrar family.

In 2006, "I'm Shipping Up to Boston", a song from The Warrior's Code, with lyrics from a Woody Guthrie poem the band found in his archives was featured in the 2006 Academy Award winning film The Departed, Martin Scorsese's adaptation of the Hong Kong crime thriller Infernal Affairs. Two videos, one with and one without footage from The Departed, were made due to overwhelming response to the song, which became one of the band's biggest hits to date and helped introduce Dropkick Murphys to an even bigger mainstream audience thanks to the film and soundtrack. The song was also featured in The Simpsons episode "The Debarted".[8] "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" became the walk-up song of Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, who danced an Irish jig to the song several times throughout the 2007 Boston Red Sox Championship season. During the team's victory parade, Papelbon did the jig while the Murphys played the song on the same float.

Major label success: 2007-present

James Lynch playing guitar in 2007

In 2007, the band issued their sixth album and major label debut The Meanest of Times. The album was their first since leaving Hellcat Records and was released by Warner Bros. Records under Dropkick Murphys' vanity label, Born & Bred Records. The Meanest Of Times made its debut on the album charts at number 20 in the U.S. giving the band their highest chart debut to date. The first single released from the album, "The State of Massachusetts", became an instant hit. The song is featured as the opening theme to the MTV show Nitro Circus and ranked #83 on the Rolling Stone top 100 songs of 2007 list. By January 2008, the single became one of the 60-most played alternative rock songs in the United States for the previous year.

On October 21, 2007, the band played on a small stage in Fenway Park prior to Game 7 of the 2007 American League Championship Series and on October 30, 2007, the band performed on a flatbed truck during the Boston Red Sox rolling rally to celebrate their 2007 World Series Championship, playing "I'm Shipping Up to Boston", "Dirty Water", "Tessie", "The State of Massachusetts", "For Boston", and "Sunshine Highway", to celebrate. Red Sox relief pitcher Jonathan Papelbon performed his trademark dance on the flatbed with them. Fellow Red Sox relief pitchers Hideki Okajima and Mike Timlin also rode on the band's flatbed.[9]

In 2008 Marc Orrell announced he was leaving the band and that Tim Brennan would replace him as a full-time guitarist.[10] Brennan's duties will be taken over by Jeff DaRosa.[11]

To tie in with St. Patrick's Day, a free Dropkick Murphys track pack for Guitar Hero III on the Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation Network was released on March 15, 2008 containing: "Famous For Nothing"; "(F)lannigan's Ball" and "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya" from their latest album, The Meanest of Times. Also, the song "The State Of Massachusetts" is available as downloadable content for Guitar Hero II for the Xbox 360. In July 2009, the song "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" was released as a downloadable track for Guitar Hero World Tour, and was also released in the video game Rock Band the following month.

In 2008 frontman Ken Casey re-opened McGreevys Pub. The bar has drawn good reviews for both its food and atmosphere. The Murphys have also continued touring, including a number of dates in July set to feature The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. At their July 10, 2008 concert date at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Massachusetts, they announced that the show was being recorded and would be released as their next live album. They made similar announcements during shows in Portland, Maine and Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The band also stated at the Pawtucket show that the sellout crowd of 10,060 was the largest in the band's history.

"I'm Shipping Up to Boston" has also become an anthem in the Australian Football League (AFL) in the 2009 and 2010 seasons, featuring in the official 2009 League ad for the AFL, as well as the 2010 ad for the Brisbane Lions, one of the clubs in the league. It is also the Boston Celtics' warmup song.

On April 22, 2009, the Dropkick Murphys joined Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band on stage in Boston for his Working on a Dream Tour, playing "Glory Days" and "American Land". During the show, guitarist Tim Brennan proposed to his girlfriend Diana onstage which was followed by a performance of the Springsteen song, "So Young And In Love".[12]

On June 16, 2009, the band opened up for Aerosmith at the Comcast Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts, in a "Hometown Heroes" concert; they later joined Aerosmith onstage to perform "Dirty Water".[13]

During the band's 2010 tour, a special pirate-themed backdrop was unfurled during the encore performance of "I'm Shipping Up to Boston".

On January 1, 2010, the band performed "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" before the Boston Bruins–Philadelphia Flyers 2010 NHL Winter Classic held in Boston's Fenway Park baseball stadium.

On March 16, 2010, the band released their second live album, Live on Lansdowne, Boston MA. The album also featured the band's first full-length live DVD. The album made its debut at number 25 in the U.S. charts making it their second highest charting album to date.

In a March 2010 interview with alt porn website Burning Angel, Ken Casey announced that the band would be hitting the studio in the summer or early Fall of 2010 to record their next album.[14]

In December 2010, a live version of "The Warrior's Code", the title track from the 2005 album of the same name was briefly featured in the Academy Award nominated film, The Fighter. The film followed the life and career of Micky Ward, the boxer on the cover of The Warrior's Code album, and starred Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. The Warrior's Code is also featured in the trailer for the 2011 comedy, Your Highness.

In 2011, the band's song, "Barroom Hero" was featured in the Academy Award nominated documentary, Restrepo making it the band's third song to be featured in a Academy Award nominated film.[15]

The band released their seventh studio album, Going Out In Style on March 1, 2011. The album features guest appearances by Bruce Springsteen, Fat Mike, Chris Cheney, and Lenny Clarke.[16] The title track will be the first single and the music video was also released on March 1, 2011 [17]

On March 17, 2011, the band released the music video for, "Memorial Day".[18]

Musical style and influences

The bands early influences were 1970s British punk bands like The Pogues, The Clash, and Sex Pistols.[19][20]

When they wrote their first song, Barroom Hero, they were surprised to hear how much the vocal melody sounded like those from old Irish music they heard as children, something the bandmembers at one time tried to reject. "It dawned on us that Irish music was a bigger influence on all of us than we'd realized," said Ken Casey. "Growing up in Boston, every time you went to a wedding or a wake or your grandparents' house, you heard that music. I went through a phase of hating it just because it's what my (folks) listened to."[5]

While frequently referred to as a Celtic punk band, some of their earlier material has also been classified under other punk rock subgenres like Hardcore punk and Oi!.[21][22]

They frequently cite AC/DC as an influence to their formula of maintaining a specific style, with Casey once saying "I think our goal is to be the AC/DC of Celtic punk rock. The worst thing we can do to the local fans who have stuck with us is to all of a sudden try to be Fall Out Boy with bagpipes."[23] Al Barr commented "We've always said we're like The Ramones or AC/DC with what we do; if it ain't broke, don't fix it. But at the same time, we have to keep challenging ourselves. And if we find that tunes we're putting together for a record are boring us, we're not going to record them."[24]

Political causes

Dropkick Murphys have been known for supporting working class and union causes, and have a strong relationship with the AFL-CIO. The band has said that they are all Democrats,[25] and during the 2004 United States presidential election were part of Punkvoter,[26] a political activist group dedicated to defeating George W. Bush. That year they also appeared on the Rock Against Bush, Vol. 2 compilation contributing the song "We Got the Power".

On February 22, 2011, in support of Wisconsin workers' rights, the band released their song "Take 'Em Down" from the album "Going Out In Style" on their website along with creating a limited edition "Take 'Em Down" t-shirt which will benefit the Workers’ Rights Emergency Response Fund.[27] Thousands of Wisconsin public Union workers have been protesting the current budget plan of Governor Scott Walker. Two days later on the MSNBC news show, The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell, "Take 'Em Down" was used as a intro song to a news story on the Wisconsin workers protest.[28]

Band members

Timeline

Current

  • Al Barr – lead vocals (1998–present)
  • Ken Casey – bass guitar, lead vocals (1996–present)
  • Matt Kelly – drums, bodhran, vocals (1997–present)
  • James Lynch – guitar, vocals (2000–present)
  • Josh "Scruffy" Wallace – bagpipes, tin whistle (2003–present)
  • Tim Brennan – guitar (2008–present), mandolin accordion, vocals (2003–present)
  • Jeff DaRosa – acoustic guitar, banjo, bouzouki, keyboard, mandolin, whistle, organ, vocals (2008–Present)

Former

Discography

Studio albums

Year Album details Peak chart positions
AUT
[29] 		FIN
[30] 		GER
[31] 		IRL
[32] 		SWI
[33] 		US
1998 Do or Die — — — — — —
1999 The Gang's All Here — — — — — 184
2001 Sing Loud Sing Proud — 37 — — — 144
2003 Blackout — — — — — 83
2005 The Warrior's Code 72 — 51 — — 48
2007 The Meanest of Times — — — 98 — 20
2011 Going Out In Style 33 45 19 54 38 6
"—" denotes a title that did not chart.

Compilation albums

Live albums

EPs

Singles

Splits

Compilation appearances

DVDs

  • Vans Warped Tour 2003 (2003) – Includes "Black Velvet Band (Live)"
  • Punk-O-Rama Vol. 1 (2003) – Includes the videos for "Barroom Hero" and "The Gauntlet"
  • On the Road with the Dropkick Murphys (2004)
  • Punk Rock Holocaust (2004)
  • Give 'Em the Boot (2005) – Includes "Good Rats (Live)"

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Hellcat Records Dropkick Murphys Biography Page, hell-cat.com, Accessed February 9, 2007
  2. ^ "DROPKICK MURPHYS DEBUT ON BILLBOARD TOP 200 ALBUMS CHART AT #20 WITH 'THE MEANEST OF TIMES'". Msopr.com. September 27, 2007. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  3. ^ "Dropkick Murphys crack Billboard's top 10 - Sound Effects". Boston.com. March 10, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  4. ^ "F119, Dropkick Murphys". Dabelly.com. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  5. ^ a b Himes, Geoffrey (March 3, 2006). "Dropkick Murphys stumble upon a sonic pot of gold | Entertainment | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle". Chron.com. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  6. ^ "Dropkick Murphys - Gang's All Here CD Album". Cduniverse.com. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  7. ^ Ink 19 :: Dropkick Murphys
  8. ^ The Reeler > Premieres & Events > Circling the City
  9. ^ [1] [dead link]
  10. ^ Punknews.org | Marc Orrell Leaves Dropkick Murphys
  11. ^ Dropkick Murphys
  12. ^ Dropkick Murphys Guitarist Proposes to Girlfriend on Springsteen's Stage Spinner
  13. ^ Rodman, Sarah (June 17, 2009). "Aerosmith, Dropkick Murphys raise heat in Mansfield". The Boston Globe.
  14. ^ Joanna Angel (November 18, 2010). "Punk Rock Tattoo Goth and Emo girls- Alt Porn pics and videos". BurningAngel. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  15. ^ "Documentary "Restrepo" " Dropkick Murphys". Dropkickmurphys.com. February 25, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  16. ^ "Dropkick Murphys to release "Going Out In Style"". Punknews.org. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  17. ^ Exclusive: The Dropkick Murphys Throw a Wild Irish Party in 'Going Out In Style'
  18. ^ Indie Music Month: 31 Premieres In 31 Days
  19. ^ "Hellcat Records". Website. www.hell-cat.com. 2007. Retrieved February 9, 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ "Music: Dropkick Murphys prepare for a hair-raising Rave-up". Onmilwaukee.com. November 12, 2007. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  21. ^ "MUSIC REVIEW; Murphys play hard and hearty at Avalon". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. March 16, 2003. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  22. ^ "Dropkick Murphys return to Boston, the city that launched them - The Boston Globe". Boston.com. March 11, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  23. ^ "Dropkick Murphys rock harder with latest CD". Vindy.com. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  24. ^ Blase, Frank De. "MUSIC INTERVIEW: The Dropkick Murphys - Music Articles". Rochester City Newspaper. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  25. ^ "Dropkick Murphys". Dropkick Murphys. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  26. ^ "at". Punkvoter.com. April 7, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  27. ^ Take 'Em Down - The Dropkick Murphys stand with Wisconsin
  28. ^ LexisNexis News - Latest News from over 4,000 scores
  29. ^ = Dropkick+Murphys&titel = %28F%29Lannigan%27s+Ball&cat = s "Dropkick Murphys in der österreichischen Hitparade". austriancharts.com (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 9, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  30. ^ "Suomen virallinen lista - Artistit". Musiikki touttajat (in Finnish). IFPI. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
  31. ^ "Chartverfolgung / Dropkick Murphys / Longplay". musicline.de (in German). PHONONET GmbH. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
  32. ^ = Dropkick+Murphys "Discography Dropkick Murphys". irish-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved April 9, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  33. ^ = Dropkick+Murphys&titel = %28F%29Lannigan%27s+Ball&cat = s "Dropkick Murphys". hitparade.ch (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 9, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  34. ^ Exclusive: The Dropkick Murphys Throw a Wild Irish Party in 'Going Out In Style' - Rolling Stone
  35. ^ 13 Days of "Going Out In Style" – Dropkick Murphys
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Interviews

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