At an ANSWER event recently I saw a Drop Kick Murphys CDs among the music we were playing and asked a friend about them. “Like Social Distortion with bagpipes,” he said.
I just got their “Blackout” CD and am blown away by this Irish band from Boston. They play amazing, exuberant, scorching punk – and it’s political too. Dunno how I missed them all these years! A couple of highlights.
The Fields of Athenry
“A classic song about famine, struggle, and once again being sent to Australia for your crimes”, a young father steals food so his children may live and is sent to a prison ship. Their version of this sad and mournful song respects the traditional yet is blistering and ferocious at the same time too.
Against the famine and the Crown
I rebelled they ran me down
Now you must raise our child with dignity
Worker’s Song (Handful of Earth)
We’re the first ones to starve, we’re the first ones to die
The first ones in line for that pie in the sky
And we’re always the last when the cream is shared out
For the worker is working when the fat cat’s about
Long live rebel music and politically aware punk. And there’s just something about bagpipes, I think it’s in the blood…