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Dropkick Murphys

"DKM" redirects here. For the author, see Daniel Keys Moran.


Dropkick Murphys<tr style="text-align: center;"><td colspan="3">Dropkick Murphys:Left to right: Marc Orell, Tim Brennan, James Lynch, Al Barr, Ken Casey , Matt Kelly, Scruffy Wallace.
Left to right: Marc Orell, Tim Brennan, James Lynch, Al Barr, Ken Casey , Matt Kelly, Scruffy Wallace.
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Background information

<tr><td>Origin</td><td colspan="2">Dropkick Murphys:Flag of the United States.svg South Boston, Massachusetts, USA</td></tr><tr><td>Genre(s)</td><td colspan="2">Punk Rock, Folk punk, Celtic Punk</td></tr><tr><td>Years active</td><td colspan="2">1996 to present</td></tr><tr><td style="padding-right: 1em;">Label(s)</td><td colspan="2">Hellcat Records</td></tr><tr><td>Website</td><td colspan="2">http://www.dropkickmurphys.com/</td></tr>

Dropkick Murphys are a punk band formed in the Irish Catholic working class neighborhoods of South Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They practiced in the basement of a friend's barbershop, blending punk rock, Oi!, Irish folk, rock, and hardcore into something they could call their own. Their influences include such outfits as Stiff Little Fingers, The Pogues, The Clash and the Swinging Utters. Their name was taken from a local rehab center. [1] The band have made a name for themselves and built a following by their non stop touring all over the world and their famous St. Patricks Day weekend shows, which are held every year in Boston.


Contents

Band history

Dropkick Murphys were formed in 1996. The band put out a series of EPs and were signed by Hellcat Records. In 1998, they released their first full length album, Do or Die. Lead singer Mike McColgan left the band later that year and was replaced by The Bruisers lead singer Al Barr. In 1999, they released their follow-up album, The Gang's All Here. In 2001 they released their third album Sing Loud Sing Proud. The album showcased their developing sound, and included collaborations with former 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 James Lynch and Marc Orrell, and additional insturments were added and played by new members Ryan Foltz and Spicy McHaggis.Their next album, Blackout, was released in 2003, the new album included the radio hit "Walk Away," as well as the song "Fields of Athenry." Notably "The Dirty Glass with female vocals from Stephanie Doughtery (Deadly Sins) is a song about a bar in Milton Ma. called Darcys. Around the same time the band released a re-working of the Boston Red Sox anthem, Tessie, which then became the official song of the Boston Red Sox 2004 winning World Series run. "Tessie" was also used throughout the major motion picture Fever Pitch which starred Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore. The band was even invited to the premiere of the movie which was held at Fenway Park where the video was also shot.In 2005, the 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, Volume 2.

A familiar phrase with in the Dropkick Murphy’s, is “ NEVER FORGET CHICKEN MAN, a dear friend of the band and avid hockey player Greg “Chicken man” Riley died from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident in 2003.

Their fifth (and latest) studio album, The Warrior's Code, was released on June 21, 2005. It features the singles "Sunshine Highway", "The Walking Dead", "The Warrior's Code" as well as the bonus track, "Tessie". It also includes a song that was inspired by a Woody Guthrie poem the band found in the WG archives "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" which is featured in the 2006 film The Departed, Martin Scorsese's adaptation of the Hong Kong crime thriller Infernal Affairs. There is rumored a sixth studio album yet to be recorded, but the band confirmed that it may not happen until likely towards the end of 2006 or beginning of 2007.

When attending Boston area shows, it is interesting to note, the opening song is "Foggy Dew" recorded by the Chieftains with vocals by Sinead O'Connor. The man on the far left of the stage is Bill Daley and on the far right is Bubbs Riley (who is Chicken Man's brother).

Discography

Studio Albums

Live and Compilation Albums

EPs

Singles

Splits

Compilations

DVDs

Billboard (US) Chart Positions

Full Albums

Year Title Chart Positions
1997 Do or Die —
1999 The Gang's All Here # 184 US
2001 Sing Loud Sing Proud # 144 US
2002 Live on St. Patrick's Day From Boston, MA # 156 US
2003 Blackout #   83 US
2005 The Warrior's Code #   48 US

Cover Songs

Over the years, Dropkick Murphys have covered a number of different songs from many different genres, giving them their own feel. Below is a list of songs that they've rerecorded.

See also

Notes and references

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  1. ^ There seems to be differing stories as to the origin of the band's name. Band member Marc Orrell has been quoted as saying in an interview:
    "The Dropkick Murphy will come and get you if you don't go to sleep tonight," offers Orrell. "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 story, it's also a boxer, a bunch of things, a rehab center in Connecticut, grandparents used to scare kids with it." --- from "A toast with the Dropkick Murphys"

Further reading

Categories


Articles lacking sources from October 2006 | All articles lacking sources | American musical groups | Punk rock groups | Later punk groups | Massachusetts musical groups | Hellcat Records groups | Irish-American culture | Celtic fusion groups | Streetpunk | Folk punk | Celtic punk

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