New single from one of Celtic-Punks brightest ‘young soul rebels’ – Shanghai Treason – announcing their forthcoming second studio album for later in the year.
According to critics Celtic-Punk is a bit samey and we’d be lying if we didn’t admit there was a grain of truth in that! Still we love it and I suppose you do too as why else would you be here? Every now and then a band comes along and blows your mind and Shanghai Treason were one of those bands when they arrived unannounced on the Celtic-Punk scene back in late 2019. Instant fans we had to wait till January 2022 for their debut album to land and what an album it was. Landing Debut Album Of The Year for 2022 as well as top ten in the best album of the year in a year when most of the scenes big hitters also put out albums. Quite an achievement! Having supported the likes of Ferocious Dog, Stiff Little Fingers and the Buzzcocks they completed an extensive tour of the UK and Ireland with The Rumjacks and just recently another one with Hayseed Dixie. ‘Pallbearer’ is the second single (following on from ‘The Lighthouse’ that came out a couple of months back) from the guys new album that is due out in September 2023.
On Pallbearer, singer Sam Christie says
“We’re outrageously excited for this one, it’s a deeply personal heartfelt song about grief but is at it’s core very much an optimistic celebration of life, It’s also the first time I think the accordion has really got to shine on one of our singles, the video features live footage from our performance at Northern Kin Festival back in April”
Now no one could ever accuse Shanghai Treason of ever covering yer typical Celtic-Punk themes. No songs of excessive drinking or emigration but instead we get intelligent, thoughtful, passionate and even poetic. Take a look below at the first few lines of ‘Pallbearer’ and then tell me these guys are not among the finest lyricists in Celtic-Punk and marry that to the music and you’ve got a band that are at the very top of their game.
Recorded by Tom Wright at The Keystone – Yellow Arch Studios Sheffield * Label – Black Dingo Productions * Publisher: Kycker * Filmed by: Popp Tones
As the hearse it weaves it’s way down the desolate bay, I try to see the poetry in this
But the tears of my loved ones and the sounds of the guns, they further fog the mist
And I, recall being here, some eight years ago, laying your dear wife to rest
but today is your turn, I try to stay strong but i’m a wreck, i’m a shell, i’m a mess
*
They call for Pallbearers, They call for the brave, willing and strong
But i can barely stand, I’ve been winded man, I’ve been cast adrift so long, cast adrift so long
* Cancer it will steal, indiscriminately, from rich man and poor man alike, although it stubbed out your light, won’t let it tarnish your memory, we drink to your legend tonight
*
They call for Pallbearers, They call for the brave, willing and strong
But i can barely stand, I’ve been winded man, I’ve been cast adrift so long, cast adrift so long
*
I’m a wreck, I’m a shell, i’m a mess but i’m doing my best
Gunna buckle up my belt, gunna button up my vest and i’ll carry you to your final rest
*
They call for Pallbearers, They call for the brave, willing and strong
But i can barely stand, I’ve been winded man, I’ve been cast adrift so long, cast adrift so long
in this month’s Odds’n’Sods all the news fit to print on what’s going in our wonderful Celtic-Punk world. From the scene’s biggest and well established bands to those just starting out it’s all in here!
We start off this month with some footage from deepest South London just a couple of weeks ago. BRYAN McPHERSON came over from Boston for a couple of gigs (and some other stuff to be revealed shortly!) and here he is playing the massive epic ‘American Dream’ from his award winning last album, the Ted Hutt produced How To Draw Everything.
Now a homegrown band from Oldham RUN OUT THE GUNS. They perform Irish Folk with no airs or graces, no pretence, just fine quality musicianship and raw enthusiasm. Here they are performing a brilliant ‘Drunken Sailor’ at The Bank Top Tavern, Oldham at the end of March.
HAPPY OL’ McWEASEL are a seven-piece Irish Celtic Punk band that formed in Maribor, Slovenia in 2007. It’s been an incredible eight years since Heard Ya Say! so about time they followed it up!
DROPKICK MURPHYS continue to churn out the new music and I for one am constantly surprised at how it is. This week they released a single with the Violent Femmes taken from their album Okemah Rising due out May 12, 2023. Preorder and Presave http://linktr.ee/dropkickmurphys
I was too pissed and missed the last train on St. Patrick’s day night after watching Neck here in London so missed the DROPKICK MURPHYS live stream from Boston so if anyone can point us to it anywhere on the net???
New York Irish band THE NARROWBACKS are cut from the same cloth as London’s Bible Code Sundays and represent their community in song. https://linktr.ee/thenarrowbacks
JOHNNY KOWALSKI has done a solo album Out Here Forever more Folky than the usual Folky-Punky ‘ness of his usual band Johnny Kowalski And The Sexy Wierdos.
South-West English band BLACK WATER COUNTY put out a superb acoustic unplugged version of ‘Rise And Fall’ from their album Taking Chances.
Irish band THE ELECTRIC WEDNESDAYS put out ‘Shipping Up To Drogheda’ this week and they call it Raucous Rock n Roll! and I can’t disagree with that!
London bluegrass outfit THE HACKNEY HILLPICKERS playing ‘I’ve Waited As Long As I Can’. Filmed end of last year at honky tonk bar The Dukes Of Highgate, London by Bopflix.
HAPPY OL’ McWEASEL – Such Is Life
RUN OUT THE GUNS – Powder And Shot
CONTINENTAL– Hello
FEROCIOUS DOG– 10 Year Anniversary
FAIRPORT CONVENTION– Full House for Sale
DIASPORA – Home At Last
JETHRO TULL –RökFlöte
KROSTELEG FOLKEPARTI –Heimsleg
DORTHIA COTTRELL –Death Folk Country
NORTH ALONE –Ohne Jacke Raus EP
Remember we can’t review it if we don’t hear it!
We would love to review SLOPPY BUT LUCKY a Irish-American Folk-Punk band from Topeka Kansas and they have released an album Four Leaf Failure but it’s only available on streaming services. These guys are unique within the Celtic-Punk scene in that they don’t get paid for gigs and donate any fees to animal charities hence they don’t want to spend money getting physical copies of the album done. A truly marvellous and wonderful thing to do. Now at over $20,000 since January 2021 their is a list of who they have supported over on their Facebook page. So like them anyway on FB and Instagram.
SHANGHAI TREASON new single ‘Pallbearer’ will be out next month! Outrageously excited for this one, pre save it ‘ere: https://hypeddit.com/6nohlq
MELMOR formed in 1994 and are one of the most important Celtic-Punk bands in Brittany who sung in both Breton and French. They played their last gigs in 1999 and in 2005, a double live CD and DVD was released. In 2016, they reformed with two originals members and since then played in France and Germany. In 2019, four French labels released a vinyl LP featuring all their studio materials and some live songs and then last month they put out a new song.
The fourth solo album from Dublin’s multi award winner DAOIRI FARRELL, in his own words, ‘combines the rawness of my first album, the impact of my second album and the beauty of my third album.’ Crafted and honed over two and a half years, it is the work of a mature artist who has succeeded in taking on the challenge of recording a completely acoustic album that heads deep into the heart of the songs.
Ex- Dropkick Murphys founder Rick Barton’s band CONTINENTAL had a new 8-track EP out on St. Patrick’s Day that we missed. Continental mix it up, from Country through to Powerpop and Blues through to Punk but always very very good.
DIASPORA are an Irish trio from Ballaghaderreen playing a mix of originals tunes and their own take on traditional ones. Having spent their entire lives abroad they are happy to be finally back home in Ireland. Two tracks from their new album are available to hear below.
DARIUS KOSKI guitarist and songwriter of the US Punks The Swingin’ Utters as well as the Celtic-Punk band Filthy Thievin’ Bastards has a new 2-track single out.
2022 saw Folk-Rock legends FAIRPORT CONVENTION celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of their 1970 album Full House (though two years late thanks to Covid!) with the original line-up of Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol, Dave Mattacks and Dave Pegg (with Chris Leslie filling the shoes of the late great Dave Swarbrick) at the bands Cropredy Festival where the show was recorded and has just been released as Full House for Sale.
PINT KILLERS are a Street Punk band from Boston, Massachusetts with Mark Doherty, Bill Jolliemore and Johnny Fencer formerly of The Pug Uglies together to play Punk in their own style with anthems about celebration, drinking, friendship, and brotherhood. Their debut album The Dirty Dozen was released in 2018 but has only just been downloaded onto Bandcamp.
We’ve been doing this now for nearly 10 years and in that time we have covered 100’s of bands and musicians but still plenty of bands have passed us by. We can’t see everything after all so this column is to remind us of bands that never made these pages at the time but deserve another mention. These hopefully come with a free download like today so you can help yourself to some free music. Today we revisit TAIL LIGHT REBELLION from Kenosha, Wisconsin. An amalgamation of roots music genres, incorporating styles from Irish, Slavic, Canadian, and American folk music. Started as a one man band, this project blossomed into what is now a folk dance band that has been called a melding of Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen and The Pogues. Broken is their third album from 2016 but all their release are available for free over on Bandcamp as ‘name your price’ downloads. Next month we will feature the band that Tail Light Rebellion started in THE SWAGGERING GROWLERS.
LANKUM play the Barbican Hall, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS on Thursday 4th May. DAOIRI FARRELL plays Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1 9AG on Friday May 5th. Also on the 5th is the gig of the month with the marvellous HUNGRY GRASS and NECK playing The Birds Nest in Deptford for the landlord Joel’s birthday. Trad meets Celtic-Punk and one not to be missed. Its free in but buy him a drink ok! Trad band LUNASA are at ICC Hammersmith, May 12-13. THE OLD TIME SAILORS at the Holroyd Arms in Guildford on Friday 12th. 17 accomplished musicians playing Irish Folk, Bluegrass, and so much more. Not seen them before but heard great things and Guildford is just a short hop on the train from London. The utterly amazing and fantastic and amazing THE MARY WALLOPERS play Kentish Town Forum on Saturday 13th May The following day is HOTHOUSE FLOWERS at Shepherd’s Bush Empire on the 14th. With the demise of the 4 piece Wolfe Tones and the inevitable split into two bands and while both offer a great night out we can’t recommend DEREK WARFIELD AND THE YOUNG WOLFE TONES enough. Power, passion and history with their charismatic leader. Playing the 229 on Great Portland Street on Friday 2nd June. FLOOK at the Irish Cultural Centre Hammersmith on June 10th. The marvellous CROCK OF BONES play the Crouch End Festival on Sunday 9th July. American Folk-Country-Doombilly band the HEATHEN APOSTLES play The Lexington in Kings Cross on Wednesday 19th July. The founders of Alt-Country THE LONG RYDERS are coming back to these shores this month with a full Europe and UK tour. The postponed MR. IRISH BASTARD UK tour is back on and during November they will be heading to Brixton (22nd), Southampton, Bridgwater, Manchester and Edinburgh. Can’t wait!
LONDON IRISH RFC are on the verge of their best finish in the league in over a decade and can make the Play-Offs if their great form continues. Join the London Celtic Punks and support the lads! Tickets and details.
All money we raise from our merch we put back into the Celtic-Punk scene so if you like what we do then you can support us by checking out our online store and buying something. Just this month we helped get Bryan McPherson over from Boston, Mass. to play a few gigs on these shores. All the merch we sold at the gigs went directly to Bryan but we are back to square 1 again so please check out the site. The Harp’n’Bones design is back in all sizes and also on black or white shirts. Also we have the last few remaining polo shirts, nifty woolly hats and Green’n’White ‘Skully Cap’ ringer shirts that we need to get rid of. Click the link below for the full range of all our other tatt. Shirts, badges, stickers, flags, CD’s and fridge magnets – all the discerning Celtic-Punk fan could ever need! Help keep Punk Celtic! https://the30492shop.fwscart.com/
Facebook is rubbish and I can’t wait to see it go broke and a return to the era of paper flyers and fanzines. It has a stranglehold on all forms of expression that is far from healthy. If you are thinking of leaving and still want to keep up with us you can do via the London Celtic Punks group on the phone app Telegram. Similar to What’s App but completely free from outside interference. Join us on Telegram, don’t miss a single post and even receive the odd exclusive and special offer! https://t.me/londoncelticpunks/
Some new London Celtic Punks merch. The LCP ‘Tricolour Skull’ mug is back after a couple of years. Available for a tenner in the UK (£20 EU) with free badge / coaster/ sticker. I nearly fell over when I found out its £20 to post to the States but there you go if you desperately want one it’s £30! The ‘Celtic Punks’ metal badge is selling well only a handful left and available for just £5 – UK and £7 – EU post-paid and we’ll throw in a few stickers and a button badge too. For further overseas contact us and we’ll work it out. Also if you want to add more merch from the store above contact us. It helps us out if you buy from Paypal (friends & family) for these items to londoncelticpunks@hotmail.co.uk
Even though we hate it Facebook does supply the (very) occasional ray of sunshine so a shout out to some good friends of ours over on Facebook. The Dropkick Murphys – Fan Page and the Celtic Punk, Folk And Rock Fansare two of the best music forums on FB let alone Celtic-Punk. Ran By Fans For Fans just like you and me. Like and join in the fun!
With the sad demise of The Celtic Punkcast over there in Oz we have thrown in our lot with the good folks over at MacSlon’s Irish Pub Radio. Check them out for all the best in Celtic-Punk, Irish Folk and Rock. They also have just about the biggest selection of shirts and hoodys and all sorts of other gear over at the https://www.macslons.com/shop.
Back in time to my youth when things were much simpler and everything especially music and football were much better and before the inspirational WOLFE TONES split into two different bands. Here’s their sublime ballad celebrating the 1st of May.
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The year is flying by and as usual March was a fantastic month for Celtic-Punk fans. Some big hitters released their first albums in ages and here’s your chance to catch up with some of them and the others in this month’s Odds’n’Sods. All the news fit to print on what’s going in our wonderful Celtic-Punk world. From the scene’s bands big and small, established or just starting out it’s all in here!
We start this month with one of my favourite Celtic-Punk bands. The new single from ‘Yorkshire Banjo Punks’ SHANGHAI TREASON is The Lighthouse and is taken from the bands upcoming second album.
THE RUMJACKS newly released video of ‘Tell Me What Happened’ off their Hestia album. Shot and edited by Mike in Reggies, Chicago.
THE TOSSERS have a new album out and it’s imaginatively called The Tossers… A mix of auld songs, some interesting and unusual covers and a smattering of some effing brilliant new songs including this the opening track. True heirs to Shane MacGowan’s legacy.
THE LONGEST JOHNS are a Bristol based, acapella folk music band, born out of a mutual love of trad folk songs and shanties. They rock maritime songs alongside the more unusual and less traditional folk tunes. Here’s the lead single from their new &-track EP.
The reb’s are sung loud and proud in NYC with THE IRISH MUTTS giving it plenty live down at the Bungalow Bar last week in Rockaway Beach, NY.
Dutch band MAGGIE’S FLOCK released a great new single dedicated to St. Patrick’s which we somehow missed for the last Odds’n’Sods but here it is!
SELFISH MURPHY formed in 2011 in Transylvania, Romania and until then Celtic / Irish Punk-Rock was unheard there. These folks are real trailblazers! In 2016 the band re-located to Budapest in Hungary where i’m hoping to see them soon!
London Irish Folk and Americana band FOLLOW THE CROWS released ‘Don’t Mind The Rain’ at the beginning of March and accompanied it with a rather good video too.
Bit of a slog at over three hours long but watch the official live stream as the New York Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment once again leads the world’s largest St. Patrick’s Day parade as it marches down midtown Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue in New York.
THE GO SET – The Warriors Beneath Us
THE LEVELLERS – Together All The Way
THE DREADNOUGHTS –Green Willow
FLOGGING MOLLY – ‘Til The Anarchy’s Restored (EP)
THE TOSSERS – The Tossers
UNCLE BARD AND THE DIRTY BASTARDS – These Are The Days – Live In France
CRUACHAN – The Living And The Dead
LANKUM – False Lankum
THE EAST RIVER RATS – The Year Of The Rat
DAOIRI FARRELL – The Wedding Above In Glencree
THE KILMAINE SAINTS – Same Again Tomorrow
THE MUCKERS have started a kickstarter to help fund their next album. You’re invited to help out this amazing band by donating to get the ball rolling! They are offering all sorts of limited-release bonuses to folks who help fund their trip to the studio.
THE KILMAINE SAINTS have a new album Same Again Tomorrow out on April 14th. Six years on from Whiskey Blues And Faded Tattoos it’s their fourth studio album We’ll be on it as soon as it comes out as we bloody love them!
One of the best new bands around are FOGGY DUDE from the Czech Republic. They make great videos and brilliant music and even better for us all is that all their music is available for free download on the Bandzone site here https://bandzone.cz/foggydude
Our good friend CALLUM HOUSTON – Made in Bretagne. Inspired in Ireland – has just released a seven track mini album of acoustic alternative Folk Rock. Accompanied by his friend and regular contributor Alban Bauduin. Pub Poetry is available for download.
THE HEATHEN APOSTLES have a new single out and also announced a whole bunch of live dates for the UK. ‘Gothic Western Haunt’ is from an episode of the animated series “The Goodbye Family”, which made the Top 10 animated series list of 2022 from Vulture magazine.
“This is our newest labor of love: “Green Willow”. Sea shanties, war chants, wassail songs, songs of the sea, and even an Irish-rock rebel tune. Enjoy, eh!!”
So went the announcement for THE DREADNOUGHTS new download album Green Willow. Head straight to song 5 for the best version of ‘The Foggy Dew’ I’ve heard in an age!
Rising Of The Doom the 3rd full length studio album from NYC’s the TEMPLARS OF DOOM has been released this week on vinyl but is also available for download.
We’ve been doing this now for nearly 10 years and in that time we have covered 100’s of bands and musicians but still plenty of bands have passed us by. We can’t see everything after all so this column is to remind us of bands that never made these pages at the time but deserve another mention. These hopefully come with a free download like today so you can help yourself to some free music. Today is the turn of American Celtic-Folk-Punk band BOGTROTTERS UNION from Nevada. A variety of old and popular Celtic tunes reorganized by the band including an amazing version of the Wolfe Tones ‘A Song Of The Celts’.
Totally out of the blue we found out that THE YOUNG DUBLINERS are hitting London at The Hootananny in Brixton on Wednesday 5th April supported by rowdy London Irish Folk-Punks ARSE CRAIC. Saturday 8th April sees THE MEN THEY COULDN’T HANG live at the Powerhaus. THE LAGAN of-shoot SUCKIN’ DIESEL are playing The Lamb in Surbiton (see below for directions) on Thursday 13th April. Great venue that’s always free entry. With the demise of the 4 piece Wolfe Tones and the inevitable split into two bands and while both offer a great night out we can’t recommend DEREK WARFIELD AND THE YOUNG WOLFE TONES enough. Power, passion and history with their charismatic leader. Playing the 229 on Great Portland Street on Friday 2nd June. American Folk-Country-Doombilly band the HEATHEN APOSTLES play The Lexington in Kings Cross on Wednesday 19th July. The founders of Alt-Country THE LONG RYDERS are coming back to these shores with a full Europe and UK tour.
BRYAN McPHERSON / ANTO MORRA PLAYING LIVE IN LONDON!
Words can’t describe how happy we are to be able to put on BRYAN McPHERSON. Eight years on from his first and only visit to these shores it’s been a long time coming. Born and raised on the mean streets of Dorchester, a blue collar working-class Irish-American Catholic neighbourhood in Boston, that was also home to half the members of the original Dropkick Murphys. He was inspired at a young age by the raw energy and angst of Punk Rock, as well as the lyrically driven American folk songs of the early 1960’s. His first performances were street corners, house parties, and subway stations in Boston’s inner city. In 2001 he burst onto the acoustic music scene, he has played the length and breadth of North America and was recently spotted opening up for the Dropkick Murphys’ at their famed St. Patrick’s shows in Boston. This is passionate, acoustic-punk from the heart. Street life, politics, addiction and moments of beauty, anguish, clarity and dissent litter the alleys of McPherson’s songs. Recently he was awarded the #1 Folk/ Roots Album Of 2022 on the London Celtic Punks web-zine. The words are as honest as they are urgent…every second counts! http://bryanmcpherson.com/
He is supported on both nights by the London Irish Punk Folker – Anto Morra. A staple of the London Irish music community sightings of Anto have been restricted die to the lockdown but pleased to have him trod the boards for us again with his extra special brand of Punk-Folk. https://www.antomorra.com/
Bryan is playing two nights for us the first at The Bird’s Nest. One of the great last standing live venues in SE London and one of the best. Located at 32 Deptford Church Street, Lewisham, London SE8 4RZ. close to New Cross and New Cross Gate tube stations so easily accessible from across London. http://www.thebirdsnestpub.co.uk/
The following night sees them take the stage at The Lamb, 73 Brighton Road, Surbiton KT6 5NF. Ph. No. 020 8390 9229. Just a couple of minutes walk from Surbiton station only 20 odd minutes from London by train and walking distance from Kingston it promises to be a fantastic night. https://www.lambsurbiton.co.uk
Entry for both shows is free but their will be a whip round (as you can imagine getting here from the States as a DIY musician isn’t cheap) and every single penny from London Celtic Punks merchandise on the night will go directly into Bryan’s pocket.
Our gig last month with The Whipjacks was a great success and great fun but now we are broke again! All money we raise from our merch we put back into the Celtic-Punk scene so if you like what we do then you can support us by checking out our online store and buying something. The Harp’n’Bones design is back in all sizes and also on black or white shirts. Also we have the last few remaining polo shirts, nifty woolly hats and Green’n’White ‘Skully Cap’ ringer shirts that we need to get rid of. Click the link below for the full range of all our other tatt. Shirts, badges, stickers, flags, CD’s and fridge magnets – all the discerning Celtic-Punk fan could ever need! Help keep Punk Celtic! https://the30492shop.fwscart.com/
Facebook is rubbish and I can’t wait to see it go broke and a return to the era of paper flyers and fanzines. It has a stranglehold on all forms of expression that is far from healthy. If you are thinking of leaving and still want to keep up with us you can do via the London Celtic Punks group on the phone app Telegram. Similar to What’s App but completely free from outside interference. Join us on Telegram, don’t miss a single post and even receive the odd exclusive and special offer! https://t.me/londoncelticpunks/
The response to the new London Celtic Punks badge has been amazing. Not surprising really as they are just about the nicest bit of merchandise in Celtic-Punk if you ask me! Comes with butterfly clip and made in Ireland (Guaranteed Irish!) available for just £5 – UK and £7 – EU post-paid and we’ll throw in a few stickers and a button badge too. For further overseas contact us and we’ll work it out. Send to Paypal (friends & family) to londoncelticpunks@hotmail.co.uk
Even though we hate it Facebook does supply the (very) occasional ray of sunshine so a shout out to some good friends of ours over on Facebook. The Dropkick Murphys – Fan Page and the Celtic Punk, Folk And Rock Fans are two of the best music forums on FB let alone Celtic-Punk. Ran By Fans For Fans just like you and me. Like and join in the fun!
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If ever their was a time when we should have a Celtic History Month in schools then March would be it with the patron Saint’s of Cornwall, Wales and Ireland all in the next few weeks. That it will never happen will surprise no one.
Hers is this month’s Odds’n’Sods. All the news fit to print on what’s going in our wonderful Celtic-Punk scene. From the scene’s bands big and small, established or just starting out it’s all in here!
The top two Celtic-Punk bands both have new material out with FLOGGING MOLLY beating the Murphys to the punch with a new EP out ‘Til The Anarchy’s Restored’ which will be available March 10, 2023. As well as the title song it includes two live favourites recorded at Electrical Audio. Buy/stream at https://riserecords.lnk.to/FloggingMolly.
Lots of news from the THE DROPKICK MURPHYS camp this month. They released a new video for ‘Never Git Drunk No More’ featuring Nikki Lane their final music video from This Machine Still Kills Fascists, the Murphys album featuring the lyrics of Woody Guthrie. They also announced last week.
“Keep an eye out for another full length album of DKM/Guthrie tunes…the final instalment of our collaboration…coming this spring”.
Okemah Rising comes out May 12 on CD, LP and on streaming services worldwide. You can pre order CD and vinyl now direct from the DKM web store. DropkickMurphys.com/store. For those who order the vinyl, we’re also kicking in a free 7″ recorded live in Nashville. Finally they announced a live stream of their St. Patrick’s Day show from MGM Music Hall Boston. Check in at midnight UK and Ireland time and look up the Facebook event for regional times.
Ace Canadian Celtic-Punks THE PEELERS released ‘Stick and Move – Spike O’Sullivan’ from their album Down And Out In The City Of Saints. Song written by D. Barton, filmed by The Peelers, Produced by D. Barton with additional footage provided by Terry McMahon from ‘The Prizefighter’.
RAISE YOUR GLASS are a cracking Celtic-Punk band from Brazil. ‘Suck My Pipe’ is the first single from the bands forthcoming third EP.
The full live set from international Celtic-Punk giants THE RUMJACKS recorded live at Wembley Arena on January 21st 2023. We were all there dotted around in different places!
Old school London Punk band DISSENT have a acoustic version of their last single out now. You can tell they are old-school as none of them went to university or have posh accents.
Canada’s THE STAB ROVERS always put out interesting videos evoking glorious visions of the past and ‘Grandma’s Kitchen’ is no different.
German band TIR NAN OG new single ‘Firestorm’ cam out in mid-Feb to promote a whole load of gigs so check their Facebook pagefor dates.
THE WHARF RAT REPUBLIC are a new band from Edmonton in Canada. They played their first ever gig at the end of January and looking forward to doing it all again over St. Patrick’s weekend.
More footage from a new Celtic-Punk band’s first ever gig this time THE TOSHERS from January 2023 at the Wild Rover in Aachen, Germany. Their a new band so hit them up on Facebook and Instagram and let’s get them growing!
SWAINN perform ‘Dark Angel’ live at the Rebel Lounge in Phoenix, Texas on December 23rd 2022.
Not a lot of videos out this month but a fair bit of live footage including HEADSTICKS performing ‘Wishing’ as part of their Almost Acoustic set at Nottingham Rough Trade last month.
All girl French Celtic-Punk rockers TOXIC FROGS new single ‘Go Back Again’ taken from the album My Lucky Own. Video directed by @fatcutproduction and @julienrealeproduction.
When Iain left The Placks it didn’t take him long to gather some great musicians around him who share his vision of what a Scottish Celtic-Punk band should be and sound like. So it was that THE RAMSTAMPITS started. They just released their second video (starring a great friend of ours!) of the track ‘No Place Like Home’ from their almost sold out ‘Light The Beacon’ EP. It’s not up on You Tube yet but can be viewed on Facebook.
THE POGUES have a new album out! Well not really but a double album titled The Stiff Records B-Sides 1984-1987. A collection of The Pogues non-album B sides from the band’s time on the famed Stiff Records label. This collection will be pressed on vinyl for the first time exclusively for Record Store Day 2023. More details from here.
The MISPLACED PUNK SHOW is a new music podcast playing Punk, Ska, Surf and great bands from Bandcamp with a random sprinkling of Celtic-Punk! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2125292
THE TOSSERS – The Tossers
FIRKIN – Spice It Up
CARROTTE – Glouton Gluten
RUSSKAJA – Turbo Polka Party
THE PRIVATEER – Kingdom of Exiles
SKALD – Huldufólk
Remember we can’t review it if we don’t hear it!
Psychobilly has a lot in common with Celtic-Punk both take a old genre and inject it with loud and noisy Punk music. Psychobilly is a potent brew of classic Rock’n’Roll and Punk and some of its best bands can be found on Diablo Recoirds. One of these was CELTIC BONES made up of an assortment of Irish and London Irish rockers date from the early 00’s.
Spanish Celtic-Folk band DEIRA have a new album out called Alba and the title track is available for name your price download.
BEAU JAMES WILDING has a new single out packed with Folk-Punk attitude. The vocals are gritty, earthy and brilliantly dirty. Bringing in Celtic influences and re-imagines them in a head-on collision with a heavy rock backbone. Direct and takes no prisoners.
SHANGHAI TREASON have a new single ‘The Lighthouse’ will be released on, surprise surprise!, on March 17th! Pre-save here https://tinyurl.com/SaveLighthouse
10 years on from it’s release FEROCIOUS DOG have re-mastered and re-released their debut album as a double CD including their Live At Leeds Academy orchestral set. Release is March 31st and you can order it via www.ferociousdog.co.uk now.
THE TOSSERS have a new album out now. A bunch of old songs and Irish Folk favourites set to get the blood pumping! You can hear a preview here at https://thetossers.hearnow.com/
Hailing from Buffalo NY CAPTAIN TOM & THE HOOLIGANS captured live performing ‘There’s a Fine Line’ / ‘MTA’ at The Banshee Irish Pub
We’ve been doing this now for nearly 10 years and in that time we have covered 100’s of bands and musicians but still plenty of bands have passed us by. We can’t see everything after all so this column is to remind us of bands that never made these pages at the time but deserve another mention. These hopefully come with a free download like today so you can help yourself to some free music. Today is the turn of GREEN ASHES who launched into the Los Angeles Irish community in 2009 with one goal: blowing the roof off a pub on St. Patrick’s Day. With depth, range, and brazen musicianship, the band’s music is steeped in raw emotion and runs the gamut from fierce rebel songs to soulful ballads. Drawing on their own Irish-American heritage and diverse musical roots. Following the exit of their lead singer, Sean Lee, this, their second CD was named in honour of their former lead singer.
So slap bang in the middle of the month and a brief respite from Lent is St. Patrick’s and London turns green. Here’s the pick of what’s happening over the weekend. Friday 17th is actually St. Patrick’s Day something that is not always clear from the gig advertisements I see. On St. Patrick’s day we’ll be heading off to see London-Irish psycho ceilidh band NECK doing a couple of sets for free at The World’s End in Camden. Just up the road expect a righteous ruaille buaille from SKIMMINGTON RIDE at the Dublin Castlle. The excellent and great bunch of Folk-Punk folk CROCK OF BONES are at Shortlands Tavern in Bromley. PerKELT play at the Magic Garden, Battersea Park Road, London, SW11 4LG. Superb Trad band FOUR MEN AND A DOG are playing the 17th and the 18th at the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith. The highlight of the day mind is in Amsterdam where FEROCIOUS DOG are playing with cracking Dutch band THE ROYAL SPUDS! The following day sees DAMIEN DEMPSEY at the Electric in Brixton. He has many who try to copy him but there is only one! The BIBLE CODE SUNDAYS are playing several gigs around London the pick of which is Saturday 4pm at the London Irish Centre in Camden alongside the Ireland v England 6 nations game. Not heard a great deal out the CLAN OF CELTS but hopefully this will all change after they announced a headline afternoon gig at The Dublin Castle kicking off at around 2pm. Sunday 19th sees London Irish at home in Brentford in the Premiership Rugby Cup Final, in which they take on Exeter Chiefs. With general admission pricing at £15 for adults and £5 for kids tickets – cup final rugby doesn’t get any cheaper than this! The 25th sees the official end of St. Patrick’s with the annual St. Pats game at London Irish. Always a great day out and with the Bhoys doing better than they have in years the Play-Offs are a good possibility.
Other non-St Pat’s live news London-Irish Celtic-Punks THE LAGAN have a home game at The Fighting Cocks in Kingston on Saturday 11th March. Tickets have sold out but 30 will be on the door first thing on the night. Saturday 25th March is STIFF LITTLE FINGERS at the Roundhouse in Camden. Saturday 8th April sees THE MEN THEY COULDN’T HANG at the Powerhaus. With the demise of the 4 piece Wolfe Tones and the inevitable split into two bands and while both offer a great night out we can’t recommend DEREK WARFIELD AND THE YOUNG WOLFE TONES enough. Power, passion and history with the charismatic leader. Playing the 229 on Great Portland Street on Friday 2nd June. American Folk-Country-Doombilly band the HEATHEN APOSTLES play The Lexington in Lings Cross on Wednesday 19th July. The founders of Alt-Country THE LONG RYDERS are coming back to these shores with a full Europe and UK tour.
Winner of #1 Folk /Trad / Roots 2022 album of the year – Boston born LA based BRYAN McPHERSON is touring the UK and Ireland in April. It is still in the planning stage but he will be playing the London area on April 20 and 21. Thursday 20th he will be at The Bird’s Nest in Deptford with Anto Morra and a t.b.c. and the following day in South-West London venue and supports t.b.c.
Our gig last month with The Whipjacks was a great success and great fun but now we are broke again! All money we raise from the merch we put back into the Celtic-Punk scene so if you like what we do then you can support us by checking out our online store. The Harp’n’Bones design now is back in all sizes and on black or white shirts. Also we have the last few remaining polo shirts, nifty woolly hats and Green’n’White ‘Skully Cap’ ringer shirts we did rid off. Click the link below for the full range of all our other tatt. Shirts, badges, stickers, flags, CD’s and fridge magnets all the discerning Celtic-Punk fan could ever need! Help keep Punk Celtic! https://the30492shop.fwscart.com/
Facebook is rubbish and I can’t wait to see it fold. It has a stranglehold on all forms of expression that is not good and it’s no surprise to see people leaving in droves. Don’t despair though if you are one of them as you can keep up with London Celtic Punks posts via group on the phone app Telegram. Similar to What’s App but completely free from outside interference. Join us on Telegram, don’t miss a single post and even receive the odd exclusive and special offer! https://t.me/londoncelticpunks/
The response to the new London Celtic Punks badge has been amazing. Not surprising really as they are just about the nicest bit of merchandise in Celtic-Punk if you ask me! Comes with butterfly clip and made in Ireland (Guaranteed Irish!) available for just £5 – UK and £7 – EU post-paid and we’ll throw in a few stickers and a button badge too. For further overseas contact us and we’ll work it out. Send to Paypal (friends & family) to londoncelticpunks@hotmail.co.uk
Even though we hate it Facebook does supply the (very) occasional ray of sunshine so a shout out to some good friends of ours over on Facebook. The Dropkick Murphys- Fan Page and the Celtic Punk, Folk And Rock Fansare two of the best music forums on FB let alone Celtic-Punk. Ran By Fans For Fans just like you and me. Like and join in the fun!
‘Denis ‘the Menace’ Irish Punk in London 1996 a clip from the 1996 documentary ‘Charlie Harper, 20 Years of Chaos’ directed by Mads Astrup Rønning. Don’t think I crossed paths with this chap. Think I would have remembered him!
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It’s that time of year again for the London Celtic Punks annual Best Of list. Has it really been a year since The Peelers waltzed (or should that be jigged) off with album of the year? It’s been possibly the best year for Celtic-Punk since we started doing this site and this was easily the closest it has ever been in that time. Pretty much all the big hitters, with one or two one notable exception (The Tossers where were you!), released records and on top of that a bunch of debut albums that were top class too.
so without further ado…
CLICK ON THE GREEN LINK TO BE FORWARDED TO REVIEW
2022’s #1 was the amazing new album from THE MAHONES. That they are as prolific as they are and yet can still put out quality like this 30 + years on is incredible. Well done Finny & co. FLOGGING MOLLY won the battle of the big Celtic-Punk 2 with the DROPKICKS and were also the best gig of the year for me personally (August in Dublin with Ferocious Dog). THE LUCKY TROLLS followed on from their Best EP award from 2019 with the highest place for any ‘outsider’ this year while Scandinavian stalwarts SIR REG gave us possibly their best album yet. REINA ROJA from Spain were another highly placed new band and their were several others among the Top 30. Their were also a handful of albums that didn’t qualify for the chart but were worth noting including a couple of greatest hits albums THE REAL McKENZIES – Float Me Boat and UNCLE BARD AND THE DIRTY BASTARDS – The Story So Far that were both superb introductions to the bands, the second volume of the Black 47 covers compilation AFTER HOURS VOL. 2 and finally the HEADSTICKS 10th anniversary album of the best songs of their career to date re-recorded.
As funny as it may seem the Best Debut Album award for 2022 was decided way back in January last year when the long awaited self titled debut album from Yorkshire banjo Punks SHANGHAI TREASON arrived in the post. Eleven original songs of high tempo energetic Celtic-Punk with some of the best banjo we heard all year long! On top of that later in the year they released a 3-track EP of songs that didn’t make the album that was also superb! That’s not to say it was a easy choice as by the end of the year REINA ROJA, THE LUCKY TROLLS and ZECKYBOYS all put out albums that challenged the Treason and in any other year could easily have won the award themselves.
A well deserved top two for THE RUMJACKS and their new singer Mikee. The split EP with FLATFOOT 56 in particular was absolutely flawless! Their were fantastic debut releases from THE DEAD IRISH, THE GALLOWGATE MURDERS and THE RAMSTAMPITS out of the Celtic nations of Ireland and Scotland that completely blew us away and were eagerly anticipated. A word here for BOG IRON from California who I found completely by accident and been playing ever since.
In what is usually the hardest category to choose from we actually had a very easy choice this year with the new album from Boston singer-songwriter BRYAN McPHERSON never off our play list all year long. The great news is that Bryan is heading to these shores in the Summer and we are very happy to be helping out. Dundalk’s THE MARY WALLOPERS were busy all year round and ended 2022 with a sell out London show and a debut album in December. The debut album from THE WINTER CODES saw a welcome return to the wider music scene for Barney the original vocalist for Blood Or Whiskey. Some may be surprised to find the first solo album from MARCUS MUMFORD listed but it really was a great album both musically but especially lyrically.
A new section this year and the first winner is THE OUTCAST CREW out of Laois in the Irish midlands. A new single and video directed, filmed and edited by Thomas Moyles that came out at the end of the Summer. Laois is famous for an abbey, some gardens, a castle and a couple of lakes and now a kickarse class Celtic-Celtic-Punk. They won the 2020 Celtic Punk debut album of the year and it’s about time we heard some more guys!
The competition for best Celtic-Punk video of the year was incredible so next year (which will be our 10th anniversary) we will make a bit more effort and maybe even include you in the decision!!
There were several people involved in the collation of these results and so it is that some of those people may not have heard every album listed or released through the year. If you’re album is not listed maybe you didn’t send it us or not all the folks here heard it so couldn’t give a opinion so really don’t feel too put out. We’re not perfect but we do try our best.
This is the ninth year we’ve been doing these Best Of lists. It seems incredible looking back at some of the previous winners and also-ran’s just how many bands are still with us from Year 1. Have a look for yourselves just click on the year below to redirect.
If you like what we do then why not visit our shop where you can buy all manner of Celtic-Punk tatt including t-shirts, badges, stickers, CD’s, fridge magnets, patches, Celtic nations flags and we just got in new for ’22 some bobble hats and polo shirts.
Alongside the Best Of polls we also run a special Readers Choice poll where you get to pick your favourite release of the year. This will be the fifth year it’s been running with Krakin’ Kellys, Mickey Rickshaw, The Go-Set and Ferocious Dog our previously champions! Last year we had well over 1500 votes (the most ever!) so remember the auld Irish adage ‘Vote Early – Vote Often’. There is only room on the form to list the Top Ten albums but there is an option for YOU to write in your favourite release (album or EP) of the year.
Poll will run until midnight on Tuesday 31st January 2023. You can vote twice. If the release you want to vote for is not listed then you can write it in.
Keep up to date with London Celtic Punks web-zine for all the latest news, record reviews, features and plenty more. Find all our social media here
A funny auld month this. Loads of Celtic-Punk’s premier league bands have releases out and two others have them coming soon!
Find out who they are is in this month’s Odds’n’Sods. A whole load of Celtic-Punk entertainment from all the scene’s bands big and small, established or just starting out.
We kick off this month with a shout out to our good friend Roger Goeddey whose just come out of hospital after a serious operation. Thinking of you from over here and best wishes from the gang.
First we had the Murphys, then the Molly and TMTCH and now it’s the turn of THE REAL McKENZIES to release a new album, Songs Of The Highlands, Songs Of The Sea coming on November 18th on Stomp Records in Canada and FAT everywhere else.
THE OUTCAST CREW out of Laois in the Irish midlands have a new single and video out directed, filmed and edited by Thomas Moyles. Laois is famous for an abbey, some gardens, a castle and a couple of lakes and now a kickarse class Celtic-Celtic-Punk. They won the 2020 Celtic Punk debut album of the year and it’s about time we heard some more guys!
We lapped up SHANGHAI TREASON at the Underworld in Camden last month. Supporting The Rumjacks they played a blinding set and we were happy to see a big chunk of it appear on You Tube with all yer favourite London Celtic Punks silhouetted against the stage!
Another live set this time from Oz and Flat Cap Productions of the raging 100% Colonial Bush Folk / Punk band HANDSOME YOUNG STRANGERS recorded last week at the Crown And Anchor, Adelaide.
Nearly all the big guns get a mention this month and THE MAHONES released the first single from upcoming album Jameson Street (out October 7th). ‘Holloway Jack’ is now available on Spotify and the other platforms.
A great cover of ‘These Hands’, originally by Scots band The Wakes, from Belfast based singer-songwriter STIOFAN on his debut album Rebel Heart which you can hear on Spotify.
Sad news out of the Highlands that Iain has left THE PLACKS. No need to go into the reason but unsure if this means they will carry on but the good news is that he’s already settled into a new band THE RAMSTAMPITS and they’ve been recording so expect new material very soon. Here they playing at Punk Rock In The Peninsula in August which had a awesome line up and looked bloody marvellous!
STOP PRESS – Just heard the new album is available for pre-release from Mainstage Merch.
Ace Brazilian band LUGH we haven’t heard much from recently so completely awesome to hear new material from them with an accompanying video chronicling their 13 years on the road. 13 MORE!!!!
Comedy song from Barcelona based CAL MURPHY about an issue affecting many men… but one in particular! All proceeds from this song will be donated to charities aiding Ukrainian families affected by the war. What better way to help than by having a laugh at the expense of the prick who caused it?
We love a new band so we do! THE ENDINGS from Telford in the English Midlands have probably been around a while (some of them look like it anyway!!!) but we only just come across this video. We checked out some more of their stuff on You Tube and its well f’ing catchy! Give em a like over on Facebook and look forward to seeing them featured on these pages real soon. Whole gig here.
Came across this shared on Facebook and it blew me away! DAMH & DOVE are an American duo with drums and original Viking warrior pipes that sounds bloody amazing. Send them a like on Facebook to hear more. Recorded at this years Oregon Renaissance Fayre.
This led me onto this. This is some scary battle shit from CU DUBH another duo with absolutely stunning pipes and drums. Ancient thundering war drums and swirling bagpipe to put the fear of God into your enemies. These folk don’t need no microphones either! Send a like over on Facebook you know the score.
HOIST THE COLORS – When Daylight Breaks
DROPKICK MURPHYS – This Machine Still Kills Fascists
FLOGGING MOLLY – Anthem
MULHOLLAND – Cumha An Ri
THE MEN THEY COULDN’T HANG – Running On Ice
WE BANJO 3 – Open The Road
Remember we cannot review it if we don’t hear it first!
Scots singer-songwriter LOUIS RIVE didn’t bring the weather with him when he returned to Scotland from Barcelona! Now firmly settled back in he’s still as prolific as he use to be and has a new EP just out Dear Green Place. A four-song personal journey through North-East Glasgow. From the high flats, to the M8 Motorway. From Provanmill to Springburn to Alexandra Parade and back again.
A great friend of ours in the United States has a new album out Cumha An Ri the solo album from MULHOLLAND. Loads of distorted guitars and vocals played at breakneck speed about Irish and Irish-American history. Here’s my favourite about the lie that Irish slavery never existed and to hear the rest check out the entire YouTube Cumha An Ri playlist. Written, composed, performed, recorded, mixed and produced by the very talented Colin Mulholland.
THE MEN THEY COULDN’T HANG have a new digital only release out from their Bandcamp page with all money to go to their Album Fund. This is the second of TMTCH’s rolling programme of digital EP’s and contains the title track, a dystopian fable set in a menacing ice rink, a cover of Ronnie Lane’s classic ‘How Come’ and original demos of two new songs, ‘Islands Of Silver And Gold’ and ‘Lonely Train’.
One of my favourite Celtic-Punk bands the Orange County based BRICK TOP BLAGGERS have a new EP Obey The Tyrant out on all platforms. Here’s ‘Denial’ from St. Patrick’s Day 2021. Watch this space for a review coming soon. (Hint – It rocks!)
In the 9 years we’ve been doing this plenty of bands have passed us by. We can’t see everything after all so this column is to remind us of bands that never made these pages at the time but deserve another mention. These hopefully come with a free download like today so you can help yourself to some free music. Today we feature PFC PIERCE and his 2018 five track EP Songs Of Hope And Hardship. It was while reviewing the debut single from Coxey’s Army recently that we came across this release. It is Coxey’s Army vocalist Nate Rising who founded PFC Pierce a sometimes solo acoustic project described as Positive Blue Collar Folk. Drawing from his extensive travels and experiences, Nate pairs positive themes to catchy, Celtic rooted, tenor guitar music. All the music is available as a ‘name your price’ download but as usual if you can afford to leave him enough for a Guinness or two as a tip.
Acoustic Irish bands THE SCRATCH and THE MARY WALLOPERS are both touring in December and playing Camden in north London so watch out for dates and a wee article on that. Expect to see a few of us at one of them. Haven’t decided which yet! MAD DOG McCREA headline Nells, 3 North End Crescent, West Kensington, London W14 8TG on Friday 21st October. It’s a eye watering £22 but they are a great band so youse get what you pay for. NEW MODEL ARMY play 3 Christmas dates ending at the Roundhouse starting on the 10th. The BIBLECODE SUNDAYS are at the Powerhaus in Camden (formerly Dingwalls) on Saturday November 5th. DROPKICK MURPHYS have announced THE RUMJACKS, PENNYWISE and JESSE AHEARNE as support for their Euro tour starting in Jan and arriving in London on Saturday 21st January and then just 7 days later its THE REAL McKENZIES at the New Cross Inn. All these but the top gig going on this month is just coming up …
Forty years ago The Pogues played their first gig at The Pindar of Wakefield in Kings Cross. On 4th October 1982 James, Shane, Spider and Jem took the stage as Pogue Mahone and would go on to change peoples lives. The Pindar Of Wakefield is now The Water Rats and Kings Cross is, unbelievably, a most desirable place to live and The Pogues are no more either. Their spirit lives on though within The Pogue Traders. Now in their 15th year themselves of bringing The Pogues back to life they will tread them same boards 40 years on. Support for the night is from Paul ‘Mad Dog’ McGuinness And Band. Paul toured with Shane MacGowan for almost a decade as a founder member of The Popes. For an hour before that Shane’s official biographer Richard Balls will be doing a Q And A and copies of his recent book ‘A Furious Devotion: The Life of Shane MacGowan’ will be available.
THE WORKING CLASS SYMPHONY are one of the best Celtic-Punk bands in the world. You don’t know them well that’s probably because they are from Indonesia but we love them and guarantee you will too. Check them out on You Tube and Facebookand look forward to catching them live in Europe at the end of the year. They are heading over sometime between December – January and need the help of the Celtic-Punk community. If you can help with the tour in any way then drop them a lineand let them know.
If you like what we do then you can support us by checking out our online store. The Harp’n’Bones design is back in all sizes and on black or white shirts. Also we have new polo shirts, in all sizes, and some nifty woolly hats as well as the Green’n’White ‘Skully Cap’ ringer shirts. Click the link below for the full range of all our other tatt. Shirts, badges, stickers, flags, CD’s and fridge magnets all the discerning Celtic-Punk fan could ever need! Help keep Punk Celtic! https://the30492shop.fwscart.com/
Facebook is rubbish and I can’t wait to see it fold. It has a stranglehold on all forms of expression that is not good and it’s no surprise to see people leaving in droves. Don’t despair though if you are one of them as you can keep up with London Celtic Punks posts via group on the phone app Telegram. Similar to What’s App but completely free from outside interference. Join us on Telegram, don’t miss a single post and even receive the odd exclusive and special offer! https://t.me/londoncelticpunks/
Well we have been blown away by the response to the new London Celtic Punk badge. Not surprising really as they are so bloomin’ gorgeous. Just about the nicest bit of merchandise in Celtic-Punk if you ask me! Comes with butterfly clip and made in Ireland (Guaranteed Irish!) It’s available for just £5 – UK and £7 – EU post-paid and we’ll throw in a few stickers and a button badge too. For further overseas contact us and we’ll work it out. Send to Paypal (friends & family) to londoncelticpunks@hotmail.co.uk
Even though we hate it Facebook does supply the (very) occasional ray of sunshine so a shout out to some good friends of ours over on Facebook. The Dropkick Murphys- Fan Page and the Celtic Punk, Folk And Rock Fans are two of the best music forums on FB let alone Celtic-Punk. Ran By Fans For Fans just like you and me. Like and join in the fun!
We end with something a wee bit different. No bagpipes or shouting but some beautiful acoustic music from Scots singer-songwriter Dan Wilson who records under the name WITHERED HAND. His fantastic debut album New Gods has just been re-released with bonus tracks.
A reminder too that we need your news so anything you would like to share with the rest of the Celtic-Punk scene send it onto us.
If you are new to the London Celtic Punks blog it is easy to subscribe / follow and never miss a post. Bands, promoters, record labels, venues send in any news to londoncelticpunks@hotmail.co.uk or via the Contact Us page.
Welcome to Part 1 of our special ‘Ferocious Dog Week’ of these Q and A’s with the guys from our favourite Celtic-Punk band – Ferocious Dog. It is based on the feature that use to appear in the football magazines of my youth (anyone remember Shoot! or Match Weekly?) where we got to know what car our favourite football player drove and of their undying love for the music of Billy Ocean!
Originally it was planned to just have whoever from the band got back to us first but with some recent changes to the line up i thought why not ask and see if they would each like to take part and being a band with a clear fan-based ethos they obliged. I’ve never known a band quite like them for having such a link to their fan base. One big family is how people often describe them and with a tour with Flogging Molly just around the corner taking in three countries that fan base is surely going to grow. So without further ado here is Part One and founder member of the band and Man United supporter, like meself, Dan Booth.
Name / Nickname : Dan Booth
Age (Estimate allowed!) : 42
Status : Violin player/co-founder/band manager
Birthplace / Nationality / Ancestry : Born in Nottinghamshire, England. Grandad was from Clydebank in Scotland
Where do you live : 4 miles south of Nottingham in a village called Ruddington
Occupation : Musician
First job : Stores Manager for an IT repair company
A job you would have loved to do : Footballer for Manchester United but unfortunately my body was never really designed for that job
What / Who makes you laugh : Great stand up comedy shows such as Live at the Apollo
Favourite movie star : Samuel L Jackson
Favourite film / TV show : Match of the Day, UFC & Pulp Fiction
Favourite band/s : Oasis, Arcade Fire, Levellers, The Wonder Stuff, James, Carter USM, NWA, Dr Dre
Favourite Celtic-Punk bands : Flogging Molly, The Pogues
Up and coming Celtic-Punk band to watch : Shanghai Treason
First and last record you bought : Tango in the Night by Fleetwood Mac and Yard Act
How many instruments can you play : Violin and guitar
How many bands have you been in : 2 Ferocious Dog & The Beetroot Kings
Favourite venue / gig attended : Idles at Rough Trade in Nottingham
Favourite gig : When we played Lowlands Festival in The Netherlands
Describe yourself in 5 words : A man of few words
Most embarrassing moment : When a may bug climbed my shirt during a show and I was bouncing round stage like an idiot I think the whole crowd was laughing Was funny
Favourite song and why : Laura by Flogging Molly I just think it’s perfectly structured and so beautiful yet powerful
Favourite album and why : NWA – Straight Outta Compton because not only is it well written but it tackles Police brutality on the black communities in America
Favourite song you’ve been involved in: Playjng What You Know with the Levellers on stage around 14 times when we toured with them Jon asked me if I’d like to do a fiddle off on that song to end the shows Was a lot of fun
Team/s supported as a kid : Mansfield Town FC and Manchester United
Favourite sportsperson : Paul Scholes & Valentina Schevchenko
Favourite sport : UFC & football
All time hero : Dr Dre
Favourite book : Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop
Best friend : My fiancé Anna
Biggest influence on career : Jon Sevink and the Levellers
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given : Never eat yellow snow
If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be : Nottingham where I live now it’s my favourite city in the world If I was forced to pick another then maybe Barcelona I loved spending time there, it’s a really chilled place
Your five dream dinner guests : Eric Cantona, Samuel L Jackson, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Isreal Adesanya
Your favourite quote: A wise man can learn more from his enemies than a fool from his friends
Anything to plug / promote : Our album The Hope is still flying high in the Official U.K. Folk Charts at number 16 since we released it last October. Any sales/streams are very much appreciated. We’re also off on tour in Europe and U.K. with Flogging Molly soon so we hope to see some of you there. We have our own U.K. and European dates too so look out for those on our website
(Dan guesting with up and coming Sheffield band Shanghai Treason)
Remember the heat-wave couple of weeks ago? Well it’s raining here now! Welcome to a typical English summer. Never mind though here’s another Odds’n’Sods to keep you occupied for a bit. A whole load of Celtic-Punk entertainment from all the scene’s bands big and small, established or just starting out.
Sadly we start with news of the death of three figures that London Celtic Punks can say were close to us. First our great friend and comrade Scott very sadly passed away last month. To say this was a shock is a massive understatement and all of us here will miss the stand up guy that Scott was. Sometimes you meet folk who are universally loved by everyone they meet. So much that when they share some of their time with you you feel it is a real privilege. An all round good guy was Scott and he will be sadly missed and fondly remembered by all who crossed his path. Our thoughts and prayers to his family and his many friends.
Irish singer Cathal Coughlan, frontman with acclaimed indie bands Fatima Mansions and Microdisney, recently died aged only 61. His family announced the news, saying he “slipped away peacefully in hospital after a long illness”. Born in Cork, Coughlan formed Microdisney in 1980, relocating to London in 1983. Playing smooth jangling indie-pop they were much admired though chart success eluded them. Splitting up in 1988 he formed Fatima Mansions, whose output included everything from intense punk-adjacent rock to Europop and romantic balladry, with Coughlan celebrated for his intense delivery. Their masterpiece was their second album, Viva Dead Ponies, on which you never know if you’re going to get something as hauntingly melodic as ‘The Door-to-Door Inspector’ or something metallic and industrial-influenced like ‘Look What I Stole for Us, Darling’. Here is a link for a free download of this classic album and our thoughts are with Cathal’s family and friends.
Finally Mark Astronaut of the 80’s /90’s /00’s /10’s/ 20’s band THE ASTRONAUTS. Born out of the English Anarcho-Punk scene it was Mark’s lyrics that lifted the band into another world and while the music often flirted between Folk, Punk and Prog-Rock it was his words that made the band. A typically shy English eccentric who seemed to be born into the wrong era sometimes. I had the good fortune to meet him and put on his band numerous times even to the point when he once told me that I was the only promoter who would book him. Beautiful story telling lyrics sung with passion and belief.
The great Yorkshire Celtic-Punks SHANGHAI TREASON played live at Silverstone Woodlands on the weekend of the British Grand Prix last month. Here’s them performing ‘Drowning Heart’.
Our favourite Czech Republican Celtic-Punk band FOGGY DUDE have a new single out ‘Ode To Flying Spaghetti Monster’ accompanied by a fantastic video. Black Metal style beginning continued with a sea shanty and followed by a true Celtic-Punk kick ass symphony, even non-Italians should be delighted.
FORFOCSEIC is the Celtic Punk solo side project of Boston-based singer/songwriter Thom Dunn and he is releasing some absolutely stunning Celtic-Punk with just him and himself playing all the instruments. Check out his latest offering two versions of the great Shane MacGowan penned track ‘Streams Of Whiskey’. We will be reviewing his album Ní Neart Go Cur Le Chéile in the next couple of weeks after we have had a proper listen!
THE KILMAINE SAINTS released a new video of their cover of the House Of Pain classic ‘Jump Around’ recorded live at last months Celtic Fling festival.
I love a bit of Psychobilly me and here’s German band THE DIGGERZ doing a wicked cover of sea-shanty and Celtic-Punk staple ‘Drunken Sailor’.
THE MULLINS are proud to present the first single from their upcoming eponymous album! It’s coming out September 17th and you can pre-order to help the band out.
Indonesian Celtic-Punk is the best and we were taken aback at the great new single from WOLF FROM HOME from Pantura. Guys if you see this send us more information on the band.
The prolific Irish singer-songwriter KEVIN O’DRISCOLL has another album out recently Rebel Blood, Fenian Heart. You can check it out on Spotify.
Last month was news of a new Mahones album and tour and today we can tell you of the release of Time To Burn by the Punk supergroup ULTRABOMB. Made up of Greg Norton of Hüsker Dü. Jamie Oliver of the U.K.Subs and Finny McConnell of The Mahones. These guys are going to be a force worth reckoning. Their recent UK tour was cancelled and no news on it’s re-arrangement yet.
THE WORKING CLASS SYMPHONY are one of the best Celtic-Punk bands in the world? You don’t know them well that’s probably because they are from Indonesia and you haven’t given them a fair chance. We love and guarantee you will too. Check them out on You Tube and Facebook and look forward to catching them live at the end of the year. They are heading over sometime between December – January and need the help of the Celtic-Punk community. If you can help with the tour in any way then drop them a line and let them know.
REINA ROJA – Hooligan Folk (review on its way!)
THE DEAD IRISH – Lost In The City EP
RAISE MY KILT – Raise My Glass
ULTRABOMB – Time To Burn
NICK HART – Nick Hart Sings Ten English Folk Songs
Remember we cannot review it if we don’t hear it first!
REINA ROJA from Madrid have a new album out this month. Having already heard it I can tell you now it is bloomin’ brilliant and I’m looking forward to reviewing it. Hopefully they’ll have some decent live videos out by then but here’s a vid that’s a couple of years old and shows them off.
In the 9 years we’ve been doing this plenty of bands have passed us by. We can’t see everything after all so this column is to remind us of bands that never made these pages at the time but deserve another mention. These hopefully come with a free download like today so you can help yourself to some free music. Formed in 2005 LAD CUIG were a Catalonian Celtic-Punk band that changed styles around 2013 and released their second album album Poemes de Destrucció in 2016 and it’s available as a ‘name your price’ download. Lád Cúig are still going strong and released the album From Within at the end of last year.
SINFUL MAGGIE have a new album, Psychos And Sycophants, out soon and the album launch will be 1st October down sarf where they live. Dublin Metal style acoustic Folkies THE SCRATCH are touring in December and playing Camden Underworld on December 15th. Expect to see a few of us at that one. NEW MODEL ARMY play 3 Christmas dates ending at the Roundhouse on the 10th. FLOGGING MOLLY tour in August with support from good folk FEROCIOUS DOG (see above for dates) and DROPKICK MURPHYS play the London Arena in January. You’re welcome to post in any gig or tour info and looking forward to including some news from The Working Class Symphony soon!
If you like what we do then you can support us by checking out our online store. The Harp’n’Bones design is back in all sizes and on black or white shirts. Also we have new polo shirts, in all sizes, and some nifty woolly hats as well as the Green’n’White ‘Skully Cap’ ringer shirts. Click the link below for the full range of all our other tatt. Shirts, badges, stickers, flags, CD’s and fridge magnets all the discerning Celtic-Punk fan could ever need! Help keep Punk Celtic! https://the30492shop.fwscart.com/
Facebook is shit. Proper shit. That the world’s most ‘popular’ social media site has only 2/5 in the play app store says it all! It’s stranglehold on all forms of expression is not good and it’s great to see people leaving in droves. Don’t despair though if you are one of them as you can keep up with London Celtic Punks posts via our wee group on the phone app Telegram. Similar in style (but better and easier to use) to What’s App but completely free from outside interference. Join us on Telegram, don’t miss a single post and even receive the odd exclusive and special offer! https://t.me/londoncelticpunks/
Even though we hate it Facebook does supply the (very) occasional ray of sunshine so a shout out to some good friends of ours over on Facebook. The Dropkick Murphys- Fan Page and the CelticPunk, Folk And Rock Fans are two of the best music forums on FB let alone Celtic-Punk. Ran By Fans For Fans just like you and me. Like and join in the fun!
A reminder too that we need your news so anything you would like to share with the rest of the Celtic-Punk scene send it onto us.
If you are new to the London Celtic Punks blog it is easy to subscribe / follow and never miss a post. Bands, promoters, record labels, venues send in any news to londoncelticpunks@hotmail.co.uk or via the Contact Us page.
As we transition from wet and cold winter to wet and cold summer it’ll soon be time to reveal your ‘covid’ body in all its glory to the watching world so to help take your mind of that here’s another Odds’n’Sods. A whole load of Celtic-Punk entertainment from all the scene’s bands big and small, established or just starting out.
Italian band UNCLE BARD AND THE DIRTY BASTARDS deserve to be bigger than the Dropkicks and the Mollys in my opinion. With some cracking albums behind them their back with a new video for a song taken from their 2020 album The Men Beyond the Glass.
PADDY AND THE RATS have a new album out this month, From Wasteland To Wonderland, out on the 29th via Napalm Records. The first single, ‘After The Rain’, is now out and is dedicated to the bands accordion player Bernát Babicsek, who went by the stage name Bernie Bellamy, who sadly passed away earlier this year. The song celebrates Bernát ensuring that he will sail forever in the Rats and their fans hearts. The album is available for pre-order from Napalm.
“We’d like to dedicate the first single of the album to Bernie and to express all our emotions through the song we release first. That’s why we’ve chosen ‘After The Rain’. It’s a sad song but it also has a fully positive vibe. Sadness and desperation are there through the whole song, but meanwhile, you can feel something powerful when the pipe and the accordion come in at the drop. It conveys the feeling that you have to be strong and you have to move on. The last line in the chorus says: ‘After the rain, sunshine will never be the same’.
‘Luton Irish Folk-Rockers MISSING THE FERRY have a new single out, ‘Castlebar’ which will be the last release before their debut album coming later this year! The song is about the emigrants’ yearning to return home to Ireland. For many, they only made it in a casket. Despite such a serious subject matter, ‘Castlebar’ is an upbeat celebration of life, of music and of London-Irish culture. The song begins with a poem inspired by Beatrice Mugan and read by three of the bands Mammy, Roseanna, both Roscommon girls who arrived in London and St Albans in the 1960’s and became nurses.
We recently reviewed the debut album from Boston band SLAINTE and the album featured ANNIE CHIVERS on a couple of tracks who has just released a new single ‘Big Kid’ from her upcoming EP.
THE RUMJACKS have a new 6-track split EP out in a few days with FLATFOOT56. Last month we had Flatfoots song so look that up and we will have the low down on it soon so be sure to check that out but here’s their first single from it. It’s available for pre-order from https://snd.click/SplitEP.
I finally at last got to see the amazing Yorkshire banjo Punks SHANGHAI TREASON and they were every bit as good as I had imagined over the three years I’ve been waiting to see them! Blowing some much more famous bands off the stage. They just released a B-Sides EP featuring songs that never made their debut album, which in my book is the #1 Celtic-Punk album of the year. https://open.spotify.com/album/66aL6qH2yRUStU8PbfQ3W6
THE MOORINGS are back with a class new album and first single ‘Nothing Is Going My Way’ is a great opener. Looking forward to hearing this as I’ve always really enjoyed their previous releases.
THE ALT are a Irish-American supergroup consisting of the trio of Nuala Kennedy, John Doyle and Eamon O’Leary, all of who have become very much stars of Irish Folk music through their solo works and collaborations over the years. The songs here come from traditional music archives, poetry and original compositions including three songs in Gaelic. Outstanding album!
“Our ancestors rarely met, seldom mingled. Would the yearnings for one lost world speak to those who’d lost another?” AMID THE MIRK AND OVER THE IRK is an amazing and fascinating collaboration between Irish and Klezmer Folk music traditions and the children of Irish and Jewish immigrants to Manchester.
Five piece English band ONE EYED GOD just released a new album, A Land Fit For Heroes, featuring some rather nice bouncy fun Folky-Punkyness. The album includes lots of elements of Celtic Folk, Reggae, Ska, Dub and Klezmer and you will no doubt come across them this Summer playing out doors in the sun somewhere in southern England during festival season.
Conceived in the bowels of Belfast THE SCUNTZ have a new single just out. An unholy trinity of Punk, Folk and Cider. It’s the first release from their new album Fall Apart Gang. For the first time in a few years theirs a few home grown bands playing Celtic-Punk’ish type music so as usual support them.
THE REAL McKENZIES – Float Me Boat (review coming!)
IN FOR A PENNY – In Memory Of
THE ROYAL SPUDS – Roots Of Life (review coming!)
THE DREADNOUGHTS – Roll And Go
PADDY AND THE RATS – From Wasteland To Wonderland
THEIGNS AND THEALLS – Theigns And Thralls
THE MOORINGS – March On ?
Remember we can’t review it if we don’t hear it
Blast from The Past is dedicated to bands, many of whom are no more, who put out great music but were never featured on these pages at the time. Usually they come with a free download link. This months band is 7-piece Irish Punk’s ST. BUSHMILLS CHOIR from Seattle. They originally came from a group of friends from other bands and before releasing this classic of American Celtic-Punk. Produced by Jack Endino of Nirvana fame the album captures the energy of a live show. “Unrelenting, Punked-out Irish jigs and expert musicianship recalls The Pogues, Stiff Little Fingers, and dare we say it, The Clash” it really is an excellent album and featured in our Best Celtic-Punk Albums Of All Time list from 2014. Available as a ‘name your price’ download so free if you like or if you’re a politician £1000!
Cancelled in the original Covid lock down we were really looking forward to the long awaited re-arranged MR. IRISH BASTARD English tour later this month. One of Europe’s ‘Premier League’ Celtic-Punk bands it was bound to be a treat but sadly the tour is kaput … off! Hopefullly to be re-arranged soon. The good news though is that London Celtic-Punk fans have a gig just up the road on May 21st with a utterly fantastic gig the same night in Guildford with some right proper stars of the English Celtic-Punk scene with EAST TOWN PIRATES, MICK O’TOOLE, SINFUL MAGGIE and Emergency Bitter. Check the Facebook event for more details. Gothic Americana band HEATHEN APOSTLES have their most extensive tour of Europefrom the end of May till the end of June through mainly Germany. We are pleased to announce the first London Celtic Punks gig in a couple of years with Italian band DIRTY ARTICHOKES – the tidiest Celtic-Punk band in the Celtic-Punk scene – returning to town at the beginning of August and will be playing with THE LAGAN and ANTO MORRA, two artists popular on the London Irish music scene that sadly haven’t been able to play much of late. The gig will be at the Bird’s Nest in Deptford and all details are on the Facebook event.
PAIRC FESTIVAL is probably the biggest celebration of Irish culture on this island this Summer. Taking place in Birmingham over August Bank Holiday Weekend. The 26th – 28th sees a bunch of the best and brightest acts playing – FINBAR FUREY, DAMIEN DEMPSEY, HOTHOUSE FLOWERS, BEOGA, SHARON SHANNON and many more. Shame they couldn’t have found room for some 2nd /3rd generation bands but still an outstanding line up. http://paircfestival.com/
Really cool interview with Michael O’Grady from THE MAHONES from Canadian Breakfast TV. He talks about what it means to him and his favourite part’s of the day and what NOT to do at the pub. Michael came us pretty well occupied with his brilliant live streams during lockdown so look forward to seeing him up on stage again soon.
Not many of us really believed that THE MAHONES retirement from touring would last long and they recently announced new dates in Ireland plus the imminent release of new album, Jameson Street, coming soon.
If you like what we do then you can support us by checking out our online store. The Harp’n’Bones design is back in all sizes and on black or white shirts. Also we have new polo shirts, in all sizes, and some nifty wooly hats as well as the Green’n’White ‘Skully Cap’ ringer shirts. Click the link below for the full range of all our other tatt. Shirts, badges, stickers, flags, CD’s and fridge magnets all the discerning Celtic-Punk fan could ever need! Help keep Punk Celtic! https://the30492shop.fwscart.com/
Facebook is shit. Proper shit. That the world’s most ‘popular’ social media site has only 2/5 in the play app store says it all! It’s stranglehold on all forms of expression is not good and it’s great to see people leaving in droves. Don’t despair though if you are one of them as you can keep up with London Celtic Punks posts via our wee group on the phone app Telegram. Similar in style (but better and easier to use) to What’s App but completely free from outside interference. Join us on Telegram, don’t miss a single post and even receive the odd exclusive and special offer!https://t.me/londoncelticpunks/
Even though we hate it Facebook does supply the (very) occasional ray of sunshine so a shout out to some good friends of ours over on Facebook. The Dropkick Murphys- Fan Pageand the Celtic Punk, Folk And Rock Fansare two of the best music forums on FB let alone Celtic-Punk. Ran By Fans For Fans just like you and me. Like and join in the fun!
No better way to welcome in the new season than THE UNDERTONES and a piece of classic Irish Pop-Punk. Best wishes to founding member Billy Doherty on his recent illness too. Hope all is better there. Till next time Folk-Punk folks! The lads have a new compilation out called Dig What You Need out now and available all over the place.
A reminder too that we need your news so anything you would like to share with the rest of the Celtic-Punk scene send it onto us.
If you are new to the London Celtic Punks blog it is easy to subscribe / follow and never miss a post. Bands, promoters, record labels, venues send in any news to londoncelticpunks@hotmail.co.uk or via the Contact Us page.
St.Patrick’s is, unsurprisingly, our busiest time of year and we get inundated with albums, EPs and singles from bands left, right and centre from right across the world. Normally we try our best to get round to reviewing as many as possible and it’s not unusual for us to be still ploughing through them a couple of months later. This year we decided we will group the best of the singles together and then take our time with the bigger releases. So a week on here’s the pick of the Celtic-Punk scene single releases from St. Patrick’s week.
SIR REG – ‘Kick Out The Scum’
Our first track is from Scandinavian Irish rockers Sir Reg and once again the subject of politicians comes up for them and you can possibly guess their take on the matter from the songs title – ‘Kick Out The Scum’! Written by lead singer Brendan it is the third single from their upcoming new album of the same name and set for release in April on Despotz Records.
“When will people learn and stop voting in the same useless shower of twats year after year?!! Let’s all stand together and do something about it once and for all! “
THE DREADNOUGHTS – ‘Cider Holiday’
With over 80,000,000 streams on Spotify they like to think of themselves as “the biggest band you’ve never heard of”! Formed back in 2006, they’ve been on a cider-fuelled bender ever since bringing their furious brand of Celtic-Polka-Punk-Klezmer mayhem across the globe. They recently announced some home show dates in Vancouver for St. Patrick’s and also the release of ‘Cider Holiday’ on the big day itself. The song is the first single from their upcoming 5th album Roll And Go on Stomp Records, and hearkens back to Flogging Molly’s finest material and a Celtic-Punk tribute to real farmhouse cider.
THE FOGGY DUDE – ‘Bella Ciao’
Our favourite Czech Republican Celtic-Punk band released a special Foggy Dude version of the classic great Italian song favoured by partisans during the 2nd World War but first sang by sung in the late 19th century by workers in protest against the harsh working conditions in the paddy fields of northern Italy. The timing is impeccable!
MAGGIE’S FLOCK – ‘The Serpent (Oh St. Patrick)
Now a song from Maggie’s Flock that really got into the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day and a tale of the good man ridding Ireland of snakes. If you would like to learn more about the life and times of St. Patrick have a look at our feature from the 17th. Released on the day itself we are looking forward to another great year from these Dutch Celtic-Folk-Rockers.
SHANGHAI TREASON – ‘Failure To Launch’
A early contender for album of the year Shanghai Treason continue their rise with a track taken from their upcoming ‘B-sides’ E.P release which features 3 tracks which didn’t quite make it onto the bands debut album which goes to show f’ing good it was if this never made the cut!
FLATFOOT 56 – ‘Mud’
We end this feature with the band I’m most excited about, Chicago’s pride, the wonderful Flatfoot 56. One of the most down to earth and grounded bunch of guys you’ll ever meet in the music biz. The song itself is, of course, utterly brilliant and is the lead single for their half of a split six-track EP with The Rumjacks out at the beginning of May.
So their you go six bands with wildly different styles and approaches to Celtic-Punk. Contrary to popular belief not all bands in the scene sound like the Dropkick Murphys! While you are here a word to check out the recently updated Celtic-Punk Playlist from London Celtic Punks columnist Andy @The Celtic Punk Author.
2 years ago, Sheffield-based Shanghai Treason played their first gig. Now the wait is over…January ’21 sees the release of their self-titled debut album! If you’re partial to a bit o’ Dropkicks, Flogging and Roughneck Riot (and if you’re reading this, you probably are), then these “Yorkshire banjo punks” should be to yer liking. This record sounds like a band working hard, having fun, and determined to make a difference.
Shanghai Treason. From Sheffield, and keen to keep the local music scene going.
As we all know, the banjo is a firm favourite in any Celtic punk line-up. And on this record, the instrument makes its mark immediately. “Emerald Causeway” is a cracking tune to start things off, an energetic number where banjoist Tom Hardy leads the way.
This is a sign of a band that shows promise, and we’re not the only ones who’ve noticed. The boys have been picked up by none other than The Rumjacks, who’ve taken them out on their current UK tour. Sadly, some shows have been cancelled – including Glasgow, dammit – but it’s a great early opportunity for the band in any case.
Now, the music might make an impression on the listener, but so too do the lyrics. In next track “Gatling Gun”, which has been released as a single, we hear clever lines from singer Sam Christie such as The city sucked me in, and moved the goalposts. A better one is Would you sew my eyes shut? I got a needle – you got any thread? That one’s from “The Fiendish Blue”, and I had to grin when I heard it. It’s always good to see a band using words in an intriguing way, right down to their band name.
Dynamic music
Shanghai Treason stays true to the Celtic punk tradition, by boasting its fair share of speedy, 2/4-time songs. Listen to “On The Ropes”, where the accordion takes over and gives the banjo a wee rest. “Wildfire” sounds like it’ll be another thrasher, but a break in the middle saves it, before we’re plunged back into the fast-paced fun. Importantly, “Wildfire” also features Dan Booth, well known for his work with Ferocious Dog. Dan played fiddle on the track, and also co-handled production of the album. For Shanghai’s take on FD’s “Crime And Punishment”,
Despite the faster numbers, the band is apt at writing slower tunes too. “Uphill Battle” is a good example, with a steady jig rhythm commencing halfway through, making the song one of my favourites on the album. A much sadder example is “Hero’s Welcome”, a song about a POW returning home from war, only to be suspected of being a spy and tragically killed. Closing track “Boatman” is the other acoustic-led one, where the eponymous boatman could be literal, or maybe a metaphor, leaving it up to interpretation.
Where can I hear the album?
The best way to show these lads some support is to head to their Bandcamp page. There, you’ll find not only the album but some kick-ass merch. If ye fancy a listen first, there’s a wealth of videos on the band’s YouTube page for you to try, and be sure to subscribe!
If streaming’s your thing, and ye wanna contribute some royalties to the band, you can also give them a listen on Spotify or Apple Music. Last of all, be sure to drop ’em a message and stay in touch on either Facebook or Instagram. Their Facebook page lists lots of upcoming shows as the world slowly gets back to gigging ways.
Thanks for readin’! Or as they say in Scotland…slàn leat agus pòg mo thòin 😁☘️
We take Christmas very seriously at London Celtic Punks and so begins the countdown to the second best day of the year! Expect much Christmas themed Celtic-Punk in the coming weeks but in the meantime here’s this months biggest yet round-up of all the band news, record releases and videos from bands big and small from across the Celtic-Punk scene.
6’10 the utterly brilliant offshoot from Flatfoot 56 just put out a new video to accompany ‘The Road’ taken from their awesome last album, Carried In Retrospect.
We missed the release of the new SHANGHAI TREASON single but needless to say it is again fantastic fast and punky Celtic-Punk and quite unlike anyone else knocking about. The album draws ever nearer and we cannot bloody wait to her it! Catch’em on tour in the UK with The Rumjacks soon.
It is probably easier to stop a train going at full speed than to convince the former members of the Black Tartan Clan to put an end to their musical adventure. After a small pose due to a change of line up at the end of 2017, the black kilt wearers have reformed ranks and changed their name, becoming BLACK TARTANS. The new group has a solid experience of live and studio work and continues to bring an energetic mix between trad Celtic instruments (bagpipes and banjo) and Punk-Rock. Here’s some footage of them playing live from their Facebook page. They’ve also started a You Tube channelso give that a follow if you can. Lots of new footage promised.
A little late for Halloween or especially early for next years? PADDY FINNEGAN’S GREEN MACHINE is no other than London Celtic Punks columnist Raymond and he put out a five track EP of scary covers and originals just in time to go trick or treating!
Another Halloween release we missed (except this was from last year!!) was When The Tombstones Speak a 4-track EP from Chicago band WORK THE COUNT. A collaborative music project that draws inspiration from American and Celtic Folk, Punk and Pop. Available as a ‘name your price’ download.
While it’s been many a year since The Dublin Castle in Camden has been much of a Irish pub Peggy Conlon talks about life behind the barat the iconic pub.
THE RUMJACKS released a new video last month for the lead single off an upcoming new release. A eight track EP titled Brass for Gold is due out 11th February 2022 and is available for pre-order.
BLACK MATILDA are a new Celtic-Punk band from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia in Canada and just put out their debut song, ‘I Must sail Away’, on You Tube accompanied by a fantastic stop motion animation video. You can find the band on their Instagram page.
THE CUNDEEZ new single ‘The Stornoway Stomp’ is out now on major download sites along with the bands brilliant Scottish football anthem ‘Kilts On Taps Aff’. Both tracks are taken from the forthcoming album ‘Geeez It’ and the song tells the tale of a trip to the Isle o Lewis.
Acclaimed Pirate band and pure theatrical spectacle YE BANISHED PRIVATEERS announced the release of a Christmas themed album next month and I am really hoping we get a copy! A Pirate Stole My Christmas comes out on December 3rd and is on preorder here: https://smarturl.it/APirateStoleMyXmas
London Gaelic Athletic Association launched a commemorative 125th anniversary booklet, which lays out the history of the county’s past century and a quarter. You can read it here.
Speaking of Instagram (Remember it is owned by Facebook so none of your photos are safe!) THE TENBAGS from Birmingham have just discovered it and have been posting some great content on their page. Well worth looking up.
I’m not much of a whiskey man I’d be the first to admit. My father-in-law always gets the Bells out for me and my brother just shakes his head disappointedly when I put Cola in but here’s a good wee video from a couple of Aussies reviewing THE POGUESIrish whiskey.
HAWTHORN are from Tucson, Arizona and just released their second album, All The Light We Cannot See. An aggressive mix of raw energy and fast punk rooted in traditional Celtic music.
SONS OF CLOGGER are a well known fixture on the English Folk-Punk and festival scene with a good few releases behind them. On finding a bass player they are now casting their net out for a rhythm guitarist and keyboard player so if you live anywhere near Staffs. give them a shout on their Facebook page. ‘Siabost Beach’ is taken from their last album The Neolithic as filmed in the Outer Hebrides/ Western Isles.
Irish born Barcelona based tongue-in-cheek singer-songwriter CAL MURPHY released The Partin’ Rocky Rattlin’ Lass 4-track EP earlier in the year but we only just got round to hearing it. All cover versions the EP covers modern day Irish music pretty damn well from the Celtic-Punk of ‘Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go’ to it’s polar opposite ‘The Parting Glass’ stripped down to just vocals and acoustic guitar.
THE OUTCAST CREW – Myths And Yarns (review coming)
WHISKEY OF THE DAMNED – We Made Bail
BRIAN FALLON – Night Devine
THE GROGGY DAYS – Grog ‘o’ Clock
HAWTHORN – All The Light We Cannot See
remember we can’t review it if we don’t hear it
A wee plug for London Irish Rugby Club. After years in the wilderness out in Reading and some would say a watering down of the club’s Irish ethos they arrived back in London at the tail end of last season and a joy to behold it was too, except for the last minute defeat after being miles ahead at half time!! The club is back in the heart of the Irish community so check out the clubsmerchandiseand show your roots and get some mates together and get down there. Eight train and tube stations within a 20 minute walk and no shortage of decent pubs too means their is literally no excuse. Games against Newcastle Falcons December 4th, CA Brive in the EPCR Cup December 19th and the first home fixture of the New Year against Bath on Monday January 3rd.
This section is for Celtic-Punk bands that have (on the large) left us but their music is still deserving to be heard and heard for free courtesy of a free download. Well here’s a band that are still together and playing. FALPERRYS are one of them actual Celtic-Punk bands from an actual Celtic country (I use to call that Keltic Celtic-Punk) in Galicia. Do Amor e das Mentiras was their debut album from 2011 and is available as a ‘Name Your Price’ download as is their more recent album Nova Abordagem.
Everyone is wetting themselves that THE DROPOUTS are fronted by former Booze & Glory singer and guitarist Liam well we remember his glory days when he nonchalantly would play the banjo for London Irish Ceilidh rockers Neck whilst dreaming of the day he could be in a Oi! band! A top geezer he moved off to Sydney a couple of years back and hasn’t looked back since. This self-titled release is the bands debut and though only seven tracks it’s all great stuff and perfect melodic and hard hitting Punk Rock.
The more I see of Facebook the more and more I dislike it. It has a stranglehold on all forms of expression and this isn’t good. Anything that breaks their monopoly is a great thing (except Twitter equally as shit!) so if you feel the same you can now subscribe to London Celtic Punks posts via our group on the new phone app Telegram. Very similar in style (but better and easier to use) than What’s App but the best thing is that it is completely free from Facebook control. Join us on Telegram, don’t miss a single post and even receive the odd exclusive and special offer!https://t.me/londoncelticpunks/
We’re not beyond a wee bit of crass commercialism so just to let you know that London Celtic Punks merchandise would make great Christmas presents! We still have a handful of Green’n’White ‘Skully Cap’ ringer t-shirts available in all sizes from Small right up to XXX-L from our online store. Also available are 2 other shirt designs so click the link below for our full range of all our other tatt. Shirts, badges, stickers, flags, CD’s and fridge magnets all the discerning Celtic-Punk fan could ever need! https://the30492shop.fwscart.com/
On the live front here in London town we have the return of London Irish Pyscho-Ceildh rockers NECK to the New Cross Inn on December 10th with support form the awesome CROCK OF CELTS. The following day sees THE MEN THEY COULDN’T HANG at the Subterania in Ladbroke Grove and then a choice of the London Folk legend SEAMUS MOORE at the Sporting Green in Enfield EN3 5JF or THE FIREPIT COLLECTIVE Irish-Folk offshoot from the Inner Terrestrials at the New Cross Inn sees us into Christmas on Sunday 19th. There was also talk of a secret POGUES TRADERS afternoon show somewhere in Central London. Keep an eye out for that. Lots of gigs being announced check the LCP FB events page but the new year will see the return of our dedicated London ‘What’s On’ page.
A plug for some good friends of ours over on Facebook. The Dropkick Murphys- Fan Pageand the Celtic Punk, Folk And Rock Fansare two of the best music forums on FB let alone Celtic-Punk. Ran By Fans For Fans just like you and me. Like and join in the fun!
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If you are new to the London Celtic Punks blog it is easy to subscribe / follow and never miss a post. Bands, promoters, record labels, venues send in any news to londoncelticpunks@hotmail.co.uk or via the Contact Us page.
NO ODDS’N’SODS NEXT MONTH BUT IT WILL RETURN FOR FEBRUARY
Sheffield banjo punks Shanghai Treason release the fourth single taken from their upcoming self titled debut. ‘Hero’s Welcome’ which tells the TRUE story of one of the bands great grandfathers; who escaped a P.O.W camp in WW2.
We are getting nearer and nearer to the one album release I have been dying to hear ever since it was announced a few months back on these pages. Aye up to Shanghai Treason from God’s own country (within God’s own country) who have a new single out today- ‘Hero’s Welcome’.
The song tells a tale very close to the heart of one of the band, vocalist Sam Christie. For it’s the true story of when his great granddad escaped the European P.O.W camp he was being held captive in during WW2 and facing many dangers made it back to Blighty, even swimming the English channel.
“It’s kind of an unbelievable story. One I felt deserved to be immortalised in song, it already felt like the kind of tall tale that would be well suited for presentation in a more traditionally Folk storytelling fashion, We had been playing around with the track for a year or so before I heard our guitarist ‘Tom Jackson’ singing the lyrics that I’d written one rehearsal, it’s was a kinda light bulb moment really where it felt like it should be TJ who sings the track, everything seemed to click together from there, he’s got a great voice and will no doubt be singing more tracks in the future, it’s another string to our bow.”
Produced by Luke Wheatley (Arch Audio) Dan Booth (Ferocious Dog) Executive Produced, Mixed & Mastered by Gianluca Amendolara (Black Dingo Productions) Filmed by Giannis Kipreos (Popp Tones) Video Edited by the band
The Bhoys self-titled debut album is not due out January 2022 but from what I have already heard it’s going to be a (very) early contender for the London Celtic Punks album of the year! Well before that you will have every chance to catch them live as they are prolific ‘giggers’ and as their name gets round so do they. As the album comes out they will embark on a 16 date UK tour supporting The Rumjacks across Scotland and England.
The album has been produced by Dan Booth of Ferocious Dog and Luke Wheatley and keen eared listeners may hear a contribution from Dan on ‘Hero’s Welcome’. So it’s now full steam ahead keep an eye out here for pre-order information.
Summer’s here, the pubs are re-opening, live music is returning and the world of Celtic-Punk is getting back to normal as well! This months Odds’n’Sods features all the band news, record releases, videos from bands big and small across the Celtic-Punk scene.
Kicking off this month with the new video from THE DROPKICK MURPHYS continue their tradition of celebrating their bagpipers with this beauty dedicated to new piper Lee Forshner. The vid is animated by Adam Murphy (@adammurphyart).
A whole host of new tour dates have been released too with several English and Scots dates culminating in a gig at Wembley Arena!
New tour dates announced today from THE RUMJACKS of their most extensive tour of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Ireland ever for Jan/ Feb 2022. Supported on most dates by the fantastic SHANGHAI TREASON. Check both bands FB pages for dates.
Speaking of SHANGHAI TREASON they put out the third track from their upcoming debut album last week. ‘On The Ropes’ tells of a boxer approaching retirement and again shows their the hottest band in Celtic-Punk at the moment.
English Celtic-Folk-Punk rockers FOLK THE SYSTEM release their second album soon and it’s available for pre-release sale from http://www.folkthesystem.co.uk
Eddie Lawlor from the fantastic Aussie Celtic-Punk band MEDUSA’S WAKE has been releasing the odd solo track here and there and his new one ‘The Orange And Green’ shows what a great talent this fella is. You can watch it on Facebook here.
Exciting news from the Orient (and I don’t just mean the appointment of Kenny Jackett) that the new single from Chinese/ Liverpool Irish band GRASS MUD HORSE lands next week and features the incredible vocal talents and tin-whistling of yer man himself FRANKIE McLAUGHLIN. Tune in here on June 8th to hear it.
Cool as hell video from THE POSITIVE AUTISM of the Murph’s ‘Shipping Up To Boston’. The Positive Autism is 2-Man Band featuring an autistic singer (Micah) and his dad (Danny). We make music to promote autism acceptance. Micah has difficulty talking to people so music gives him a voice. Exact;ly what music ought to do. Support the guys and if you have a song request for Micah leave it in the comments.
Norway’s Premier League Celtic-Punk hitters the GREENLAND WHALEFISHERS have re-visted, re-mastered and re-released their first four albums. Mainstreet Sword, Loboville, Streets Of Salvation and the collection of B-Sides and other crap, Amazing Space (b-sides and other crap). The albums are available on all digital platforms now.
Toronto band OLD MAN FLANAGHAN’S GHOST have a new album out. Re-mastered and re-jiggered from their Covid Live Stream performance. Fourteen tracks of covers and originals they have never recorded before.
I can’t remember how I came across TEDDY HORSE but imagine a sound somewhere in the middle of Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Will Oldham and the Godfather of Celtic-Punk Shane MacGowan. A sort of Celtic-Emo if you will. Unusual but a real grower.
FIDDLER’S GREEN premiered their new track ‘Haul Away, Joe’ on You Tube this month and it features the comforting sound of a hurdy-gurdy!
THE POKES – Sail
LEWIS BURNER – Dark Wheels Turn Above Our Heads
LIDDINGTON HILL – Cow
SHAMBOLICS – Goin’ Off
THE BLACK CLOVER – Just Another Pub
remember we can’t review what we haven’t heard!
The ever prolific London Celtic Punks fave TIM HOLEHOUSE has a new album out called simply ‘?’. It’s a collection of tracks from compilations, and some other unearthed gems.
Galician street punk / Oi! band KELTOI! celebrate 15 years together in 2021 and have just released a 2-track single. If you’re into bands like the Cockney Rejects then check these guys out. The very definition of a CELTIC-punk band!
This month we are re-visiting my favourite album from Canadians KNACKER’S YARD. High energy traditional Celtic-Folk from Victoria, BC, since late 2012. Gangers, Chancers And The Craic was released on July 6, 2018 and features an amazing seventeen songs and is available as a ‘name your price’ download on Bandcamp. Strongly committed to the preservation of over four centuries of Irish, Scottish, and English traditional music. For fans of The Dubliners, Pogues, Wolfe Tones, Ryan’s Fancy, Stan Rogers, Ewan MacColl, Shirley Collins, Dominic Behan, Planxty, and many more! Knacker’s Yard are still playing and releasing albums and are now up to seven with last year’s Strayaway Child.
Facebook has become an unlikeable monster with more and more good folk leaving. Can’t say I blames you. So we have set up a Telegram group. Similar but better (and easier to use) than What’s App and free from Facebook control. Join us on Telegram and don’t miss a single post!https://t.me/londoncelticpunks/
A plug for some good friends of ours over on Facebook. The Dropkick Murphys- Fan Pageand the Celtic Punk, Folk And Rock Fans are two of the best music forums on FB let alone Celtic-Punk. Ran By Fans For Fans. Just like and join in the fun!
All we need to do now is for you to help fill this page with news and remember if you are new to the London Celtic Punks blog it is easy to subscribe / follow and never miss a post. Also if anyone is interested in helping out on the reviews front then let us know via the Contact Us page.
‘Wildfire’ the second single from their forthcoming new album sees South Yorkshire’s Shanghai Treason teaming up with Dan Booth from Ferocious Dog on fiddle!
Swiftly becoming one of my favourite bands Yorkshire rockers Shanghai Treason knock it out the ball park again with their new single. Fiddle and banjo go together like a Steak pie and Hendersons (that be South Yorkshire talk!) so it is that when I heard they were working with Dan Booth of Ferocious Dog I did get a little excited. And as you will see it was justified!!
Wildfire is the second single to be released from their new album, due in the Summer on Black Dingo records. The St. Patrick’s Day release of ‘Emerald Causeway‘ came out to much accalim and the album seems to be shaping up rather nicely. Shanghai Treason arrived in 2019 just in time to lay down a few roots before the Covid lockdowns came in but that didn’t see them slow down (well much anyway) and continued to write and produce new music as best they could. By now they have become a recogniseable name on the Celtic-Punk scene and their string of singles and EP’s have all been well received among the many Celtic-Punk focused blogs, radio stations and publications. Beginning to write their new album last year via e-mail’s between the band they managed to pick up a record deal with the Italian label Black Dingo Productions (home of artists like The Rumjacks, The Real McKenzies, The Rumpled ). Earlier this year they booked into Arch Audio recording Studio in Mansfield to work with Dan Booth and Gianluca from The Rumjacks under the watchful eyes of Luke Wheatley, Ferocious Dog’s sound-engineer.
“We’ve really up’d the ante on Wildfire, Dan Booth’s fiddle playin’ smacked the track into the stratosphere, it’s fast, in your face celtic punk, wi’ a Yorkshire twist, tha knows” – Sam Christie (Vocals)
Soon as things get back to normal the #1 thing on my to-do list is to get up to Yorkshire and catch these boys in the flesh. The quality of their previous releases has been incredible and in a year where several albums have been hotly anticipated it is Shanghai Treason’s that has excited me the most and on the evidence of the two singles released so far then this album will be challenging for Album Of The Year!
Big news from Yorkshire Celtic-Punkers Shanghai Treason with the release of new single and video ‘Emerald Causeway’ the first release from their upcoming self titled debut album which is due in summer 2021.
Sometimes a band doesn’t have to be around long to make a big splash in the Celtic-Punk scene. Two bands I can immediately think of that this applies to are China’s Grass Mud Horse and another band with a somewhat tenuous Chinese connection. Shanghai Treason though hail from less exotic realms in the post-industrial working class heartlands of South Yorkshire. Formed in only 2019 a flurry of releases made them THE band to see when their debut release the absolute belter ‘Devil’s Basement’came out in late 2019. We had the privilege of premiering that release and we have followed the Bhoys eagerly ever since. Sadly Covid and the lockdown that followed put paid to their progress but not being a band to rest on their laurels they still continued to release material as best they could and the last few months have seen the band writing their debut album, bouncing back and forth song ideas via e-mail and getting ready for the recording studio to reopen. Along the way they signed to the Italian record label ‘Black Dingo Productions’, already home to some of Celtic-Punks biggest and best bands of artists like The Rumjacks, The Real Mackenzies, The Rumpled & more) and as soon as they were able they booked into Arch Audio recording Studio in Mansfield to work with producers Dan Booth (Ferocious Dog) and Gianluca Amendolara (The Rumjacks) under the watchful eyes of engineer Luke Wheatley (Ferocious Dog full time sound engineer). The good news is that the bands self titled debut album ‘Shanghai Treason’ is due to be released in June 2021 and will feature eleven tracks including guest violin from Dan Booth. Shanghai Treasons resident multi instrumentalist Tom Hardy has said
“We used a small arsenal of instrumentation on the album. In addition to the core instruments, we have brought in the Bouzouki, Acoustic Guitar, Tenor Banjo, Bluegrass Banjo, Piano, Accordion and the Fiddle. The Dulcimer can also be found in a small section of one particular song, see if you can hear it!”
Produced by Dan Booth & Gianluca Amendolara Engineered by Luke Wheatley at Arch Audio
Many have tried, many have fallen
Some men lie, some men steal, I know many who went all in
Many have died, before they found their calling
Some saved lives, some men feel that they’re above the weighing
*
What will the scales weigh?
When they measure up your good deeds
Will you be castaway?
On the emerald causeway
*
Many have fought, many have pillaged
Some have killed, some have hoarded way more then their fair share
Many hit the jackpot, still wound up distraught
Some have given their whole lives to an ideal that proved irrelevant in the end
Well here we go again. It seems an awful long time since we were compiling all the votes into 2019’s Best Of. Last year saw The Walker Roaders triumph but with this year being a lot quieter on the Celtic-Punk front thanks to the lockdowns around the world bands have found themselves unable to tour and promote new releases so have held onto them till things got better. Still that’s not to say it was a complete wash out and as you can see from below their have been some absolute knock-outs during the year.
Remember this is only our opinion so feel free to comment, slag off or dissect our lists. The Readers Poll is back again this year so you can even vote on your favourite release of 2020 yourself. We don’t pretend to be the final word as that my friends is for you…
(for more information click on the release title in green)
Was very close between the top three this year but Ogras seem to have been not only our favourites but also most of the Celtic-Punk medias too. A lot less albums may have come out during the year but still plenty more that didn’t make the cut. Don’t be down hearted if you are one of them it could just be that one of the judges hadn’t heard that album. Again if we don’t hear your album we can’t review it so the massive majority here are ones that were sent in to us. We only need a download link (NO Spotify!) and we’re happy. Out of the 30 albums 18 countries were represented including 2 from the Celtic nations Scotland #4 and Brittany #13 and our first from Hawaii!
Several bands have taken the chance during the lockdown to release compilations of sorts. While it would be a little unfair to include them in the main ‘Best Of’ section they still deserve a mention. Among these were two 30 year celebrations from two of Celtic-Punks most successful and popular bands in THE MAHONES – This Is All We Got To Show For It and FIDDLER’S GREEN – 3 Cheers For 30 Years. Both fully deserve a round of applause, a raise of the pint and a tip o’ the hat! Band compilations included ANTO MORRA – Twenty, THE DEAD RABBITS – The Dead Rabbits, LEXINGTON FIELD – Here’s To You Ten Years Of Fiddle Rock and LQR – Barrel-Aged. A couple of live albums THE STANFIELDS – Welcome To The Ball and ShamROCKS – FCP Livewere both well received, you may have heard that a little known band THE POGUES put out a new album of previously unreleased materialBBC Sessions 1984-86andQuintessential Quarantuneswas a 6-band compilation released in the Summer featuring the Bible Code Sundays and The Reels. MacSlons Irish Pub Radio also released volume 5 of Raise Your Pints the best Celtic-Punk sampler around of 19 of the Celtic-Punk scenes best bands.
You have to go back to the beginning of January for 1916’s release and though many more would challenge it stayed top of the pile all year long. Some great debut releases here from bands that will I am sure go on to bigger things. This time last year I was crowing about Shanghai Treason and how much I was looking forward to seeing them play… well I still am!
This year’s winner of Best Debut Album comes from a continent where Celtic-Punk appears to be booming! The South American scene has been dominated in the past by bands from Brazil and Argentina (last years winners in this category were Aires Bastardos from Argentina) but with Batallón de San Patricio from Guadalajara in Mexico things are changing with several bands popping up over the last couple of years. The last twelve months have seen Batallón de San Patricio garner favourable reviews from various singles and live streams. Hermanos De Guerra/ Brothers Of War is delivered entirely in Spanish and spans the length of Celtic-Punk from trad Irish up to Celtic-PUNK making it fully deserving of the award.
Always the hardest list to compile as it covers so much ground. Some of these bands play Trad Folk with a Punk Rock heart like Clover’s Revenge while others didn’t quite fit as Celtic-Punk releases but the winners are the Rose family from NY state otherwise known as The Wild Irish Roses. An album that took us by surprise and managed to please everyone.
Now this section is tinged with sadness. There is no question which site has the biggest impact on the Celtic-Punk scene over the last year and while not strictly a web-site the CELTIC PUNK, FOLK AND ROCK FANS group on Facebook fully deserved this years award. Sadness because the group founder Mike Kilroe very sadly passed away at the beginning of the month. Created back in February 2019 it was around the time of last years ill fated St. Patrick’s day and the subsequent Dropkick Murphys live stream show that membership of the group exploded and has now passed over 8000 members. If on Facebook they should be your first port of call, alongside us of course! We had a great interview with the founder of the group Mike back in May that you can find hereand of course our thoughts go out to his family and friends.
We are not alone in doing these Best Of 2020 lists in fact all the major players in Celtic-Punk do them so click below to check out what they thought.
So there you go. Remember we have never pretended to be the final word on things in fact have a look at the other Celtic-Punk media’s Best Of’s and I’m sure they are all pretty different. Our Best Of’s, as usual, cajoled and bullied out of the admins from the London Celtic Punks Facebook page and then tallied up over a few pints in Mannions in north London. One important thing to note is that not all of us heard the same albums so like all the various Best Of’s ours is also subjective.
Nine years we’ve been doing these lists now. It seems incredible looking back at some of the previous winners and also-rans how so many bands are still with us from Year 1. If you would like to check for yourself then just click on the link below the relevant year.
Alongside the Best Of polls we also run a special Readers Poll where you get to pick your favourite release of the year. This will be The Readers Poll’s third year with Krakin’ Kellys and Mickey Rickshaw previously champions! There is only room to list the Top Ten albums but there is an option to write in your favourite release of 2020. You are allowed to vote for up to two releases but not for the same artist.
The Poll will close at midnight on Sunday 31st January with the result announced soon after.
Sláinte, The London Celtic Punks Crew- January, 2021
We want to move away from just being ‘ReviewReviewReviewReview’ so we have started this monthly feature that comes out on the last day of each month. All news items that we otherwise miss will get a mention but I need YOU to be the eyes and ears if it’s going to work so send over to us any band news, record releases, videos, tours (not individual gigs though yet sadly), live streams, crowd funders etc., to us at londoncelticpunks@hotmail.co.uk or through the Contact Us page and it will go in here!
New re-arranged dates are starting to trickle out and STIFF LITTLE FINGERS have announced new tour dates for the UK for March 2021 including London at the Roundhouse in Camden on the 20th.
I’ve made no secret of my love for the Norwegian band OGRAS over the last few months and at the end of June they made one of the best Live Streams of anyone during the whole ‘clampdown’. Playing as a full band aboard the MS Progress a 1914 built former fishing boat these guys showed why are they rapidly gaining a name for themselves in the Celtic-Punk scene. Well they just re-mastered and re-cut the show and put it up on You Tube so please I implore take just twenty minutes off and make yourself comfortable and feast your eyes and your ears on this magnificent production.
We had expected to be putting on PYROLYSIS live in London in July along with fellow Dutch Celtic-Punkers The Royal Spuds but the clampdown put paid to that! They have been busy though with a few irons in the fire starting with the release of ‘Leave Me’ on You Tube.
Chinese Celtic-Punk pioneers SMZB have a new album Once Upon A Time In The East coming out soon and released a superb video on July 1st for ‘Man Jiang Hong’ their first single from the album.
New Brunswick is Canada’s (self-proclaimed) most Irish City and home to a thriving Celtic community being 20% Irish and not far off the same Scottish. Its also home to RAGLAN ROAD ‘one Islander, one Newfoundlander, two Miramichiers and one party just waiting to happen’ We may have heard Drunken Sailor a 1000 times but you cannot beat it when its played just right!
Milwaukee, Wisconsin based WIDACRE are a Hardcore Punk band that dip their toe in and out of Irish music and have a very interesting back catalogue that encompasses everything from HC to Folk. They released a craicing cover of The Pogues track ‘If I Should Fall From Grace With God’ earlier in the year but we’re only just catching up now. Available as a ‘Name Your Price’ download.
The cousin of Johnny Piper from US band Alternative Ulster has a new band on the go. CHUCKY ARLA & THE PETROL BOMBERS describe themselves as ‘angry Irish rebels, happy Irish drunks, bomb tossing tossers, banjo playing punks’ and have an album out you can hear below.
New songs from NEVER SAY DIE Irish-American Punk band from Germantown, MD. The title track and ‘One More Time’ from their third full length album Never Say Die. Thirteen new tracks out June 29.
THE REAL McKENZIES – Beer And Loathing
THE CLOVES AND THE TOBACCO – Julan Palang
CELTICA PIPES ROCK! – Celtic Spirits
NEVER SAY DIE – Punk Rock Pirates
THE LANGER’S BALL – Appetite for Tradition
SHANGHAI TREASON – Covid Covers
THE RUMPLED – Rumplugged EP
THE LOGUES – Live Sessions
Even doing this we regularly come across music that we missed first time round so here’s a slight chance to make amends and also to listen to something different. Dublin born Daniel McDonnell spent time in England growing up before returning to Ballymun and later becoming a rising star in the Irish Hip-Hop scene. He goes by the stage name LUNITIC and his 2009 Based On A True Story features artist such as Irish Hip-Hop emcee Rí-Rá, 4Real & Moschops and Damien Dempsey. Available as a ‘Name Your Price’ download.
South Yorkshire Celtic-PUNKERS SHANGHAI TREASON have a new digital only EP out. Three DIY covers of traditional Folk songs now available to download Bandcamp. Only £3 an all profits raised from will be donated to NHS charities. Good lads.
Top German band FIDDLERS GREEN have released a new video for the Shamrock Castle (the Fiddler’s Green organised Irish music festival) official musical anthem!
A plug for some good friends of ours over on Facebook. The Dropkick Murphys- Fan Page and the Celtic Punk, Folk And Rock Fans are two of the best music forums on FB let alone Celtic-Punk. Ran By Fans For Fans. Just like and join in the fun!
So you get the idea so all we need to do now is fill it with news and remember if you are new to the London Celtic Punks blog it is easy to subscribe / follow and never miss a post. Also if anyone is interested in helping out on the reviews front then let us know via the Contact Us page.
The debut EP from highly rated South Yorkshire based Celtic-Punk band Shanghai Treason has hit the airways!
Shanghai Treason are a band we have been championing ever since they first popped up on the Celtic-Punk scene last year (and not just because they’re from South Yorkshire!) with the release of their debut single ‘Devils Basement’ in November. A song that captured the Dropkick’s at their prime with the passion and speed of Punk. It even made the LCP Top Ten Of 2019 the only time a single song has ever made the Best Of lists in seven years.
Here on It’s Treason they bring together their three singles released over the last six months with three new tracks kicking off with that debut song and over 40,000 views across social media certainly saw them arrive in style. ‘Devil’s Basement’ is a song that the Dropkick Murphys would kill to write and saw the band picking up fans across the world. Fast and furious a fierce firecracker of a debut! Shanghai Treason are at heart a Punk band but with banjo (and occasional accordion) supplied by Hardy whose a bit of a mutli instrumentalist who can also play mandolin, accordion, bouzouki…even bagpipes which gives the band plenty of options for the future. It’s not just tacked onto a random Punk song though with their songs built around the sound of the banjo. Their sound lies somewhere between early Murphs and South-Western band Mick O’Toole (who make a appearance in the video if you look closely!). ‘Rats Get Fat’ is the first new one and they’ve lost none of their bite with a song about home giving Huddersfield a name check and Sams vocals coming over particularly good with a ‘operatic’ Punk style that fit perfectly.
‘Can’t Even Hang A Man Right’ carries on with the anthemic Celtic-Punk. Loud and raucous and with us finally on the verge of leaving the EU at last a rallying cry against political dirty tricks at Westminster with the great chorus “You can’t trust the rats by the river”. This is an EP for anyone into LOUD music but if you’re a fan of the banjo then this is definitely for you and again on ‘Drowning Heart’ the mix is done perfectly and the balance between the banjo and everything else is great.
‘The North Will Rise Again’ is dedicated to the music venues of the North of England and hopefully they’ll be some left to watch Shanghai Treason in at the end of all this! A video was released on Facebook in support of the Music Venue Trust’s campaign to #SaveOurVenues featuring some of the bands favourite boozers. Foot stamper ‘Green Cove’ brings down the curtain on It’s Treason and we are treated to Hardy and his accordion and the song has a bit more of a Celtic air to it, no doubt due to the accordion, but it still powers along.
Shanghai Treason left to right: Joel Hughes – Bass * Tom Hardy – You name it. Just about anything he can get his hands on * Sam Christie – Vocals * Tom Jackson – Guitar * Alex Fell – Pots and Pans *
The band were riding the crest of the wave when the clampdown came along and I can’t think of a single band whose momentum has been damaged more. Having shot onto the scene and in six months risen to where they are it’s a real shame. Still plans are already afoot to get back on the road as soon as they are able with a intensive UK tour on the table and some supports to bands I must not mention. Shanghai Treason may inhabit the darker, heavier side of Celtic-Punk but for anyone that misses Mike McColgan era Dropkick Murphys than mourn no more and get treasonous!
We want to move away from just being ‘ReviewReviewReviewReview’ so we have started this monthly feature that comes out on the last day of each month. All news items that we otherwise miss will get a mention but I need YOU to be the eyes and ears if it’s going to work so send over to us any band news, record releases, videos, tours (not individual gigs though yet sadly), live streams, crowd funders etc., to us at londoncelticpunks@hotmail.co.uk or through the Contact Us page and it will go in here!
Celtic-Punk major leaguers THE REAL MCKENZIES are back with their eleventh full-length album, Beer And Loathing, set for release on July 3rd on Stomp Records. More epic tales of alcohol soaked debauchery, historic sagas and hard-fought personal battles are promised and it will be coming out we are promised on Seafarer’s green and Beer Piss yellow vinyl and is available for pre-orderfrom several different sites.
With the new album from THE O’REILLYS AND THE PADDYHATS, Dogs On The Leash, just released here’s their first single. Easily one of the most prolific bands in Celtic-Punk it never ceases to amaze me the high quality of their output. As an aside my Mammy is from Mitchelstown and she’s proud as punch to see a song named after her home town.
We’re still plodding our way through reviews from St. Patrick’s week releases but the Celtic-Punk/Folk-Punk world continues to turn and here are all of the most recent ones we aware of
BLACK ANEMONE – Chasing The Sun
KELTIKON – The Black Boar
THE O’REILLYS AND THE PADDYHATS – Dogs On The Leash
FIDDLER’S GREEN – Acoustic Pub Crawl II (Live In Hamburg)
NORTH ALONE – Quarantine Coverage (EP)
DAYS N DAZE – Show Me The Blueprints
THE GO SET – Of Bright Futures
THE GO SET – …And Broken Pasts
VARIOUS ARTISTS – Raise Yer Pints Volume 5 Compilation
(remember if you want a review of your release we have to hear it first!)
Manchester based Derry born Gaelic Hip-Hop maestro DANNY DIATRIBE released At War With The Morning on May Day. A five track EP of modern day Irish immigrant Rap’n’Roll for a fiver!
For those of you who may have missed it the GREENLAND WHALEFISHERS premiered via live stream the professionally recorded live concert Barely Alive On The Inside filmed live at Inside Rock Cafe in their home town of Bergen in Norway on February the 15th 2020. It’s now available to watch on You Tube and is incredibly good!
The fourth album in ten years from JOHNNY KOWALSKI AND THE SEXY WEIRDOS and the first with new fiddle player Katherine McWilliam. Seven original tracks with weird instrumentals rubbing up against references to anti-fascism and conversations with the undead!
We gave it a small mention last month but full details are now available for THE PLACKS upcoming 7″ vinyl single. Limited to only 300 copies and on red vinyl it’s available for pre-orderand features the songs ‘Rebellious Son’ and ‘The Bomb, The Bullet And The Gun’. Get it now as the pre-sale has gone fast.
South Yorkshire band SHANGHAI TREASON can do no wrong and their latest video is another masterpiece. Sooooo looking forward to seeing these Bhoys soon as the clampdowns over. ‘The North Shall Rise Again’ is dedicated to the music venues of the North of England and hopefully they’ll be some left to watch them in at the end of all this! Their debut release comes out in the next few days so keep a eye on these pages.
Aussies MEDUSA’S WAKE have some new material out soon and I can tell you now it’s very good and we are very excited to hear more. We will be interviewing their singer and writer the Premier county born Eddie on all things Aussie Irish very shortly.
With no festivals or concerts PADDY ROCK has put together an Online Celtic Feston 13th June 13th. No tickets, no commitments just eight hours of awesome Celtic music staring among others Bill-1916, Mike- Mickey Rickshaw, Sean- The Lucky Pistols and many more.
Scots born/Catalan based LOUIS RIVE has a excellent new single out called ‘Whitewashing‘ and we will be announcing a London Celtic Punks Live Stream with Louis soon! Just working on a date.
Our man in South Carolina T.C. COSTELLO has had a busy month. Two features on these pages for a single, ‘The Pandemic‘, and his forthcoming album The Bluebird and he released a new video for new song ‘Lord Randall’ as well. On top of that he played a very entertaining Live Stream for London Celtic Punks last week which is still available to view over on the London Celtic Punks Facebook page.
BRYAN McPHERSON spends his life on the road so holed up with his Mam and Dad in his hometown of Boston must be particularly tough on him. I’ve been loving his regular live streams and here’s one of the best ones. You can support Bryan by getting one his special limited edition Quarantine Time t-shirts and he also put out some Ramones themed tee’s too and on top of all that he also has a new single out, a cover of an old school Rancid song called ‘Olympia WA‘.
London Celtic Punks fave ANTO MORRA has no record to flog (but if you do like what you hear check out his last album Twenty) but he did put out this the other day and I loved it so here it is.
London Irish Punk Folker ANTOis keeping busy though and on Wednesday June 3rd is performing live on Facebook in the third in a short series of Live Streams of artists that we bloody love. Think Christy Moore meets Billy Bragg but more fun and a better singer! Join the FB event for up to date info and on the day see you at the London Celtic Punks FB page at 8pm for an hour of surprises!
This July CLOVER’S REVENGE were set to wing their way over from sunny Florida to play London and we were looking forward to sharing a few beers with them but well you know… Anyway to make up for it they are also performing a full band Live Stream on Tuesday 25th June which will be on the London Celtic Punks Facebook page. Check the FB events page for any further information.
The new album from French band CelKILT, The Next One Down, came out yesterday and will be reviewed here any day soon but in the meantime enjoy this excellent track from the album.
The Irish music scene in Serbia is extremely popular with the biggest being the amazing Irish Stew Of Sindidun and SCORDISCI are the latest to throw their hat into the ring. Celtic-Punk from Belgrade, Serbia formed early in 2014 they have just released a new single – ‘In a Year Or Two’.
Ambitious plans from Holland’s MAGGIE’S FLOCK. A single released on the 23rd of every month during 2020 and then at the end of the year all twelve songs will become the album Party At The Cemetery. Aprils’s song is ‘Drunken Train’ and earlier this year the singles ‘Battle Song‘, ‘Bored Beyond Death‘ and ‘Maggie Of The Moor‘ were also released. Since I wrote this they have already released another song so to to be kept in the loop like them on Facebook.
New ‘clampdown’ video from THE RUMPLED one of the best bands in what seems to be the hottest Celtic-Punk scene around at the moment over there in Italy. They also put out a video with Silvano from UNCLE BARD AND THE DIRTY BASTARDS last week too.
The clamor for a decent DROPKICK MURPHYS group on Facebook has been getting increasingly louder and its finally arrived so hightail it to the DROPKICK MURPHYS FAN PAGE and join up for all the best news, views and reminiscences on the DKM’s. If you missed their live stream on May 29th then it’s now uploaded to YouTube and is worth multiple views. The Springsteen songs are right at the end.
… and finally it doesn’t seem like it but it’s ten years since THE LAGAN set out on the rocky road. A pity they couldn’t celebrate it in style down at the sweatbox that is The Fighting Cocks but Brendan and Andy got together on Saturday 10th May and rattled off a handful of original Lagan songs and a few covers and it was terrific. If it’s still up get the beers in, settle down and UP THE FUCKING LAGAN!
So you get the idea so all we need to do now is fill it with news and remember if you are new to the London Celtic Punks blog it is easy to subscribe / follow and never miss a post. Also if anyone is interested in helping out on the reviews front then let us know via the Contact Us page.
Highly rated and future A-Listers South Yorkshire based Celtic-Punk band Shanghai Treason release their third single today and you can watch the video exclusively here!
Let’s Shanghai Treason!
The Buzzcocks first ever gig supporting The Sex Pistols in Manchester in 1976 at a gig that has entered into music folklaw. Forty odd years later a young bunch of Celtic-Punkers from Sheffield played their debut gig supporting The Buzzcocks in Manchester. That band was Shanghai Treason and they went down a storm with a set of powerful Folk tinged Punk-Rock. Fast, melodic and catchy as hell.
Just before that gig Shanghai Treason released their debut single the rip roaring‘Devil’s Basement’which announced their arrival on the Celtic-Punk and Punk scenes. Premiered on this here site the video soon shot past 40,000+ views with exposure across the Celtic-Punk media. They followed this with a extensive tour taking in shows in Bristol, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Liverpool, York. London’s Water Rats (where The Pogues first trod the boards) and the band’s first headline show at Sheffield’s #1 music venue Corporation.
Their second single ‘Drowning Heart’ further helped to cement their loyal local following and more exposure across the Celtic-Punk scene through The Celtic Punkcast and MacSlons Irish Pub Radio that they hope to expand on with their new single ‘Can’t Even Hang A Man Right’. A song about Brexit but released during the corona virus pandemic with the country finally rallying together after a turbulent number of years. Let’s hope we’ve seen the back of sleight of hand dirty politics from Westminster and the beginning of something else but as the lyrics suggest
“You can’t trust the rats by the river”
Video by Ben Parr and Elliot Beese of Quiet Tiger Productions
Johnny Hangman, can ya tighten my noose
Feels a little flimsy I’m afraid i’ll come loose
Johnny Hangman, can you shorten this rope
I’ll likely land on my feet, it don’t give me much hope
Johnny Hangman, don’t want my coffin to shake
Lets tighten this up, get a clean break
Johnny Hangman, heard you hung men in the war who didn’t suffer like this,
what ya playing me like this for
*
Let’s drop
We ain’t got all morning
Let’s drop
Don’t fancy purgatory
No
*
Can’t even hang a man right
Can’t even hang a man right
Not quite Albert Pierrepoint, more a slow and poisonous snake bite
Can’t even hang a man right
*
Oh John, you’ve made a reyt old mess of this chief
Let me standing here waiting on death’s sweet release
Oh John, this wait it should be a sin
Pass me the gun, I’ll do it me sen
*
Let’s drop
We ain’t got all morning
Let’s drop
Don’t fancy purgatory
No
*
Can’t even hang a man right
Can’t even hang a man right
Not quite Albert Pierrepoint, more a slow and poisonous snake bite
Can’t even hang a man right
*
When the light, it shines in from the cold
No hope left for the young or old
And the fruit you bore has all but become rotten
And i’m left shaking in the cold
*
Let’s drop
We ain’t got all morning
Let’s drop
Don’t fancy purgatory
No
*
Can’t even hang a man right
Can’t even hang a man right
Not quite Albert Pierrepoint, more a slow and poisonous snake bite
Well here we go again. It only seems like five minutes since I was compiling all the votes into last years Best Of that saw The Rumjacks romping home with Album Of The Year. This year has been a bit quieter on the Celtic-Punk front but as last year was so busy that is perhaps not surprising. That’s not to say their weren’t some fantastic releases as their were plenty and it was still really difficult to come up with the various lists below. Not so many big bands this year so it was left to the lesser known bands to shine but remember this is only our opinion and these releases are only the tip of the iceberg of what came out last year. Feel free to comment, slag off or dissect our lists. As a bonus we are adding the Readers Poll again this year so you can even vote on your favourite release of 2019 yourself. If it’s not listed then simply add your choice.
We don’t pretend to be the final word as that my friends is for you…
(click on the green link to go where you will find more information on the release)
How to compete with last year? Every single top band in the genre released an album so things were always going to be a bit quieter for 2019. Top spot this year unsurprisingly goes to The Walker Roaders Celtic-Punk super group! With Pogues, Mollys and Dropkicks making up the team how could they possibly go wrong! Everyone’s ‘next big thing’ Mickey Rickshaw came in a well deserved second and Ferocious Dog took third after releasing their best album, for me, since From Without. Greenland Whalefishers celebrated 25 years on the road with their best album for quite a while and what Best Of would be right without some bloody brilliant Irish-American bands challenging at the top too. Pipes And Pints new album with a new singer received acclaim from across the Punk media and The Rumjacks couldn’t follow up last years unanimous victory despite having two album releases (both sort of live) in the top thirteen. Fiddlers Green continue to make consistently great albums and go into 2020 celebrating thirty years together! Good to see homegrown bands The Whipjacks, The Tenbags, The Filthy Spectacula and Sons Of Clogger making it too. The top thirty was made up of thirteen countries from USA, England, Norway, Czech Republic, Australia, Switzerland, Germany, Argentina, Japan, Quebec, Hungary, Spain and Japan.
The Lucky Trolls took #1 spot with their brilliant self-titled EP following on from fellow countrymen the Krakin’ Kellys multi award winning 2018. Trust me it would have taken an exceptionally good release to keep The Party by Drunken Dolly off the top spot but that is what happened. Dolly’s excursions over to these shores this year j=has seen them grown in stature and you can’t go to a Ferocious Dog gig without spotting at least a dozen of their shirts. Loretta Problem wowed us with their single ‘Waltz Of My Drunken Dream’ which took us right back back to The Pogues glory days and what about that accompanying videotoo!! If we had a award for best video then that would have walked it. The Kellys had a quiet year with comparison to ’18 but still managed a respectable #5 and great debut releases from The Placks our sole representative from a Celtic nation (big things are going to happen to this band in 2020 mark my words), Italian/Aussies The Cloverhearts and, from just down the road from my Mammy, Shanghai Treason from Sheffield who only put out one song… but what a song! Eight countries represented from Belgium, Netherlands, Finland, Italy, Scotland, Argentina, Australia and Yorkshire!
Argentina is becoming a bit of a hot-spot for Celtic-Punk with not only some well established bands but also some new ones starting up too and with this release Aires Bastardos announced their arrival on the international scene too. Not afraid to dive straight into a folk number after a Cock Sparrer cover they veer from standard Celtic-Punk to Folk and back to fast as hell Punk but in that really accessible way that only Celtic-Punk (and maybe Ska-Punk) bands can do.
The Dreadnoughts don’t really think of themselves as Celtic-Punk so I reckon they’d be happier to win this than Celtic-Punk Album Of The Year. A superb collection of sea shanties that is a pleasure to listen to that was always going to be #1. Crock Of Bones representing the London Irish in 2nd with an album of trad folk with punk rock attitude and it’s especially good to hear some originals done in the style of the ‘auld ways’. 6’10 challenged for the top spot as they always do with everything they release and Bryan MacPherson and Callum Houston both produced great releases of singer-songwriter acoustic folk with Irish roots.
Sadly the Celtic-Punk world has shrunk a little regarding Web-Sites. Winners of the last two years the Mersey Celt Punks have been slacking (sort it out lads!) and enjoying their gigs too much to tell us while Shite’n’Onions have been too busy transferring everything onto a different platform and preparing for a bit of a re-launch I expect. Sadly celtic-rock.de have shut up shop after twelve years so it just makes it all the more clear how much we all miss Waldo and his fantastic Celtic-Folk-Punk And More site. As regular as clockwork and all the news that was ever fit (or not!) to print. Closing down the site in its 10th year in March must have been a tough decision to make and so this year we award best Website to Waldo and let it be known that no Celtic-Punk site will ever come close to replacing you. We would certainly not exist without his kind help and inspiration. All the best comrade enjoy your retirement! One welcome addition is Michu and his Celtic-Punk Encyclopediasite from Poland. Worth checking out especially if you are in a band.
We are not alone in doing these Best Of 2019 lists in fact all the major players in celtic-punk do them so click below to check out what they thought.
So there you go. Remember we don’t pretend to be the final word on things in fact if you check the other Celtic-Punk media I’m sure we’ve all come up with relatively different lists. Our Best Of’s are cajoled and bullied out of the admins from the London Celtic Punks Facebook page. The assorted scraps of paper and beer mats were then tallied up please remember not all of us heard the same albums so like all the various Best Of’s ours is also subjective.
This is our 8th year of making these Best Of lists so if you would like to check out out who was where in our previous ones then just click on the link below the relevant year.
Last year we introduced a new feature THE READERS PICK. We had no idea if it would work or not but it was a raging success so we going to do it all again this year. With well over 500 votes cast you lot chose the debut album from the Krakin’ Kellys as a worthy winner. Only the Top Ten albums are listed but there is an option to write in your favourite release or just to send us love… or abuse!
You are allowed to vote twice but not for the same artist.
The Poll will close at midnight on Friday 31st January with the result announced soon after.
remember any views, comments or abuse or slander we would love to hear it…
Sláinte, The London Celtic Punks Crew- January, 2020
Shanghai Treason are a new Yorkshire based Celtic-Punk five-piece who plan to traverse the darker, heavier, side of the genre. Expect breakneck performances complete with banjo, accordion and hard hitting rock rhythm section; fit to inject a jolt of action into any event.
On tour this December playing a series of charity gigs for Musicians Against Homelessness they release their debut single today and you can watch the video exclusively here!
Let’s Shanghai Treason!
Its always a great day at London Celtic Punks Towers when we hear of another band active on the scene. Today we are very happy to introduce you to a cracking band from South Yorkshire called Shanghai Treason. Fast paced Punk-Rock with some of the best banjo you’ll hear this side of the Atlantic. Doffing a cap to Celtic-Punk stalwarts the Dropkick Murphys at their heaviest it’s banjo heavy and all the better for it!
Shanghai Treason vocalist Sam Christie said to us
“It’s a fierce fire cracker of a debut, marking our intent early on. We’ve been working on this project for the best part of a year so to have it come into the light is a total joy!
Lyrically the song is about one of those nights out which get a bit out of hand. Where it feels like anything is possible!”
You can catch Shanghai Treason playing around the country next month on a tour sponsored by Musicians Against Homelessness, a organisation set up by former Oasis guru Alan McGee. Since setting MAH up in 2016 more than 1000 bands have played special MAH benefit gigs in the UK. All money raised goes to Crisis and the excellent work they do especially at this time of year.
SHANGHAI TREASON DECEMBER TOUR
Wednesday 18th Sneaky Petes Edinburgh
Saturday 21st Jakaranda Liverpool
Sunday 22nd West Street Live Sheffield
Saturday 28th The Fulford Arms York
Sunday 29th The Crofters Rights Bristol
(More details and support bands for the gigs can be found on Shanghai Treason’s Facebook page)
THE MUCKERS have 
Words can’t describe how happy we are to be able to put on BRYAN McPHERSON. Eight years on from his first and only visit to these shores it’s been a long time coming. Born and raised on the mean streets of Dorchester, a blue collar working-class Irish-American Catholic neighbourhood in Boston, that was also home to half the members of the original Dropkick Murphys. He was inspired at a young age by the raw energy and angst of Punk Rock, as well as the lyrically driven American folk songs of the early 1960’s. His first performances were street corners, house parties, and subway stations in Boston’s inner city. In 2001 he burst onto the acoustic music scene, he has played the length and breadth of North America and was recently spotted opening up for the Dropkick Murphys’ at their famed St. Patrick’s shows in Boston. This is passionate, acoustic-punk from the heart. Street life, politics, addiction and moments of beauty, anguish, clarity and dissent litter the alleys of McPherson’s songs. Recently he was awarded the #1 Folk/ Roots Album Of 2022 on the London Celtic Punks web-zine. The words are as honest as they are urgent…every second counts!
The response to the new London Celtic Punks badge has been amazing. Not surprising really as they are just about the nicest bit of merchandise in Celtic-Punk if you ask me! Comes with butterfly clip and made in Ireland (Guaranteed Irish!) available for just £5 – UK and £7 – EU post-paid and we’ll throw in a few stickers and a button badge too. For further overseas contact us and we’ll work it out. Send to Paypal (friends & family) to 
As funny as it may seem the Best Debut Album award for 2022 was decided way back in January last year when the long awaited self titled debut album from Yorkshire banjo Punks SHANGHAI TREASON arrived in the post. Eleven original songs of high tempo energetic Celtic-Punk with some of the best banjo we heard all year long! On top of that later in the year they released a 3-track EP of songs that didn’t make the album that was also superb! That’s not to say it was a easy choice as by the end of the year REINA ROJA, THE LUCKY TROLLS and ZECKYBOYS all put out albums that challenged the Treason and in any other year could easily have won the award themselves.
BATALLON DE SAN PATRICIO- 
1. 
years so it just makes it all the more clear how much we all miss Waldo and his fantastic 
SHANGHAI TREASON DECEMBER TOUR
