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THE DUNES
Ronnie Drew and Shane MacGowan teamed up in the ’90s. The result was something powerful and terribly sad.
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INTERVIEW WITH WU WEI FROM CHINESE CELTIC-PUNK BAND SMZB
We here at London Celtic Punks have a passion for music but what about those who use music to try and achieve a higher goal than just pure enjoyment. The Chinese Celtic-Punk band SMZB are such a band and here Michael X. Rose interviews WuWei their lead singer/ songwriter and reviews their latest album, Once…
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ALBUM REVIEW: THE NEW RUFFIANS – ‘Shenanigans’ (2020)
A heady mix of traditional Celtic music and Punk for late night pubs and afternoon garden parties alike! The New Ruffians are the type of English band that usually comes from the rolling hills of Devon or Somerset. Alcohol loving folkies playing spirited covers at 110mph and totally enjoying themselves! Instead they come from the…
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ALBUM REVIEW: FIDDLERS GREEN – ‘3 Cheers For 30 Years’ (2020)
30 years after the band was founded Fiddler’s Green have released a collection of the most well known traditional Irish Folk songs! And all in the ingenious Fiddler’s Green sound: honest and direct, playful and brutal, dreamy and drunk. Two of the Celtic-Punk scenes giant bands celebrate their 30th anniversary this year. One is The…
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REMEMBERING RODDY McCORLEY IN SONG
A short series exploring some of the figures from history immortalised in song and covered by all your favourite Folk and Celtic-Punk bands. You’ve sung the song but do you know the rich history behind the words? Today we celebrate Roddy McCorley, a young man executed back in 1800. He has been immortalised in both…
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EP REVIEW: CROCK OF BONES- ‘Nasty, Brutal And Short’ (2019)
Alt Folk, Irish, Trad, Celtic. The debut release from Crock Of Bones the newest band on the London Irish Folk and Trad circuit. I first met the Brothers Byrne oh maybe twenty odd years ago. Having not long moved to London from the northern wastelands I was surrounded by Irish at home but the only…
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ALBUM REVIEW: BLACK ANEMONE- ‘In It For Life’ (2017)
Irish folk punk band from Sweden bringing chaos and mischief to the world! Black Anemone hail from very close to the river Lagan… no not that one but the one just by Jönköping in southern Sweden! Now the Swede’s have quite the liking for celtic-punk music and Sweden has supplied the scene with some fantastic bands…
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ALBUM REVIEW: RESTLESS FEET- ‘Homeward Bound’ (2017)
German celtic-punk band Restless Feet’s second studio album playing fast Irish folk from Traditionals to more asskickin‘ stuff about sailing far away and returning home. In a genre that most music fans would probably think of as being extremely small its heartening when you come across a band that you think is new only to…
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REVIEW: THE MOORINGS- ‘Unbowed’ (2017)
The Moorings. As recommended by The Dubliners! An ultra-energetic French quintet delivering a fantastic mix somewhere in the middle between celtic folk and alternative rock. So I was always told my auld fella that you should judge a man by the company he keeps. He used to say this to try and get me to…
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EP REVIEW: IN FOR A PENNY- ‘Every Day Should be Saint Paddy’s Day’ (2016)
Rowdy Irish folk punk from Tybee Island, Georgia in the southeastern United States The first Irish may have rowed ashore in Savannah (Georgia’s largest city) way way back in 1734 but it has taken over 280 years for an Irish band to pop up. Fortunately the wait was worth it. There’s a rich and deeply held Irish-American heritage…
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ALBUM REVIEW: THE LOGUES- ‘Comin’ of Age’ (2016)
The Logues are five culchies from Co. Tyrone who play music! Formed in 2006 in the sleepy small village of Castlederg (in Irish: Caisleán na Deirge, meaning ‘castle on the Derg’) in County Tyrone in the north of Ireland. It lies on the River Derg and is just across the border from County Donegal. The various members were keeping a drunken…
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EP REVIEW: BLACKWATER BANSHEE- ‘Blackwater Banshee’ (2016)
A cracking new Irish band from Bristol in South-West England and with bands like this the celtic-punk scene is in safe hands! I came across Blackwater Banshee on Soundcloud a few weeks back but didn’t listen to any of their recordings till last week and what an eejit I was to wait so long. The five piece…
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ALBUM REVIEW: FIDDLER’S GREEN- ‘Devil’s Dozen’ (2016)
Fiddlers Green. The band that invented their own genre- ‘Irish Speed Folk’ !! Fiddler’s Green celebrated their 25th anniversary last year with the release of the fantastic compilation album 25 Blarney Roses and was as about as good as anything released in 2015. They hail from the small Bavarian town of Erlangen, that is twinned with our very own…
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ALBUM REVIEW: SISTERS OF MURPHY- ‘Working Stiffs Unite!’ (2016)
Rochester New York State’s favorite celtic rock group sticking up for the working man and woman performing memorable self penned originals and the odd traditional cover! Pouring out of the sometimes sunny Rochester area of New York state, about 300 miles from NYC, comes the brand new album from one of the areas favourite sons The Sisters Of Murphy.…
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CLASSIC ALBUM REVIEW: THE DUBLINERS- ‘A Best Of The Dubliners’
FREE DOWNLOAD! The Dubliners are without doubt the best known band in the Celtic music world. Formed in 1962 their first hit single ‘Seven Drunken Nights’ launched them into international stardom. Non stop touring and a stint with The Pogues ensured that the popularity of their music never ebbed. Without them it is highly debatable whether or not celtic-punk would have ever come…
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ALBUM REVIEW: CLEAR THE BATTLE FIELD- ‘Set Me Free’ (2016)
Armagh born multi instrumentalist Dominic Cromie and crew with a modern take on traditional Irish music that has something for bloody everyone! When talking about celtic-punk people sometimes think of a narrow genre situated somewhere between the two most famous bands to come out of it, The Pogues and The Dropkick Murphys, but when you…
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THE POGUES AND IRISH CULTURAL CONTINUITY
BY PÁDRAIC GRANT Shane MacGowan’s awareness and adaptation of trends in the literary world, along with the narrative quality and structural experimentation of his work, should cement his status as both a musical and literary figure. The Pogues (formerly Pogue Mahone, Irish Gaelic for ‘kiss my arse’) were formed in 1982 by a group of…
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ALBUM REVIEW: LARKIN- ‘A Toast To St. Jude’ (2016)
With traditional Irish folk music and some of their own originals Larkin rock it up while keeping it trad. Always a good yellin’, rebel song, drinkin’ song good time with Larkin! Larkin are a superb 6 piece trad Irish folk band from Tulsa, Oklahoma in the USA that play traditional working class Irish protest song’s. They are led by Chad…
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ALBUM REVIEW: BUNCH OF BASTARDS- ‘My Drinkin’ Ain’t Done’ (2016)
‘FULL FORCE FOLK’ from a Bunch Of Bastards from The Hague, Rotterdam and Dordrecht! I’m not sure quite what it is about the word Bastard in celtic-punk but their are a whole host of bloody brilliant bands about with it in their name. Think Mr Irish Bastard from Germany, Bastards On Parade (now shortened to just…
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ALBUM REVIEW: ANTO MORRA-’16’ (2016)
London Irish Folk Punk Somewhere between the Pogues and Ian Dury with perhaps a dash of Madness. The ever prolific Anto Morra returns with this sixteen track album tribute to the 1916 Easter Rising. In the 100th Anniversary year of the Rising their have been many books and musical tributes paid to that heroic act…
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HOW THE IRISH AND THE SCOTS INFLUENCED AMERICAN MUSIC
By Erik Devaney During the 19th-century, song-smiths in southern Appalachia, who had absorbed African rhythms from local slave populations, began fusing these rhythms with elements of celtic folk music, thus forming the basis of the country music genre. The influence of Celtic folk music in the South began before the start of the American Revolution.…
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EP REVIEW: THE NARROWBACKS- ‘After Hours’ (2015)
New York Irish music. nar·row·back /ˈnæroʊˌbæk/ [nar-oh-bak] –noun Slang. 1. Disparaging. an Irish-American. 2. a person of slight build who is unfit for hard labour I’ve had the chance to go into the history of the American Irish plenty of times and in a country built on immigration it is the Irish in particular that…
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PREPARE YOUR LIVERS FOR THE WORSE LONDON! COMING SOON…
Sorry if you don’t live in London but if you do you lucky souls are in for a cracking weekend from December 11th to the 13th! FRIDAY 11th DECEMBER 2015 IRISH MUSIC FOR PALESTINE BENEFIT CONCERT FOR ‘VOICE OF GAZA’ We are proud to announce a benefit gig in aid of the Palestinian charity ‘Voices…
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EP REVIEW: THE MOORINGS- ‘Nicky’s Detox’ (2014)
Five piece celtic-punk band from Sélestat in France. As recommended by Eamon Campbell of The Dubliners! Now while not quite a ‘Classic’ we only just came across this excellent EP recently. Released last December so its been out almost a year but as they say “good things come to those that wait” and we are…
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INTERVIEW WITH THE RATHMINES FROM BERLIN
Firstly, can you tell how you guys decided on your name? Oh, we had a short phase in which we brainstormed about naming our band, shouting out names at random. Somebody suggested The Sporting Jennies, another said: Let’s search the lyrics of the songs for something. But our accordion-player remained silent – and when we…
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ALBUM REVIEW: MALASAÑERS- ‘Spanish Eyes’ (2015)
a collection of working class madrileño musicians with the requisite Irish soul needed to bring traditional Irish folk music with modern influences to life. This debut album from Malasañers is as good a debut album as you’re ever likely to hear or have heard in celtic-punk circles.The band are named after a district of Madrid in…
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RED ROSES FOR ME AND ME
How one man fell in love with The Pogues by John McNally There is certain things that are so momentous in life we remember the exact moment they happened, where we were, who you were with , the colour of our underwear. For a great number of people of a certain age it was “Where were you…
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ALBUM REVIEW: JASPER COAL- ‘Just The One…’ (2015)
the raw and uninhibited aggression of folk-punk with the authentic yet explosive renditions of traditional Celtic tunes Well here we are with our first album review of 2015 and luckily for me its one of my all-time celtic-punk favourites Jasper Coal. They may not be a name known to too many of you but by…
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ALBUM REVIEW: THE FIGHTING JAMESONS- ‘Every Day Above Ground’ (2014)
traditional Irish music with an aggressive and energetic modern-day approach Every Day Above Ground was released way back in March but as I only just got to hear it I’m rushing it in before the year ends. Don’t want to break the rule of only reviewing albums in the year their released do I? The Fighting…
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CLASSIC ALBUM REVIEW: EWAN MacCOLL -‘Bad Lads And Hard Cases: British Ballads Of Crime And Criminals’ (1959)
AND FREE DOWNLOAD Man cannot live on celtic-punk alone and its long been one of the purposes of this blog to introduce you to music and bands/singers from the past who have inspired us, as well as celtic-punk to become what it has. A fine addition to any decent folk collection would be this extremely influential album ‘Bad…
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TRIBUTE TO RONNIE DREW 1934-2008
best known for his long beard and his voice described as “like the sound of coke being crushed under a door” Born 80 years ago today Ronnie Drew (Irish: Ránall Ó Draoi) was for more than 30 years, the distinctive voice of the internationally famous Irish folk band the Dubliners. His gravelly voice, described by Mary…
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LIVE REVIEW: BLACK WATER COUNTY AT THE BARRINGTON, DORSET AUGUST 2014.
By Stuart Walker Drink, dancing, songs, a smashed mandolin – what’s not to like? If you have a new EP to promote then you can go about it two ways. Do it the label way and have a nice refined lunch at a restaurant, invite some journos and hand out a few freebies or have…
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ALBUM REVIEW: BASTARD BEARDED IRISHMEN- ‘Rise Of The Bastard’ (2014)
Music. Beer. Music and beer. Whiskey. Music and Whiskey. Music and Beer and Whiskey. ‘Rise Of The Bastard’ is the follow up album to Bastard Bearded Irishmen’s self-titled album of 2011. Hailing from Pennsylvania’s second largest city Pittsburgh. Famous for its largely working class communities of Irish, German and Eastern Europeans the city was built…
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ALBUM REVIEW: ROVERS AHEAD- ‘Always The Sinner, Never The Saint’ (2014)
stories of drinking, whoring, family tragedies and lost love Rovers Ahead were formed in 2007 and are based in Copenhagen in Denmark. They are also the Dane’s only celtic-punk band to my knowledge. In common with Sir Reg and Flogging Molly they are a celtic-punk band led by an ex-pat in Nathan Corcoran from the…
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TRIBUTE TO BRENDAN BEHAN 1923-1964
‘Streams Of Whiskey’ – The Pogues “Last night as I slept I dreamt I met with Behan Shook him by the hand and we passed the time of day When questioned on his views On the crux of life’s philosophies He had but these few clear and simple words to say I am going, I…
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ALBUM REVIEW: BETWEEN THE WARS- ‘Won’t Go Quietly’ (2013)
Another superb release from one of the best bands from one of the best and brightest celtic-punk scenes in the world from Melbourne band Between The Wars. Released on the bands own label ‘Slippery Slope Records’ and we can surely say it will not disappoint! We had the pleasure of putting on Jay Stevens, BTW’s vocalist, London…
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INTERVIEW WITH JAY STEVENS FROM AUSTRALIAN BAND ‘BETWEEN THE WARS’
When we heard that Jay Stevens from the fantastic Aussie celtic-folk-punk band BETWEEN THE WARS was coming over to these shores to play a few solo shows we jumped at the chance to do the London leg of his tour. so we thought we’d ask him some stuff so we did and he answered it all…
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