LONDON CELTIC PUNKS PRESENTS THE BEST OF 2022!

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.

1. THE MAHONES – Jameson Street

2. FLOGGING MOLLY – Anthem

3. DROPKICK MURPHYS – This Machine Still Kills Fascists

4. THE LUCKY TROLLS – Raised Fist And Rebel Songs

5. SIR REG – Kings Of Sweet Feck All

6. REINA ROJA – Hooligan Folk

7. FINNEGAN’S HELL – One Finger Salute

8. REAL McKENZIES – Songs Of The Highlands, Songs Of The Sea

9. HOIST THE COLOURS – When Daylight Breaks

10. SHANGHAI TREASON – Shanghai Treason

11. PADDY’S PUNK – With Full Horse

12. THE TAN AND SOBER GENTLEMEN – Regressive Folk Music

13. ZECKYBOYS – Dirty Brands

14. THE MOORINGS – March On

15. THE MULLINS – Gold In Our Hands

16. PADDY AND THE RATS – From Wasteland To Wonderland

17. SYR – Sentinel 

18. MAN THE LIFEBOATS – Soul Of Albion

19. THE GROGGY DOGS – Still Groggin’

20. WHISKEY’S WAKE – Wake Up Whiskey

21. JAMIE CLARKE’S PERFECT – Monkey See Monkey Do

22. O’HAMSTERS – From Green Hills To Raging Sea

23. SLAINTE – Up Down 95

24. THE ENDINGS – Completely Pickled

25. THE CUNDEEZ – Geez It

26. THE ROYAL SPUDS – Roots Of Life

27. THE DREADNOUGHTS – Roll And Go

28. THE SCARLET – Freedom Call 

29. TEMPLARS OF DOOM – Rising Of The Doom!

30. DRUNKEN FIGHTERS – Someday

Bubbling over: THEIGNS AND THRALLS – Theigns And Thralls 

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.

1. THE RUMJACKS / FLATFOOT 56 Split EP

2. THE RUMJACKS – Brass For Gold

3. THE DEAD IRISH – Four Corners Of Hell

4. THE GALLOWGATE MURDERS – ‘ Dead, Gone And Living On’

5. BRICK TOP BLAGGERS – Obey The Tyrant

6. BOG IRON – Star Of The County Down

7. DISTILLERY RATS – We Are Rats

8.  THE KILLIGANS – Dread Naught

9. KRAKIN’ KELLYS – Old Ways New Days

10. THE RAMSTAMPITS – Light The Beacon

Bubbling Under: THE CLOVERHEARTS – Still Pissed / JAMESTOWN BROTHERS – Just Is

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. 

1. BRYAN McPHERSON – How To Draw Everything

2. THE MARY WALLOPERS – The Mary Wallopers

3. OYSTERBAND – Read The Sky

4. IAN PROWSE – One Hand On The Starry Plough

5. PRONGHORN – Welcome To Pronghorn Country

6. BODH’AKTAN – Valcourt Sessions

7. BURBRIDGE AND BOOTH – Icons

8. THE WINTER CODES – Set The Darkness Reeling

9. THE ALT – Day Is Come

10. MARCUS MUMFORD – (self-titled)

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.

*  2013  *  2014  *  2015  *  2016  *  2017  *  2018  *  2019  *  2020  * 2021 *

THE LONDON CELTIC PUNKS SHOP

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.

https://the30492shop.fwscart.com/

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

https://linktr.ee/londoncelticpunks

to subscribe to the web-zine email londoncelticpunk@hotmail.co.uk

The poll will close at midnight on Tuesday 31st January 2023 with the result to be announced soon afterwards.

Dedicated to our good friend Scott Chrystal

Slainte, The London Celtic Punks Bhoys – January 2023

NEW ALBUM: ZECKYBOYS – ‘Dirty Brands’ (2022)

Hot on the heels of their debut single comes the debut album from raucous and rowdy Italian Celtic-Punkers Zeckyboys.

After the success of their debut single a release I have been looking forward to hearing was the full length album from Zeckyboys (there is no ‘The’). With a winning combination of trad Irish Folk and full throttle Punk Rock they are the latest in a long line of Italian Celtic-Punk bands that fully embrace the trad side of the genre. It helps then that the members of the band are all experienced musicians with long histories of touring and playing varied musical styles. Put them together and you have Zeckyboys!

Zeckyboys left to right: Beppe – Fiddle / Backing Vocals * Enzo – Guitar / Backing Vocals * Max – Diatonic Accordion / Backing Vocals * Mastro – Lead Voice / Guitar / Irish Bouzouki * Bill – Drums / Backing Vocals * Ricky – Accordion / Backing Vocals * Franz – Bass / Backing Vocals * (Photo by Michele Piccinini)

The album kicks off with their debut single ‘Damned Purple Bus’ and in the last few weeks their has been a run of great videos and add this to the list. Telling the tale of being late for work behind a bus that keeps stopping and that you can’t get past the frustration is described perfectly and with great humour and the music… well the music! Starting off with a mix of Folk’n’Punk the song soon slides into thrashy HxC Punk but then towards the end the Bhoys give us a touch of Ska before then turning into a trad Irish Folk band and ‘The Swallowtail Jig’. Awesome and from what I have seen made quite an impact on the Celtic-Punk scene. The music is has a heavy touch but is far from tuneless having an appeal I think to many non-Punky types too. Next song ‘The Dance Of The Passed Away’ is a good example of that played with a hardness but with a great Folky edge and sense of humour. On ‘Horsefield’ the emphasis is switched to Irish Folk but they keep the hard Punk edge and as can be witnessed on the video below they certainly get the audiences on the move!

(POV of Zeckyboys playing at the Bundan Celtic Festival 23-07-2022)

‘Seamus’ touches on medieval style music but again with that Punk edge. ZeckyVün’s vocals are pure Punk Rock so that even during the quieter moments, of which their are many, they can’t escape their Punk side. Loud and growly like a MacGowan / Waits hybrid he hits all the right notes for this aging Punk especially up next on ‘A Bit Of Punk’ which even amongst the hardcore squeezes some trad Irish in! On ‘Hold A Stone’ ZeckyMax and his diatonic accordion holds sway as his old fashioned intro leads into a song where the accordion is pushed to the fore and given full reign to rule. Zeckyboys concentrate on writing their own material and the album’s only cover is next up with a Dropkick Murphys influenced ‘Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya’. First published in London in 1867 and written by English born second-generation Irish songwriter and performer Joseph B. Geoghegan it has become deservedly one of the most popular ant-war anthems in existence. A solid version that is always timeless and always received well by audiences. A Metal influence is evident in the sludgy ‘Wonder Boy’ that again turns into raucous trad Folk romp that is the albums longest song at 5 and half minutes before the album’s final track the great ‘It’s A Conspiracy’.

(Zeckyboys recorded live at Drunk in Public 04-03-2022)

The Italian Celtic-Punk scene is large and very talented and friendly. It’;s only a few weeks since we hosted the amazing Dirty Artichokes here in London and plans are afoot for Uncle Bard And The Dirty Bastards to pop over to see us too. Both absolutely amazing bands and wonderful people. Thanks to the pandemic it took Zeckyboys two years before they could actually play live so these songs have been perfected before being released into the world and they are playing like a band trying to make up for lost time. With nine songs clocking in at nearly 40 minutes the way they switch from Punk to Trad is both astounding and seamless with them somehow managing it without you even noticing at times. This is a band with a lot to offer and sitting as they do on both wings of Celtic-Punk they will have a lot of appeal to fans of the genre at home and abroad.

Buy Dirty Brands  Spotify  www.zeckyboys.com 

Contact Zeckyboys   Facebook  YouTube  Instagram

NEW SINGLE: ITALIAN BAND ZECKYBOYS RELEASE ‘Damned Purple Bus’

Formed just before the pandemic Italian band Zeckyboys have continued right where they left off with a new single of raucous and rowdy Celtic-Punk with some quality Irish trad thrown in as well for free!

Zeckyboys (there is no ‘The’) get their name from a Swiss term for ‘grass trimmer’. Kind of apt for me seeing as that’s about half my job as a groundsmen! So an unusual name for a Celtic-Punk band that is far from your usual Celtic-Punk band! With plenty of influences alongside Punk and Folk through Heavy Metal and even Classical. It helps of course that the members of the band are all experienced musicians with long histories of touring and playing varied musical styles. Zeckyboys is just a bunch of guys (talented ones though) who play music, drink beer and have fun all in the name of Celtic-Punk.

The Bhoys have a new single out titled ‘Damned Purple Bus’ taking in the life long struggle against the clock and everything that causes you rage and frustration. From the moment your wake up you find yourself in a rush to arrive at work in time. The song tells of one of those days when everything that can go wrong does so. Rain, the last seconds of your favourite song on the radio, a traffic jam and that damned purple bus. It won’t let you pass due to the traffic, the people getting on and off and the bendy road slows you down even more so you can even hear the boss threatening to fire you if you’re late again. Everyday you curse that damned purple bus and curse because it looks like it does it on purpose!

Still got the signs of the pillow on my face
Ready to start let’s win the race
Get in the car the music is on
Fuck that song is already gone.

*
Clean my beard from the drool of sleep
Lay down the glass for a bit of breeze
Clogged streets and horns thrilling
Come on

*

Time runs faster minutes go ahead
You must be here the boss said
I see it it’s down the road
Many people are getting on board
*
That damned purple bus

It’s impossibile I can’t pass
The boss will kick my ass
Fuck that damned purple bus
*
Every day it’s always the same
Hands up who knows the blame
Stare at my face deep in my eyes
Not looking for trite lies

*
I could run on every street

Done the bend I sight it
With that colour it’s down the road
Like a big grand candy world

*
Time runs faster minutes go ahead
You must be here the boss said
I see it / it’s down the road
Many people are getting on board
*

That damned purple bus

It’s impossible I can’t pass
The boss will kick my ass
Fuck that damned purple bus

One of the best of the more recently formed Celtic-Punk bands Zeckyboys play fast as hell Celtic-Punk with the emphasis on the Punk but with the ability to break half way and start throwing out some amazing trad Irish Folk. As above where the song suddenly turns into the ‘Swallowtail Jig’ and I’ve always said to be a top notch Celtic-Punk band no matter how good you’re Punk side is you gotta learn a bit of trad. The video is a collage of the band’s gigs through the last summer and includes some short clips of trips, jokes, the various stages, music and of course a lot of beer and you can almost feel the good time vibes coming out through the screen!

Contact Zeckyboys  Facebook  YouTube  Instagram

ODDS’N’SODS. A CELTIC-PUNK ROUND UP JUNE 2022

Calling out around the world, Are you ready for a brand new beat? Summer’s here and the time is right, For dancing in the street… well maybe not!

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.

Irish music band from Ukraine! THE JOLLY’S performing Irish pub songs and traditional Celtic Folk in a modern setting. No one needs to know whats going on in their home country so do these guys a favour and send them some love and a like over on Facebook and YouTube. Their’s an recent interesting interview with Nick and Valerie Mazurenko from the band over at Irish Radio Canada worth checking out. Here’s a recent live stream they did just last week.

‘Learn To Play Celtic Punk (guitar) With Krakin’ Kellys !’ new video from Matthieu from one of the Celtic-Punk scenes best bands. Sadly for any English folk it’s in French but maybe you can get subtitles or something.  STOP PRESS- Now with English subtitles!!

After a quiet couple of years (wasn’t everywhere?) the Hungarian Celtic-Punk scene has sprung into life again and JOLLY JACKERS have just released a new track and video.

Fans, like me!, of South Yorkshire based THE SILK ROAD were upset to hear that the lads are no more… but don’t despair Tich, Shaun and Neil have stuck together and formed a new band – ESTEN. The rhythm section remains the same and they are currently working on a new set of original songs including a few old Celtic-Punk favourites. You can send them over a ‘like’ on Facebook.

CHRIS GARD has a new video out. Didn’t dig up any information on him but it’s a really good tune and I was sure you folks would love it as well.

Brand new videos are flying out from THE RUMJACKS stable all the bloody time. Here’s the latest one with a track taken from the band’s recent split EP with Flatfoot 56.

Made In Dundee THE CUNDEEZ have a new album, Geez It, out soon scheduled for release in August and it features great track ‘On The Ran Dan’. Doesn’t seem like five minutes since their last knockout album so the bar is set high guys!

Belgian band THE LUCKY TROLLS have a new album out and it features this great version of the classic Irish Folk song ‘The Foggy Dew’. We’ll be reviewing this belter of an album in the next few days so don’t miss that!

Canadians THE DREADNOUGHTS just put out ‘Problem’ taken from their forthcoming new album Roll And Go coming June 24th! We will have the low down on it but if you can’t wait then get it on pre-release from Stomp Records.

More from one of the best and definitely one of my own personal favourite Celtic-Punk bands the KRAKIN’ KELLYS who put out a great live video, recorded on St. Patrick’s Day, for a new song ‘1985’. These guys vids are always entertaining!

Another personal favourite and occupying a completely different wing of Celtic-Punk are the Italian band BARDS FROM YESTERDAY. This is Irish trad music but with that Punk Rock feel to it. If only more Irish bands played trad like this!

London Celtic Punks fell for New Jersey bhoy SEAN TOBIN in a big way last year and great to hear he’s a new album out on June 10th. He’s a new 3-track single out called ‘Memorial Hall’. Have a listen over on Spotify and here’s a wee video he did for Kickstarter featuring Sean talking about how he got started and with some new and old tracks.

We missed this on May Day so if i remember we’ll give this another plug next year. FORFOCSEIC seem to be a one man project by Thom Dunn in good auld Boston, Mass. A bunch of trad Irish rebel songs given the ‘Boston. Mass.’ treatment including a couple of covers of the Murphys! Support new bands and new music folks!!

CRASH NOMADA (Sweden) – En Rispa I Evigheten

THE LUCKY TROLLS (Belguim) – Raised Fist And Rebel Songs (review on its way!)

HEATHEN APOSTLES (USA) – Bloodgrass Vol 3 & 4 (review coming…)

THE WATERBOYS (England) – All Souls Hill

TROLLFEST (Norway) – Flamingo Overlord

MUTABOR (Germany) – Rebel

BLACK TARTAN CLAN (Belguim / Spain) – Demo Sessions

Remember we can’t review it if we don’t hear it

There’s literally a bit of everything in the new single from Germany’s MUTABOR. Punk, Folk, Ska, Reggae, Grunge etc., etc., The track is taken off their new album Rebel and ‘dummheit’ is German for stupidity my wife tells me.

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. From epic road songs to tear-stained tales of heartache, from Texas-style rockers to dark-humoured murder ballads, THE SWEARENGENS from Seattle, Washington, cover a lot of musical and emotional territory in their twisted attempt at reviving the glory days alt-country of Whiskeytown, The Jayhawks, Dwight Yoakam, Uncle Tupelo, and Steve Earle. You can download the album here on We Transfer for free or via the Bandcamp app for a small fee.

Indonesian Celtic-Punk band SKAROCKOI have a new single out this month. Wish some of these guys would include some links for the band or download…

New (to us anyway) raucous and rowdy Celtic-Punk from Italy that looks like a bloody fantastic time was had by all. Keep an eye out for ZECKYBOYS as they will be featured very soon!

Founded back in 1998 in Kansas THE ELDERS recently retired than just as quickly changed their minds again and this month played to a sold-out show on their ‘Well Alright Then’ reunion tour.

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. We have almost finalised plans to bring Florida’s #1 Irish band CLOVER’S REVENGE over to London in the Summer. Keep an eye out for details of that when they emerge.

ULTRABOMB staring Greg Norton of Hüsker Dü, Finny McConnell of The Mahones and Jamie Oliver of the U.K. Subs play the 229 in the west end of London on July 1st performing a mix of Husker Du, UK Subs, The Mahones and brand new material from their forthcoming album! News just in that our very own FEROCIOUS DOG will be supporting FLOGGING MOLLY on all their UK tour gigs during August. Now that’s 2 reasons to make sure you get a ticket!

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 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!

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.

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