Dropkick Murphys
From Punkopedia - The Punk, Hardcore, and Indie Encyclopedia
| Dropkick Murphys | |
|---|---|
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| Music genre(s) | Street Punk, Hardcore Punk, Celtic Punk, Folk |
| Homebase | Boston MA |
| Years active | |
| Current Status | Active |
| Notable Records | |
| Label(s) | Epitaph |
| Website | |
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Dropkick Murphys are a celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts, USA. First playing together in the basement of a friend's barbershop, they blended Oi!, Irish music, and hardcore. Their influences include such outfits as Stiff Little Fingers, The Pogues, AC/DC, The Clash and the Swinging Utters . Their name was taken from a rehab center.
The band have made a name for themselves and built a following by their non stop touring all over the world and their famous St. Patrick's Day weekend shows, which are held every year in Boston. The Dropkick Murphys also support the Unions of any trade, and many of their songs are about the rising and strength of brotherhood and solidarity within the Unions.
Contents |
[edit] History
Dropkick Murphys were formed in 1996. The band put out a series of EPs and were signed by Hellcat Records. In 1998, they released their first full length album, Do or Die. Lead singer Mike McColgan left the band later that year and was replaced by The Bruisers lead singer Al Barr. In 1999, they released their follow-up album, The Gang's All Here. In 2001 they released their third album, Sing Loud, Sing Proud!. The album showcased their developing sound, and included collaborations with former Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan and Cock Sparrer's Colin McFaull. It also marked a significant lineup change for the band. Original guitarist Rick Barton was replaced by former Ducky Boys guitarist, James Lynch and Marc Orrell, and additional instruments were added and played by new members Ryan Foltz and Spicy McHaggis.
Their next album, Blackout, was released in 2003. The new album included the radio hit "Walk Away," as well as the song "Fields of Athenry." Notably "The Dirty Glass" with female vocals from Stephanie Dougherty (Deadly Sins) is a song about a bar in Quincy, Massachusetts called Darcy's. Around the same time the band released a re-working of the Boston Red Sox anthem, Tessie, which then became the official song of the Boston Red Sox 2004 winning World Series run. "Tessie" was also used throughout the major motion picture Fever Pitch which starred Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore. The band was even invited to the premiere of the movie which was held at Fenway Park where the video was also shot. In 2005, the Dropkick Murphys released "Singles Collection Volume 2", featuring covers, b-sides, and other material that didn't make it onto previous albums, and the band contributed a recording of "We Got the Power" to Rock Against Bush, Volume 2.
Their fifth (and latest) studio album, The Warrior's Code, was released on June 21, 2005. It features the singles "Sunshine Highway", "The Walking Dead", "The Warrior's Code" as well as the bonus track, "Tessie". It also includes a song that was inspired by a Woody Guthrie poem the band found in his archives named "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" which is featured in the 2006 film The Departed, Scorsese's adaptation of the Hong Kong crime thriller Infernal Affairs (Scorsese mentioned the band in an interview after he finally won his first Academy Award). [1] The song "Last Letter Home", contains excerpts from personal letters between Sgt. Andrew Farrar, his mother and his wife. The following is taken from the album notes: Template:Cquote
The band is currently writing/recording new material for their sixth album, which is due out sometime in 2007.
Prior to their 2007 tour, the band announced they will headline their first ever Arena show at Agganis Arena in Boston.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums
- Do or Die (1998)
- The Gang's All Here (1999)
- Sing Loud Sing Proud (2001)
- Blackout (2003)
- The Warrior's Code (2005)
[edit] Live and compilation albums
- The Early Years (1998)
- The Singles Collection, Volume 1 (2000)
- Live on St. Patrick's Day From Boston, MA (2003)
- Singles Collection, Volume 2 (2005)
[edit] EPs
- Boys on the Docks (1997)
- Tessie (2004)
[edit] Singles
- Fire and Brimstone (1997)
- Tattoos and Scally Caps (1997)
- Curse of Fallen Soul (1998)
- Good Rats (2000)
- Live on a Five (2000)
- Walk Away (2003)
- Time to Go: Promotional Single (2003)
- Fields of Athenry (2003)
- Back to the Hub (2003)
- Fields of Athenry: Andrew Farrar Memorial (2005) Memorial single
[edit] Splits
- DKM/Ducky Boys Spilt 7 inch (1997)
- DKM/Bruisers Split 7 inch (1997)
- Anti-Heroes vs Dropkick Murphys (1997)
- DKM/Oxymoron Split (1998)
- Mob Mentality 7" (Split with The Business) (1999)
- Unity (Split with Agnostic Front) (1999)
- This Is the East Coast (...Not L.A.) (Split with H2O) (2000)
- Mob Mentality CD (Split with The Business) (2000)
- Face to Face vs. Dropkick Murphys (2002)
[edit] Compilations
- Runt of the Litter, Vol. 2 (1996)
- [[Oi! Skampilation Vol. 3] (1997) - Includes "Road of the Righteous" and "Third Man In"
- Give 'Em the Boot (1997) - Includes "Barroom Hero (original version)"
- Give 'Em the Boot Vol. 2 (1999) - Includes "The Gang's All Here"
- Vans Off the Wall Sampler (1999) - Includes "Boston Asphalt"
- Punk Rock Jukebox Vol. 3 (1999) - Includes "Vengeance"
- Built for Speed - A Motorhead Tribute (1999) - Includes "Rock and Roll"
- Punch Drunk (1999) - Includes "You're a Rebel"
- Boston Drops The Gloves: A Tribute to Slapshot (1999) - Includes "I've Had Enough"
- Punch Drunk Vol. 2 (2000) - Includes "Soundtrack to a Killing Spree"
- A Worldwide Tribute to Oi (2000) - Includes "Hey Little Rich Boy" and "Never Again"
- Back on the Streets - Japanese/American Punk Unity (2000) - Includes "Halloween" and "Soundtrack to a Killing Spree"
- Punk-O-Rama Vol. 5 (2000) - Includes "Good Rats (Original Version)"
- Punk-O-Rama Vol. 6 (2001) - Includes "The Gauntlet"
- A Tribute to Cock Sparrer (2001) - Includes "Working"
- Give 'Em the Boot Vol. 3 (2002) - Includes "The Legend of Finn McCummhail"
- Punk-O-Rama Vol. 7 (2002) - Includes "Heroes from Our Past"
- Atticus: Dragging the Lake Vol. 2 (2003) - Includes "Fields of Athenry"
- 2003 Warped Tour Compilation (2003) - Includes "Walk Away"
- Punk-O-Rama Vol. 8 (2003) - Includes "Gonna Be a Blackout Tonight"
- Give 'Em the Boot Vol. 4 (2004) - Includes "I'm Shipping Up to Boston (original version)"
- Rock Against Bush, Vol. 2 (2004) - Includes "We Got the Power"
- Punk-O-Rama Vol. 9 (2004) - Includes "The Dirty Glass (Darcy's Revenge)"
- Punk-O-Rama Vol. 10 (2005) - Includes "The Warrior's Code"
- Fever Pitch (2005 film) soundtrack (2005) - Includes "Tessie"
- Tony Hawk's American Wasteland soundtrack (2005) - Includes "Who is Who"
- 2005 Warped Tour Compilation (2005) - Includes "Sunshine Highway"
- Whiskey in the Jar: Essential Irish Drinking Songs and Sing Alongs (2006) - Includes "The Fields of Athenry", "The Wild Rover" and "The Dirty Glass"
- The Departed soundtrack (2006) - Includes "I'm Shipping Up to Boston"
[edit] DVDs
- Vans Warped Tour 2003 (2003) - Includes "Black Velvet Band (Live)"
- Punk-O-Rama Vol. 1 (2003) - Includes the videos for "Barroom Hero" and "The Gauntlet"
- On the Road with the Dropkick Murphys (2004)
- Punk Rock Holocaust (2004)
- Give 'Em the Boot (2005) - Includes "Good Rats (Live)"
[edit] Members
Current Members:
Past Members:
