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Dropkick Murphys
Dropkick Murphys are an American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The lineup consists of co-lead vocalist Ken Casey, drummer Matt Kelly, co-lead vocalist Al Barr (on hiatus since 2022), rhythm and lead guitarist James Lynch, lead guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Tim Brennan, multi-instrumentalist and rhythm guitarist Jeff DaRosa, and bassist Kevin Rheault. Casey has been the band's only constant member since the band formed. The band is known for their loud, energetic live shows.
The band was initially signed to independent punk label Hellcat Records; they released five albums for the label and built a reputation around New England and the East Coast through persistent touring. They expanded their schedule to include national and international tour dates, and began a tradition of yearly St. Patrick's Day week shows, held in and around Boston. The 2004 single "Tessie", an homage to a Boston Red Sox fanclub the Royal Rooters, became the band's first mainstream hit and one of their highest-charting singles to date. The band's final Hellcat release, 2005's The Warrior's Code, included the song "I'm Shipping Up to Boston". It was featured in the 2006 film The Departed and became the band's only platinum-selling single to date.
In 2007, the band began releasing music through their own imprint label, Born & Bred, via Alternative Distribution Alliance. In 2007, The Meanest of Times made its debut at No. 20 on the Billboard charts, while 2011's Going Out in Style was an even bigger success, making its debut at No. 6 and giving the band their highest-charting album to date. The eighth studio album, Signed and Sealed in Blood, was released in 2013, making its debut at No. 9 on the Billboard charts and featured the single "The Season's Upon Us", a Christmas song which was one of the band's highest-charting singles, and the single "Rose Tattoo". The band's ninth album, 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory, was released in 2017; it debuted at number 8 on the Billboard charts and rose to number 2 on the charts. Their tenth album, Turn Up That Dial, was released in 2021. Their eleventh album, This Machine Still Kills Fascists, was released in 2022. Their twelfth album, Okemah Rising, was released in 2023. The two albums were the band's first since their 1998 debut to not feature Al Barr. The band's thirteenth album, For the People, was released in 2025 and features an appearance by Barr.
Dropkick Murphys were originally formed in 1996 in Quincy, Massachusetts, initially consisting of lead vocalist Mike McColgan, bassist/vocalist Ken Casey, guitarist Rick Barton, and drummer Jeff Erna (who was replaced the next year by Matt Kelly). The band was named after Dr. John "Dropkick" Murphy's alcohol-detoxification facility. The "Dropkick Murphys" first started playing in the basement of a friend's barbershop and soon began to tour and record. They received their first big break when the Mighty Mighty Bosstones selected them as the opening act for their 1997 tour in support of Let's Face It.
After putting out a series of EPs (which included their 1997 debut Boys on the Docks), they were signed by Hellcat Records in 1997 and made their debut for the label on very first Give 'Em the Boot label sampler album that same year. In 1998 they released their first full-length album, Do or Die, which was produced by Rancid's Lars Frederiksen. The band's only full release to feature their founding lineup.
Lead singer Mike McColgan left the band in 1998 during the middle of a US tour with the Business. According to McColgan, he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his uncle and join the Boston Fire Department, which he eventually would do in 2001. The band gave a different explanation for McColgan's departure in the liner notes of their 1998 release Curse of a Fallen Soul: "We'd like to take this time to officially let you know that Mike McColgan, our former lead singer has quit the band. We apologize to anyone who was a fan of Mike as our singer, however contrary to popular rumor, he did not leave the band to join the fire department. Mike left the band because he is no longer interested in being a member of this band or the movement of which we are a part." The band explained that their music is very serious to them and that it did not feel right having a singer who was going through the motions. Even McColgan felt that the band deserved a singer who was emotionally invested in the music. McColgan returned to the punk scene in 2002 as singer of the Street Dogs.
After McColgan's departure, the band searched for a replacement but did not have much luck. Al Barr, lead singer for The Bruisers was well aware of the Dropkick Murphys and at first actually resented the fact that the Dropkick Murphys were quickly becoming one of the biggest bands in the area, opening for all the bigger bands to come through, a slot Barr and the Bruisers would usually have obtained. Barr was informed of McColgan's departure and quickly assumed that the band was finished. However he was contacted by Derek TC NYSR producer-founder of the groundbreaking 1990s Oi!-Skampilation series at the Middle East Club in Cambridge and told to contact Ken Casey right away. Barr auditioned for the band, first performing a new song titled "10 Years of Service" and was offered the job right away which he accepted. Barr's first release with the band was the 1998 single for "Curse of a Fallen Soul", a song that also would appear on their upcoming album. On March 9, 1999, the band released their second studio album and first with Barr, The Gang's All Here. The album featured more of a hardcore–street punk sound closer to that of Barr's former band, The Bruisers and more of an Irish influence than on their debut album. The band gained their first mainstream exposure when the video for their single "10 Years of Service" received airplay on the MTV show 120 Minutes. The band set out on a year-long tour to support the album. In late 1999, the band along with The Business, released a split single (as McBusiness) titled, "Mob Mentality" in 1999. A year later they released a full-length album of the same name featuring the two bands covering each other's songs along with songs from other artists. Dropkick Murphys also re-recorded their own song "Boys on the Docks" with Al Barr on vocals marking the third different recording of the song.
As the band began the process of recording their third album in 2000, Rick Barton decided to quit during the recording sessions. In 2014, Barton discussed his departure saying "Myself and Kenny ended up hating each other. We've since made amends, but you know, touring in a band for four straight years... that same old story." With Barton gone, the band added four new members which included former Ducky Boys guitarist James Lynch, who joined shortly prior to Barton's departure, 17-year-old guitarist Marc Orrell, mandolin and tin whistle player Ryan Foltz and bagpipe player Robbie "Spicy McHaggis" Mederios, whose nickname was inspired by a McDonald's menu item while the band was on a tour in Scotland, would join the band as their new full-time bagpipe player replacing Joe Delaney, who played on their debut album, but could not tour with or commit full-time to the band. With a new line-up in place, the band spent the rest of 2000 recording their third album.
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Dropkick Murphys
Dropkick Murphys are an American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The lineup consists of co-lead vocalist Ken Casey, drummer Matt Kelly, co-lead vocalist Al Barr (on hiatus since 2022), rhythm and lead guitarist James Lynch, lead guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Tim Brennan, multi-instrumentalist and rhythm guitarist Jeff DaRosa, and bassist Kevin Rheault. Casey has been the band's only constant member since the band formed. The band is known for their loud, energetic live shows.
The band was initially signed to independent punk label Hellcat Records; they released five albums for the label and built a reputation around New England and the East Coast through persistent touring. They expanded their schedule to include national and international tour dates, and began a tradition of yearly St. Patrick's Day week shows, held in and around Boston. The 2004 single "Tessie", an homage to a Boston Red Sox fanclub the Royal Rooters, became the band's first mainstream hit and one of their highest-charting singles to date. The band's final Hellcat release, 2005's The Warrior's Code, included the song "I'm Shipping Up to Boston". It was featured in the 2006 film The Departed and became the band's only platinum-selling single to date.
In 2007, the band began releasing music through their own imprint label, Born & Bred, via Alternative Distribution Alliance. In 2007, The Meanest of Times made its debut at No. 20 on the Billboard charts, while 2011's Going Out in Style was an even bigger success, making its debut at No. 6 and giving the band their highest-charting album to date. The eighth studio album, Signed and Sealed in Blood, was released in 2013, making its debut at No. 9 on the Billboard charts and featured the single "The Season's Upon Us", a Christmas song which was one of the band's highest-charting singles, and the single "Rose Tattoo". The band's ninth album, 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory, was released in 2017; it debuted at number 8 on the Billboard charts and rose to number 2 on the charts. Their tenth album, Turn Up That Dial, was released in 2021. Their eleventh album, This Machine Still Kills Fascists, was released in 2022. Their twelfth album, Okemah Rising, was released in 2023. The two albums were the band's first since their 1998 debut to not feature Al Barr. The band's thirteenth album, For the People, was released in 2025 and features an appearance by Barr.
Dropkick Murphys were originally formed in 1996 in Quincy, Massachusetts, initially consisting of lead vocalist Mike McColgan, bassist/vocalist Ken Casey, guitarist Rick Barton, and drummer Jeff Erna (who was replaced the next year by Matt Kelly). The band was named after Dr. John "Dropkick" Murphy's alcohol-detoxification facility. The "Dropkick Murphys" first started playing in the basement of a friend's barbershop and soon began to tour and record. They received their first big break when the Mighty Mighty Bosstones selected them as the opening act for their 1997 tour in support of Let's Face It.
After putting out a series of EPs (which included their 1997 debut Boys on the Docks), they were signed by Hellcat Records in 1997 and made their debut for the label on very first Give 'Em the Boot label sampler album that same year. In 1998 they released their first full-length album, Do or Die, which was produced by Rancid's Lars Frederiksen. The band's only full release to feature their founding lineup.
Lead singer Mike McColgan left the band in 1998 during the middle of a US tour with the Business. According to McColgan, he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his uncle and join the Boston Fire Department, which he eventually would do in 2001. The band gave a different explanation for McColgan's departure in the liner notes of their 1998 release Curse of a Fallen Soul: "We'd like to take this time to officially let you know that Mike McColgan, our former lead singer has quit the band. We apologize to anyone who was a fan of Mike as our singer, however contrary to popular rumor, he did not leave the band to join the fire department. Mike left the band because he is no longer interested in being a member of this band or the movement of which we are a part." The band explained that their music is very serious to them and that it did not feel right having a singer who was going through the motions. Even McColgan felt that the band deserved a singer who was emotionally invested in the music. McColgan returned to the punk scene in 2002 as singer of the Street Dogs.
After McColgan's departure, the band searched for a replacement but did not have much luck. Al Barr, lead singer for The Bruisers was well aware of the Dropkick Murphys and at first actually resented the fact that the Dropkick Murphys were quickly becoming one of the biggest bands in the area, opening for all the bigger bands to come through, a slot Barr and the Bruisers would usually have obtained. Barr was informed of McColgan's departure and quickly assumed that the band was finished. However he was contacted by Derek TC NYSR producer-founder of the groundbreaking 1990s Oi!-Skampilation series at the Middle East Club in Cambridge and told to contact Ken Casey right away. Barr auditioned for the band, first performing a new song titled "10 Years of Service" and was offered the job right away which he accepted. Barr's first release with the band was the 1998 single for "Curse of a Fallen Soul", a song that also would appear on their upcoming album. On March 9, 1999, the band released their second studio album and first with Barr, The Gang's All Here. The album featured more of a hardcore–street punk sound closer to that of Barr's former band, The Bruisers and more of an Irish influence than on their debut album. The band gained their first mainstream exposure when the video for their single "10 Years of Service" received airplay on the MTV show 120 Minutes. The band set out on a year-long tour to support the album. In late 1999, the band along with The Business, released a split single (as McBusiness) titled, "Mob Mentality" in 1999. A year later they released a full-length album of the same name featuring the two bands covering each other's songs along with songs from other artists. Dropkick Murphys also re-recorded their own song "Boys on the Docks" with Al Barr on vocals marking the third different recording of the song.
As the band began the process of recording their third album in 2000, Rick Barton decided to quit during the recording sessions. In 2014, Barton discussed his departure saying "Myself and Kenny ended up hating each other. We've since made amends, but you know, touring in a band for four straight years... that same old story." With Barton gone, the band added four new members which included former Ducky Boys guitarist James Lynch, who joined shortly prior to Barton's departure, 17-year-old guitarist Marc Orrell, mandolin and tin whistle player Ryan Foltz and bagpipe player Robbie "Spicy McHaggis" Mederios, whose nickname was inspired by a McDonald's menu item while the band was on a tour in Scotland, would join the band as their new full-time bagpipe player replacing Joe Delaney, who played on their debut album, but could not tour with or commit full-time to the band. With a new line-up in place, the band spent the rest of 2000 recording their third album.
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