music-reviewer.com - November 2001 - Dropkick Murphys - In Concert

November, 2001

vol 5, num 1

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There’s not a better time than now for a band to travel across the United States, singing loud and singing proud. Flanked by two American flags, the Dropkick Murphys took the 9:30 Club’s stage doing just that. Coming off a summer tour with Lars Frederiksen and The Bastards as well as the punk-powered 2001 Warped Tour, the boys from Boston began a headlining tour to promote their latest album, “Sing Loud, Sing Proud.”

The group, which recently expanded to a septet, released their third full-length album under the Hellcat label early this year. Instead of a four-man group, the band now boasts bagpipe-player Spicy McHaggis, Ryan Foltz on mandolin and tin whistle, and guitarist James Lynch. In addition, Mark Orrell enters to replace Rick Barton, and joins the other members, Al Barr (vocals), Ken Casey (bass/vocals), and Matt Kelly (drums).

On tour with the Murphys until November are Tiger Army and Sick of It All, both of whom came on stage promptly as scheduled. Tiger Army, a three-man group (guitar, floor bass, drums) began their set at 8 p.m. Celebrating their drummer’s 26th birthday, the band was energetic throughout the 30-minute set - constantly thanking the Dropkick Murphys for taking them along. After a fifteen-minute break, Sick of It All came on and rocked until 9:30. Overall, both openers did their job in getting the crowd ready for a full night of punk music.

At 10 p.m., the club was set for the Dropkick Murphys. With the group’s banner as a backdrop, the septet took the stage led by bagpipe player Spicy McHaggis, and kicked it off with “For Boston,” a song on the new album that serves as a tribute to their hometown. Within the two minutes that followed, as the band sang “Boys on Docks,” fans overpowered the front barricades and pushed them all the way to the stage boundaries. It didn’t take long for DKM to get the crowd pumped up.

Four of the next five that followed were songs from “Sing Loud, Sing Proud,” including “The Gauntlet,” “Heroes From Our Past,” “Which Side Are You On?,” and the ever-so-Irish “Rocky Road to Dublin.” The fifth was “Upstairs,” an older, more mellow song where Casey sings the lead and the harmony is strong.

Afterwards, the band took a breather while the lights turned low and Spicy played a bagpipe solo of “Amazing Grace.” Soon enough, the rest of the group joined in for a faster and livelier punk rendition of the traditional song. From there, the pace only sped up with “Doyle’s Brigade” and “The New American Way.” It seemed that the more the crowd got into the music, the more energy the Dropkick Murphys had. At one point, even lead singer Al Barr found himself unconsciously coiling the microphone cord tightly around his wrists in beat with the music.

Further along the set, the band showed American pride by singing the songs “Faraway Coast” and “Curse of a Fallen Soul,” which were dedicated to soldiers defending our country and the city of Washington, D.C., respectively. Thrown in with the mix were “John Law” and “Noble,” as well as, from the new album, “A Few Good Men” and “The Wild Rover.”

Bu they didn't stop there. As DKM continued to play, everyone only became more enthusiastic. After all, what would a Dropkick Murphys show be without a ‘fists-in-the-air-while-screaming-oi-oi’ kind of song? As if on cue, the band blasted “Alcohol,” “Forever,” and the drum-rich, drinking anthem, “Good Rats.”

Nearing the end, Spicy played his "Jig," while Al helped ten girls up onto the stage. Soon, ten became fifteen, and fifteen doubled to thirty. By the time the band kicked off the next song, "Bath Room," guys were also piling up on the platform. As always, during the last song, "Skin Head On the MBTA," the stage was filled to capacity with singing, screaming, sweaty fans.

Overall, the Dropkick Murphys had excellent stage performance. They never slowed down, and only climaxed onto a grand finale. With several albums published, it was difficult to choose what to include in the show, and they did a great job of singling out the best music from their catalog. Through their concerts, it's evident that the Dropkick Murphys are a band who loves their fans. And it's definitely not hard to tell: their fans love them too!