Disco de Dropkick Murphys: “Live on St. Patrick's Day”

The Dropkick Murphys concert on St. Patricks Day was absolutely nuts. It was probably one of the top 3 shows I've ever seen. Every song they did was great and the crowd was extreme for the whole show. Hearing these songs again is incredible and makes me remember one of the best shows I've ever seen. The CD has every song that I can remember from the show. Songs like Barroom Hero and Upstarts and Broken Hearts are absolutely classic. If you only one live CD, get this one.

I'm envious of Bostonites every St. Patty's Day (for a couple reasons) but most certainly because the Murphs throw a 3 day party (not just a concert, a PARTY, as author Dennis Lehane says in the liner notes) for the city. These guys embrace their fans and their fans embrace them and it's just one slambang three day celebration with punk, hicks, micks, and brews pouring. In fact, on this album is a recording of a wedding engagement that occured onstage at the show. Great stuff man!

After the bagpipes, the Murphs launce into "For Boston" a track declaring comraderie with their fans, and then "Boys on the Dock", just one of many of the Murph's worker anthems.

As the party flies with amped up killer cuts from albums past and present like "Which Side Are You On?", "John Law", "A Few Good Men" (Stand up and be counted, sing a song for liberty...!) ,and of course two ultimate rockers "The Gauntlet" (download this song now!) and "Barroom Hero" I just found myself wishing I was there. I've seen this band 3 times but never on their own turf on their own holiday and in front of their family. What an awesome way to start the Spring!

Finally, the show wraps up with "Skinhead on the MBTA" (Metro Boston Transit Authority" - right, you Bostonites?? Is that what that stands for?") aka "Bloody Pig Pile" and as the liner notes state "the mob swarmed onboard". I gotta get there some year............

I don't like the Red Sox cause they beat my Cards but I love this band and you would too.

I was at the Murphys' March 16 show, and while this CD doesn't quite compare to seeing them live, it does make a nice souvenir. At 26 tracks, it's very inclusive, so you get to hear a nice mix of this band's unusually eclectic (at least for a punk band) catalog. At any rate, it's obvious that the Murphys put a lot of passion and energy into their songs, and getting to hear it live and raw is quite a treat. Al Barr and Ken Casey make an excellent vocal tag-team, and Matt Kelly's machine-like drumming brings a precision and variety more often seen in metal than in punk. Although hard and fast is definitely a recurring theme in the Murphys' music, they also do a good job of slowing it down with melodic, heartfelt numbers like the melancholy "The Torch" and the uplifting "Forever," which is one of the few love ballads that don't make my stomach turn. And I must say, I'm very pleased that they included their cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son," as the way they annihilate that classic song is just great. If you like the Murphys at all, this disc is essential.

Does this crew ever sound like they are having FUN! They're loud, proud, Boston Irish boys and it's St. Patrick's Day. They might only be happier if they won the Power Ball.

The DKM is not precisely the usual Celtic music I review. This is Celtic PUNK. Loud and proud is just the start. Definitely not your quiet, contemplative "Celtic Moods" CD.

The DKM definitely gives you more bang for your buck. In these days of 99 cents per tune downloads, this CD is 25 songs long with plenty of time to enjoy the concert.

On the other hand, if you really want to ROCK, bring it on. Favorites:

"Fortunate Son" this is a cover of the CCR song. You just thought CCR could rock.

"Rocky Road to Dublin" okay, my favorite cover of this is still on the Chieftains' "Long Black Veil" CD--you can tell the Chieftains and the Rolling Stones really did not want that session to end, but this is pretty darn good, too.

"Amazing Grace" okay, I love about every version of this song I hear. Here it is, more traditional than most of the songs on this CD, complete with bagpipes and audience participation in the intro. Wait til you get to the body of the song!

Rebecca Kyle, August 2008

I cannot think of a band who puts on a better live show than the Dropkick Murphys. There is so much energy in the air, so much life given to the crowd, so much passion behind the music; it is something you have to be a part of to truly understand it.

With that said, this live album captures the frenzy and power of a DKM concert to the best of its ability. There is really no reason to dissect the songs on this disc, since the majority of people who purchase live cds are huge fans already, but there is a good collection of cuts from various releases. It is unfortunate that older tunes like "Never Alone" and "Caps and Bottles" are nowhere to be found, but it is nice to have a live version of "John Law".

Obviously, attending a show in person is the best way to experience this band, but this record is a nice slice of the live taste. Oi.