ST PADDY’S WEEKEND/ TOUR RECAP AND THANK YOU!

OKAY EVERYBODY WE’VE HAD A FEW DAYS OF SLEEP AND ARE NOW GONNA TRY TO TAKE A MOMENT WITH WHAT FEW BRAIN CELLS WE HAVE LEFT TO RECAP THE ST. PATRICK’S DAY WEEKEND. A SINCERE THANK YOU, TO ALL OF YOU WHO ATTEND THE BOSTON SHOWS, AS WELL AS ALL THE SHOWS LEADING UP TO THEM ACROSS THE U.S., IRELAND, AND THE U.K.

FIRST OFF, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS COME OUT TO SHOWS SO FAR IN 2008. THE SHOWS HAVE BEEN AMAZINGLY FUN FOR US! THE SONGS FROM THE NEW ALBUM HAVE BEEN SO MUCH FUN TO PLAY LIVE, AND YOUR REACTION HAS BEEN VERY KIND TO SAY THE LEAST. THE SHOWS HAVE BEEN PACKED, AND INTENSE WHICH IS JUST THE WAY WE LIKE IT. FINISHING THIS RUN AT HOME OVER ANOTHER GREAT ST. PATRICK’S DAY WEEKEND IS THE BEST WAY WE COULD POSSIBLY IMAGINE TO END THE TOUR. ST PATRICK’S DAY WEEKEND IN BOSTON! WHAT CAN WE SAY… WE STARTED THIS TRADITION 9 YEARS AGO, AND IT HAS BECOME SOMETHING BEYOND OUR WILDEST DREAMS. ITS LIKE A 4 OR 5 DAY DROPKICK CONVENTION THAT TAKES OVER THE CITY EACH YEAR. WE ARE HONORED YOU’VE HELPED US MAKE IT SO SPECIAL.

THURSDAY MARCH 13TH

WE ARRIVED BACK IN TOWN FROM CHICAGO (ANOTHER GREAT TOWN BY THE WAY) LATE THURSDAY NIGHT. JUST IN TIME TO CATCH THE END OF THE 1ST ANNUAL GUINNESS CUP HOCKEY TOURNAMENT’S FIRST ROUND. IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE TOURNEY THE DROPKICK MURPHYS HOCKEY TEAM SOUNDLY TROUNCED OUR ARCH RIVALS W.A.A.F. (THE N.Y. YANKEES OF THE CHARITY HOCKEY WORLD) 8-1. NOT TO BRAG, OR RUB IT IN, BUT EVEN IN THE MIDST OF A VERY BUSY WEEKEND WE FOUND THE TIME, AND ENERGY TO NOT ONLY SPANK THEM, BUT TO ALSO GO ON TO WIN THE REST OF THE 1ST ANNUAL GUINNESS CUP. CONGRATS TO ALL THE UNSUNG HEROES FROM THE DKM TEAM FOR THEIR HARDWORK AND EFFORT IN SLAYING W.A.A.F. (WHO PAY FORMER N.H.L.ers TO PLAY FOR THEM, HOW PATHETIC) AND THE REST OF THE COMPETITION.

FRIDAY MARCH 14TH
LOCAL 103 I.B.E.W. HALL- DORCHESTER, MA
BENEFIT FOR THE 103 ELECTRICIANS PIPES AND DRUMS

WHAT A WAY TO KICK OFF THE WEEKEND, THIS SHOW WAS LIKE A THROW BACK FOR US TO THE DAYS WHEN WE USED TO PLAY SCHOOL GYMS IN SOUTHIE AND MISSION HILL. THE BOSTON CLUB SCENE IS IN A BIT OF A TRANSITION THESE DAYS, WITH ALL THE RENOVATIONS ON LANSDOWNE ST. WE FOUND OURSELVES STRUGGLING TO FIND VENUES INSIDE THE CITY. BUT OUR OLD FRIENDS FROM LOCAL 103 STEPPED UP BIG FOR US. WE WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE, AND THANK MIKE MONAHAN, MIKE CALDER, KENNY TALENT AND ALL THE BOYS FROM THE 103 PIPES AND DRUMS FOR HAVING US. DEATH AND TAXES AND TED LEO JOINED US ON THE SHOW AND BOTH PUT ON INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCES. BOTH THE CROWD AND ALL OF US LOVED THEM. THIS SHOW FELT MORE LIKE A FAMILY OR CLASS REUNION THAN A ROCK CONCERT. WE LOVED IT. OUR FIRST BOSTON SHOW OF 2008 AND THE CROWD WAS GREAT AND IT WAS A VERY WARM RECEPTION FOR HANDSOME JEFF DAROSA IN HIS FIRST HOMETOWN SHOW WITH THE BAND. IT ALSO FEATURED THE ONE AND ONLY MARGRET KELLEY (KEN’S GRANDMOTHER). SHE WAS URGED ONSTAGE FOR A BOW AS THE CROWD CHANTED “LET’S GO GRANDMA.” WOW, ONLY IN BOSTON, AT A DKM SHOW CAN YOU GET A WOMAN IN HER MID 80’S TO COME OUT FOR A JIG.

Photo Taken By: Bill Brett; this photo will also be featured in Bill’s upcoming photo book “366 Days of Boston” due out this September

FRIDAY’S SET LIST:

SATURDAY MARCH 15TH
PAUL TSONGAS ARENA- LOWELL, MA
1PM AND 7PM SHOWS

FIRST OF ALL, WE WERE ORIGINALLY NOT SURE ABOUT GOING UP TO LOWELL. IT ENDED UP BEING GREAT, AS THE M.B.T.A. COMMUTER RAIL, AND LOWELL TANSPORTATION AUTHORITY PITCHED IN AND SAVED THE DAY WITH LOTS OF EXTRA TRAIN SERVICE, AND BUS SHUTTLES BETWEEN THE VENUE AND THE TRAIN STATION. WE WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDEGE, AND THANK DAN GRABOWSKUS, JODY RAY, IAN LARABEE, JIM SCANLAN, AND BOB EADY FOR ALL THEIR HELP. THEY MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR EVERYONE TO HAVE A SMOOTH, SAFE, AND SPEEDY TRIP FROM BOSTON TO LOWELL.

NOW, LET US TELL YOU PLAYING ARENAS IS OBVIOUSLY NOT OUR FIRST CHOICE. HOWEVER, THE FOLKS AT THE TSONGAS ARENA MADE US FEEL LIKE WE WERE BACK PLAYING THE RAT AGAIN. I MEAN SERIOUSLY, THE PRESSURE TO GET AS MANY OF YOU AS WE CAN IN TO THESE GIGS IS WHAT MADE US EXPLORE THIS IDEA IN THE FIRST PLACE. OUR FIRST EXPERIENCE IN 2007 AT THE AGGANIS ARENA WAS NOT A GREAT ONE AS SECURITY WAS RIDICULOUSLY TIGHT. HOWEVER THIS YEARS TWO SHOWS AT TSONGAS ARENA WERE A GREAT TIME FOR US, AS WE HAD OVER 12,OOO PEOPLE BETWEEN THE 2 SHOWS AND THE SECURITY WAS SUPER COOL. THEY ACTUALLY LET THE KIDS HAVE FUN! THE SHOWS WERE BOTH GENERAL ADMISSION, THE FLOOR WAS PACKED AND THE ATMOSPHERE WAS AWESOME. WE TRIED TO HAVE SOME EXTRA SURPRISES FOR THE SHOWS, AND WE HOPE YOU LIKED THEM.

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FORBES ACADAMY OF IRISH DANCE, THE BUNKER HILL PIPES AND DRUMS, OUR FRIENDS FROM THE BERKELY COLLEGE DKM PUNK ROCK ORCHESTRA, AND THE U. MASS LOWELL CHOIR FOR HELPING US MAKE THE SHOWS SOMETHING TO REALLY REMEMBER. CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO MONTAGE OF THE TSONGAS SHOWS BY KERRY BRETT BY CLICKING ON THE IMAGE BELOW

SHOW #1

OUR CREW, WHO KICK ASS BY THE WAY… AND WE COULDN’T DO IT WITHOUT YOU! BASICALLY LOADED OUT OF DORCHESTER ON FRIDAY NIGHT, AND DROVE STRAIGHT TO LOWELL TO LOAD INTO THE TSONGAS ARENA. AMAZINGLY, THEY GOT EVERYTHING READY ON TIME AND WE WERE ABLE TO OPEN DOORS ON TIME AT 1PM. THOSE OF YOU WHO FLOODED INTO THE FRONT LOBBY AS THE DOORS OPENED, WERE TREATED TO A SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY OUR FRIEND DANNY GALLAGHER. WHO WAS PLAYING ACCOUSTIC OUT FRONT, HE IS A GREAT MUSICIAN WITH AN INCREDABLE VOICE. THOSE WHO WERE FIRST THROUGH THE DOOR MAY HAVE EVEN GOT TO HEAR KEN JOIN HIM FOR A VERSION OF “ THE BAND PLAYED WALTZING MATILDA.”


MANY THANKS TO DANNY FOR PLAYING BOTH SHOWS , PLEASE CHECK HIM OUT ON MYSPACE: www.myspace.com/dannygallagher1

THE FIRST SHOW FEATURED THE LINE UP FROM THE U.S. TOUR WE DID LEADING UP TO THE BOSTON SHOWS. BOTH OPENING BANDS WERE PRIMED AND READY FROM OUR PREVIOUS WEEKS ON THE ROAD TOGETHER. EVERYBODY OUT!, FEATURING OUR ORIGINAL GUITARIST RICKY BARTON, KICKED ASS AND ROCKED THE JOINT. THEY WERE FOLLOWED BY HOMETOWN HEROES BIG D AND THE KIDS TABLE WHO ALWAYS GET THE CROWD GOING. IT WAS A PLEASURE TOURING WITH BOTH BANDS, AND AS ALWAYS WE LOOK FORWARD TO HITTING THE ROAD WITH THEM BOTH AGAIN SOON! WHEN WE FINALLY HIT THE STAGE WE WERE BLOWN AWAY BY THE ENERGY IN THAT ROOM. THE WHOLE PLACE WAS JUMPING, IT GOT US PUMPED UP AND WE FED OFF YOUR ENERGY.

SHOW 1 SETLIST:

SHOW #2

WELL THE FIRST SHOW WAS GOING TO BE HARD TO BEAT. WE ALSO WANTED TO GIVE ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE WAITING OUT FRONT ALL DAY (EVEN DURING THE FIRST SHOW) A SPECIAL SURPRISE. SO AT 7:25 WITH ONLY ABOUT 700 PEOPLE IN THE DOOR ALREADY, WE SNUCK ONSTAGE WITH ALL THE HOUSE LIGHTS ON, AND PLAYED 2 SONGS! FIELDS OF ATHENRY, AND BOYS ON THE DOCKS ACCOUSTIC. IT WAS A TON OF FUN AND THE DIE HARDS SEEMED TO REALLY APPRECIATE IT. HILARIOUSLY ENOUGH MANY DRUNKEN IDIOTS (ALTHOUGH WE’LL CUT THEM SOME SLACK SINCE IT WAS ST. PADDY’S WEEKEND) STUMBLED PAST THE STAGE, TOWARD THE BEER LINE NOT REALIZING IT WAS US! YOU NEVER KNOW, WE ENJOYED IT SO MUCH! WE MIGHT DO IT AGAIN SOMETIME, SO GET IN EARLY FOR THE NEXT SHOW!

NEXT UP WAS TED LEO AND THE PHARMACISTS. TED WENT OVER GREAT FRIDAY NIGHT. THE CROWD LOVED HIM EVEN MORE WITH HIS FULL BAND BACKING HIM UP THIS TIME. THANKS FOR JOINING US FELLAS! WE HIT THE STAGE WITH A DIFFERENT SET LIST, AND A CROWD THAT WAS AS GOOD, IF NOT BETTER THAN THE DAY SHOW. HARD TO DO BUT YOU MANIACS WERE GREAT.

SHOW 2 SETLIST:

SUNDAY MARCH 16TH

ST. PATRICK’S DAY BREAKFAST/POLITICAL ROAST- SOUTH BOSTON, MA

WELL ONCE AGAIN, THIS YEAR WE HAD THE GREAT HONOR OF BEING INVITED BY SENATOR JACK HART TO ATTEND AND PERFORM AT THIS LEGENDARY ANNUAL BREAKFAST. IT WAS AN HONOR TO BE ASKED TO GET ONSTAGE WITH A BUCH OF GREAT POLITICIANS WHO ASIDE FROM TELLING A MEAN JOKE, CAN ALSO SING THEIR ASSES OFF (FOR THE MOST PART) ! THANKS TO SENATOR JACK HART, CONGRESSMAN STEPHEN LYNCH, MAYOR TOM MENINO, CITY COUNCILMAN MICHAEL FLAHERTY, CITY COUNCILMAN JOHN TOBIN, CITY COUNCILMAN KEVIN HONAN, REPRESENTITIVE MARTY WALSH, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST REPRESENTITIVE WALTER “THE NATURAL” TIMILTY. WE DECIDED SINCE IT WAS ST PAT’S, AND FOR THE MOST PART A BUCH OF OLD BASTARDS IN THE CROWD, WE WOULD STICK TO THE TRADITIONAL STUFF. WE DID ACCOUSTIC VERSIONS OF FIELDS OF ATHENRY AND JOHNNY, I HARDLY KNEW YA. LET US TELL YOU, AFTER SCREAMING YOUR LUNGS OUT FOR MONTHS STRAIGHT, AND FOR 2 SHOWS THE PREVIOUS DAY, NOTHING IS MORE STRESSFULL THAN GETTING UP EARLY ON A SUNDAY AND ACTUALLY TRYING TO SING. ON TV NONETHELESS! YOU’RE NOT EVEN SURE IF THERE IS ANYTHING LEFT TO COME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH. BUT WE GOT THROUGH IT, AND PEOPLE DIDN’T THROW BAGELS AND BLOODY MARY’S AT US! SO THEY MUST NOT HAVE HATED US THAT MUCH! UNFORTUNATLEY WE HAD TO LOAD OUT AND GO STRAIGHT TO THE PARADISE FOR SOUNDCHECK SO WE WEREN’T ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE PARADE THIS YEAR BUT BY ALL ACCOUNTS IT WAS A BLAST AS ALWAYS.

PARADISE NIGHTCLUB- BOSTON, MA

WOW, IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE WE PLAYED THE DISE. WE HAD FORGOTTEN HOW SMALL IT WAS! BUT ITS SIZE IS WHAT MADE IT SO COOL. TOTALLY PACKED IN, TIGHT, AND CRAZY. YOU GOT TO REMEMBER THAT MOST OF THESE NUTS GOT AN EARLY START TODAY AT THE PARADE AND SEEMINGLY HADNT TAKEN A BREAK YET. WE WERE VERY EXCITED TO PLAY WITH SOME OF OUR FRIENDS THAT WE WERE LONG OVERDUE TO SHARE A BILL WITH; THE OLD BRIGADE AND THE TAMPOFFS. THE OLD BRIGADE ARE TRADITIONAL BAND THAT PLAYS ALL THE OLD IRISH HITS .WE GO WAY, WAY ,WAY BACK WITH THESE BASTARDS AND IT WAS GREAT TO HAVE THEM ON THE SHOW AND THE CROWD LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT. YOU MAY EVEN RECOGNIZE LEAD SINGER DANNY GILL’S NAME FROM OUR SONG FAIRMOUNT HILL . THE TAMPOFFS WERE UP NEXT AND KEPT THE PARTY ROLLING, THESE GUYS ARE THE BEST, OLD BOSTON PUNK MEETS THE KINKS . HOW GOOD IS THAT ! THANKS SO MUCH TO BOTH BANDS FOR PLAYING. WE HAD A BLAST PLAYING THIS SHOW I KNOW THE TICKETS WERE TOUGH TO GET AND APPRECIATE ALL THOSE WHO MADE THE EFFORT. THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT FOR US WAS PLAYING JAILBREAK FOR THE ONE AND ONLY TIME OF THE WEEKEND.

SUNDAY’S SET LIST:MONDAY MARCH 17TH

ST PATRICK’S DAY, THE GRAND FINALE
PARADISE NIGHTCLUB- BOSTON, MA

WELL, ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END. THIS WEEKEND WAS GREAT FOR SURE, THE MONDAY NIGHT CROWD DID NOT DISAPPOINT. THIS SHOW WAS CRAZY WITH LOTS OF GOOD FRIENDS, FAMILY AND OLD SCHOOL FANS IN ATTENDANCED . WE ALSO HAD SOME OF THE CELTICS AND BRUINS IN THE CROWD WHICH WAS REALLY COOL; THANKS FOR COMING FELLAS. THE SETLIST WAS GOOD WITH SOME SURPRISES INCLUDING AN ACCOUSTIC HOEDOWN VERSION OF SKINHEAD ON THE MBTA. THE GUEST OF HONOR FOR THE EVENING WAS BRUINS DEFENSEMAN ANDREW FERENCE WHO WAS CELEBRATING HIS 28TH BIRTHDAY . WOW HAVING YOUR BIRTHDAY ON ST. PADDYS DAY MAKES FOR A LONG NIGHT AND WE MORE THEN HELPED HIM ALONG THE WAY CULMINATING WITH A SURPRISE CAKE TO THE FACE MID SONG DURING KISS ME I’M SHITFACED. HE NEVER SAW IT COMING ! WELL LIKE WE SAID IT WAS A GREAT TIME ALL AROUND FOR US AND WE HOPE YOU FELT THE SAME.

MONDAY’S SET LIST:

VIDEO SUMMARY OF ST. PADDY'S DAY 2008 by Greyson Welch

AS WE SAID AT THE START OF THIS DIATRIBE WE HAD JUST GOT A FEW HOURS SLEEP. WELL ITS TAKEN A WEEK TO FINISH WRITING THIS THING AND WE ARE NOW IN SWEDEN 4 DAYS INTO THE SCANDANAVIAN LEG OF OUR EUROPEAN TOUR. THIS TOUR IS OFF TO A GREAT START WITH LOTS OF HIJINKS ALREADY . WE’LL FILL YA IN ON ALL THE MAYHEM WHEN WE GET BACK HOME. UNTIL THEN…HERE’S A LITTLE CLIP FROM OUR 1ST SHOW IN COLOGNE, GERMANY AS WELL US KILLING SOME TIME WITH A GOOD OLD FASHIONED EUROPEAN BOX FIGHT.

SEE YA SOON SUCKAS !