MURPHY’S LAW
NOTHING WAS GOING TO STOP DROPKICK MURPHYS PLAYING THEIR ANNUAL ST PATRICK’S DAY SHOW, AS SINGER KEN CASEY TELLS JEN THOMAS
ST PATRICK’SC ’S Day ih is the highlight of the social calendar for many Irish people, none more so than in Boston, Massachusetts. And local Celtic punk heroes Dropkick Murphys weren’t going to let a pandemic get in the way of their traditional St Patrick’s Day show.
A live stream might be their only alternative now, but it hasn’t put a limit on their ambitions, this is a full-scale, arena-size concert.
‘The first live stream we did a year ago was good, we were happy with how it came about. Especially if you keep in mind that we had 48 hours notice!’ says co-frontman and bassist Ken Casey.
Their interest piqued, the band went on to play a show in May at Boston’s famous baseball stadium at Fenway Park with special guest Bruce Springsteen joining them remotely. The concert has been watched an amazing nine million times online and raised over £700,000 for Boston charities.
Playing at Fenway Park was the stuff of dreams for baseball fan Ken, and the band all wore Red Sox shirts for the gig. ‘We’re the first band to ever get to play on the infield,’ he says. ‘I was standing on the pitcher’s mound most of the time, and you know, I’ve watched thousands of baseball games in my life, both on TV and in person there.
‘Even though we’re full grown adults, in our minds, we were little kids out there. A part of my head was saying,i “I want to slidelid iinto that base” the whole time’.
And now the band are taking it up a notch, even further than playing in a hallowed sports venue.
‘Yes!’ exclaims Ken. ‘If we’re going to be in this position, let’s do things that are unique, and we ordinarily wouldn’t do. So this is going to be four walls of video wall and LED walls, basically enclosing us in and us facing each other. I just prefer to look at someone when I’m performing, you know.
‘I like the fact that we’re trying to be unique about it, and make it seem to the fans like, “wow, this is something I wouldn’t have seen if I just went to see them live”, so it’s something unusual.’
Since forming in 1996, Dropkick Murphys have had a deep connection with their fans, and in the early days always liked to give them the personal touch.
‘We practised in a garage that was also our office,’ says Ken. ‘We made seven-inch singles that we pressed ourselves, people would mail order the single with a letter, we wouldld hand-hdwritei replies.li I literally drew the pictures on our T-shirts. My wife found one, cleaning out the house years ago, and she said it looked like a two-year-old had drawn it,’ he laughs. ‘I actually think people may have bought the T-shirts out of pure sympathy.’
The live stream will allow fans to hear songs from the band’s new album Turn Up That Dial, due out next month. ‘When you’re a band that’s been around for 25 years, you’re going to have two things,’ says Ken. ‘Some fans that aged out of going to a lot of live shows meaning they were in their 30s or 40s when they started, now they’re 65! That’s so weird to say but you know, they have kids. We got tonnes of feedback from people that they watched it with their kids, who would have been too little to go to the show.
Well known for their boisterous live performances, the pandemic has given the band a chance to reconnect with fans farther afield, and it seems the live streams are here to stay.
‘We’ve decided St Patrick’s Day is going to be something that we will stream from now on,’ Ken reveals. ‘You give someone from Indonesia the chance to be in Boston for St Patrick’s Day. I think it’ll open a lot of doors for these hybrid shows after things are back to normal.’
Dropkick Murphys play live on Wednesday at 11pm,
DKMstream.com
‘The stream gives someone from Indonesia the chance to be in Boston’
MAX MALINS has been promised a hectic full debut after ousting Elliot Daly for England’s duel with France at Twickenham tomorrow.
Daly has been dropped for the first time after starting 30 of England’s last 34 Tests at full-back, only missing out when injured and for one of the four warm-up games before the 2019 World Cup.
The 28-year-old, a mainstay of Eddie Jones’ side, has paid the price for his poor form in a struggling England team that surrendered their Six Nations title with two rounds to go.
Although showing greater intent in attack during the 40-24 defeat by Wales, Daly’s 50th cap was also notable for several errors, including a lapse in concentration that enabled Kieran Hardy to touch down.
His Saracens team-mate Malins has been torching defences during a successful loan spell at Bristol and makes his first England start after six appearances as a replacement.
Jones predicts he will face an aerial bombardment against Grand Slam-chasing France
and said: ‘Max has really impressed us since he’s been in the squad. He’s got a good kickreturn game, a good feeling for the game and brings pace on to the ball.
‘Playing against a team like France, who are the highest kicking and longest kicking in the world, the full-back is pretty busy and so he will have a big role for us.’
Daly is one of two British and Irish Lions axed with Jamie George replaced by Luke Cowan-Dickie at hooker, while Charlie Ewels takes Jonny Hill’s place in the second row.
England must shut down scrum-half Antoine Dupont, the No.9 at the heart of France’s revival, and Jones added: ‘If we can keep him in a little box, it will be a good result for us.’