DROPKICK MURPHYS: PARTY AT THE METROPOLIS!

Karine Juteau | August 13, 2011 | Comments (2)

Dropkick Murphys played a fun set to a packed crowd at Metropolis recently in Montreal.

If you’ve never seen Dropkick Murphys live, you are really missing something. This celtic-punk band was formed in the mid 90’s is not a typical punk band. They have proved themselves since their debut and currently are one of the biggest punk bands if not the biggest punk band in Boston. Even their song “Tessie” was recorded for the Boston Red Sox to be played after home game wins.

Opening for them was the Turbo A.C.’s, a punk band formed in New York in 1996 and Omegas, a band from Montreal.

You were able to feel the anxiety of the crowd right before the Dropkick guys come on stage. We were seeing a black curtain with the instruments on stage. We waited for a while and the anticipation level was going higher! And then, a little more than half an hour later, we heard the song “We Are The Champions” which was the opening song for the Dropkick Murphys. The eager crowd gave them a very warm welcome by screaming with their hands in the air: “Dropkick! Dropkick! Dropkick!” The black curtain dropped to let place to the huge backdrop which was the artwork for their newly released album Going Out In Style.

The crowd was diversified; teenagers, young adults, people in their 50’s, punks and not. Definitely, all kinds of people were there to enjoy the biggest Irish/punk party of the year! To give you an idea of a Dropkick concert, just imagine what’s a St-Patrick’s day party like and this is it! Beer was flowing and people were party animals.

They didn’t loose time and started right away with “Hang ‘Em” which is the first track of their latest full length. Vocalist Al Barr was perfect from the first to the last note he sang. The enthusiasm of his stage presence was magnetic. Every time he would jump down to the barrier, the crowd swarmed to him to be able to touch him. Bass player and vocalist Ken Casey did most of the entertaining that night: he was the one that was chatting with the fans the most. People went totally nuts when he throw a picture of himself on a big cardboard saying “It has to be intact at the end of the show!’’ I was seeing people in the pit fighting for it. We all know that it didn’t end the way he asked!

The band played songs mostly from Going Out In Style released in March such as “Sunday Hardcore Matinee”, “Deeds not Words”, “Going Out in Style’’, “The Hardest Mile” and “Cruel” among others. But they also did some songs from their previous albums such as ‘“The Fighting 69th” from the full length The Gang’s All Here, “Never Alone” from the full length Do or Die, “The State of Massachussett” from the full length The Meanest of Times, “Black Velvet Band” from the full length Blackout and “I’m Shipping Up To Boston” from the full length The Warrior’s Code. As soon as the first note of this last one started, the audience went absolutely crazy! Fans were jumping and slamming so hard that you could feel the vibration under your feet!

Dropkick Murphys did 2 encores. During the first one they played “Kiss me I’m Shitfaced” and “Skinhead on the MBTA/T.N.T.” , which the crowd was obviously hoping to hear! As for their second encore, the band came back one last time to play “Boys on the Docks”.

The band did an amazing show as usual, performing for so many years, the Dropkick Murphys always offer to their fans mesmerizing concerts. The always give a memorable performance by making sure that their fans are having a good time!

Photographer Josee Leblond was at the show that night!
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT HER LIVE PHOTOS!

Setlist:
1.Hang ‘Em High
2.The Fighting 69th
3.Sunday Hardcore Matinee
4.The Gang’s All Here
5.Time to Go
6.Never Alone
7.The State of Massachusetts
8.Deeds Not Words
9.Going Out In Style
10.Curse of a Fallen Soul
11.Get Up
12.Fields of Athenry
13.The Hardest Mile
14.Cruel
15.The Irish Rover
16.Peg O’ My Heart
17.Blood and Whiskey
18. Black Velvet Band
19.Broken Hymns
20.Barroom Hero
21.I’m Shipping Up to Boston