Dropkick Murphys

Formed in 1996 in the Boston suburb of Quincy (USA), Dropkick Murphys developed a brand of punk rock deeply influenced by Irish culture and New England’s working‑class imagery. Centered around bassist Ken Casey, the band gradually established itself on the North American punk and hardcore scene—initially with singer Mike McColgan and, from 1998, with Al Barr—while expanding the lineup with acoustic instruments drawn from traditional music. Their early records, including Do or Die (1998) and The Gang’s All Here (1999), set the template for a sound that combined shouted choruses, Irish‑folk melodies and street‑punk energy, a sound they refined on Blackout (2003) and The Warrior’s Code (2005), which features “I’m Shipping Up to Boston,” built around lyrics by Woody Guthrie. Across the 2000s and 2010s the band undertook extensive international touring, became a staple of St. Patrick’s Day concerts in Boston and recorded occasional collaborations—most notably with Bruce Springsteen—while maintaining a steady output with albums such as Going Out in Style (2011), 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory (2017) and Turn Up That Dial (2021). The project later moved toward a more direct engagement with American folk heritage, especially on This Machine Still Kills Fascists (2022), while retaining the punk, collective spirit that has defined Dropkick Murphys from the start.