Flogging Molly
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| Flogging Molly | |
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Flogging Molly
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Genre(s) | Irish punk, folk rock |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Website | www.floggingmolly.com |
| Members | |
| Dave King Bridget Regan Dennis Casey Nathen Maxwell Bob Schmidt George Schwindt Matt Hensley |
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Flogging Molly is a seven-piece Irish American punk band that formed in Los Angeles, California and is currently signed to SideOneDummy Records.
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Prior to forming Flogging Molly, Dave King was the vocalist for Fastway, a late 1980s – early 1990s heavy metal band, featuring guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke of Motörhead, and later an experimental metal band called Katmandu (1991), featuring Mandy Meyer of Krokus on guitars. Afterwards, Dave King retained a record deal with Epic records and began to work on a solo album, but began to reconsider his record deal when the label opposed his idea of bringing in traditional Irish instruments. King negotiated out of his record deal to go his own way musically soon after.
In the late nineties, King met former guitarist Ted Hutt and former bassist Jeff Peters. They wrote songs together such as Devils Dance Floor and Black Friday rule, which was the beginning of Flogging Molly's unique sound. Ted and Jeff left Flogging Molly because a prior band of theirs, Reach Around, received a record deal. Dave then began to meet the new members one way or another, and band was slowly reformed, one by one.
They soon established a routine of playing every Monday night at an LA pub called Molly Malone's, and soon put out a live album, Alive Behind the Green Door in 1997. In an interview with Kerrang! magazine, King stated that the band's name comes from the bar that faithfully supported the band from the very beginning, "We used to play there every Monday night and we felt like we were flogging it to death, so we called the band Flogging Molly." They were signed onto SideOneDummy Records after a show when the record company's owners attended a concert and noted their intensity.
Flogging Molly has released an independent (26f Records) live album titled Alive Behind the Green Door, as well as three studio albums, Swagger, Drunken Lullabies, and Within a Mile of Home, and an acoustic/live DVD/cd combo Whiskey on a Sunday. They have toured with the Warped Tour, Larry Kirwan's American Fléadh Festival and contributed to the Rock Against Bush project. They have sold in excess of a million and a half copies of recorded output as of December 6, 2006.[1]
On March 13, 2007, the band released an exclusive EP through iTunes entitled Complete Control Sessions. The EP includes two new tracks, as well as acoustic versions of previously released songs. In an interview with a student reporter for University of Oklahoma Press in Tulsa on March 15, 2007, Nathen Maxwell confirmed that a new album is currently being written. On December 3, 2007 the band announced through an e-mail to their subscribers that their upcoming album will be called Float after a song previously relased on Complete Control Sessions, and will be released on March 4, 2008.
Drummer George Schwindt's brother, Gary, became their tour manager after leaving his job working for General Electric. Gary Schwindt can be heard on the album Swagger playing the trumpet, and is also seen in the documentary DVD Whiskey on a Sunday.
Flogging Molly's music is influenced by such bands as The Pogues, The Dubliners, Stiff Little Fingers, and The Clash and the country twang of such legends as Johnny Cash. Dave King says the Pogues were a huge influence. Spider Stacey of the Pogues says that Flogging Molly has taken the sound they originated to a whole new level.[2]
Their music includes many references to the Roman Catholic Church and ranges from boisterous punk rock like the pirate-themed "Salty Dog" and "Seven Deadly Sins," or the defiant "What's Left of the Flag", "Drunken Lullabies", and "Rebels of the Sacred Heart" to more sombre songs like "Far Away Boys", "The Son Never Shines (On Closed Doors)", and "Death Valley Queen".
- Dave King – vocals, acoustic guitar, bodhrán, banjo, spoons
- Bridget Regan – fiddle, tin whistle, uilleann pipes, backing vocals
- Dennis Casey – electric guitar, backing vocals
- Matt Hensley – accordion, concertina
- Nathen Maxwell – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Bob Schmidt – mandolin, banjo, bouzouki, mandocello, octave mandolin, backing vocals
- George Schwindt – drum kit
- Alive Behind the Green Door (1997)
- Swagger (2000)
- Drunken Lullabies (2002) – #157 on April 6, 2002
- Within a Mile of Home (2004) – #20 on October 2, 2004
- Whiskey on a Sunday (2006) – #67 on August 12, 2006
- Complete Control Sessions (EP) (2007)
- Float (2008)
- The song "The Worst Day Since Yesterday" is featured in the 2005 film Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
- The song "Selfish Man" plays during the end credits of episode four, season one of the Showtime series Brotherhood. The song "May The Living Be Dead (In Our Wake)" also plays during the wedding reception in the show's season one finale.
- The song "If I Ever Leave This World Alive" (studio version) is featured in Episode 8 "Scar Tissue" of Season 2 of The Shield, and was used in the first season of Showtime's Weeds as well.
- Six of their songs are featured in the film Red Roses and Petrol, set for theatrical release in the USA and the UK early 2008.
- Flogging Molly's song "Laura" is on the SideOneDummy Mix CD, which could be obtained at some of their concerts for free.
- The song "Drunken Lullabies" is featured in Rock Against Bush, Vol. 2.
- The song "Drunken Lullabies" is featured in the video game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4.
- The song "To Youth (My Sweet Roisin Dubh)" is featured on the video game FIFA 2005.
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- Main songwriter and lyricist Dave King composes his verse on a typewriter manufactured in 1916, the year of the Easter Rising in Ireland, in order to celebrate his Irish heritage, having been born in Dublin. His birthday is 12/11/61.
- Dave King has described The Warped Tour as "the Survivor of ... punk rock shows."[3]
- Dave King was once married to Gina Cavalier who owns and manages bands under Rumble Artists; she was once linked to Billy Idol, Bret Michaels and Emilo Estevez. Dave wrote "May the Living Be Dead (In Our Wake)" for her to help her cope with his being gone so much, and "Death Valley Queen" is based on a story of his ex-mother in-law as she was named "Death Valley Queen in 1968" where she was shown on the cover of a magazine stating this title.
- Accordian player Matt Hensley was featured in the song "I, Melvin" on NOFX's 2007 live album They've Actually Gotten Worse Live.
- Flogging Molly official website
- Flogging Molly European website
- Interview with Bob Schmidt in 2007
- Live pictures of the Green 17 tour
- Flogging Molly tour dates, MP3s, and discography
- Flogging Molly concert pictures
- Flogging Molly at Shamrockfest