Flogging Molly Have Epic "homecoming" in Detroit

St. Patrick's Day came a bit early to Detroit on Thursday, March 3 at the Fillmore where Celtic punk band Flogging Molly brought their 7th annual Green 17 tour.

The seven-piece Irish-American band formed in L.A. in 1993 but have unofficially made the Detroit area their hometown after the 2006 wedding of frontman Dave King and fiddler Bridget Regan.

Regan is originally from the Detroit area and after the wedding she and King moved to the 8 Mile and Woodward area where they recently spent their Fall putting together their new album Speed of Darkness, which will be out in May.

On Thursday, the band shared quite a bit of their new album as well as pulled out a number of songs that they hadn't done in years.

The show was opened by The Drowning Men and Moneybrother, who both had solid sets that got the packed Guinness drinking crowd pumped and ready for the main act.

Last year's Flogging Molly set was off the charts and it was hard to believe that they could top themselves but they ended up doing that and more.

Their epic set opened with the title track off of Speed of Darkness and then they kicked into a older crowd favorite "Likes of You Again", which immediately got the shoulder to shoulder main floor crowd moshing and pushing their way from side to side.

Their shows always stand out for the fact that you see everyone from the balcony on down on their feet and into the show from start to finish.

The crowd seemed to relish the new material just as much as their old favorites.

However, new song "Don't Shut 'Em Down" particulary went over well as it was a Detroit-inspired song and fit in well with the band's background featuring the silhouette of the old Michigan Central Station, which is a symbol of the state of the things in the area.

Frontman King spent quite a bit of time talking and interacting with the audience including opening the show by telling the crowd that he hoped they had no plans for the evening because they would be there all night and later inviting everyone to a pub across the street.

The band's performance of older hits "Requiem For A Dying Song", "Drunken Lullabies" and "If I Ever Leave This World Alive" were great but it was their unique rare performance of "Black Friday Rule" that really stuck out.

Flogging Molly later returned to the stage for a encore of "Float", "Tobacco Island" and "Seven Deadly Sins" which capped a fantastic evening.

Flogging Molly Setlist:

Speed of Darkness
Likes Of You Again
Swagger
Requiem For A Dying Song
Selfish Man
Worst Day Since Yesterday
Saints and Sinners
Paddy's Lament
Drunken Lullabies @With[Justin Sane]
The Wanderlust @Info[acoustic]
Factory Girls @Info[acoustic]
So Sail On @Info[acoustic]
Black Friday Rule
Don't Shut 'Em Down
Rebels of the Sacred Heart @With[Justin Sane]
If I Ever Leave This World Alive
Salty Dog
What's Left of the Flag
Encore:
Float
Tobacco Island
Seven Deadly Sins