The Dropkick Murphys Concert Review

If you love punk, you're sure to love Irish punk, even more. The Dropkick Murphys are more than just another band out of Boston, they're an Irish punk band out of Boston. Complete with bagpipes, mandolin, tin whistle and accordion, the Dropkick Murphys deliver an intense sound with heavy Irish folk undertones. Of course, they can take a classic Irish folk song, like Wild Rover, or Black Velvet Band and give it some kick like you've never heard.

DKM came to Denver on March 7, 2007 to play at the Fillmore. The Fillmore is a large room to play to. Plenty of places on the side for the tame and gentle folks to stand and enjoy the show. However, there is also a very large floor just perfect for the mosh pit scene. If you've never seen the DKM (or Social Distortion or the Tossers, or...) don't go to a show without wearing heavy boots. Unless you plan to stay off to the side, wear heavy duty shoes, clothes you don't mind getting sweaty in, and keep your hair tied back.

The Briggs, the Deadly Sins and the Aggrolites opened for the Dropkick Murphys for this show. Stephanie, from the Deadly Sins, joins DKM on a few songs. She's got a powerful voice, and a lot of stage presence. The Aggrolites were entertaining, although most of the crowd was growing impatient for the main act by the time they hit the stage. They play what they call "dirty reggae". It was reggae alright, with a punk edge to it, a mix of the Clash and Bob Marley. The music was energetic, and we swore the organ player was playing with his fists at times. The lyrics weren't the most poetic or thought provoking, but they did seem to encourage the audience to get in the act. One very interesting thing about the lead singer, Jesse Wagner, was that he sang clean lyrics. Repetitive phrases like "reggae in the ghetto" and "yeah yeah yeah", were sung with bravado, and with encouragement for the audience to follow along. If you were in the front rows, you did notice something funny. As soon as he would point the microphone at the audience, he would be swearing up a storm, face furrowed in anger. He was yelling at us to sing along. And as soon as the mic was back at his mouth, he was singing like nothing ever happened. He never once uttered a curse word into the microphone. Now that takes true discipline!

Once the Aggrolites were done, DKM hit the stage. The crowd went nuts. The minor mosh pits that were taking place during the Aggrolites turned into a giant swarm of bodies. The entire floor surged forward to get closer to the band. This caused an exit of a few folks in the front that had a hard time handling the situation. The only way out is to crowd surf to the front, and get passed out by security. With so many people surging forward, people are getting smashed together with tremendous force. It can be hard to breath - especially women who tend to get crushed a bit more in the chest area. So the women started getting passed out from the front in order to get some breathing room. The mosh pits formed throughout the floor, so the key is finding out where you want to be in the crowd. Do you want to be in the front, close to the band? Do you want to be in the middle of a pit, bouncing around like a pinball to the beat of the music? Or do you want to be on the outer rim, where things are a little more tame? It depends on how you enjoy a show - which is why I tell everyone to dress appropriately. This is not a show for Birkenstocks. This is a show where combat boots, men in kilts, spiked hair and tattoos are the norm.

The crowd was ready, and their pulse of energy never changed throughout the show. DKM put on an amazing show. There is no way to describe their stage presence. So much positive energy, and a never ending flow of music all night. Their set list was amazing. Songs from the "Worker's Song", to their cover of "Black Velvet Band", to favorites like "Kiss Me, I'm ****faced", where they invited the ladies in the audience up on stage. The Dropkick Murphys sing of hard work, life's trials, being let down, picking yourself up, love, loss, and moving on. I've listened to their music on CD for over 2 years. Seeing them live was just amazing. A combination of their musical talent, their presence on stage and the energy from their fans, it was just infectious. You'll go home sweaty, bruised, and with sore feet, but it is well worth it for such a great show.