Dropkick Murphys performing at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, CA. September 27, 2018. Photo Credit: Jared Stossel
Dropkick Murphys
Flogging Molly
w/ Jake Burns (of Stiff Little Fingers)
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
San Francisco, CA
September 27, 2018
Photos and review by Jared Stossel
Last Thursday evening brought two of the biggest and best acts in the world of Celtic punk rock under one roof. Boston’s Dropkick Murphys and Los Angeles’ Flogging Molly brought their epic co-headlining tour to San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on a chilly Thursday evening, ushering people out of the cold, and inside for an evening filled with fast-paced singalongs, moshing galore, and lots of beer.
The show was opened with a special treat: an acoustic set from Jake Burns, vocalist of Northern Ireland punk act Stiff Little Fingers. Burns provided a Storytellers'-esque set, pausing between tracks to share a small anecdote from throughout his songwriting career. Burns has a great voice and a natural ability to make a large venue feel like an intimate gathering.
Flogging Molly took the stage to perform a sixteen-song set list which consisted of tracks from the albums 2000’s Swagger and 2008’s Float, 2002’s Drunken Lullabies, and their most recent effort, 2017’s Life Is Good. The crowd ate up every moment of the seven-piece band’s act; they never lost speed, even for a moment. Vocalist/guitarist Dave King led the crowd through songs like “Salty Dog”, “The Hand of John L. Sullivan” and “Requiem For A Dying Song”, the band’s energy and showmanship never deteriorating.
If Flogging Molly brought the energy up to a 10, then Dropkick Murphys brought it up to 11. They’re considered the two biggest bands within this genre, but it is clear that Dropkick Murphys are definitely the more “aggressive” of the two. There’s just something about their style and tone that makes this statement ring true. With a massively energetic stage presence, the eight-piece Boston act brought some of their biggest songs to life, including “The State of Massachusetts”, “Captain Kelly’s Kitchen”, “Blood” and “The Walking Dead”. Vocalists Al Barr and Ken Casey spent the entirety of the set running back and forth on the stage, even jumping into the barricade at times to sing with the fans. The band played with a raw intensity that is hard to find nowadays. It’s an aspect of live music you may only find at punk shows.
This is a show that one could imagine in a packed pub. The rare thing about Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys is that they’re able to adapt well to different venues, no matter where it may be. This show would have been incredible inside of a small pub or rock club, but it works just as well with all of the stage production and large scale of the room. This is definitely a tour that is not to be missed, whether you’re looking for an introduction into this genre of punk music, or you’re looking to throw back a few drinks and sing to some of your favorite tracks. Either way, pour yourself a pint and let loose for a few hours.
Dropkick Murphys Set List
Captain Kelly's Kitchen
The Boys Are Back
Famous for Nothing
Sandlot
Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya
Blood
The State of Massachusetts
First Class Loser
Citizen C.I.A.
You'll Never Walk Alone (Rodgers & Hammerstein cover)
The Walking Dead
Paying My Way
Worker's Song
Rose Tattoo
Out of Our Heads
Going Out in Style
The Body of an American (The Pogues cover)
I'm Shipping Up to Boston
Kiss Me, I'm Shitfaced
Skinhead on the MBTA
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (AC/DC cover)
Flogging Molly Set List
(No More) Paddy's Lament
The Hand of John L. Sullivan
Drunken Lullabies
The Likes of You Again
Swagger
The Days We've Yet to Meet
Requiem for a Dying Song
Life in a Tenement Square
Float
Black Friday Rule
Devil's Dance Floor
Crushed (Hostile Nations)
Salty Dog
What's Left of the Flag
Seven Deadly Sins
Dropkick Murphys
www.dropkickmurphys.com
www.facebook.com/DropkickMurphys
@DropkickMurphys
Flogging Molly
www.floggingmolly.com
www.facebook.com/floggingmolly
@floggingmolly
Jake Burns
www.slf.rocks
www.facebook.com/StiffLittleFingers
@RigidDigits