Flogging Molly

Flogging Molly
Orange Blossom Special
The American Wake
March 31, 2001 @ The Galaxy Theatre, Santa Ana CA
Review By: Scott Harding
Photos By: Scott Harding

  So I didn’t get enough Irish music on St. Particks day so I was stoked to be going to this show. I have been hearing  how great Flogging Molly is live but I haven’t been able to see them yet. I have their CD Swagger and it smokes! You people out there need to get yourselves a copy! So I arrive late as usual and I caught the tail end of the first band called The American Wake. These guys were excellent traditional Irish Pub music! Full blown with Fiddles and Mandolins The American Wake had the full capacity at the Galaxy tapp’n their feet. They played mostly their own tunes but squeezed in a few classic Irish songs. From what I understand they are going to be playing The Galaxy again soon so keep your eyes out for them.  In the meantime go check out www.theamericanwake.com and download a few of their songs.

So I decide that since Im checking out some great Irish music I might as well grab myself a Guinness and do it in style. While I was waiting in line I couldn’t help but notice the diversity of the crowd. There were old people, young people, rockabillies, punks, and most important of all …. Drunks! It was great, and they all were just kick’n it with their Guinness’s in hand waiting for the main band, Flogging Molly, to jam.

So The American wake finished up their set and gave the stage to Orange Blossom Special. Now I have seen Orange Blossom Special play here before and they are a great band that mixes punk with a Primus / Reverend Horton Heat mix. Yeah I know it might sound like a strange twist, but you really have to hear them to understand what I’m talking about. But as they were playing I noticed a few things. First was that the sound for them was way off. Maybe it was because the sound man had the set up for Mandolins and Fiddles….I don’t know, but the sound was all fuzzy and I know it wasn’t the band because I have seen them before kick some ass. And secondly I was all in an Irish music mode and it had to take a break because Orange Blossom Special is anything but Irish. But hey, they played a killer set and the crowd seemed to enjoy them a lot based on the hoots and hollers through their set. 

And now it was the moment I have been waiting for. Flogging Molly. Dave, the singer, starts of by greeting the crowd and then going right in to the first song. Instantly the crowd goes crazy. Everyone that was at this show were dancing, yelling and drinking. It was like being in a huge Irish bar! And then, with out pause they cranked out like 4 more songs before taking a Guinness break. Yup that’s right, they paused just to grab a swig of their favorite beer, Guinness. In fact I think the singer drank a whole case through out the set. He even yelled at some guy in the fron drinking a Corona. “What the hell you drinking that for?!?” I figure I should buy some Guinness stock just based on these guys alone.

Shit…it made me have to grab another Guinness during the mid part of their set. And then I occurred to me….why the fuck haven’t I seen these guys before this?!?!!? I mean I love their album, but for some reason when ever they came to town I couldn’t make it. But man…Im so glad I came this time. Their energy and their power make them not only a great band to listen to but even a greater band to see live. The other day I went to the Virgin Records in Costa Mesa and I noticed that “Swagger” was on their top 10 selling list. So if I were you I would catch them live ASAP before they get to big to play smaller venues! But your gonna have to wait to see them live again for a while because they are taking a break to record some new material. Cant wait for that! www.floggingmolly.com

- Scott

Check out the concert recorded live by Sonic Fish!

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