When people talk about Irish punk music, one band is mentioned more than any other. That band is Flogging Molly. No St. Patrick’s Day would be complete without them. Their songs were built for beer consumption. Their music sounds like the color green. And this weekend, that raw sound of Ireland will wash upon the shores of the Madison isthmus when Flogging Molly hits the Orpheum Theater Saturday.
The members of Flogging Molly, known for its unique blend of traditional Irish music with intense punk and rock elements, prefer to remain uncategorized as a specific genre of music.
“Each band member brings our own special element to the table,” Dennis Casey, electric and acoustic guitar player, said. “If you put us in a category or genre, then you’re stuck in it. … Leave our category up to the fans’ interpretation. We have so many different influences that it’s nearly impossible for us to categorize ourselves, so we’ll let other people do it.”
For Flogging Molly, pleasing fans is the first priority. The band is currently on a tour that will come to an end Dec. 1, and according to Casey, it’s been going very well.
“We’ve really been branching out and making a lot of friends and new fans and playing some fantastic music,” he said.
Based out of Los Angeles, the seven-member band is led by Dublin native Dave King. King, the lead singer of Flogging Molly, also plays the acoustic guitar and the bodhrán, a traditional Irish frame drum. The band’s performances incorporate instruments from the electric guitar to the accordion to the tin whistle.
This tour is aimed to promote the group’s new record, currently still in the works, Casey said. The band has been performing in smaller cities, such as Madison, in order to gain a smaller and more localized fan base.
“In our process of making a new record, we are trying to appeal to numerous smaller markets,” he said. “That’s why, for instance, we are performing in Port Chester, New York, rather than something like New York City,” Casey said.
Flogging Molly’s post-tour plans include their first-ever concert cruise, to be held once the band’s new record is finished. The cruise, also known as “Flogging Molly’s Salty Dog Cruise,” will take place around St. Patrick’s Day of 2015. The boat will travel from Miami to the Bahamas and will contain performances from a variety bands and DJs.
“I’m not quite sure exactly what to expect, as this is our first time trying something like this,” Casey said. “But the music will be great. So it’s guaranteed to be a good time.”
Until Flogging Molly finishes up its sixth studio album and its Salty Dog Cruise, Madison fans of the band have Saturday’s show to hold them over.
Tickets can be purchased for Saturday’s Orpheum show here.
