Flogging Molly
Sunday, September 20th
6:30PM - 8:00PM
Interview with Guitarist Dennis Casey
How has Flogging Molly been affected by the digital music and social networking trends? Has it been especially beneficial?
A lot of fans after shows say they've downloaded or burned music. After hearing that, there are probably a lot more people out there doing the same thing. It's beneficial for a band like ours who does everything ourselves, who is not on MTV. We're on our own label, and not in the mainstream major label world, so it has definitely helped us.
It has been noted that you have a bigger following in North America than you do in Ireland. Why is this, and how did Flogging Molly attain the mainstream in the US?
That's quite true. I've been to Ireland quite a few times, and there is not nearly the fan base that we have here. I think it's for a number of reasons: It starts with good songs; Dave (King) is a great song writer, and a lot of people connect to it in different ways, whether it's the loss of his father or losing a loved one. There are a lot of Irish Americans in the States who are sentimental about being Irish, and are proud of their heritage. We put on a great live show as well. And we're a diverse band with and a diverse bunch of people. Our last trip to Europe, we played a punk festival, a folk festival, and a metal festival. I think those are some of the more prominent reasons we've done so well.
Drinking and Irish music- hell, drinking and Irish anything- goes hand in hand. What are you guys sipping on at your shows?
It has changed over the years, but definitely we have Guinness, a couple bottles of Jameson, red wine, white wine, and usually a bottle of vodka. Everybody mixes and matches. We typically do a bunch of shots before we play, but I don't drink beer. Jumping around on stage turns me into a powder keg if I drink beer before a show.
Latest album Float is a good example of how the Irish sing about a diversity of subjects: Love, sadness, drinking, religion, life, death. Is there any subject that doesn't especially jibe with Irish music?
Good question. I guess I'd say sex. There's not a lot of sex in Irish music. It might be there, but not overtly there. It is hinted at, with double entendres and such, but that's it.
Multiple Choice:
If Flogging Molly were seeking to add a countryman vocalist to their band lineup, it would probably be:
a-Bono
b-Sinead O'Connor
c-Delores O'Riordan
d-Van Morrison
e-Andrea Corrs
Sinead O'connor. We tried to get her for the female part of the song "Factory Girls", but she wasn't available, so we chose Lucinda Williams. Shane McGowan (of the Pogues); you didn't put him in there. But I hear he's a bit of a loose cannon, so he probably wouldn't work out anyway.
Fill in the Blanks:
Backstage at a Flogging Molly concert smells a lot like __________, _________, and a little like __________.
Beer, piss, deodorant. That last one is for George (Schwindt, drummer) because he's really clean.
The most important thing to remember when playing the bagpipes is to ________.
Oh, I don't know... Breathe. I don t play bagpipes.
Is there anything you'd like to say to Phoenix music fans before you take the state for Arizona Fall Frenzy?
Yes, I would like to give BIG THANK YOU to Phoenix. It was the first city to embrace Flogging Molly, and I will never forget that. We have done four or five St. Patty's Day shows there for good reason, and the radio stations played us when no one else heard us or cared about us. It has been a long, wonderful relationship and we're all very appreciative.
