All posts by Mustard Finnegan

Review

Horslips – Tell ’Em About It Johnny: Live At Winterland 1978

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If you thought Celtic rock started with Dropkick Murphys or Flogging Molly spitting Murphys over a Marshall stack, it’s time to get a proper history lesson. Long before the current crop of tatted-up, flat-cap-wearing hooligans were even a glint in their da’s eye, Horslips were original prog-trotting pioneers. They took pristine, ancient Irish melodies, ran them through a meat grinder of heavy progressive rock, and dragged traditional music kicking and screaming into the 1970s.

Dropped as a limited-edition, crystal-clear vinyl exclusive for Record Store Day 2026, Tell ’Em About It Johnny captures a rare, unissued live performance from San Francisco’s legendary Winterland Ballroom in April 1978. At this point in history, the band was touring their Aliens record and trying to conquer America. To do it, they shed some of their polite folk sensibilities and replaced them with a raw, powerful, almost primal rock energy heavily infected by the new wave explosion happening across the Atlantic.

The result? A total, neck-snapping rouser.

The Verdict: Fast, Furious, and Tight as a Scotsman’s Wallet

From the opening notes of The Wrath of the Rain, this record is an absolute powerhouse. Johnny Fean’s guitar isn’t just playing riffs; it’s treating the fretboard like a weapon of mass destruction. Jim Lockhart’s keyboard and flute weave in and out of the heavy sonic explosion like a manic trad session crashing a heavy metal brawl.

  • The Highlights: The Wrath Of The Rain, and Sword Of Light, are played with a “cut the crap” attitude. It’s got that synchronized, high-octane energy that will get the punks pogoin’ and the rockers step-dancing.
  • The Atmosphere: Unlike a sterile studio album, this live recording smells like cigarettes, cheap American beer, sweat, and absolute chaos. It captures a band firing on all cylinders, blending melancholic Celtic roots with a bruising, primitive drive.

If you have any love for aggressive, melody-driven Celtic rock, this is an absolute must-have. It’s top-notch proof that the old guard could make a huge racket and match the fury of any modern Celtic punk band. Go track down a copy before the scalpers drain your wallet.

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Presenter Intro

2. The Wrath Of The Rain

3. New York Wakes

4. The Power & The Glory

5. The Rocks Remain

6. Sword Of Light

Side 2

1. Speed The Plough

2. Sure The Boy Was Green

3. Trouble ( With A Capital ‘T’ )

4. King Of The Fairies

5. Dearg Doom

6. Presenter Outro

https://www.facebook.com/horslips

https://www.horslips.ie

Review

Liptons Orphan: Dressin’ Scottish / Drinkin’ Irish / Talkin’ Rubbish

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Strap in for a creamer from a Celtic punk legend! Frankie McLaughlin, the broken glass gargling punk poet formerly of The Rumjacks, unleashes his solo debut under the Liptons Orphan banner with Dressin’ Scottish / Drinkin’ Irish / Talkin’ Rubbish. This 10-track beast is a raw, rollicking ode to folk-punk mayhem, all songs written and performed by Frankie himself (bar a cheeky cover of Matt McGinn’s “3 Nights & A Sunday”, McGinn was a Scottish folk singer/songwriter who also wrote The Foreman O’Rourke covered by The Rumjacks). It’s like The Rumjacks—same fiery spirit, but stripped down to one man’s unfiltered fury, combining band bombast and intimate, acoustic-tinged brawls that hit harder than a Glasgow kiss.

Standouts? “The False Ailsa” kicks off with blistering bagpipes and galloping punk rock. “Awright Wi’ Me” dives deep into gritty storytelling, a slow-burner with its anthemic chorus that sticks right in your head. “Curley the FkN Ghost” is a pure jig-punk sing-along, while the title track explodes like The Clash crashing a pipe’n’drums convention. 

If you love classic Rumjacks, this album will make you very happy.

https://liptonsorphan.bandcamp.com/album/dressin-scottish-drinkin-irish-talkin-rubbish

News

The Pogues: Andrew Ranken RIP

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The beat’s gone quiet. Andrew Ranken, the Pogues’ founding drummer and the man who kept the whole mad circus thundering along—passed away on February 10, 2026, at 72. Andrew was responsible for the relentless, pounding rhythms on Rum Sodomy & the Lash, If I Should Fall from Grace, and every sweaty, glorious live brawl.

Too many empty chairs at the table now. Philip Chevron (2013), Darryl Hunt (2022), the great Shane MacGowan himself (2023), and of course the tragic death of Kirsty MacColl (2000).

The stage is darker, the pints taste flatter, but the tunes? They don’t die. They stagger on, pissed and proud, forever kicking against the pricks.

Rest easy, Andrew. Thanks for the bruises, the brotherhood, and the beat that shook the world. Sláinte to the fallen Pogue Mahones—you lot are still the kings of this racket.

https://www.facebook.com/Poguetry/

News

THE MAHONES new Tribute Album “The Songs of Shane MacGowan”

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THE MAHONES new Tribute Album “The Songs of Shane MacGowan” will be released just in time for their 35th Anniversary Tour.

  1. A Fairytale Intro
  2. If I Should Fall From Grace With God
  3. The Old Main Drag
  4. A Rainy Night In Soho
  5. Dirty Old Town
  6. Streams Of Whiskey
  7. I’m The Man You Don’t Meet Everyday
  8. A Pair Of Brown Eyes
  9. Down All The Days
  10. The Wild Rover
  11. St. John Of Gods
  12. A Fairytale Of New York

Finny McConnell – Vocals, Guitars, Mandolin & Bodhran
Jonathan Moorman – Fiddle, Mandolin, Accordion & Tin Whistle
Basil Donovan – Bass & Guitar
Kevin Hearn – Piano
Clayton Yates – Mandolin
Paige Turner – Vocals
Pat Downie – Vocals

Recorded at Turtle Recording Studio in Minden, Germany, John’s Studio in Montreal and Telejet Music Studio in Toronto, Canada
Mixed and Mastered by Gene Hughes

Produced by Finny McConnell for Whiskey Devil Records 2026

Review

Greenland Whalefishers – War: 11 Battlefields

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Norway’s Greenland Whalefishers have been churning out Pogues-inspired punk since the mid-90s, long before every Tom, Dick, and Murphy decided to pick up a tin whistle and call themselves Celtic-punk. These Bergen bhoys have always worn their influences on their sleeve – think early Pogues grit mixed with a solid punk backbone – and their latest (and eighth studio album), War: 11 Battlefields, doesn’t stray too far from the sound we love and expect from them.

War: 11 Battlefields kicks off with the slow and gritty “11 PM”, it’s then straight into the familiar fray with tin whistle, mandolin, banjo, and fiddle dueling over driving punk rhythms. Arvid Grov’s gravelly vocals still channel Shane MacGowan. The album leans a bit heavier toward hard rocking and punk this time – less jigs, more fists – which gives it a nice raw edge.

Standouts include “Queen of the Town”, a rousing arm-around-the-shoulder singalong; “St. Patrick’s Day Drinking”, which cranks the energy up to eleven; and the slower burner “There Goes A Dancer”. Closer “Now is the Time” wraps it up on an anthemic high, perfect for closing down the bar.

The lads remain as delicious as a pint of Murphy’s (not that Guinness shite) – maybe even Greenland Whalefishers best release since their masterpiece Loboville.

https://www.g-w-f.com/

Review

My Druthers: Coming Up 3’s

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My Druthers were a new discovery for me—a collective of grog-fueled rabble-rousers from the gritty port city of New London, Connecticut, self-described purveyors of songs of the sea and ballads of rebellion.

Their debut Coming Up 3’s delivers 15 tracks of raw, rum-soaked sea shanties with a modern punk rock bite. Blending timeless traditionals (like “Whiskey Johnny,” “Hangin’ Johnny,” “Cape Cod Girls,” and “John Kanaka”) with seamless originals, it’s a high-energy haul that evokes the spirit of the old New England whalers, the Catalpa that faced down the British empire, and the Essex from Nantucket lore.

Produced by Pete Steinkopf of The Bouncing Souls (who also produced the Rumjacks’ most recent), the album packs top-mast vigor and an unmistakable edge: driving acoustics, bodhráns, and harmonies that pull you into an onboard pub sing-along one moment, then hit with pirate aggression the next.

If you’re craving energetic shanties that honor the tradition without getting corny, hoist the sails for this one—it’s a stormer.

https://mydruthers.bandcamp.com/album/coming-up-3s

Review

Pete Holidai: Electric Jukebox Volume One

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Pete Holidai – Dublin’s original punk. Co-founder of The Radiators from Space in ’76, Ireland’s first punk snarlers, droppin’ bombs like “Television Screen” and “Enemies” that bridged raw rebellion with street-smart hooks. Through the heartbreak of the Radiators, the Trouble Pilgrims, and decades of grit, Pete has never lost his undyin’ love for 1970s glam – that glittery fuse that lit punk’s fire.

Now, in 2025, Electric Jukebox Volume One (34 minutes, 10 tracks) is a triumphant glam-punk blast, channelin’ Marc Bolan’s T. Rex boogie, David Bowie’s theatrical swagger, the New York Dolls’ sleazy strut, and Iggy Pop’s wild-man energy.

Opening like it’s 1972, “On The Jukebox In The Corner” sets the pub-stompin’ sing-along tone, while “Hot Love On My TV Screen” and “A New Revolution” echo Bolan, “Daydream Girl” floats glam-dub-psych vibes (with a nod to Bowie’s flair). Punk rippers like “Glam Rocker Punk Shocker” and “Sick and Tired of the Internet” deliver New York Dolls/Iggy snarls. Guests like Paul McLoone (The Undertones) and Tony St. Ledger (his mate from Trouble Pilgrims) add roar. The production shines without losing the jagged edge.

This is joyous, hook-filled adrenaline – proof Pete’s fire burns brighter than ever. Essential for Radiators fans or glam-punk devotees.

http://www.peteholidai.com/

https://peteholidai.bandcamp.com/

Review

The Rumjacks: Dead Anthems

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The Rumjacks are back with their sixth album, Dead Anthems, the second full-length with Mike Rivkees barking at the helm – the Boston bhoy who jumped aboard the ship Rumjack for 2021’s Hestia and gave the band a new lease of life after the departure of Frankie McLaughlin. Produced by Mike Rivkees with Pete Steinkopf from The Bouncing Souls co-producing, Dead Anthems got a crisp, punchy sound that still keeps the raw Celtic-punk grit we love.

Kicks off with “Come Hell or High Water,” a immigrant tale you’ll be roaring along to in no time, then barrels into the frantic “They Kick You When You’re Down.” Ken Casey from the Dropkick Murphys lends his growl to “Cold Like This,” a ode to New England winters. Standout for me is “An Irish Goodbye on St. Valentine’s Day” – catchy as hell, with that bittersweet sting of love slipping away in the pub haze.

Compared to Hestia, that fiery return album, Dead Anthems tightens the screws: sharper hooks, bigger production, and a good mix of full-throttle punk with some thoughtful slower burns. The back half, like “Eye for an Eye” and the closer with its Ska undertones, “Some Legends Never Die,” adds real depth without killing the momentum. It’s a cracking listen that keeps The Rumjacks right up there with the best in Celtic-punk. Grab a pint, knock it back and give Dead Anthems a spin (loud).

https://therumjacks.bandcamp.com/

https://therumjacks.com/