Kingston Irish-punk lifers The Mahones — Finny McConnell’s crew, thirty-five years deep and still painting towns red — plant another Canadian flag at Ottawa’s Bronson Centre on Friday, October 23. Support comes from Bardes À Barbes under the Deux Voix Une Capitale banner. Doors 7pm, 19+ ID required.
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THE MAHONES new Tribute Album “The Songs of Shane MacGowan”
THE MAHONES new Tribute Album “The Songs of Shane MacGowan” will be released just in time for their 35th Anniversary Tour.
- A Fairytale Intro
- If I Should Fall From Grace With God
- The Old Main Drag
- A Rainy Night In Soho
- Dirty Old Town
- Streams Of Whiskey
- I’m The Man You Don’t Meet Everyday
- A Pair Of Brown Eyes
- Down All The Days
- The Wild Rover
- St. John Of Gods
- 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
UltraBomb: Dying To Smile
Well, this is a surprise. As much as I loved the debut UltraBomb album, Time To Burn, I assumed it would be a one-off project, especially after the band’s problems with tour cancellations, COVID-19, and other serious illnesses. But no, UltraBomb is back with a second album, Dying To Smile, and a highly successful tour of the US East Coast opening for Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.
If you are unfamiliar with Ultrabomb, imagine Finny McConnell from The Mahones at his punk rock best, hooking up with the legendary Greg Norton of the even more legendary Hüsker Dü and Jamie Oliver, the best drummer in punk rock, to make a punk rock masterpiece. Well, don’t imagine anymore cos Ultrabomb is the real deal. Punk rock at its very best. And you read it here first.
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes with Ultrabomb at Big Night Live, Boston
First off, Big Night Live, is a high-end venue. Tucked into the legendary Boston Garden, the two-thousand-capacity music hall offers booths and bottle service to the punter with too much money. It’s not very punk rock, but it’s a fine venue. Tonight was a three-band bill, all punk super groups, Ultrabomb, The Defiant, and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.
The reason I was there, Ultrabomb, opened. Ultrabomb is a transnational, punk-power trio featuring my pal Finny McConnell of the Mahones, powerhouse drummer Jamie Oliver of UK Subs, and the legendary Mr Greg Norton of the equally legendary Hüsker Dü. Despite being first on, Ultrabomb came on to a fairly full room and played a set of blistering punk rock with the energy and shapes of men half their age to a very receptive audience. While the set was short, the band played songs from both albums (album two, Dying to Smile, is being released real soon) and covers of Hüsker Dü’s Don’t Want to Know If You Are Lonely and New Day Rising. Ultrabomb won a lot of new fans in Boston.
The Defiant were next, featuring Dicky Barrett of Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Johnny Rioux of Street Dogs. I hate to say it, but I was too busy chatting with Finny after his set to check them out. Sorry. Next time.
Despite being around since 1995, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are completely new to me. Punk rock covers of pop standards played by middle-aged men dressed in cheesy Vegas lounge act uniforms. Absolute genius, and the crowd loved it.
UltraBomb is comin’ your way
Punk rock supergroup Ultrabomb, featuring the legendary Finny from the Mahones, the legendary Jamie from UK Subs and the more legendary Greg from Husker Du are touring the US in May.
May 11th St. Paul, MN Turf Club
May 12th Winona, MN No Name Bar
May 13th Chicago, IL Reggies
May 15th Indianapolis, IN Melody Inn
May 17th Memphis, TN Hi Tone
May 18th New Orleans, LA The Parish at House of Blues
May 19th Houston TX, The Secret
May 20th Austin, TX Kick Butt Coffee
May 21st San Antonio, TX Paper Tiger
May 22nd Dallas, TX Three Links – Deep Ellum, TX
May 24th Tucson, AZ 191 Toole
May 25th Tempe, AZ Yucca Tap Room
May 26th San Diego, CA Corazon Del Barrio
May 27th Long Beach, CA Alex’s Bar
May 28th Las Vegas, NV Backstage Bar & Billiards (SOLD OUT)
May 29th Las Vegas, NV Punk Rock Bowling and Music Festival
May 31st Denver, CO HQ (without Barstool Preachers
Best of 2022
Screw the Oscars, screw the MTV awards, screw Rolling Stone and the CMA, here is Shite’n’Onions best of 2022 list. The only list that matters.
#1 THE MAHONES: JAMESON STREET
A full force Céilí romp and possibly the most authentic trad sound I’ve ever heard coming out of any Celtic punk band.
#2 FINNEGAN’S HELL: ONE FINGER SALUTE
As good as anything the big boys are doing
#3 THE WINTER CODES: SET THE DARKNESS REELING
Barney still has a voice that could strip paint at 50 feet
Their most Celtic-sounding album with an almost Seán Ó Riada style Celtic orchestration
#5 SIR REG: KINGS OF SWEET FECK ALL
Something you can’t fake.
#6 JESSE AHERN: HEARTACHE AND LOVE
This is real blue-collar rock’n’roll with the authenticity you can only get from someone who actually works hard for a living.
#7 DAN BOOTH & NICK BURBRIDGE: ICONS
Beautiful – musically, lyrically, and sounding
Best album to piss off your neighbors with:
THE TEMPLARS OF DOOM: RISING OF THE DOOM!
And on this one, the bagpipes go up to 11.
Best vanity project (just kidding) album:
DROPKICK MURPHY: THIS MACHINE STILL KILLS FASCISTS
Dropkick Murphys ode to Woody Guthrie
Best punk supergroup album:
Fast, powerful punk rock with great melodies, kind of like, well,…………Hüsker Dü
If there was an justice these guys would be huge album:
Back to Zero, is really great rock’n’roll and an album I suspect I’ll be listening to for a long time into the future.
UltraBomb to tour
Punk rock supergroup (is that a oxymoron?), UltraBomb, featuring our friend Finny McConnell from the The Mahones, drummer extraordinaire, Jamie Oliver of UK Subs and punk rock legend, Greg Norton of Hüsker Du, after many false starts are finally set to tour as well as play the Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival.
May 11 St Paul Ticket Turf Club
May 12 Winona No Name Bar
May 13 Chicago Reggie’s
May 15 Indianapolis The Melody Inn
May 17 Memphis The Hi Tone
May 20 Austin Kick Butt Coffee
May 25 Tempe Yucca Tap Room
May 26 San Diego Corazon del Barrio
May 27 Long Beach Alex’s Bar
May 28 Las Vegas Backstage Bar (no Barstool Preachers)
May 31 Denver HQ (no Barstool Preachers)
The Mahones: Jameson Street
Jameson Street is a place you go to find warmth on a cold night or cool on a hot summer’s day. To see old friends and meet new ones, but most importantly, Jameson Street is somewhere you can go to while you leave your baggage and worries elsewhere.
Jameson Street, kicks off with the title track, a full force Céilí romp and possibly the most authentic trad sound I’ve ever heard coming out of any Celtic punk band. Once inside Jameson Street there is truly a meeting of old and new friends, all living Mahones past and present contribution to the album.
Rise Up (Be Strong), brings us back on a trip to the classic days of 1990s Mahones when the Mahones were the only game in town with their Pogues meets Waterboys meets The Replacements sound. Devil In Every Bottle, has you drinking arm in arm with your mates and you all in this together. Freeway Toll, also harkens back to the classic 90s days though this has just a touch of 90s alt-pop. While Watch Me Fall, has a raggle-taggle campfire feel. Lonesome Boatman, an instrumental, gives a loud nod to Celtic-rock granddaddies, Horslips, while winking at the Pogues at the same time. Holloway Jack, the first single off Jameson Street, started life on the Mahones debut, the cassette only, Clear the Way!! This is the definite version. While, Fiddle On Fire, is a manic Celtic jig – authentic as feck and if this doesn’t raise the dead and get them dancing I don’t know what would. She Comes For Love, is the second reworking of an older Mahones track (originally from Here Comes Lucky) this has a nice Replacements vibe.
The album closes appropriately with, Last Call At The Bar, which send us packing into the night as the barman yell’s “go home to fuck”.
Tacked on to the end of the album is a special bonus live cover of The Pogues, If I Should Fall From Grace With God, recorded when the Mahones toured Canada with Terry Woods and the late great Philip Chevron.
Jameson Street is in a toss up with, Angels and Devils, as the best Mahones album since the masterpiece, Here Comes Lucky.
The Mahones: Holloway Jack (new single)
Holloway Jack, the first single from the new Mahones album, Jameson Street, is now available on Spotify and the other platforms. Jameson Street is out October 7th.
UltraBomb: Time To Burn
Punk frigging rock!
As much as I hate the term supergroup – it gives me visions of Led Zeppelin or 80’s metal bands made up of exes and put together by some A&R guy (Flogging Molly fans check out Katmandü for a giggle). UltraBomb is a supergroup – in a good way. The punk power trio is made up of Finny McConnell of The Mahones, stickman extraordinaire, Jamie Oliver of the UK Subs, and the legendary Mr. Greg Norton of Hüsker Dü – Hüsker Dü being of course the Saint Paul, Minnesota hardcore punk band that almost singlehandedly established and defined alternative rock in America during the 1980s.
So, give the three members, what does UltraBomb sound like? To my ears, its fast, powerful punk rock with great melodies, kind of like, well,…………Hüsker Dü, but with Finny’s distinctive vocals and Replacements-influenced guitar style – scratch any Mahones track and you’ll hear. Time To Burn, is really great stuff and despite various setbacks (canceled tours due to covid and Greg’s health), Time To Burn, is gonna EXPLODE!
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