While obviously not a metal band, The Dropkick Murphys came up through the American punk and hardcore underground and still espouse a lot of the DIY ethos and “fuck the man” mantra that are near and dear to many fans of aggressive underground music and culture. That might be why they still play huge metal fests, too.
While they’re a popular and fairly household name these days (thanks largely in part to a phase 2 “leveling up” of their career ignited by their inclusion in 2006’s gem of a movie, The Departed), the band still hold their working class roots close to the heart and aren’t shy about using their platform to voice their non-musical opinions when they feel that the working class is being wronged.
Case in point- this past Thursday, the band played a gig at The Great Allentown Fair in support of their upcoming new album, This Machine Still Kills Fascists. During the set, Dropkick singer Ken Casey got pretty damn fired up and dropped a 2-minute long rant about the state of U.S. politics.
We’ve transcribed his speech below (please note that the beginning few sentences were omitted as they weren’t fully audible & lacked context):
“…If you were part of a union or working-class people who were allowed to build a better life in the middle class in America- you fucking listen to us. Because if you’re out there buying those fucking hats that these swindlers are selling at that fucking fair [I’m sorry kids, I know there’s kids here]… then you’re part of the problem and I’ll tell you why – because you’re being duped by the greatest swindler in the history of the world.
You’re being duped by a bunch of grifters and billionaires who don’t give a shit about you or your family. They care about their fucking tax breaks and the money they can put in their pocket. If you consider yourself a patriot and you’re spouting off that election denying shit I will fight your ass outside side if you want to.
Wake the fuck up! We’re working class people. These people are the fucking rich- the billionaires – and they don’t give a shit. Thank you for listening. 26 years as a band- if you call yourself a fan, you can give us two minutes.”
You can watch the vide below:
Hat tip to Heavy Consequence. You can see Dropkick Murphys at the upcoming dates below:
10/20 – Concord, NH @ Capitol Center for the Arts
10/21 – Providence, RI @ Veterans Memorial Auditorium
10/22 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Caesars Atlantic City – Circus Maximus
10/24 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
10/25 – Washington, DC @ Lincoln Theatre
10/27 – North Charleston, SC @ North Charleston Performing Arts Center
10/28 – Raleigh, NC @ Raleigh Memorial Auditorium at Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts
10/29 – Cincinnati, OH @ The Andrew J Brady Music Center
10/30 – Greensburg, PA @ Palace Theatre
11/01 – Tulsa, OK @ Tulsa Theater
11/02 – Omaha, NE @ The Holland Center
11/03 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
11/05 – Phoenix, AZ @ Orpheum Theatre
11/08 – Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum Theatre
11/09 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
11/10 – Monterey, CA @ Golden State Theatre
11/11 – Reno, NV @ Silver Legacy Resort & Casino – Grande Expo Hall
11/13 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre
11/16 – Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre
11/17 – Des Moines, IA @ Hoyt Sherman Place Theater
11/18 – Chesterfield, MO @ The Factory
11/19 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium