Seisún Festival brings Irish Weather with Irish Tunes
Dropkick Murphys bringing us all together. photo by kim moenich
It’s a well-known fact that I’m a massive Dropkick Murphys fan, so when their PR rep told me, back during their St. Patrick’s Day shows, about the Seisún Festival, I immediately applied for a press pass. Then I found out who the other headliner was going to be, The Pogues. While I have conflicting feelings about seeing this monumentous band without their Captain, it wouldn’t exactly be the first time.
Back in 2009, I was fortunate enough to see The Pogues on a small side stage at the Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans. The show started with Spider Stacey performing lead vocals for the first two songs, before Shane MacGowan came out for “Young Ned of the Hill”. Shane would sing a song or two, then his handler would take him back offstage to rest. We were only lucky enough to hear the great man sing a few tunes before the band abruptly left the stage, but it was still a memory I’ll carry with me for forever. The band only played a handful of shows in the US since Voodoo, so I was not going to let this opportunity pass me by.
James Fearnley, who joined The Pogues in 1982, greeting the audience. photo by kim moenich
Day 1 of Seisún was full of bands I’ve seen numerous times before. I arrived at The Stage at Suffolk Downs around 12:30, and saw my DKM crew waiting at the start of the line. The venue was once a Thoroughbred race track, dating back to the 30’s, and horses were still raced there until 2019. The Stage was built just two years ago and holds 8,500. While rain was forecast, it was a bright, sunny day at the Stage and the lines to were long from the start. The first band up was Holy Locust, a bluesy, jazzy, folksy, punky blend of New Orleans charm. They were a wonderful way to ease us into the day. They played a wide-range of tunes with an even wider range of instruments, and I truly enjoyed every minute of them. They’re finishing up a few Canadian dates and you should absolutely check them out if you can.
My DKM crew and our fave Security guy! photo by kim moenich
I first saw The Rumjacks live in my small hometown of Wilmington, NC, when Dropkicks played here back in March of 2022. Unfortunately it rained for most of the show, so The Rumjacks had to play a shortened acousitc set, but I still absolutely loved their energy. Since then, I’ve seen them numerous times, and each time they get better and better. This performance was no different. The boys from Boston/Australia had everyone up on their feet, and their set was full of the Irish ballads the crowd had come for.
Like The Rumjacks, The Scratch were brought to my attention by the Dropkicks, who had the Irish-based quartet open during day two of the St. Patrick’s Day Boston shows last year. Dublin-based, most of the band were once in a heavy metal act called Red Enemy, and it shows in their current iteration. I heard one crowd member comment, “These guys are like Celtic Sabbath” and I laughed. While they definitely have some hard rock influences, I would describe them more as fast, loud Celtic punk with a strong beat. In other words, you’ll be jumping around and stomping your feet as they belt out their catchy tunes. They’re a band I’ve really come to love deeply, and if you’re a fan of great Irish post-punk, you need give them a listen.
Well that’s when the party stopped and the rain started. They kicked us out and we all ran for our cars. I was shocked at how many people took off and left, but my friends and I just hung out in their car, listening to Irish punk bands and check Insta for updates. After about two hours, the rain stopped, we queued back up and I was allowed in early, so I ran over and saved my friends’ spots back at the rail for them. Much to our chagrin, they canceled the Stiff Little Fingers set and went straight to The Hold Steady. No shade on THS (well, maybe a little shade), but I think a poll of the audience would have definitely gone in SLF’s favor. The Hold Steady made the best of it and there were certainly a few younger crowd members who were into it. I’m just consoling myself knowing I’ll see Stiff Little Fingers next week at Riot Fest.
The Hold Steady made the rain delay worth the wait. photo by kim moenich
Then it was time for my guys to come out and kick ass, and that they did. Dropkicks cranked out nineteen bangers, mixing old favorites like “Blood” and “Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya” with songs from their new album, “For The People”, like “School Days Over” and “Chesterfields and Aftershave”. The latter is an ode to Ken Casey’s grandad, and they just released a beautiful new video for the song, which I triple dog dare you to watch without crying (I certainly can’t!) Despite being soggy and cold, the crowd went wild, but only mildly so, compared to most Murphy’s gigs. My Security friends, who know have known our crew for years now, were a bit bored with only getting to pull over 3 crowd surfers, all of whom were kiddos. But it made for a great time for those of us who miss getting to enjoy the band without 200 lb dudes landing on us constantly! One of the highlights of the set for me was when Ken introduced Maine Senatorial candidate Graham Platner, who was standing on the side of the stage. Graham came out to raucous applause, and you can see my video on his IG page! Dropkicks gave us a show worth waiting in the rain for, and we, as always, were grateful.
The rain started up again overnight, so I waited until around 3pm the next day to show up. That meant I missed two openers (apologies Lisa O’Neil and John Francis Flynn). I arrived in time to see the hauntingly beautiful Mairéad, who has been making music for nearly forty years. Originating out of Dublin, Ireland, but now based here in the States, Mairéad’s ethereal voice and folksy tunes transport you to the land of Éire. Having just released a massive three album compilation of new music, she played her only show this year at Seisún, and we were all the better for having heard her!
The beautiful voice of Mairéad. photo by kim moenich
Despite their youthful appearances, Just Mustard have been around for a decade now. Hailing from Dundalk, Ireland, the synthy experimental rock/dark wave darlings have just released a new EP, “We Were Just Here”, and are headed back to Europe for a short tour. I truly loved their sound, but I would definitely have preferred my first time seeing them to have been in more intimate setting. They are the kind of band you want to get lost in and dance like nobody’s watching, which is hard to do during the day in a crowd of several thousand people.
I had never heard of Cardinals before Seisún, but my brief inquiry into the group showed me that I had been missing out. Just a few years old as a band, the Irish lads from Cork have already made a name for themselves both at home and abroad. With a sound that mixes their old Irish souls with dark wave and punk folk, Cardinals provide the perfect soundtrack to your next breakup.
One of the acts I was most excited to see that week was Glen Hansard. For the uneducated, Hansard has been the vocalist for The Frames for 35 years, has toured with Eddie Vedder in their band, The Earthlings, composed the score for Cyrano with my heroes, the Dessner twins, and is one half of the duo The Swell Season. His solo work will break your heart and fill your soul, and his humor is contagious. Throughout his set, Hansard kept naming airlines that were flying over, hoping, he said, that one was the plane carrying late-to-arrive The Waterboys, whose spot he had taken after their plane was delayed. Hansard also had two young musicians onstage with him whom he had heard playing under at tent in the vendor area of the event. The violinist was invited to stage onstage for most of the set, and was absolutely incredible! After Seisún, Hansard is going on tour with The Swell Season on mostly West Coast dates. It would be well worth your time to catch one of their shows.
Thankfully The Waterboys made it safe and sound, and they burst onstage with all the energy we had been hoping for. Mike Scott, the only original member of the group, formed The Waterboys way back in 1983, and the band has seen a number of lineup changes in the years since. This incarnation of the band has new albums coming out soon and is on a US tour through October 4, before they head to Europe. Their gorgeous blend of Scotch-Irish folk with jump-out-of-your-seat rock and roll made for a perfect lead up to the main act of the night. I know I wasn’t alone in wanting them to play just a few more tunes!
And then it was time for the main act. I’ll admit that I had some trepidation about seeing this group of people who were using the name of a band who’s heart and soul had passed away. Shane’s songs changed not just music, but I believe they changed the world. He was a legend, an icon. So to see his creation without him seemed somehow wrong. But from the moment Spider and the gang (and boy was it a big gang!) hit the stage, I realized my concerns were unjustified, and this version of The Pogues were incredible in their own right. Despite only playing a few classics like “Dirty Old Town”, and skipping “Fairy Tale”, the group gave us an amazing set, dedicating “Parting Glass” to Shane. I ended up about 6 rows back in the center of the crowd, after I was done shooting my three songs, in a group of older folks I didn’t know. But it wasn’t long before we all had our arms around one another and were singing and swaying to the much-loved tunes. It was a brilliant performance by an ensemble cast, with a beautiful full harp, an accordion, several different vocalists, and more. I was truly sad when it ended due to the curfew, as my heart hadn’t been that full in a long time. Thank you, Spider Stacey, for honoring the legacy of the great Shane MacGowan. I know he would be proud.
