Blood or Whiskey
Encyclopedia
Blood or Whiskey is an Irish punk/folk band from Leixlip
, County Kildare
, Republic of Ireland
.
The band was formed in September 1993 taking strong influence from Shane MacGowan
, as well as The Pogues
and The Clash
. The band originally had problems with their non-traditional music style among native Irish fans and released their first album Blood or Whiskey in 1996.
Several years of touring followed before the release of No Time to Explain
which was followed by a tour of the US
.
After the leaving of their original lead singer, Barney Murray, in 2003, guitarist Dugs Mulhooly took over the reins as the band's frontman, Blood or Whiskey's lineup underwent many changes and in 2005 released Cashed Out on Culture, which is highly regarded as their most punk oriented of their albums, although it maintains the driving traditional melodies that are trademarks of the band's sound. In 2006, whistle player Alan Confrey died from a heart attack after the band returned home to Dublin after a UK tour with Stiff Little Fingers
.
The band is currently looking for a new tin whistle player and were due to release their new album on Punkcore Records sometime in late 2007, however, this was pushed back to a non-specified date. They have also recently recruited a new bass player, Peter Mullan, and toured Europe
in September 2006, supporting The Misfits on some shows. The tour has been entitled "Back from the Brink" by the band. The band also supported The Pogues at their annual Christmas gig in the RDS, Dublin on the 23rd of December, 2007.
The general sound of the band is a manic mix of aggressive lyrics, punk
beats and Celtic
melodies.
Leixlip
-Politics:Since 1988 Leixlip has had a nine member Town Council , headed by a Cathaoirleach , which has control over many local matters, although it is limited in that it is not also a planning authority...
, County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
The band was formed in September 1993 taking strong influence from Shane MacGowan
Shane MacGowan
Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan is an Irish musician and singer, best known as the original singer and songwriter of The Pogues.-History:...
, as well as The Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
and The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
. The band originally had problems with their non-traditional music style among native Irish fans and released their first album Blood or Whiskey in 1996.
Several years of touring followed before the release of No Time to Explain
No Time To Explain
No Time To Explain is a platform game developed by tinyBuildGames and designed by Tom Brien and Alex Nichiporchik, and is the successor to Brien's flash game, No Time to Explain, originally released on January 6, 2011. No Time To Explain has been released on Linux, Windows and on Mac...
which was followed by a tour of the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
After the leaving of their original lead singer, Barney Murray, in 2003, guitarist Dugs Mulhooly took over the reins as the band's frontman, Blood or Whiskey's lineup underwent many changes and in 2005 released Cashed Out on Culture, which is highly regarded as their most punk oriented of their albums, although it maintains the driving traditional melodies that are trademarks of the band's sound. In 2006, whistle player Alan Confrey died from a heart attack after the band returned home to Dublin after a UK tour with Stiff Little Fingers
Stiff Little Fingers
Stiff Little Fingers are a punk rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. They formed in 1977, at the height of the Troubles. They started out as a schoolboy band called Highway Star , doing rock covers, until they discovered punk. They split up after six years and four albums, although they...
.
The band is currently looking for a new tin whistle player and were due to release their new album on Punkcore Records sometime in late 2007, however, this was pushed back to a non-specified date. They have also recently recruited a new bass player, Peter Mullan, and toured Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in September 2006, supporting The Misfits on some shows. The tour has been entitled "Back from the Brink" by the band. The band also supported The Pogues at their annual Christmas gig in the RDS, Dublin on the 23rd of December, 2007.
The general sound of the band is a manic mix of aggressive lyrics, punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
beats and Celtic
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
melodies.
Albums
- Blood or Whiskey, 1996
- No Time to ExplainNo Time To ExplainNo Time To Explain is a platform game developed by tinyBuildGames and designed by Tom Brien and Alex Nichiporchik, and is the successor to Brien's flash game, No Time to Explain, originally released on January 6, 2011. No Time To Explain has been released on Linux, Windows and on Mac...
, 2001 - Cashed Out on Culture, 2005