Hanging with Flogging Molly
Becca Spence and Kyle West
Issue date: 10/1/04 Section: Features
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The Journey
Our mission was to cover the concert and get an interview with Flogging Molly. The four of us spent drive to Charlotte talking music, school and life, and despite shoddy directions from MapQuest, we got there in time - but only just.
Upon arrival, we realized how popular Flogging Molly really is. The parking lot was full, and a small group of event staff directed us across the street.
Everywhere there were punk rockers sporting everything from black studded jeans to purple mohawks. They filed out of cars and vans, all heading to the converted industrial-looking venue.
The line was huge. Circling the chain fence, it nearly spilled into the street. Amazingly enough, in less than 15 minutes, we were standing outside the ticket office. As we stepped in, the words "all sold out," nearly stopped us in our tracks. The last ticket to the show was sold just as we walked in. We'd needed to purchase two more tickets--we already had two courtesy of WQFS.
Even after a few minutes of talking to the sales girl at the booth, it looked as if only two of us would make it in. The problem was that she didn't have the authority to let the others in as press, but luckily a supervisor stepped in just in time. After a short talk, we got our shiny press bracelets and headed in, completely free of charge.
Once inside, we understood how the venue was sold out. It was packed, and there was still three hours until Flogging Molly performed.
Eclectically dressed people meandered around, buying lots of beer, playing pool, and waiting for the show to start. A makeshift backstage sat behind a thin door marked, obviously enough, "Backstage: enter at your own risk." Getting down to business, with adrenaline coursing through our nervous bodies, we headed in for an interview.
We huddled together looking for someone we recognized. After five minutes, a man in a red plaid shirt sporting a leather fedora and clutching a Guinness came up and asked if we were looking for someone. Turns out he was Nathen Maxwell, bassist and backup vocalist for Flogging Molly. Good luck was on our side: he was willing to do an interview.
The Interview
Becca Spence: I was just wondering how you guys, or how do you, personally, feel about the state of the world right now- the election coming up, Iraq, everything like that.
Nathen Maxwell: I feel it's a very crucial election coming up. That's why we're teaming up with Punk Voter on this tour- to inspire the youth that can't vote to become active and start thinking about it, and the people who can vote to get out there and vote and try and get this f-d up country to be a democracy for the first time. Yeah, you know the world right now is pretty f-d up, but I think the main thing is that more and more people are becoming aware of how f-d up things are- with the Internet (and) people becoming more educated. I don't think the world necessarily was a much better place 50 years ago; I think that's kind of an illusion that we have. But, uh, I just think it's really been a positive thing that people are getting more aware, more active, more involved. You know what; I have a positive outlook that the future will be brighter.
B: How do you feel about using your music to influence positive change?
N: Absolutely, that's exactly how I feel. My biggest inspiration is Bob Marley. He really gave me that hope and positivity in my life when I was pretty down and dark. It was like that and punk rock music, like being active and thinking, not just thinking about nothing. Yeah, that's definitely the main reason why I do music - to communicate my ideas, our ideas, to try to create positive change - absolutely. Music is powerful, art is powerful. Art to me is the answer to fascism - it's like you can't really stereotype art, you know, art's free and freedom is f-ing huge, right?
B: Right.
N: Keep art f-ing free.
Kyle West: What are your major influences, like as a band and as a person?
N: I listen to pretty much every kind of music out there. Every category they want to say, I probably listen to something in that category. I love all music. Most of it is kind of crappy out there, but there's something good in everything, in every type or category of music. You know like I said reggae - Bob Marley, punk rock- Dead Kennedys, you know, rock and roll like Jimi Hendrix, all kinds of music, yeah. And for us like the Pogues and uh, the 70's rock growing up like Queen and David Bowie and before that like the 60's, Irish folk, like the Dubliners. We take all of our influences and put them together. That's what Flogging Molly is.
K: How do you feel about how you guys have grown as a band? You guys have played on like Jimmy Kimmel and Conan and shows like that, and how do you guys feel about that?
N: I feel really good about it. I feel that this music is powerful. And I've seen it, but it brings a lot of joy into people's lives. The more and more people we have the opportunity to share our music with, that's great. That's what we're here to do. That's why we work our asses off. That's why we tour nonstop. And if people are starting to catch on and starting to care about us, it's a great feeling. It makes me feel really ... happy.
Pete Ray: What do you think about punk, like post-punk, pop-punk, that kind of music? How do you think punk is evolving?
N: I think punk has been evolving since before we ever heard the word punk. To me Johnny Cash is punk, you know, so, I think if you're going to call something pop-punk, to me that's just pop. They can label it punk, whatever, because they have mohawks. That's just pop. You know, pop-country is pop. But whatever. Punk to me is an attitude; it's not a sound of music. Obviously, you know, like Black Flag, that's punk f-ing rock, but there really aren't any bands around these days that sound like Black Flag, you know? Punk rock is an attitude, it's an energy, it's not a style of clothing or a sound, or "doom bah, doom bah, doom bah"... that's a drum beat, by the way.
Holly Butcher: Do you listen to college radio at all? I feel like it's a good way of getting music out there and helping lesser known bands get some recognition.
N: I love college radio. In LA where I'm from, there's a station called KSPC, they're great. Every Friday night they have a thing called Demolition- it's only unsigned bands they play demos and I love that. Local, independent music should be heard. College radio is great. My favorite station in LA is KPFK, Pacifica radio, if you get on the Internet. I really encourage people to check out Pacifica radio. It's brilliant.
B: My friend Jake told me that I have to ask you, what's your favorite kind of beer?
N: Guinness. And then next, like on the totally other end of the world, I like (lager)...a totally different flavor. On a hot day, by the beach, it's like a nice (lager).
H: What's your favorite place to play?
N: Oh man, I love traveling, just traveling in general. So many great places we play, I mean, Amsterdam, that's a beautiful city and the people there really f-ing love music. There are so many great places to play. I could go on and on with this.
H: I remember you played at the Irish Festival in St. Paul.
N: I really feel like the Irish Festival is a different element than playing the Warped Tour; you know, it's different but it's all f-ing good. I like to see people at the Irish Festival who wouldn't take their kids to a punk rock concert but they'll take them there to the Irish folk fair and we get to play there too. We get to reach out to more people. It's nice.
The Show:
We stumbled out of the backstage area, still reeling with excitement. Nathen asked our ages, wondering if he could grant us a parting gift of Guinness, but we told him we are all underage.
Before saying goodbye, Nathen introduced us to Matt Hensley, the accordion and concertina player, who was playing pool. Matt graciously made a station ID for WQFS and then went back to his game.
Ten p.m. and it was time for Flogging Molly to play. We headed into the crowded room where the show was taking place and waited anxiously. A large screen projected a Punk Voter video, but it was impossible to hear with all the noise.
After the video, a recording of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" began to play. The crowd broke out lighters and sang along. As the lights dimmed, Flogging Molly entered the stage.
They kicked off the set with "The Likes of You Again," an upbeat song that inspired high-energy dancing.
Flogging Molly is an amazing live band. Their lively blend of punk and Irish rock can make even the most depressed person start to dance. Although several of the songs do have a somber air, the band played these slower tunes between happy quick-tempo ones to give the sweaty punks a breather.
Flogging Molly's new album Away From Home came out on Sept. 14. The band played a few songs from this new CD including "Light of a Fading Star," a catchy song to which everyone sang along.
Someone even threw up, presumably from consuming too much alcohol and then dancing. At first, everyone danced around the vomit, but it was soon forgotten and spread across the floor by the abundant Chuck Taylors and skate shoes.
The set lasted for an hour and a half, ending with a favorite, "Salty Dog." When the band exited the stage, the crowd broke into a chorus of "Ole," and the band returned for two more songs. Slowly, the sweaty, largely intoxicated, ex-hausted crowd pressed its way through the door, exclaiming that the show was "amazing."
We hoped to buy t-shirts after the show, but the line was too long and we were too tired. After a quick stop at for re-hydration and refueling, we headed back to Greensboro.
Of course, the soundtrack for the ride home was Flogging Molly, and we sang along happily. Besides the bathroom break we took half a mile outside of Greensboro, the drive was uneventful.
It was all over. We stumbled into the dorm rooms exhausted, still feeling the residual effects of the boisterous night. We are all still wearing our shiny All Access wristbands.