Punk rockers say 'NO' to naysayers

By Meg Walsh

Published Oct. 20, 2006

It's a known fact that punk rockers don't like to do what they're told. Flogging Molly frontman Dave King has been a punk rocker for a long time, and throughout his years in music, he has learned never to do what others say.

"We are our own thing. We write music first of all for ourselves and play for the people that want to see us," King said. "You're going to be told, 'Oh yeah you're an Irish band with fiddles and accordions and mandolins - are you crazy?' but we and our crowd have a good time. Fuck the naysayers!"

Flogging Molly sharpened its skills in the pub scene in L.A., where the band formed, in the late '90s. King has been a musician since childhood; his parents introduced him to music when he was young, and they had friends over to sing and play music. King said his family didn't have much, but music was something they used to make life enjoyable. These roots are what give Flogging Molly its drive, as well as its inspiration.

"I try to remind myself where we come from," King said, "the hardship our families went through, and our people went through to be where they are today. When things are successful, people forget very quickly about the bad times and learning times, when things weren't as good as this."

And just like the country the band sings about, Flogging Molly has come a long way. The name Flogging Molly comes from a joke in the band's early days when they played the same pub, Molly Malone's, every Monday night. The band members said they felt like they were flogging a dead horse. King attributes the band's success to its independence and staying true to its convictions.

"Record companies have a knack for taking things and running them into the ground," King said. "This is why I love what I do now because we're in a band that we've forged our own path and our on way. There's a lot of naysayers and a lot of people telling us this Irish type of thing won't work and blah blah blah, and we didn't care because it's just music, soul music, and it's what we want to play."

Flogging Molly is promoting its new live CD and DVD, Whiskey on a Sunday, with a college campus tour.

"I love it here. America is truly a fantastic place. I love the people here," said King. "People we run into that have seen [the DVD] really like it, including friends. It's hard for us to look at because we're musicians, and we know what we're about, but it's quite difficult to look at something made about you."

Flogging Molly will be stopping at The Blue Note on its college tour, and fans can look forward to a night of excitement, sometimes too much for one to handle.

"Another time a guy took a heart attack, as we were walking on stage, he was so excited," King said. "We talked to him in the hospital, and he's all good. It amazes me. I've always found Irish music to be uplifting, and I think it transcends to all generations. And when I go on stage and play it, it fills me full of energy."