BY JAMIE DAVIS Flogging molly have been around for a while, so they know how to put on a show. Their shows are like a worship service to Ireland, drinking, and punk rock, and the crowd are there exactly for that. You have never known happiness unless you have cheered on the girl who just took a break from moshing to stand in the middle of a circle and do a jig. Friday night at the way sold-out Electric Factory, Flogging Moly played an epic two hour long set, that covered everything from songs they wrote back in the early nineties, to stuff off of last year’s “Float.” As singer Dave King put it “I hope you all aren’t planning on going anywhere after, ’cause we’re gonna be here for a fuckin’ long time if you know what I mean.” The crowd went wild. The band didn’t get tired either, punting out celtic /punk tune after tune. And of course, these are songs practically written to be played live. During classics like “Drunken Lullabies” or “What’s Left of the Flag,” the entire place turned into a seething mess as the mosh pit decided to consume the entire room. Nothing is better than screaming along with hundreds of other Irish people to a song about Ireland and drinking. And even though after a while one Flogging Molly song can start to sound like another, the show also reminded us of the fact that Dave King is a brilliant singer-songwriter, who can hold his own lyrically and musically. The acoustic portion of the set highlighted this especially, even though by the end of most of the “acoustic” songs the entire band had joined in. Their songs, while mostly just being great to sing along to, also try and go beyond the realms of drinking and women. “Float” for instance deals with old age, a seldom used topic for rock songs. With the beery shamrock power of Flogging Molly, Dave King has built something great, but he still has more to give to us musically, even beyond his band.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jamie Davis is a senior at Kimberton Waldorf High School. He enjoys Blink-182 more than any Thom Yorke fan should.