Flogging Molly - Whiskey On A Sunday

Genre rock Publisher Side One Dummy External Links Official Flogging Molly Website Official Side One Dummy Records Website

Don't call Flogging Molly a punk band, because they're not. Sure, they got their start on the punk powerhouse Side One Dummy record label and they are regular fixtures on the annual summer punk love-in Warped Tour, but they aren't a punk band. While you can expect to see more than a fair share of leather-clad teenagers sporting Mohawks at any given show they put on, they aren't a punk band.

The members of Flogging Molly, especially lead singer and frontman Dave King, will insist that they are just a band putting an individual twist on traditional Irish music. Which is pretty much true, but I really can't think of them as anything besides a punk band after watching the documentary portion of this DVD/CD package.

See, I think punk goes way beyond a three-chord rush of adrenaline and the ripped clothing - punk is a way of approaching life, of looking at the world, of sticking to one's beliefs and following them through to the bitter end. As far as I'm concerned, by my definition, there are very few bands to ever grace a Warped stage that are more "punk" than Flogging Molly. As the band reflects back on its own history through the interviews presented on the DVD, it's easy to count just how many times Dave and this band could have justifiably thrown in the towel or ditched their "individual twist" in favor of a more popular sound. Labels, critics, and fans alike told them they'd never amount to anything more than a bar band with a gimmick, but thankfully they stuck to their guns and proved everyone wrong. Fans of cathartic, anthemic music with big heart and even bigger energy have been reaping the benefits ever since.

Fresh off their third well-reviewed and received full-length (Within A Mile of Home), the band decided it was the perfect time to look back on the past and throw the fans a bone while waiting for some new material. The result, Whiskey On A Sunday, consists of a feature-length documentary by Jim Dziura and a disc of mostly live and acoustic versions of tracks from throughout their career. The film itself is a decent, though sometimes frustrating document of the band's beginnings and past as told by most of the members (some more than others, disappointingly). Structured much like many other band documentaries, Whiskey is comprised of off-stage footage and archival photos that serve as a backdrop for the musicians to tell their story. Each of the interviewed members, most notably King and the extremely likable drummer George Schwindt, come across as real, passionate people who love and believe in what they do. There aren't any earth-shattering revelations made during the course of the film, but there is enough insight into the lives of the members to give longtime fans a nice treat.

The film drops the ball big time when it comes to the treatment of live footage, a tremendous oversight considering how much of this band's reputation was built around its stellar stage show. A good number of tracks get introduced, but within thirty seconds the narration kicks back in and drowns out the performance. It's more than a little frustrating to watch what looks to be a killer set going on in the background while one of the members discusses the grueling aspects of life on the road. The bonus features attempt to rectify this mistake by tossing in solid live performances of "Selfish Man" and "Rebels of the Sacred Heart," but it comes as too little too late. This film would have been a much better testament to the band's gifts by having access to full performances in some maner. The extras are rounded out with footage of an Indie 103.1 live broadcast at Molly Malone's (the L.A. bar where the band got its start) on St. Patrick's Day 2005, some in-studio footage, brief glimpses at the men behind the stage, and your obligatory outtakes reel.

The accompanying CD is a nice bonus for the fans, featuring great live versions of classic Molly tunes like "The Likes of You Again" and a killer version of "What's Left of the Flag." The four acoustic tunes are decent enough, but they lack the punch and swagger of the full band tracks. A bonus for the completists is thrown in as well in the form of new studio track "Laura," which proves that the band still hasn't lost a step.

Overall, this is a pretty solid package that will give fans plenty to enjoy once they get over the initial disappointment of the live footage in the film. It's an interesting way to catch up on the band's history, but probably not the best way for a new listener to be enticed into the fold. The novice would be better off picking up the excellent Drunken Lullabies, or better yet, catching the band next time they swing through town on their seemingly never-ending tour.