Ken Casey from the Dropkick Murphys

Dropkick Murphys frontman Ken Casey dropped by Boston.com on August 10th to chat with users about the band, the local music scene, the Red Sox, and the Dropkick's new song "Tessie." Here's the transcript.

Bob Finn (Moderator) 11:55AM	Welcome to the chat with Dropkick frontman Ken Casey - he will be here in just a moment. So feel free to send us your questions.
Kerry 11:59AM	Just dropping in to say Hello. It's Kerry (Quinlan), an old friend.
Ken Casey 12:01PM	Hi Kerry, it's Ken. Good to hear from you. I lost your address. So send me an email so I can send your kid something in the mail.
Row1Boston 12:01PM	Do you thinkk you will ever be invited back to the Fleet Boston Pavilion?
Ken Casey 12:02PM	Last time we played there - they had the chairs in place - and some people were thorwing the chairs around -which the bosses over there didn't like so much. So hopefully - if we play there again they will take the seats out - so our fans don't have to.
nomarwho 12:02PM	Ken, what do you think about the nomah trade?
Ken Casey 12:03PM	I don't think we got enough in return, but if tehre is one thing I can't stand is a cry-baby millionaire. So I'd just as soon see him go.
thefilthyrich 12:04PM	Ken, do u post on the noiseboard and talk bs?
Ken Casey 12:04PM	I don't post anywhere. I type at a snails pace. If there wasn't someone typing for me right now - we'd be here for ever.
blue 12:04PM	How many days a year is your band on the road?
Ken Casey 12:05PM	On average - 6 to 9 months a year. Dpending if its a year in which we have a new record out.
Fenway941827 12:06PM	Ken do you have any information on who the singers are from the 1903 recording that is on the royalrooters website? http://www.royalrooters.com/tessie.html
Ken Casey 12:07PM	The original 1903 version is what sounds like an over-weight woman from Beacon Hill. I'm not sure who she was. But the Boston fire dept. has an accapella group that also recently did a version of the song - which is much more like the original version - for the show Red Sox stories on UPN. The show featured Tessie in its original form as well as our remake of it. So that is who you might be hearing on the site.
Ken Casey 12:08PM	By the way - the CD single of our version of "Tessie" comes out Aug. 24. All proceeds go to the Red Sox Foundation charity. It's five songs plus an enhanced CD with a music video. And it's all for only $4.99 - so dig deep you cheap bastards!
Peabody 12:10PM	Hi Ken. My 12 year old newphew saw you at the Hampton Beach Casino early this summer and got to met the band and also received your autograph on his cd cover. This is the first concert he has ever been to and it completely made his summer, thanks for a great show!!
Ken Casey 12:10PM	I'm glad he enjoyed the show. The Hampton Beach show was a lot of fun for us as well. Hope he gets to see us again soon.
dbmaeb 12:10PM	Ken will you perform ay gillette this yeasr, maybe at half time?
Ken Casey 12:12PM	We'd love to play at a Pats game. Please forward this to Bob Kraft. But we are actually playing at the Gillette Stadium parking lot Aug. 20th as part of the 10th Anniversary Warped Tour show. We go on real early - probably between 2 and 3 p.m. - because we have a 7 p.m. flight to Europe. Who knows - if things go well out in the parking lot, maybe they will let us inside.
LIPSCMC 12:12PM	what other songs are on the "tessie" cd
Ken Casey 12:15PM	There's an alternate version on Tessie - with vocals, organ (instead of piano), bagpipes, acoustic guitar, and that's it. We wanted to do one with the organ to give the song the old-real-time baseball feel. It also has "fields of Athenry" from the last album, a version of the Bruins old theme song "Nutty" that we did with bagpipes, an unreleased acoustic song called "The Burden", and then it has the music video as well - for Tessie.
patrick 12:15PM	Ken, Are you guys playing the avalon ballroom again this St Patricks?
Ken Casey 12:16PM	We're just in the process of starting to plan next year's St. Patrick's Day fiasco. We should have it all figured out by November, or early December.
oconnellphoto 12:16PM	Ken, any special suprises planned for the Warped Anniversary show?
Ken Casey 12:17PM	My cousin Laura is gonna play the Viola with us for a few songs. We're also going to do some remade versions of songs like "Forever" with piano. Then we'll switch back to full on electric - and break stuff.
CaptainAmerica 12:18PM	Keen- what's the best live show you have seen? (Mine is Husker Du at the Living Room in 1987)
Ken Casey 12:18PM	That was a good show. I was actually there. Unfortunately the company I was with sucked.
LIPSCMC 12:19PM	any charity events planned in boston this fall?
Ken Casey 12:20PM	I'm sure there will be several things we'll do in conjunction with "Tessie." As well as the Dennis Leary/Firefighters Foundation charity hockey game.
lula 12:20PM	Boston's club/rock scene has changed a lot over the years. How do you think the local scene stacks up against other towns?
Ken Casey 12:21PM	The Boston club/punk scene is definitely not what is was - when we started in 1996. Largely due to the demise of the Rat. But Boston still has it over any other city - hands down.
revolution96 12:22PM	Ken, are there any far-flung places (you've toured to) where you've been surprised at the level of band support?
Ken Casey 12:23PM	We are always really surprised at the turnout in Japan. Having just got back from there, that comes to mind first. But also - some of the Eastern Bloc countries that we've toured, because our records aren't even sold or distributed there. They may only hear our music via bootleg cassette tapes. So someone must be making a lot of them, because the kids all know the songs.
LIPSCMC 12:24PM	what's in store for us on the next album?
Ken Casey 12:28PM	Next May or June we are going to release two records on the same day. The first will be an acoustic album with new songs as well as remakes of alrready released songs. There will be lots of piano, bagpipes, viola, etc... On the same day that's released, we'll put out the single collection - part two. This CD will have new unreleased material as well as songs from our hard to find singles and various compilations we've appeared on. The singles collection music - especially the new unreleased material - will be much heavier and harder than anything we've recrorded in recent years. We view our normal studio albums as a good mix of all the band's influences. But with the singles collection and acoustic album, we're trying to reach the two opposite extreme ends of our influences. The roots and the boots - so to speak.
askew reviews 12:29PM	concerning the song "The Dirty Glass" why didn't you include the version with kay hanley (on the face to face split) on blackout?
Ken Casey 12:31PM	It was an honor to work with Kay Hanely. And she did a great job. However, she's a mother and she has her own music career. Stephanie Dougherty, who sings the version on Blackout" works for the band selling our merchandise, and is on the road with us to perform it live. So it seems only fair that she be given the opportunity to sing it on record. I think its a nice contrast between the two versions. Kay's being a little sweeter sounding. Whereas Stephanie realy perfects the role of the angry ***** that the song calls for. (Nothing like her personality in real life by the way).
Kerry 12:33PM	Where is the building with the Dropkick Murphys crest on the wall located? You have a photo of it on Sing Loud, Sing Proud
Ken Casey 12:34PM	That woudl be the corner of Broadway and C street in South Boston. On the wall on the side of Al's Liquors. So if you're in the area stop by and check it out - and by a jug at Al's while your at it.
JRD 12:35PM	I've wondered for a long time, where did you get the picture for the Do or Die album and why did you want to use it? My dad happens to be in the picture....
Ken Casey 12:37PM	My father-in-law was the BA for the Building Wreckers, local 1421. The picture was hanging on the wall in his house, and I believe the demo-company might have been owned by my wife's aunt's family. Not really sure. But anyway - we were looking for a gritty/realistic/non-polished and fancy photo. And I think it was a good choice. You deffinitely don't see a photo like that on many records.
KC 12:39PM	Hello Mr. Casey! I have a story for you. Last March 14th I took my Ma and my best friend to the T station to go see ya show. At the T, we realized that the tix said 18+ (which was never explained at the time of purchase). A real bummer; this meant my friend and I couldn't get in! Why make the shows 18+ if there is no smoking allowed in the Boston facilities any longer? See ya @ Warped, and good luck there.
Ken Casey 12:41PM	That's a horrible story. I'm not sure how that could have happened. It had nothign to do with the smoking ban. Since we were doing five shows that weekend at Avalon, we wanted to make one a little bit different. Lots of the people who listened to the band who were in there, in there 30s, complained to me that they didn't want to go up front at the shows because they feel the crowd is so young up front. So we wanted to do one show that catered to the old bastards. I;m sorry that there was a screw up on the tickets and will look into it - and make sure it doesn't happen again.
bo'coin 12:42PM	I heard you on waaf this morning, do you think its a little bazaar that this station never plays you music?
Ken Casey 12:43PM	I don't have much control over who plays us. LB is a great guy and so is the Hill Man. Hopefully they can influence the powers that be over at AAF to give us some spins.
Dillinger4 12:44PM	Who has been your favorite band to play with?
Ken Casey 12:46PM	We've been lucky enough to play with lots of our favorite bands - and bands that have had a big influence on us as kids - including the Pogues, Sex Pistols, and Joe Strummer. But we've probably had the most fun with the other Boston bands we've taken on tour with us like Blood For Blood, The Unseen, and the Ducky Boys.
KC 12:48PM	Will Kay Hanley be at Warped? Please say yes...
Ken Casey 12:48PM	I'm sorry to disappont you. Kaye lives in LA now. But the equally lovely Stephanie will be there.
thefilthyrich 12:49PM	ken, if the glove doesn't come to Boston, can u play the point?
Ken Casey 12:50PM	I played a mean point-guard in my day on the courts of Kelly Field. But I'm no Garry Payton so lets just hope we get him instead.
*RockinTedSarandis 12:50PM	Can the fact that Shane McGowan is still alive be considered the 8th wonder of the world (or ninth if you count Andre the Giant.)
Ken Casey 12:51PM	I would clearly answer Yes. The fact that he's outlived Joe and Joey is nothing less than a miracle. When he sang on our record - a few years back - I had never seen a man so yellow. But he's a great guy and an inspiration. He'll probably outlive us all.
indybella 12:52PM	Any plans to release Tessie as a single so we can buy it?
Ken Casey 12:53PM	Yes, as I think I mentioned earlier. The Tessie CD single comes out August. 24. You can get it at most record stores or though our website www.dropkickmurphys.com.
Ken Casey 12:53PM	Or probably through places that carry Red Sox related merchandise.
Oysterhaven 12:53PM	Ken, I just love your music. My mother mentioned there was a place in Acton, MA where people went to "dry out." It was call Dropkick Murphys. Is that where you got your name?
Ken Casey 12:54PM	You are correct my friend.
Ken Casey 12:55PM	OK - looks like they're kicking me out of here. Hopefully I get to do it again soon. Thanks everybody for writing in. Go Red Sox.
Bob Finn (Moderator) 12:56PM	Thanks for joining the chat today folks. We'll be posting an archive of this chat in the next day or so. So come back to Boston.com soon and check it out.
41 Chatters, 57 Lurkers