Dropkick Murphys started in 1996 in the basement of a barbershop. Nearly 30 years later, the Celtic punk band and its frontman Ken Casey have done countless world tours, and their message has always been about standing up to bullies, protecting the little guy, and having fun doing it.
Today, that extends to calling out Donald Trump’s disastrous agenda, and the massive damage he’s causing real people. That’s why Ken joined the advisory board of Home of the Brave, and put out a video talking about the band’s story, and why they’ve never shied away from a fight like this one.
They’ve played in front of tens of thousands of fans at rallies against Trump, and on the National Mall in front of Congress. They’ve appeared on stage against a backdrop mocking Trump’s decades-long friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. They dedicated their song “First Class Loser” to Trump.
Ken and the band know that all of this has probably cost them fans, but they don’t care. He’s called out MAGA supporters in his own audience at shows, replacing their Trump shirts with Dropkick Murphys gear, and telling one fan to take off his “cult” MAGA hat. For the band, telling the truth and standing up to Trump’s BS are worth it.
And they’re calling out others in the music industry who are refusing to speak out, or actively abetting this authoritarian power-grab. “We understand we’re just a band,” Ken says, “but if we can inspire one other band, or 10 more of our fans to take a stand,” then that can make a real-world difference by showing that you don’t have to be afraid of a bully.
After decades of traveling the globe, Ken says the world is laughing at America. And he has a message for all those who are watching this unfold, and choosing to do nothing:
“If you’re coming under the punk-rock banner and you voted for that f*****g guy, and you support that f*****g s**t that they’re doing, you’ve twisted your mind into knots. The far right ain’t the new punk—you heard it here first.”
Home of the Brave is a new initiative highlighting the harms of Trump’s second term.
