Arts & Entertainment

DKM DVD is good drunken fun

Boston boys give their fans a taste of drunken life behind their rowdy music

By Bridget Brown
The Daily Cougar

Ale-swilling hooligans, bagpipes and kegs of Ireland's finest green beer can add up to only one thing -- one hell of a good party. And, if Saint Patrick's Day supplies the reason then the Dropkick Murphys supply the rhyme. The next best thing to drinking a tall glass of Guinness is watching the Celtic punk outfit drink enough of it to satisfy a parched Irish army in the band's DVD On the Road with The Dropkick Murphys.

Building on a musical blueprint DKM began in 1996, On the Road chronicles the group's fusion of rock 'n' roll, Irish folk and, as always, a deep and loyal love for the working class that's exemplified in the chapter about Warped Tour 2003, 65 Days of Hell.

Viewers see all of the madness and chaos of the hot summer tour as the group travels across America in their bus. All of the scenes are set to DKM's live music, and most of the 40-minute-long chapter is the band performing in front of the usual rowdy crowd.

The backstage footage is filled with booze, mayhem and just about everything you'd expect from the Boston boys. See the band chug beer bongs and have a heated slap fight in Ventura, Calif., and watch them drink honey in Pittsburgh, Pa. 

The group deals with a massive storm halting their set on the first day of the tour at Chicago and a van fire in Milwaukee that leaves them stranded by the side of the road at 5 a.m. 

The DVD shows a huge Fourth of July celebration at Kamp Krusty in Canada. With an "only Americans allowed" rule in effect and firework displays lighting up the night, the group manages to pull off an outrageous celebration with plenty of guest stars.

DKM stops by the Troma studios to shoot a backyard barbecue scene with plenty of fake blood for the group to bask in. After 14 takes, everyone is extremely drunk, and they finally get it right.

Another DVD chapter is a live show in Boston on St. Patrick's Day 2002. An estimated 2,000 screaming fans are illuminated by green lights, while DKM performs with a full brass band for the yearly tradition. The fiery, infamous annual homecoming gig is shown in its entirety.

All of DKM's music videos are included in On the Road, including "Walk Away," "Gonna Be A Blackout Tonight" and "Spicy McHaggis Jig." There are also several minutes of rare footage from years past during the Behind the Scenes feature. 

Black and Gold shows the band setting up and playing at a Boston Bruins game on Nov. 15, 2003.

Dropkick Murphys

On the Road with the Dropkick Murphys

Epitaph Records 

The verdict: Grab a pint, put on some green and cheer, "Let's go Murphys!" in your own home.

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