There is an old Gaelic proverb, “No wonder that the cask smells of the herring that it holds,” and no truer statement could be made about the music of Sydney Gaelic-punks, The Rumjacks. The Rumjacks are a celtic, folk, punk band incorporating banjo, tin whistle and mandolin with roaring guitars and crashing drums into their sound.
Having spent the last few years peddling their blue collar brand of folkloric 'rotgut n' roll', The Rumjacks have swept aside tired comparisons to legends such as Billy Bragg and The Pogues – sure, the guys all have great respect and love for what came before them and are more than a little fond of traditional folk music, but they are forging their own sound, over rattling bottles and twisted tales, long nights up and down the East Coast of Australia and likely as not, sprawled on the floor when the sun comes up. They released their debut album “Gangs Of New Holland” (Laughing Outlaw / Inertia) in September 2010 to critical acclaim – quotes below.
The band tours Australia relentlessly playing support to such bands as Gogol Bordello, Dropkick Murphys, UK Subs, The Aggrolites, GBH, The Snowdroppers and many more. "...I’ve seen Dropkick Murphy’s live and I think I may just have had a better time with these scallywags from Sydney!" Fasterlouder.com.au
“Mixing the drunken raw storytelling of the Irish with the grit and honesty of street punk, they’re frontrunners in an ever-emerging scene...The Rumjacks are a band on the move” Drum Media
“...loudly touted, and not just by me as the future of Celtic punk.” Shite N Onions By the people, for the people, with the people, The Rumjacks aren't just coming, they've been, gone and are coming back. Lay your tables and keep your lights on, they'll be home soon.
