The Real McKenzies is a Canadian Celtic punk band founded in 1992 and based in Vancouver, British Columbia. They are considered the founders of the Canadian Celtic punk movement, and were one of the first Celtic punk bands, albeit 10 years after The Pogues. Founding member Paul McKenzie has been the only continuous member of the band since its inception.
In addition to writing and performing original music, Real McKenzies perform traditional Scottish songs, and their take on traditional Scottish poetry, giving them a new punk-influenced sound. The band has shared stages with several other bands and artists, including Rancid, Shane MacGowan, NOFX, Flogging Molly, The Misfits, Metallica, the Specials, and Voodoo Glow Skulls.
History The band released their debut album, Real McKenzies in 1995, a cheeky collection of short punky originals, interspersed among celtic classics, and deeply tongue-in-cheek, punk-infused covers like "My Bonny", "Pliers" (Jimi Hendrix's "Fire"), "Kilt" (Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias's "Kill"), and "Outta Scotch" (the Pointed Sticks's "Outta Luck"). Their 1998 follow up Clash of the Tartans popularized Scottish-Canadian punk-rock, with solid singles "Thistle Boy", "Pagan Holiday", "Mainland", "Kings O' Glasgow", and the old celtic classic "Wild Mountain Thyme".. Chart Attack, November 07, 2001 Frontman Paul McKenzie claims as many as 100 different musicians have performed as members of the band, including (now-deceased) bassist Rich "Rock" Priske (Matthew Good Band, Bif Naked; drummer Glenn "McKruger" Kruger (Bloody Chicletts, the Paperboys, Mudgirl, Carly Rae Jepsen); and piper Alan "Raven" MacLeod, of the pioneering 1970s Scottish folk band The Tannahill Weavers, and 1990s duo Bourne and MacLeod. In 2012, they delved deeper into covering songs from popular Canadian singer-songwriter Stan Rogers with their version of "Barrett's Privateers" appearing on their album Westwinds.
McKenzie said in 2014 that he "fired all the Americans" in the band, and returned to a full Canadian lineup. Despite that claim, Aspy Luison is from Cambre, Galicia, Spain.
In September 2014, the band announced they would be recording their next album for Fat Wreck Chords at Motor Studio in San Francisco. Michael "Fat Mike" Burkett will be producing the album.
On April 7, 2015, Fat Wreck Chords released The Real McKenzies' 11th album, Rats in the Burlap.
The band covered Stan Rogers a second time for their 2017 album Two Devils Will Talk with the song "Northwest Passage".
On March 10, 2022, it was announced that former War Baby drummer Kirby J. Fisher had joined the band.
In popular culture Their song "Tae the Battle" appeared in the 2008 British-Canadian film Stone of Destiny. Their song "Wild Cattieyote" appeared in the 2004 straight-to-video release of Vampires vs. Zombies (also called Carmilla the Lesbian Vampire). Their cover of the Turbonegro song "Sailor Man" appeared in the 2003 video game Tony Hawk's Underground and the first volume of the Elementality skateboarding videos. Each year, The Real McKenzies version of "Auld Lang Syne" is used as the countdown music on the New Year's Eve edition of Kevin Smith and Ralph Garman's live podcast Hollywood Babble-On. Their song "Chip" was used in the television series Billions in 2018. Also, in 2018, Paul McKenzie contributed vocals to the song "Foreman O'Rourke" by Sydney, Australia's The Rumjacks
Band members
Current members Paul McKenzie – vocals (1992–present) Aspy Luison – bagpipes (2012–present) Kenny Lush – guitar (2022–present) Barry Higginson – bass (2021–present) Paul Patko (Paco) – drums (2022–present) Mario Nieva – guitar (2013–2015, 2019–present)
Past members
Kirby J. Fisher - drums (2022) Dan Garrison - guitar (2015–2018) Dan Stenning - drums (2016–2018) Andrew Pederson - guitar (2017–2018) Tony Walker (Tony Baloney) – guitar, occasional bass (1992–1999) Rob Esch – drums (1992–1995) Aaron Chapman – bass (1992), tin whistle (1992–1994, 1994–1997) Rich Priske (Angus MacFuzzybutt) – bass (1992–1995, 1996–1998) (deceased) Nathan Roberts – bagpipes (1993) Alan "Raven" MacLeod – bagpipes, guitar (1993–1995, 1996–1998, 2008) Kurt Robertson (Dirty Kurt) – guitar, occasional bass (1993–2005, 2007–2013) Anthony Creery (Farkie) – bass (1995–1996) James Brander (JT Massacre) – drums (1995–1996) Jamie Fawkes – bass (1996, 1998–2004) Brien O'Brien – drums (1996–1998) Mike MacDonald – bagpipes (occasionally from 1997 to 1998) Glenn Kruger – drums (1998–2000) Bradford Lambert – drums (2000–2003, 2004–2005) Stuart MacNeil – bagpipes (1998–1999)
Anthony Kerr – bagpipes (1999–2000) Mark "Bone" Boland – guitar (1999–2015) Matt Hawley (Matt MacNasty) – bagpipes (2000–2012, occasionally from 2012 to 2017) Eddie Big Beers – drums (2003) Ike Eidness – drums (2003–2004) Ken Fleming – bass (2004–2005) Sean Sellers – drums (2005–2012) Joe Raposo – bass (2005–2009) Dave Gregg – guitar (2005–2010) Karl Alvarez – bass (2007, 2009–2010) Justin "Gwomper" Burdick – bass (2010–2011, 2012) Brent Johnson – bass (2011), guitar (2011–2013) Gord Taylor – bagpipes (2010–2012, occasionally from 2012 to 2017) Jesse Pinner – drums (2012–2016)
Former guest members Glenn Murray – bass (1993) Jay Bentley – bass (1997) Dave Afflick – drums (2005) George McWhinnie – bass (2005) Boz Rivera – drums (2007, 2009, 2010) Randy Steffes – guitar, banjo (2009, 2012) Maggie Schmied – violin (2009) Robbie "Steed" Davidson – guitar (2010)
Timeline
Discography Real McKenzies, 1995 Clash of the Tartans, 1998 Fat Club 7", 2000 Loch'd and Loaded, 2001 Pissed tae th' Gills, 2002 Oot & Aboot, 2003 10,000 Shots, 2005 Off the Leash, 2008 Shine Not Burn, 2010 Westwinds, 2012 Rats in the Burlap, 2015 Two Devils Will Talk, 2017 Beer and Loathing, 2020 Songs of the Highlands, Songs of the Sea, 2022 Paul McKenzie Sings on Yer Bike, 2026
Filmography Pissed tae th' Gills, 2002
Compilations Short Music for Short People, 1999 Alpha Motherfuckers - A Tribute to Turbonegro, 2001 Agropop Now, 2003 Floyd:..And Out Come the Teeth, a free Fat Wreck Chords compilation CD handed out at the label's tent during Warped Tour 2001 Shot Spots - Trooper Tribute (Visionary Records) Live from Europe, Deconstruction Tour, 2003 - DVD
Music videos "Mainland" (1998) "Drink Some More" (2008) "Chip" (Live) (2008) "The Maple Trees Remember" (2009) "Culling the Herd" (2011) "My Luck Is So Bad" (2012) "Catch Me" (2015) "Stephen's Green" (2015) "Yes" (2015) "Due West" (2017) "Seafarers" (2017) "One Day" (2018)
Images
See also List of bands from Canada
References
External links