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This admittedly somewhat arrogant introductory sentence for the live album by the Canadians of THE MAHONES hits the mark in that the band was founded in 1990. Appropriately on St. Patrick's Day. And today is exactly that day! So I’ll write a few lines about this work and then head to the pub to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
THE MAHONES have been around for 23 years, longer than The Real McKenzies or Dropkick Murphys. They have essentially popularized (Irish) Folk Punk.
23 years that the band has spent very actively, playing on many stages all over the world. They have found friends everywhere.
You can hear the experience in the 18 songs that were recorded during their last tour in Italy in front of 5000 enthusiastic fans. A complete concert.
As is customary with Irish Folk Punk, things move quickly and melodically here. Finny McConnell's whisky voice fits perfectly with the songs. One almost wonders why the band has played in front of thousands of fans, as this voice seems more suited to a smoky pub where people dance on tables, Guinness flows freely, and whisky bottles fly over the counter. It is a voice made for this kind of music. The typical additional instruments that give this music style its own charm, such as banjo, mandolin, and tin whistle, are of course also present.
In fact, THE MAHONES from Canada have everything that good Folk Punk needs, yet the spark doesn’t quite jump over the length of the concert. Perhaps it’s due to the recording, which in my opinion could have been edited a bit more. The background vocals sometimes come across as a bit thin, the guitars are sometimes too dominant, and after 15 songs, you know the band’s style. I am actually a fan of live recordings that are as unedited as possible, as that’s the only way the charm of the live concert and that special live feeling come through.
Maybe it’s also because the band has a relatively limited musical horizon or the style they play doesn’t offer much.
It’s not a bad record. It’s fun. It’s good, but it’s not Champions League; it’s in the midfield of the first league. Live, the band is surely a great fun, but on record, they are just average.
Still, I’m going to go have a few Guinness for the band now, and maybe the bartender will play a few songs by THE MAHONES, and perhaps then there will be dancing on the tables...
