There’s a perspective missing from Iraq coverage, Black 47’s new disc fills the gap

Irish rock music can be a bit like the great green island nation itself, or, at least its public perception. Pastoral instrumentation, such as flutes and whistles, mixed with raucous guitars make the sound instantly recognizable, as does the subject matter, which often concerns what most Americans (even Irish-Americans) associate with the Irish: strong drink. Black 47, however, has been a consciously political band from the very beginning, even their band name is a sobering reminder of political injustices in Ireland (1947 being the worst year of the potato famine). Their forthcoming album, Iraq, is perhaps their clearest statement to date. “We’ve always been political,” singer/guitarist Larry Kirwan, native of Wexford, Ireland, explains. “We were formed to be a political band.”

The term “Irish Invasion” never quite caught on, perhaps because Irish rock bands have often become local successes in America first (newer Irish punk rock bands like the Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly formed stateside; the legendary Pogues are a notable exception). Black 47 formed in the fertile New York punk rock scene of the late ’80s, gaining prominence there before launching their first world tours. “We felt that if you did original music in a tough, Irish working-class bar and stayed alive, you had something,” Kirwan explains. “That was an unheard of though, to play original music. Every band that played in Irish pubs at that point was a cover band. So we were bucking the system.” Their originals were soon in demand at clubs outside of their native borough, the Bronx, and the band began a residency at a Manhattan joint, Paddy Reilly’s (one of the first all-Guinness draft bars). “It became a real scene,” Kirwan recalls. “It began to be written up more by cultural observers, like, ‘what the hell is going on here,’ than musical ones. There got to be huge crowds in this place, lines around the block. People like [Joe] Strummer started to come see us, all kinds of movie stars. It was a good scene.” The Irish political-rock sensation, riding high on their sudden fame and their self-released first album, Black, was soon signed. “You know, we got a record deal, lost a record deal, got a record deal,” Kirwan laughs. “It’s not just the Black 47 story, this is everybody’s story in the music business. Until record companies got so fucked up that nobody wants to deal with them.” The band has since released about a dozen albums on almost as many labels, including Capitol and Polygram.

Iraq, which is slated for release on March 4 (five years to the day on which the U.S. government accused the Iraqis of “limited head-fakes” in their attempt to disarm and stave off a U.S. invasion, which occurred 16 days later), is one of Black 47’s fieriest. Kirwan’s voice is a surprisingly sensitive, melodic instrument, less Shane McGowan and more Robert Smith of The Cure. The album’s production sounds a bit dated, but veteran songwriting and a solid horn section keep things moving. Songs range from nostalgic looks toward home, like “Sunrise on Brooklyn,” to harrowing descriptions of combat in “Stars and Stripes.”

“I just got the idea that no one is writing about this war from the perspective of the troops,” Kirwan says. Hemingway’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” served as literary inspiration. “If you were to want to find out about the Spanish Civil War, the best way to do it would be to read that book, because you get the flavor of the times. History can be hard to read for people, but when you read Hemingway, you’re right there. That’s fiction. Sometimes fiction, as long as it’s not too outlandish, is a better way of writing history than through textbooks. My idea with this album is that in 20 years’ time, you’ll be able to put it on and get a small window into what’s going on today.”

Bookmark

E-mail This

Trackback(0)

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (0)

Write comment

Name

E-mail

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via e-mail (Registered users only)

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment