The Rumjacks are a Celtic punk rock band originally formed in Sydney, Australia, in 2008. Known for their loud and energetic live shows, the band have released five studio albums, two live albums, and a series of EPs and singles. In 2016 the Rumjacks relocated to various parts of Europe where they currently live and tour.
One of the band's best-known songs, "An Irish Pub Song" became a viral hit, generating in excess of 60 million views on YouTube.
Formed in 2008 the Rumjacks combine a variety of musical influences, including elements of punk rock and traditional celtic folk. The band quickly released their debut EP Hung, Drawn & Portered, which was followed by their second EP 'Sound as a Pound' later that year. The Rumjacks quickly developed a strong local following through their constant touring and energetic performances, becoming a must-see group of the Sydney and Australian music scene. With their strong local support and burgeoning international awareness, The Rumjacks secured international supports with punk legends U.K Subs, GBH and Gypsy punk legends Gogol Bordello amongst others.
After some early lineup changes, the band settled on and maintained their line up of McLaughlin, McKelvey, drummer Anthony Matters, guitarist Gabriel Whitbourne and banjo/mandolin/bouzouki player Adam Kenny, recording three critically acclaimed albums together: Gangs of New Holland (2010); Sober and Godless (2015); and Sleeping Rough (2016), before Anthony's departure following their 2016 European tour.
In addition to performing shows in many Australian cities, The Rumjacks have embarked upon many sold-out European tours. The first European tour in 2015 featured the legendary Jarocin Festival in Poland and the enigmatic Boomtown Fair UK. Quickly followed by their mammoth 2016 Euro tour, that saw The Rumjacks perform on the main stages of festivals including Woodstock Poland; Mighty Sounds; Punk Rock Holiday; and Lowlands Festival. The Rumjacks embarked on their first-ever U.S. tour in March 2017, which included performances at San Diego's Shamrocked Fest and Austin's South by Southwest Music Festival. The band continued to tour across Europe through 2019.
A major international breakthrough for the band came with their 2011 single, ‘An Irish Pub Song’ which was lifted from the 2010 album 'Gangs of New Holland'. The song is an observational commentary on the fact that there are Irish styled pubs in every single part of the world. The song's music video exploded on-line, amassing over 60 million views and counting on YouTube, and is the catalyst to the groups growing success and popularity in Europe and the United States.
In both 2017 and 2018, YouTube announced its most popular songs on St. Patrick's Day (17 March). 'An Irish Pub Song' was listed as #3 in the USA ahead of songs by Dropkick Murphys, House of Pain, The Corrs, and many more other global giants of music.
Anthony Matters joined The Rumjacks as their full-time drummer in 2009, and worked with the band up until the end of 2016. The pressures of full-time touring, and playing every single day was difficult physically for his body, and he decided to bow out. Anthony was replaced on drums as a full-time member by Pietro Della Sala.
Anthony continued to play music in Sydney, Australia, yet due to untreated health issues he passed away on Friday 7 June 2019.
In early 2018 the band recorded their fourth studio album Saints Preserve Us over 2 weeks in Milan, Italy, at Crono Sound Factory. It was the first album to feature new drummer Pietro Della Sala. Paul McKenzie from The Real McKenzies featured on the duet ‘The Foreman O’Rourke’, and Mickey Rickshaw appeared on the song ‘Billy McKinley’. The album includes a version of the Irish classic ‘An Poc Ar Buile’ (The Mad Puck Goat) which is sung in Gaelic. The album was released on 12 October 2018. At the end of 2018 the band toured South-East Asia for the first time, going to Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
A huge drawcard for The Rumjacks has been their live performances. The band has performed at major festivals all over the world including Byron Bay Bluesfest; BIGSOUND Australia; Jarocin Festival Poland; Boomtown Fair UK; Montelago Celtic Festival Italy; Exit Festival Serbia; Woodstock Poland; Mighty Sounds Czech Republic; Rock Marathon Hungary; Punk Rock Holiday Slovenia; Open Flair Festival Germany; Taubertal Festival Germany; Lowlands Festival Netherlands, South by Southwest USA; and Street Mode Festival Greece.
In 2019 the band released two live albums:
Live in London – Acoustic Sessions was recorded in the YouTube Space in Kings Cross, UK. The band recorded 10 songs from across their catalogue in unplugged mode, which were released on 18 April 2019.
Live in Athens was recorded on tour in 2018. The band played at the Piraeus 177 Academy in Greece on 3 November 2018, which was one of their biggest ever headline shows to date. The album was released on 15 November 2019.
Lead singer Frankie McLaughlin was sentenced for three domestic violence offences in 2012: an assault occasioning actual bodily harm committed on 2 March 2010; a further assault occasioning actual bodily harm committed on 18 August 2010; and a common assault committed on 26 September 2010, of which the band addressed publicly through their Facebook page at the time. Due to a belated public backlash The Rumjacks also released another statement in 2016. He was removed from the band in April 2020 due to bad behaviour and acts of violence towards band members and support crew.
In 2020, The Rumjacks presented their new singer Mike Rivkees. Originating from Boston, Massachusetts, Mike is also the singer of Boston band 'Mickey Rickshaw' and has numerous music influences from old school hardcore to traditional celtic music.
Hestia, the fifth studio album from The Rumjacks, marked a new era for the band. The album introduced new lead singer Mike Rivkees, whose songwriting skills rejuvenated The Rumjacks collaborative spirit.
When writing Hestia (named after the Greek goddess of home and hearth), the band applied their diverse American, Australian, Italian, and Irish perspectives to create a new, globalized iteration of the Celtic punk legacy dating back to The Pogues, with the punk, ska, and hard rock sounds pulsing through their veins.
The album was recorded in Milan, Italy where the band stayed and created this new album through August, September and October 2020.
Lead single ‘Sainted Millions’ was released November 20th, 2020 and gave longtime Rumjacks fans exactly what they needed; something loud, fast, rousing and fun.
Sainted Millions is a drunken chat between the living and the dead. The intro was written to be reminiscent of a soldiers’ song from wars of yesterday, all of whom lay resting. With imagery of fresh spirits carelessly walking through battlefields, mid-fight, as tracer rounds whistle by overhead, the sentiment is that there is peace once on the other side.
The military references arise from the writer’s walk through an old New England cemetery- and some of the characters you’d chance upon in such a place.
“Sleeping sainted millions, can you tell me what you know? Sing to me a song you wrote beneath your pile of stone.” The dead’s response, “I wouldn’t trade it for another, and I would do it all again.”
01 - [2009] Hung, Drawn & Portered EP
01 - The Plantin' O' Kitty Randall
02 - Paddy Goes To Babylon
03 - The Bold Rumjacker
04 - Down With The Ship
05 - I'll Tell Me Ma!
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02 - [2009] Sound As A Pound EP
01 - All The Old Winejacks
02 - Shadrach Hannigan
03 - Kirkintilloch
04 - My Time Again
05 - Katoomba
06 - Marie's Wedding
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03 - [2010] Gangs Of New Holland
01 - Big Man Down
02 - Uncle Tommy
03 - An Irish Pub Song
04 - Jolly Executioner
05 - My Time Again
06 - McLaughlin's Rant
07 - The Black Matilda
08 - The Terrible Sea
09 - Green Ginger Wine
10 - McAlpine's Fusiliers
11 - Roll Away Alone
12 - Pinchgut
13 - Spit In The Street
14 - Bar The Door Casey
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04 - [2015] Sober & Godless
01 - Home Rule
02 - No Pockets In A Shroud
03 - Blows & Unkind Words
04 - One Summers Day
05 - Barred For Life
06 - Plenty
07 - Home
08 - Oh Sergeant Where's Mine
09 - The Leaky Tub
10 - I Smell Trouble
11 - Sober & Godless
12 - The Reaper And Tam McCorty
13 - Me Old Ball & Chain
14 - 400 Miles Away
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05 - [2016] Sleepin' Rough
01 - Patron Saint O' Thieves
02 - Zielona Gora
03 - A Fistful O' Roses
04 - Fact'ry Jack
05 - 'Eight Beers' McGee
06 - Murder Shanty
07 - Les Darcy
08 - Dead To Me
09 - Kathleen
10 - WKND (Flash New Breeks)
11 - Them Fallen
12 - The Pot & Kettle
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06 - [2018] Saints Preserve Us
01 - Saints Preserve Us
02 - Billy McKinley
03 - Bus Floor Bottles
04 - An Poc Ar Buile
05 - Last Orders
06 - Cold London Rain
07 - Fare Evader
08 - The Foreman O’Rourke
09 - A Smugglers Song
10 - A Dozen Good Reasons To Weep
11 - If It Kills Me
12 - Cupcakes
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07 - [2019] Live In London - Acoustic Sessions
01 - The Black Matilda
02 - Plenty
03 - A Fistful O' Roses
04 - Bar The Door Casey
05 - My Time Again
06 - Cold London Rain
07 - Kathleen
08 - The Leaky Tub
09 - Barred For Life
10 - The Bold Rumjacker
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08 - [2019] Live In Athens
01 - Plenty
02 - A Fistful O' Roses
03 - Kirkintilloch
04 - Barred For Life
05 - Cold London Rain
06 - Kathleen
07 - Spit In The Street
08 - Fact'ry Jack
09 - Patron Saint O' Thieves
10 - An Irish Pub Song
11 - The Reaper And Tam McCorty
12 - The Bold Rumjacker
13 - Uncle Tommy
14 - Jolly Executioner
15 - Saints Preserve Us
16 - The Black Matilda
17 - My Time Again
18 - One Summers Day
19 - Wild Mountain Thyme
20 - Blows & Unkind Words
21 - I'll Tell Me Ma
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09 - [2021] Hestia
01 - Naysayers
02 - Bullhead
03 - Hestia
04 - Through These Iron Sights
05 - Sainted Millions
06 - Tell Me What Happened
07 - Rhythm Of Her Name
08 - Golden Death
09 - Lizzie Borden
10 - Light In My Shadow
11 - Wanderust
12 - Athens To The North
13 - Motion
14 - Goodnight & Make Mends
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