"Backstage at the Rock la Cauze festival in Victoriaville, Canada, where Boston punk-rock institution Dropkick Murphys are headlining, founding bassist/singer Ken Casey is experiencing an uncharacteristic moment of anxiety. We have concerns about going back over the border tonight, he says, gravely not for the illicit reasons touring musicians usually fear border crossings, but because Casey's regular on stage rants against Donald Trump have gone viral."
"By now, Casey means during the second Trump presidency, which has brought the political element always present within Dropkick Murphys' bolshie, Pogues and Clash-influenced bruisers to the fore. The group's resistance has found its sharpest expression at their shows, where their anthem First Class Loser is accompanied by videos depicting Trump and former chum Jeffrey Epstein, while Casey's skirmishes with a vocal minority of Maga Dropkicks fans in the mosh pit have lit up social media."
"He admits these fans often provoke the worst in him. How do you know if someone's in a cult? They hold up a hat all fuckin' night, he rages in one clip. People tell me, You didn't use-ta soapbox like this', he says on our video call, gathering steam. Well, we didn't use-ta be in the midst of an authoritarian takeover!"
Ken Casey expresses anxiety about returning to the United States from Canada because his on-stage rants against Donald Trump have gone viral and could provoke harassment. The second Trump presidency has pushed the band's longstanding political element into sharper focus, with performances of songs like "First Class Loser" paired with videos of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. Confrontations with a vocal minority of MAGA-aligned fans have erupted in mosh pits and online. Casey describes some fans as cult-like and frames louder activism as a response to perceived authoritarian threats. The band remains rooted in working-class values while approaching its 30th anniversary and maintaining major successes.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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