Paddy and the Rats
High-octane Celtic punk from Hungary that turns every room into a rowdy Irish pub. Fast fiddles, beer-soaked choruses, and relentless pirate energy.
High-octane Celtic punk from Hungary that turns every room into a rowdy Irish pub. Fast fiddles, beer-soaked choruses, and relentless pirate energy.
Imagine a pirate ship crashing into a modern punk club and everyone deciding to start a bar fight that ends in a group hug. This is music that refuses to stand still, built on a foundation of 'jig-punk' rhythms that demand physical movement. It is loud, unapologetic, and smells like spilled whiskey and leather jackets.
What sets them apart is the sheer density of their folk instrumentation. While many punk bands use a fiddle as a gimmick, here the accordion, bagpipes, and whistles are the lead engines, often playing at speeds that would make a traditional session player dizzy. There is a distinct Eastern European intensity to their polka-adjacent beats that gives their Celtic sound a sharper, more aggressive edge than their peers.
Start with 'Hymns for Bastards' if you want the quintessential pub-rock experience. It captures the band at their most melodic and infectious, providing the perfect soundtrack for a night that you probably won't remember but will definitely talk about for years.
Paddy and the Rats is a Celtic punk band from Miskolc, Hungary. The group was founded by Paddy O'Reilly (songwriter, vocals), Vince Murphy (bass) and Joey MacOnkay (electric guitar) in 2008. Seamus Connelly (drums), Sonny Sullivan (accordion) and Sam McKenzie (fiddle, Irish whistles, bagpipes, mandolin) later joined the group. The music is Irish and Celtic folk but they combine punk rock, sea shanties, and some Russian, Romani and polka elements. In 2008, they released their first album Itz Only Pub 'n Roll, But I Like It. In 2009, the band's second album Rats on Board was released. It was a big hit even outside Hungary, even winning second place in the album of the year poll from Celtic-rock portal. That same year, they were the most downloaded Hungarian band on iTunes. In 2011, the third album from Paddy and the Rats was released titled, Hymns For Bastards, which was a more upbeat album. In 2012, their fourth album, Tales From The Docks was released. In 2012, Sonny Sullivan left the band while Bernie Bellamy took his place. On September 7, 2015, the fifth album, Lonely Hearts' Boulevard was released. Paddy stated that this album was more experimental and darker than their previous album and wanted a title that showed that. The title was also influenced by Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams". On June 7, 2017, they released the sixth album Riot City Outlaws. They worked with the famous producer, Cameron Webb. On January 12, 2018, they signed with Napalm Records. On January 1, 2022, they announced the death of accordionist Bernie Bellamy (Bernát Babicsek).
Shares punk rock, folk punk, hard rock (subgenres); rebellious, joyful, defiant (moods)
Shares punk rock, folk punk (subgenres); rebellious, joyful, defiant (moods)
Shares punk rock, folk punk (subgenres); rebellious, joyful, defiant (moods)
Shares folk punk, punk rock (subgenres); rebellious, energetic, defiant (moods)
Shares rebellious, joyful, defiant (moods); studio polished, compressed loud, live recording (production style)
Shares rebellious, defiant, energetic (moods); dive bar, festival, basement show (atmosphere)
Shares studio polished, compressed loud, layered dense (production style); rebellious, defiant, energetic (moods)
Shares rebellious, joyful, defiant (moods); live recording, studio polished, compressed loud (production style)
Shares punk rock, folk punk (subgenres); rebellious, joyful, energetic (moods)
Shares celtic punk, folk punk, fiddle, accordion (signature)
Shares folk punk, fiddle, punk rock, joyful (subgenre)
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