The Real McKenzies + support: Curlies

It can be said, without any exaggeration, that The Real McKenzies are a national treasure. The band was founded in 1992 by punkrock poet Paul McKenzie. There are not many bands that can boast of a twenty five year career as staggeringly adventurous, wildly tempestuous and utterly death-defying as The Real McKenzies. It would be a serious mistake to write them off as just another Celtic punk band. They are an unstoppable juggernaut of touring mayhem. A ferocious troupe of insanely talented minstrels, storytellers and entertainers melding traditional acoustic and electric to create a sound like no other. From sharing the stage with the likes of NOFX, Rancid, Flogging Molly, Metallica and Shane McGowan to appearing in film, books and video games to signing with the legendary Fat Wreck Chords, their story continues to astound.

In 2019, The Real McKenzies return to Canada, the USA and Europe with their last outing Two Devils Will Talk, fourteen tracks of pure, unbridled audio bliss. The songs are rebellious, poignant and achingly heartfelt with an extra helping of Scottish charm and wit to boot. The glorious cover of Stan Rogers' Northwest Passage and a spectacular reworking of Scots Wha Ha'e (one of the first ever Real McKenzies recordings) brought a resilient, triumphant and defiantly hopeful band to the very top of their game. And 2019 will bring the newest page of their rollicking tale that deal with accepting the fact that you cannot change how the waves roll, only how you roll through them.