Celtic punk and chaos go hand in hand, but nobody does it better than Dropkick Murphys. With Gogol Bordello along for the ride, their Glasgow stop at the O2 Academy was always going to be a wild one, and it absolutely delivered. From the first note to the last, this wasn’t just a gig, it was a full-blown party.
If you’ve never seen Gogol Bordello before, you’re in for an absolute riot. They don’t just play a gig, they turn the whole place into a whirlwind of chaos, sweat, and punk fuelled mayhem. From the moment they stepped on stage, the energy in the room shot through the roof. I’ve seen plenty of bands struggle to get a crowd going, but this was something else. It was the fastest I’ve ever seen a room go from casual nodding to full blown bouncing madness.
Kicking off with “I Would Never Wanna Be Young Again”, they wasted no time throwing the crowd headfirst into their signature gypsy punk frenzy. It was relentless, one song barely finished before the next one crashed in, keeping the momentum sky high. The mix of accordion, violin, and punchy punk riffs created a brilliantly chaotic sound, and the stage barely looked like it could contain the madness.
Just when you thought things couldn’t get any wilder, two of New York based band Puzzled Panther ed them on stage for a few tracks, turning the whole thing into what felt like a spontaneous jam session in the middle of a street party, which sent the energy levels soaring even higher.
Visually, it was just as insane. A massive Solidaritine poster loomed in the background, a reminder that, for all the fun, Gogol Bordello are just as much about unity and rebellion as they are about throwing a party. Frontman Eugene Hütz commanded the stage like a punk rock pirate, but the real MVP had to be their percussionist, a tiny powerhouse on the bongos who managed to sing, drum, play a miniature Spanish guitar and the castanets, whilst putting on an epic performance.
By the time they wrapped up, the crowd wasn’t just warmed up, they were ready to explode. Gogol Bordello don’t just perform, they bring absolute chaos, and this set was a perfect reminder that live music should be wild, unpredictable, and above all, ridiculously fun.
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If Gogol Bordello started the fire, Dropkick Murphys poured whisky on it and watched it burn. Wasting absolutely no time, the Boston legends launched into “Captain Kelly’s Kitchen”, a stormer of an opener that had the place erupting instantly. The first three songs flew by in what felt like a blink, but that was all it took to set the tone for the rest of the night.
And if you thought there’d be a warmup period, you’d be dead wrong. Almost instantly, frontman Ken Casey was off the stage, straight down the front, climbing onto the barrier to belt out lyrics right in the faces of the fans. It was one of those spine-tingling moments that reminded you why live music is unbeatable, the kind of raw, unfiltered connection between artist and audience that makes a gig unforgettable.
Calling Dropkick Murphys a high energy band doesn’t quite cut it, they take the whole venue hostage. The crowd was already buzzing from Gogol Bordello, but by the time the band orchestrated a fun whisky filled “wall of death” it was clear this was a next level kind of chaos.
Having seen them before at Hellfest in , I thought I knew what to expect, but this Glasgow show felt different. Maybe it was the more intimate setting of the O2 Academy compared to a sprawling festival stage, or maybe it was just the city’s deep-rooted love for Celtic punk, but the energy in the room was unreal. Every chorus was screamed back at them, every fist punched the air in unison, it felt less like a gig and more like a massive, beer-soaked celebration.
The setlist was relentless. Anthem after anthem, each one as relentless as the last, big singalongs, fast-paced punk bangers, and the kind of tracks that make you want to grab the nearest stranger and share your beer. Dropkick Murphys have always been about community, and that was never more evident than in the way they fed off the crowd’s energy. Every interaction, every chant, every chaotic moment felt like a shared experience rather than just another gig.
By the time the final notes rang out, there wasn’t a soul in the room left standing still. Dropkick Murphys don’t do half-measures. They come in, they blow the roof off the place, and they leave you battered, breathless, and grinning from ear to ear. And honestly, that’s exactly how it should be.
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Photos by Skull Lens Photography
