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Michael McColgan is an American musician, and is a founding member and lead singer of the American punk band Street Dogs and a founding member and former original lead singer of the American Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys.
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Michael McColgan is an American musician, and is a founding member and lead singer of the American punk band Street Dogs and a founding member and former original lead singer of the American Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys.
McColgan was born in the Savin Hill area of Dorchester, Massachusetts, and attended Catholic Memorial High School in West Roxbury, Massachusetts. His interest in music began while he sang in the school's choir. McColgan joined the U.S. Army in 1989 [1] and served in 4th Battalion 82nd Field Artillery, Charlie Battery in the first Gulf War before becoming a founding member of the Dropkick Murphys in 1996. While McColgan was with the Murphys, they released one full-length album, Do or Die .
According to McColgan, he always wanted to be a member of the Boston Fire Department like his uncle and role-model, Kevin O'Toole (the subject of "Kevin J. O'Toole" on State of Grace). When McColgan left the band in 1998 to pursue this dream, he was replaced as lead singer by Al Barr, ex-vocalist for The Bruisers. Regarding his 1998 departure, McColgan said "I have no misgivings, no regrets…and there are no bad feelings...I still talk to those guys." The song "Two Angry Kids" on State of Grace is reportedly a reminiscing of the times spent with Dropkick Murphys frontman Ken Casey.
McColgan in 2002 started a new band, Street Dogs, and shortly left the fire department to again pursue music full-time. The Street Dogs featured members such as Johnny Rioux and Joe Sirois (of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones). Guitarist Marcus Hollar sent McColgan an e-mail saying that if his new band ever needed a guitarist, that he was available. McColgan gave Hollar an audition and asked him to join the band.
The Street Dogs toured with Social Distortion, Flogging Molly, Tiger Army, The Bouncing Souls, The Adolescents, The Offspring, The Bones, The Swingin' Utters, and Anti-Flag. They also appeared on Warped Tour and had a successful headlining tour at the end of 2005. The band's third album, Fading American Dream , was released October 24, 2006. [2] In support of the album, the band went out on The Gold Tour from October through December with The Bouncing Souls. In February 2008, it was announced that the Street Dogs signed on to Hellcat Records and the band released their fourth album, State of Grace , on July 8, 2008. [3] The Street Dogs released their fifth studio album, Street Dogs, on August 31, 2010.
In 2013, McColgan announced a new project, FM359, with Johnny Rioux and founding Dropkick Murphys guitarist Rick Barton. FM359 is considered a non-religious gospel project, and their debut full-length, Truth, Love and Liberty, was released on January 14, 2014 through Pirates Press Records. [4]
On February 13, 2020, McColgan and Rioux issued a statement via Facebook announcing that Street Dogs were disbanding after 17 years. The group announced a small St. Patrick's Day tour with Flogging Molly and Mad Caddies as well as two headlining shows in March 2020 in Long Beach, CA, with their final show being held in their hometown of Boston, MA; however, all of the shows were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [5] [6]
Dropkick Murphys
Street Dogs
FM359
Guest Appearances
Flogging Molly is an American seven-piece Celtic punk band formed in Los Angeles in 1994, led by Irish vocalist Dave King, formerly of the hard rock band Fastway. They are signed to their own record label, Borstal Beat Records.
Dropkick Murphys are an American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. Ken Casey, a singer and bassist, has been the band's only constant member. Other current members include drummer Matt Kelly, singer Al Barr, guitarist James Lynch, and multi-instrumentalists Tim Brennan and Jeff DaRosa.
Roger Miret and the Disasters are a street punk group formed by Agnostic Front frontman Roger Miret. The band started when Miret was writing songs that were not a style suitable for Lady Luck or Agnostic Front, so he started recording them on his own on a Boss recorder. Johnny Rioux had previously mentioned he would like to work with him, so Rioux helped Miret on what originally started as a solo project. Then Miret met Rhys Kill, who liked the material and joined in on the project. The band then recorded a demo tape, with Miret and Kill on guitar, Rioux on bass and Matt Kelly from the Dropkick Murphys on drums. That six-song demo found reviewed by Lars Frederiksen, who passed it off to his Rancid bandmate Tim Armstrong. He asked Miret to put his project out on Hellcat Records. As Kelly could not continue with Miret due to his commitments with Dropkick Murphys, Miret asked Johnny Kray of The Krays and New York Rel-X to join on drums. After a couple rehearsals, they decided to make it a band.
Do or Die is the first studio album released by the Irish-American punk band Dropkick Murphys. It was released in 1998. A music video for the single "Barroom Hero" was released. It is the only album that featured original lead vocalist Mike McColgan, who went on to become a fireman before forming his own band, the Street Dogs.
Street Dogs is an American punk rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 2002 by former Dropkick Murphys singer Mike McColgan. The band disbanded in early 2020 after 17 years together but reunited again in 2024.
Sing Loud, Sing Proud! is the third studio album from Boston punk rock band the Dropkick Murphys. Before the album's release in 2001, guitarist Rick Barton left the band. He announced James Lynch of Boston punk band The Ducky Boys as his successor. As well as Lynch, the band also recruited then 17-year-old Marc "The Kid" Orrell on lead guitar. The band also recruited a full-time piper, Robbie Mederios, and Ryan Foltz on mandolin and tin whistle.
The Pietasters are an American eight-piece ska/soul band from Washington, D.C., with additional members from Maryland and Virginia.
The Tossers are an American six-piece Celtic punk band from Chicago, Illinois, United States, formed in July 1993. They have toured with Murphy's Law, Streetlight Manifesto, Catch 22, Dropkick Murphys, The Reverend Horton Heat, Flogging Molly, Street Dogs, Clutch, Sick of it All and Mastodon. They opened for The Pogues in New York City on St. Patrick's Day in 2007. The Tossers were honored to play the Kennedy Center in May 2016.
Savin Hill is the first album by punk band Street Dogs. This is the first new material featuring lead singer Mike McColgan since he quit Dropkick Murphys in 1998. The album is named after Savin Hill, a small area within the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.
Back to the World is the second album from punk band Street Dogs. The album was produced by Nate Albert, formerly of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. "You Alone" and "Back To The World" were both released as singles with music videos.
Fading American Dream is the third album by Street Dogs. It was released on October 24, 2006 by Brass Tacks Records, a division of DRT Entertainment.
The Ducky Boys are a street punk band from Boston. Since forming in 1995 in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston, the band has released six full-length albums and over 80 songs. The band's name is derived from the name of an Irish street gang in the 1979 movie, The Wanderers.
Jeff Erna is an American drummer, from Boston, Massachusetts, most notable for being the original drummer for the punk bands Dropkick Murphys and Street Dogs.
Rick Barton is an American musician and producer from Boston, MA, who is currently the singer, guitarist and songwriter of the band Continental. Barton was previously a founding member and guitarist of the rock band, The Outlets and a founding member and guitarist for the punk band Dropkick Murphys.
State of Grace is the fourth album by the Street Dogs. It was released on July 8, 2008. It was produced by Ted Hutt and is the band's first album on Hellcat Records. It includes a cover of The Skids' "Into the Valley". The album was released in Japan with an exclusive bonus track.
Civet is an American punk rock band from Long Beach, California, United States. They are signed to Hellcat Records and have recorded six releases, with the latest being Love & War (2011).
Johnny Rioux is a musician primarily known for playing in and working with many punk rock bands. He was initially based in Boston, MA but is now based in Texas. Rioux is most known for his tenure as bass guitarist with the Street Dogs with whom he joined in 2003.
Street Dogs is the fifth album by the Street Dogs. It was released on August 31, 2010. The band recorded the album at the Blasting Room in February 2010. The track "Rattle and Roll" was released on the compilation Epitaph New Noise, Volume 1. The album includes a re-recording of "Fighter", one of the band's most popular songs from their debut album, Savin Hill. This was the final album to feature Paul Rucker on Drums.
Crooked Drunken Sons is an EP by the Street Dogs. It was released on 7" and as a digital download on Record Store Day, April 20, 2013, by Pirates Press Records. The title song is named after an annual tour the band has been doing. The songs were recorded in November 2012 at bassist Johnny Rioux's compound in Texas. The songs were originally meant to be demos for their next album, but the band liked them enough to release them as-is. One of the B-sides, "I Got Drunk", is an Uncle Tupelo cover.
Stand for Something or Die for Nothing is the sixth and final album by the Street Dogs. It was released on June 22, 2018. The album marks the band's first full-length album in eight years and first for the Century Media label. The only album to feature Pete Sosa on drums, Matt Pruitt on lead guitar and Lenny Lashley on rhythm guitar. The album features a guest appearance by Boston hip hop artist and actor, Slaine, on the song "Angels Calling".
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