The Mahones

It was on St. Patrick's Day of 1990 in Kingston, Ontario, that Canada's leading Celtic punk rock party outfit first assembled. Singer and guitarist Finny McConnell joined forces with Andrew Brown on tin whistle, keyboards, and accordion, Ger O'Sullivan handling mandolin, banjo, guitar, and bodhran, bassist Joe Chithalen, and drummer Christos Smirnois. Four years on, the same holiday marked the arrival of their debut release, Draggin' the Days, after which the ensemble performed before eager audiences throughout Canada and into the United States. By the time Rise Again appeared in 1996, only McConnell and Brown remained from the original lineup. The record earned notable airplay on radio and video outlets for its opening singles, "100 Bucks" and "Rise Again," prompting extensive touring in support. The Hellfire Club Sessions, issued in 1999, featured contributions from several prominent Kingston acts, including Johnny Fay of the Tragically Hip, who served as co-producer and drummer, bandmate Gord Sinclair on piano, and Colin Cripps of Crash Vegas and Junkhouse, who provided vocals for "This Old Town." That year also brought the death of bassist Joe Chithalen. The group wrote the title track for the film Celtic Pride, featuring fellow Kingston native Dan Aykroyd, and saw "100 Bucks" placed in Bruce McCulloch's Kids in the Hall feature Dog Park. Here Comes Lucky arrived in 2001, succeeded two years later by the live recording Live at the Horseshoe. Take No Prisoners surfaced in 2006, and the seventh studio effort, The Black Irish, followed in 2010. Angels & Devils appeared in 2012 and captured that year's Independent Music Award for Best Punk Album.