Mr. Irish Bastard: Irish Folk with Punk and Passion
Mr. Irish Bastard is Irish folk punk with passion, noise, and charisma — taking the world by storm from Münster since 2006. The name of the band stands for a true scene institution, loved by fans all over the globe, and with their songs, attitude, and unmistakable energy, they rank among the international greats of the folk punk movement.
The band name Mr. Irish Bastard itself can be read on several levels. On one hand, the rough expression “Bastard” is almost synonymous with punk — it sounds like the last word shouted at you in a pub before the fists start flying. On a deeper level, the name Mr. Irish Bastard — as singer Chris Lennon calls himself — tells a brief story of his origins and the mission behind his music.
In this sense, “Bastard” represents a child of two worlds, growing up between cultures. Lennon’s ancestors come from Northern Ireland; he himself holds an Irish passport but was raised in Germany. Together with his band, his goal is to channel this identity into songs and carry on the soul of his ancestors’ music in all its facets.
On stage, the concept of Mr. Irish Bastard turns into a circus of passion, punk rock, and pure party. The frontman performs his songs with an aura somewhere between gangster boss, born entertainer, and pub philosopher — surrounded by a gang of like-minded musicians on tin whistle, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, bass, and drums.
