Joe McGinty and the Kustard Kings join Rogues March front man Joe Hurley to celebrate 10 years of show at “The Losers Lounge” and to pay tribute to some of the finest 70’s Rock’n’Roll ever recorded – Bowie’s “Rock’n’Roll Suicide”, Costello’s “I Want You”, “Maggie May” and more. It’s all very “Exile on Main Street” sounding – boozy and sleazy. The Quireboys would kill to come up with something as authentic and with as much feel as this.
March 2004
I remember being very surprised to read that The Rogue’s March had been asked to play “The Warped Tour”. Sure they were a very good bar band and “Never Fear” was a fine album, but that’s all they were was a bar band. That opinion changed upon hearing “Chaser” the band’s 1998 (and soon to be re-released nation wide) album. Not only should The Rogue’s March have been on the bill but a darn sight higher up it.
The Rogue’s March have matured both musically and lyrically over the 4 years between “Never Fear” and “Chaser” and now also have the excellent production of James Mastro to do full justice to the songs. “Chaser” is packed full of Joe Hurley’s tales of low-life on the big city (New York, London, Paris and Berlin), cheap whiskey, violence, psychos and whores.
The band are real musical magpies, sure it’s still the Irish-Country-Punk of “Never Fear” but your going to hear classic rock’n’roll, cabaret, post punk, some Nick Cave/Tom Waits style ballads and a couple of tracks that The Rolling Stones could have written when they were anygood. Hopefully Chaser takes The Rogue’s March to the next level.
Recommended.
September 2001
NYC’s Rogue’s March have been playing the bars and clubs (and most recently the “Warped Tour”) of New York and further a field since the early nineties. Lead by the whiskey and cigarettes throated London-Irish man Joe Hurley; a fine songwriter and storytelling lyrist in the rich tradition of Shane MacGowan, Dave King and Bruce Springsteen.
“Never Fear” was originally released in 1994 and now re-pressed (hence the review plus Joe sent me copy along with the newie “Chaser”). Could best be described as imagine Johnny Cash and Shane MacGowan sharing a bottle of Johnny Walker Red, smoking butts and trading songs and stories in a seedier bar on 2nd Avenue.
Outstanding tracks include; the live favorite and no f**kin around Celtic punk of “Shut Up and Drink”, the hardcore country of “I Wish My Wife Was a Country Singer” and the punked up Scottish traditional “McPherson’s Lament”. A fine debut CD that if it had come out on a major label with a big name producer it would be sitting in your collection right now.
September 2001
Shite'n'Onions 