Paddy and the Rats was founded in 2008 by lead singer Paddy O’Reily, bass player Vince Murphey and electric guitarist Joey MacOnkay. Not much later Seamus Conelly (drummer), Sonny Sullivan (accordion) and Sam McKenzie (fiddle, mandolin) joined the group. The band was complete, and their first album didn’t take long; Rats on Board was published in 2009. It was a huge success, they not only finished second for the “album of the year” award from the Celtic rock portal, they were also the most downloaded Hungarian band on Itunes in 2010.

The albums Hymns for Bastards, Tales from the Docks and Lonely Hearts’ Boulevard followed quickly, with the latest Riot City Outlaws being released in 2017. The well-known producer Cameron Webb contributed to that album, who has also worked with Motörhead, Kelly Clarkson and Pennywise, among others. The music on the album Riot City Outlaws seems to go a bit in the direction of Green Day, along with the characteristic pirate and drinking songs.

Last year, during Elfia Haarzuilens 2019, this band entered the Elfian empire for the first time and from that moment on our ears were immediately in love. After that spectacle, it’s a fact that Paddy and the Rats can’t be missed on the stage at Haarzuilens again this year.

Do you join them (again) this year to enjoy catchy choruses, dynamic up-tempo songs, party songs, Irish punk rock songs and tipsy ballads?