Republic of Loose
Encyclopedia
Republic of Loose are an Irish
funk
rock
band from Dublin. Formed in 2001, the band currently consists of lead vocalist Mick Pyro
, bass guitar
ist and vocalist Benjamin Loose, keyboardist
Darragh, guitarists and vocalists Dave Pyro and Darach O' Laoire and drum
mers and percussion
ists Andre Lopes. Additional percussion and vocals are provided by Orla La and Emily Rose
With a self-described musical style of "the stuff your dad likes", the band signed to Big Cat Records
in 2003, recording their debut album This is the Tomb of the Juice
which was released in 2004. They were named "Hope for 2004" at the 2004 Meteor Awards
. In 2005, the singles "Comeback Girl" and "You Know It" received significant airplay on Irish radio. Republic of Loose's second album Aaagh!
, released in April 2006, reached number two in the Irish Albums Chart
, achieving platinum sales and a Choice Music Prize
nomination in the process. It spawned several more successful singles, including "Break" which achieved notoriety in South Africa
where a radio station banned it following complaints regarding its allegedly explicit lyrics. Vol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil
, Republic of Loose's third album, was released in 2008. That album produced their highest chart performer to date, "The Steady Song
", which peaked at number twelve and stayed in the Irish Singles Chart
for thirteen weeks. Bounce at the Devil
, the band's fourth album, was released in 2010.
Having earned the admiration of several musicians, including members of Snow Patrol
and U2
, as well as Sinéad O'Connor
—with whom they recorded, released and performed a duet at the 2008 Meteor Awards
—, the band have had their music played on radio stations in Africa
, Asia
, Europe
and North America
. The Irish Times
placed them at number thirty-seven in a list of "The 50 Best Irish Acts Right Now" published in April 2009, referring to them as "one of Ireland's most original bands" led by "the gruff singer with the extraordinary soul voice [...] simultaneously channelling the spirits of James Brown
and James Joyce
in one fell swoop. Aside from U2 and Bell X1, they are the Irish band with the most airplay in their native country.
. Experiencing what he termed "a huge metaphysical overturning of my value system", Pyro had developed a fascination with musicians such as James Brown
and The Rolling Stones
, or "the stuff your Dad likes". This change of musical interest prompted him to create Johnny Pyro, an alter-ego, who, according to Pyro, "disassociated himself from the normal lifestyle of an Irish bourgeois kid". This alter-ego would later develop into Johnny Pyro And The Rock Coma. The band recorded an EP, which featured four of the songs that later appeared on the Republic of Loose's first album, 'This Is The Tomb Of The Juice.' Following the departure of guitarist Emmet Cole (who wrote the song "Black Bread") and bassist Mark Dennehey "To Texas and Ringsend," respectively, Johnny Pyro and Rock Coma split.
About a year later the Republic of Loose was formed. Benjamin Loose studied theology
in Trinity College, Dublin
before performing in a country band with Mick Pyro. Future band member Dave used to play guitar with Brez and Deco joined them to play keys. The name Republic of Loose was settled upon in 2001 when Dave and Mick, combined with Brez, Deco, Coz Noleon, who had been Mick's schoolfriend, and Benjamin Loose.
. The single "Girl I'm Gonna Fuck You Up", released in late 2003, was largely ignored by daytime radio in Ireland, with Mick Pyro commenting in an early Hot Press
interview: "We were never going to be the type of band that Larry Gogan
or Ian Dempsey
would play anyway, regardless of the lyric". The band's debut album, This is the Tomb of the Juice
, was partially recorded in the ten days studio time they had won in the aforementioned competition. This is the Tomb of the Juice was recorded in 2003 then released in 2004. 2004 was also the year in which Republic of Loose débuted at Oxegen
(on the New Band Stage), a festival at which they have since regularly performed. Singles "Comeback Girl" and "You Know It" were released in July and October 2005 respectively, both achieving significant airplay on Irish radio and entering the top thirty of the Irish Singles Chart. By 2006 the band had toured Ireland, the United Kingdom, where they performed at festivals such as Glastonbury
and T in the Park
, and France, where they performed at Furia Sound Festival, Nice Jazz Festival
and Les Transmusicales
. They also performed alongside veteran rock band Lir
at Vicar Street
in January 2006.
70,000 to make, the band's second album, Aaagh!
was released in 2006. Sunday Tribune
journalist Una Mullally called it "one of the most original and progressive Irish albums ever made". Aaagh! reached number two in the Irish Albums Chart
, going platinum in the process, received regular airplay on Irish radio and produced five singles, including "The Idiots", a song about Mick Pyro's former girlfriend which also features her on vocals. "Break", a top ten single in Ireland and top forty single in South Africa
, was temporarily banned by South African radio station 5fm
when a female DJ declared on air that it promoted anal sex
without contraception
, a comment which led to several complaints from listeners. The band's 2006 summer tour included a performance where fans danced outside despite "the lashing rain" at Oxegen 2006
, with the Irish Independent
s Larissa Nolan saying "their scheduling on the main stage was a testament to just how big their army of fans is", and Castlepalooza
. In 2007, Republic of Loose performed at several festivals in Ireland and the United Kingdom, including Reading and Leeds Festivals
, Cois Fharraige
and a headline slot at Indie-pendence
. Aaagh! was released in the United Kingdom on 15 October 2007. In January 2008, Republic of Loose were one of the acts who recorded "The Ballad of Ronnie Drew
" at Dublin's Windmill Lane Studios
; the sessions led to a meeting with Sinéad O'Connor
, with whom the band recorded and released a duet which was then performed live at the 2008 Meteor Awards
the following month.
was released in May 2008, featuring contributions from Sinéad O'Connor, rapper Styles P
and hip hoppers Millionaire Boyz. In the run-up to the release, the band uploaded free downloadable songs to their MySpace
profile, including b-sides
, live tracks and songs from Aaagh!. Vol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil spent more than three months in the top thirty of the Irish Albums Chart
, spawning the successful singles, "I Like Music
" and "The Steady Song
", the latter their highest chart performer to date, having peaked at number twelve and stayed in the charts for thirteen weeks. Mick Pyro has described Vol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil as the first album the band feel proud of.
In support of the album's release, the band embarked on a small national tour and received an invitation to perform a sell-out month-long residency at The Dublin Academy
for four consecutive Fridays, thus ending their habit of playing Dublin only once per year. This involved two hour sets featuring new material and duets with Sinéad O'Connor—on her song "Nothing Compares 2 U
"—and Damien Dempsey
—on the Thin Lizzy
song "Dancing in the Moonlight
". The Academy residency led to a Meteor Award nomination for Best Irish Live Performance the following year and they would return for another performance at the same venue that September. A couple
were engaged
as part of a BBC
television series prior to the Sunday evening appearance of Republic of Loose on the O2 Stage at Oxegen 2008
— a performance which also featured collaborator Styles P— whilst the band also performed for several journalists backstage. They performed a DJ set
at Castlepalooza before headlining Solas Festival
on 17 August 2008. Republic of Loose featured on Today FM
's The Ray D'Arcy Show
s charity album Even Better Than the Disco Thing
released in December 2008, finishing off the year with three shows in Cork
.
Republic of Loose were one of several acts to perform cover version
s at a show in The Academy titled "Inspirations", held in honour of the actor Paul Newman
's Irish charity in February 2009. In June 2009, the band were part of a collaboration of musicians calling themselves The Troublemakers who recorded a cover version of the Horslips
song "Trouble with a Capital T" for charity. The recording session was part of The Raw Sessions
and the song was performed by The Troublemakers on The Late Late Show
. The band performed on the Heineken Green Spheres Stage at Oxegen 2009
before supporting U2
during one of their U2 360° Tour
concert dates at Croke Park
in July 2009. Republic of Loose participated in the international celebration of the 250th birthday of Guinness
—known as Arthur's Day
— which took place on 24 September 2009.
. Their fourth album, Bounce at the Devil
, was released later that year and led to an appearance on The Late Late Show. The album, recorded in Baltimore
, "blends a myriad of influences -- from plastic soul to the sort of 'big hair' rock of the 80s", according to Irish Independent reviewer John Meagher. Entertainment.ie
s Jenny Mulligan describes it as good craic but occasionally bordering on obnoxious.
Republic of Loose's genre has been defined by various sources as blues
, funk
, metal
, R'n'B
, pop
, rock
and soul
. They are influenced by acts such as Bobby Brown
, James Brown
, Al Green
, Howlin' Wolf
, Michael Jackson
, Prince
and The Rolling Stones
. They perform as a six-piece band complete with backing singers. The chant, "Loose! Loose Loose!", is commonly heard from the crowd during their performances.
Republic of Loose have earned the admiration of several musicians. Damien Dempsey
called them the "best band in Ireland" after performing alongside them. Sinéad O'Connor
, in an e-mail
to the Irish Independent
, asked to become a member of what she described as "simply the best Irish band ever". Bono
has described them as "sophisticated soul bootboys", "trailblazers" and proclaimed that "the Celtic Twilight
turned into Celtic soul with Van Morrison
, then Republic of Loose grabbed the Celtic Tiger
by the tail, swung it around their heads and threw it out the window into the cosmos". Snow Patrol
's Gary Lightbody
, who called them "the best band in the country this year [2007] and for many years to come". Snow Patrol have also remixed "Comeback Girl". Praise has come from other musicians too, including Jake Shears
of Scissor Sisters
. Marcus Russell, manager of Oasis
, is reported as having called Republic of Loose the "most exciting new band" since Oasis. Novelist Irvine Welsh
has referred to "Comeback Girl" as "one of the greatest songs ever recorded". Actress Mischa Barton
is also a fan.
Paul Lester, writing in British
newspaper The Guardian
in July 2007, described Republic of Loose as an "Irish OutKast
" to be filed next to Danny Wilson
, Hall & Oates
and N.E.R.D and least likely to be compared to The Pogues
. John Meagher, writing in the Irish Independent
in April 2008, said the band were "out of step entirely with prevailing trends [...] almost like they stopped listening to music after hearing the young Prince
and early Dexys Midnight Runners
". Vocalist Mick Pyro has commented that there are very few musicians performing "authentic modern soul" and that the band's aim is to "combine the energy of the New York Dolls
with the funk and soul qualities of The Roots
". When writing a piece on The Script
in August 2008, Brian Boyd of The Irish Times claimed that they were "as un-Irish sounding as The Republic of Loose ". Internationally, they have established fan bases in London
and New York
and have achieved regular airplay on Los Angeles
radio in the United States
, as well as France
, Indonesia
and the Philippines
. Bunim/Murray Productions
has licensed their music for use on American television. They have, however, refused several indie contracts in the United States.
From "Aaagh!"
From "Vol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil"
From "Bounce At the Devil"
, an award won by The Divine Comedy
for the album Victory for the Comic Muse
. The band performed at the award ceremony in Vicar Street
on 28 February 2007. Surprise was expressed within the industry when they were not nominated again for the 2009 award.
|-
| 2007 || Aaagh!
|| Irish Album of the Year 2006 ||
|-
. They were nominated in the Best Irish Band category at 2007 Meteor Awards
.
Republic of Loose were nominated in the Best Irish Band and Best Irish Live Performance categories at the 2009 Meteor Awards. They lost to The Script
and The Blizzards
in those respective categories.
In addition to this, they have performed at both the 2006 and 2008
awards ceremonies, the latter of which involved a duet with Sinéad O'Connor
on the Curtis Mayfield
song "We People Who Are Darker Than Blue".
|-
| 2004
|| Republic of Loose || Hope for 2004 ||
|-
| 2007
|| Republic of Loose || Best Irish Band ||
|-
| 2009 || Republic of Loose || Best Irish Band ||
|-
| 2009 || The Academy
|| Best Irish Live Performance ||
|-
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from Dublin. Formed in 2001, the band currently consists of lead vocalist Mick Pyro
Mick Pyro
Michael Tierney is an Irish musician. He is best known as the frontman of the Dublin funk rock band Republic of Loose. He has also partaken in other independent work with fellow Irish and international musicians and performed a duet with Sinéad O'Connor at the 2008 Meteor Awards when she revealed...
, bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
ist and vocalist Benjamin Loose, keyboardist
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
Darragh, guitarists and vocalists Dave Pyro and Darach O' Laoire and drum
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
mers and percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
ists Andre Lopes. Additional percussion and vocals are provided by Orla La and Emily Rose
With a self-described musical style of "the stuff your dad likes", the band signed to Big Cat Records
Big Cat Records
Big Cat Records is a UK record label. It launched around 1990 and originally specialized in industrial and noise-rock releases. Operated a US office in NYC for a few years. Purchased by V2 Records in 1996, at which point their roster became much more diverse in style...
in 2003, recording their debut album This is the Tomb of the Juice
This is the Tomb of the Juice
This is the Tomb of the Juice is the debut album of Irish funk-rock band Republic of Loose.It was released in June 2004.The album contains three singles; "Girl I'm Gonna Fuck You Up", "Hold Up" and "Tell More Lies"....
which was released in 2004. They were named "Hope for 2004" at the 2004 Meteor Awards
2004 Meteor Awards
The 2004 Meteor Music Awards were held on Monday 1 March 2004, hosted by comedian Dara Ó Briain. It was the fourth edition of Ireland's national music awards. At the ceremony Damien Dempsey was presented with two awards, Best Folk/ Traditional Act and Best Irish Country/Roots Artist...
. In 2005, the singles "Comeback Girl" and "You Know It" received significant airplay on Irish radio. Republic of Loose's second album Aaagh!
Aaagh!
Aaagh! is the second album by the Irish funk-rock band Republic of Loose. It was released 7 April 2006. At a cost of €70,000 to make, it was their most expensive album to date. Sunday Tribune journalist Una Mullally called it "one of the most original and progressive Irish albums ever made"...
, released in April 2006, reached number two in the Irish Albums Chart
Irish Albums Chart
The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically...
, achieving platinum sales and a Choice Music Prize
Choice Music Prize
-Establishment:It was established by journalist Jim Carroll and manager Dave Reid in 2005. as an alternative to the industry-dominated Meteor Music Awards. The Choice Music Prize is modelled after the Mercury Prize which is awarded each year to the best album from the United Kingdom or Ireland...
nomination in the process. It spawned several more successful singles, including "Break" which achieved notoriety in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
where a radio station banned it following complaints regarding its allegedly explicit lyrics. Vol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil
Vol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil
Vol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil is the third album by the Irish funk-rock band Republic of Loose. Released on May 2, 2008, it had achieved gold status in the band's native Ireland by the end of the year ....
, Republic of Loose's third album, was released in 2008. That album produced their highest chart performer to date, "The Steady Song
The Steady Song
"The Steady Song" is a 2008 single by the Irish musical ensemble Republic of Loose featuring Isabel Reyes-Feeney. It features on the album Vol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil. When released as a single on 20 June...
", which peaked at number twelve and stayed in the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
for thirteen weeks. Bounce at the Devil
Bounce at the Devil
Bounce at the Devil is the fourth studio album by Dublin band Republic of Loose. It was released on October 8, 2010, on Fish don't fear nets records. It was recorded at Wrightway Studios Baltimore, Maryland, US., and the additional recordings were done at Mule Studios, Dublin. The album received...
, the band's fourth album, was released in 2010.
Having earned the admiration of several musicians, including members of Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow...
and U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, as well as Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
—with whom they recorded, released and performed a duet at the 2008 Meteor Awards
2008 Meteor Awards
The 2008 Meteor Music Awards ceremony was held in the RDS, Dublin on Friday, 15 February 2008. Nineteen awards were presented. It was the eighth edition of Ireland's national music awards. The event was later broadcast on RTÉ Two on Saturday, 16 February at 21:00...
—, the band have had their music played on radio stations in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
placed them at number thirty-seven in a list of "The 50 Best Irish Acts Right Now" published in April 2009, referring to them as "one of Ireland's most original bands" led by "the gruff singer with the extraordinary soul voice [...] simultaneously channelling the spirits of James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
and James Joyce
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
in one fell swoop. Aside from U2 and Bell X1, they are the Irish band with the most airplay in their native country.
Formation
Mick Pyro performed with self-described "rubbish rock bands" for several years before the formation of The Republic of Loose. During this time, he was, according to himself, "depressed out of my brains" and listened to artists such as Manic Street PreachersManic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
. Experiencing what he termed "a huge metaphysical overturning of my value system", Pyro had developed a fascination with musicians such as James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
and The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, or "the stuff your Dad likes". This change of musical interest prompted him to create Johnny Pyro, an alter-ego, who, according to Pyro, "disassociated himself from the normal lifestyle of an Irish bourgeois kid". This alter-ego would later develop into Johnny Pyro And The Rock Coma. The band recorded an EP, which featured four of the songs that later appeared on the Republic of Loose's first album, 'This Is The Tomb Of The Juice.' Following the departure of guitarist Emmet Cole (who wrote the song "Black Bread") and bassist Mark Dennehey "To Texas and Ringsend," respectively, Johnny Pyro and Rock Coma split.
About a year later the Republic of Loose was formed. Benjamin Loose studied theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
in Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
before performing in a country band with Mick Pyro. Future band member Dave used to play guitar with Brez and Deco joined them to play keys. The name Republic of Loose was settled upon in 2001 when Dave and Mick, combined with Brez, Deco, Coz Noleon, who had been Mick's schoolfriend, and Benjamin Loose.
This is the Tomb of the Juice
The band's break, according to Mick Pyro, came as a result of ten days recording time they won in "some competition or something, some fucking battle of the bands". In 2003, Republic of Loose signed to Big Cat RecordsBig Cat Records
Big Cat Records is a UK record label. It launched around 1990 and originally specialized in industrial and noise-rock releases. Operated a US office in NYC for a few years. Purchased by V2 Records in 1996, at which point their roster became much more diverse in style...
. The single "Girl I'm Gonna Fuck You Up", released in late 2003, was largely ignored by daytime radio in Ireland, with Mick Pyro commenting in an early Hot Press
Hot Press
Hot Press is a fortnightly music and political magazine based in Dublin, Ireland founded in 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it had a circulation of 19,215 during 2007...
interview: "We were never going to be the type of band that Larry Gogan
Larry Gogan
Laurence 'Larry' Gogan is an Irish broadcaster working for Raidió Teilifís Éireann . He is a disc jockey on RTÉ 2fm. His show is The Golden Hour, during which Larry plays old favourites and classic songs from yesteryear. Gogan spun the first disc on Radio 2, Like Clockwork by The Boomtown Rats...
or Ian Dempsey
Ian Dempsey
Ian Michael Dempsey is an Irish presenter of television and breakfast radio. He is the long-running presenter of the breakfast show on Today FM, self-titled The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show, which runs from 07:00 - 09:00 each weekday morning...
would play anyway, regardless of the lyric". The band's debut album, This is the Tomb of the Juice
This is the Tomb of the Juice
This is the Tomb of the Juice is the debut album of Irish funk-rock band Republic of Loose.It was released in June 2004.The album contains three singles; "Girl I'm Gonna Fuck You Up", "Hold Up" and "Tell More Lies"....
, was partially recorded in the ten days studio time they had won in the aforementioned competition. This is the Tomb of the Juice was recorded in 2003 then released in 2004. 2004 was also the year in which Republic of Loose débuted at Oxegen
Oxegen
Oxegen is an annual music festival in Ireland held since 2004, sponsored by Heineken. As of 2007, 2008, 2009, the festival has been cited as Ireland's biggest music festival. And by 2009, the festival is cited as the greenest festival, being a 100% carbon neutral event in Ireland. It was previously...
(on the New Band Stage), a festival at which they have since regularly performed. Singles "Comeback Girl" and "You Know It" were released in July and October 2005 respectively, both achieving significant airplay on Irish radio and entering the top thirty of the Irish Singles Chart. By 2006 the band had toured Ireland, the United Kingdom, where they performed at festivals such as Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
and T in the Park
T in the Park
T in the Park is a major British music festival that has been held annually since 1994. It is named after its main sponsor, the brewing company Tennents. It was originally held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire but since 1997 has been held at a disused airfield in Balado, Kinross-shire...
, and France, where they performed at Furia Sound Festival, Nice Jazz Festival
Nice Jazz Festival
The Nice Jazz Festival, held annually since 1948 in Nice, on the French Riviera, is "the first jazz festival of international significance." At the inaugural festival, Louis Armstrong and his All Stars were the headliners...
and Les Transmusicales
Transmusicales
Les Rencontres Trans Musicales is a three-day music festival held annually in December in Rennes, Brittany, France.Since its first years, the festival has been renowned for revealing the "next big thing."...
. They also performed alongside veteran rock band Lir
Lir (Band)
LiR is an Irish rock band. The band formed in the late 1980s in Dublin, firstly under the name The Spontaneous Frogs, then Uproar. They released their first EP All Machines Hum in A, in 1992. In 1993, they released their first LP, Magico Magico! under the label Velo Records, in Ireland...
at Vicar Street
Vicar Street
Vicar Street is a concert and events venue in Ireland, located on Thomas Street, Dublin 8. Its capacity allows for 1,000 people for seated performances, and 1,500 people for standing gigs...
in January 2006.
Aaagh!
At a cost of €Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
70,000 to make, the band's second album, Aaagh!
Aaagh!
Aaagh! is the second album by the Irish funk-rock band Republic of Loose. It was released 7 April 2006. At a cost of €70,000 to make, it was their most expensive album to date. Sunday Tribune journalist Una Mullally called it "one of the most original and progressive Irish albums ever made"...
was released in 2006. Sunday Tribune
Sunday Tribune
The Sunday Tribune was an Irish Sunday broadsheet newspaper published by Tribune Newspapers plc. It was edited in its final years by Nóirín Hegarty, who changed both the tone and the physical format of the newspaper from broadsheet to tabloid. Former editors include Conor Brady, Vincent Browne,...
journalist Una Mullally called it "one of the most original and progressive Irish albums ever made". Aaagh! reached number two in the Irish Albums Chart
Irish Albums Chart
The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically...
, going platinum in the process, received regular airplay on Irish radio and produced five singles, including "The Idiots", a song about Mick Pyro's former girlfriend which also features her on vocals. "Break", a top ten single in Ireland and top forty single in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, was temporarily banned by South African radio station 5fm
5FM
5FM is a South African FM radio station that follows a Top 40 music format and is owned by the South African Broadcasting Corporation , South Africa's public broadcaster...
when a female DJ declared on air that it promoted anal sex
Anal sex
Anal sex is the sex act in which the penis is inserted into the anus of a sexual partner. The term can also include other sexual acts involving the anus, including pegging, anilingus , fingering, and object insertion.Common misconception describes anal sex as practiced almost exclusively by gay men...
without contraception
Contraception
Contraception is the prevention of the fusion of gametes during or after sexual activity. The term contraception is a contraction of contra, which means against, and the word conception, meaning fertilization...
, a comment which led to several complaints from listeners. The band's 2006 summer tour included a performance where fans danced outside despite "the lashing rain" at Oxegen 2006
Oxegen 2006
Oxegen 2006 was the third Oxegen festival to take place, following the dissolution of its predecessor Witnness in 2004. It took place on the weekend of Saturday, 8 July and Sunday, 9 July at Punchestown Racecourse near Naas in County Kildare, Ireland...
, with the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
s Larissa Nolan saying "their scheduling on the main stage was a testament to just how big their army of fans is", and Castlepalooza
Castlepalooza
Castle Palooza is an annual Irish independent music festival, held at Charleville Castle in Tullamore, County Offaly over the August Bank Holiday weekend.The festival is one of the "Little Two" music festivals in Ireland, the other being Indiependence which is usually...
. In 2007, Republic of Loose performed at several festivals in Ireland and the United Kingdom, including Reading and Leeds Festivals
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
, Cois Fharraige
Cois Fharraige
Cois Fharraige is a three-day Irish surfing and music festival, first held in Kilkee, County Clare in 2007. The name is derived from the Irish language phrase, "beside the sea". It is notable as Ireland's first surfing and music festival and is a joint project between MCD and Sony Ericsson...
and a headline slot at Indie-pendence
Indie-pendence
Indiependence is an annual Irish indie-rock music festival, that usually takes place at or near Mitchelstown in County Cork. Indiependence is one of the "little two" music festivals in Ireland, sharing many of its acts with Castlepalooza which is held on the same weekend in Tullamore, County Offaly...
. Aaagh! was released in the United Kingdom on 15 October 2007. In January 2008, Republic of Loose were one of the acts who recorded "The Ballad of Ronnie Drew
The Ballad of Ronnie Drew
"The Ballad of Ronnie Drew" is a single by U2, The Dubliners, Kíla, and "A Band of Bowsies". The single was recorded as a charitable project, with proceeds going to the Irish Cancer Society - owing to Ronnie Drew's condition of cancer. It was recorded at Windmill Lane on 14 and 15 January 2008...
" at Dublin's Windmill Lane Studios
Windmill Lane Studios
Windmill Lane Studios, also known as the "U2 studio", is a three-storey music recording studio located in Dublin, Ireland. It is located on Windmill Lane, a small street just south of City Quay and the River Liffey and a little north of Pearse Station. It was opened in 1978 by Brian Masterson who...
; the sessions led to a meeting with Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
, with whom the band recorded and released a duet which was then performed live at the 2008 Meteor Awards
2008 Meteor Awards
The 2008 Meteor Music Awards ceremony was held in the RDS, Dublin on Friday, 15 February 2008. Nineteen awards were presented. It was the eighth edition of Ireland's national music awards. The event was later broadcast on RTÉ Two on Saturday, 16 February at 21:00...
the following month.
Vol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil
On 27 March 2008, Republic of Loose announced the tracklist and title for their third album. Vol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of EvilVol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil
Vol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil is the third album by the Irish funk-rock band Republic of Loose. Released on May 2, 2008, it had achieved gold status in the band's native Ireland by the end of the year ....
was released in May 2008, featuring contributions from Sinéad O'Connor, rapper Styles P
Styles P
David Styles better known by his stage name, Styles P, is an American rapper, author, and entrepreneur. He is prominently known as a member of Hip Hop group The LOX and is also a part of the Ruff Ryders hip-hop group, and in addition has released multiple albums and mixtapes as a solo...
and hip hoppers Millionaire Boyz. In the run-up to the release, the band uploaded free downloadable songs to their MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
profile, including b-sides
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
, live tracks and songs from Aaagh!. Vol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil spent more than three months in the top thirty of the Irish Albums Chart
Irish Albums Chart
The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically...
, spawning the successful singles, "I Like Music
I Like Music
"I Like Music" is a 2008 single by the Irish musical ensemble Republic of Loose. It features on the album Vol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil, being the first single released from it...
" and "The Steady Song
The Steady Song
"The Steady Song" is a 2008 single by the Irish musical ensemble Republic of Loose featuring Isabel Reyes-Feeney. It features on the album Vol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil. When released as a single on 20 June...
", the latter their highest chart performer to date, having peaked at number twelve and stayed in the charts for thirteen weeks. Mick Pyro has described Vol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil as the first album the band feel proud of.
In support of the album's release, the band embarked on a small national tour and received an invitation to perform a sell-out month-long residency at The Dublin Academy
The Academy (music venue)
The Academy is a music venue located in Dublin, Ireland. It consists of four floors, each for differing music tastes.The Academy was the venue where The Killers performed an intimate show in August 2008, one night before a performance in Marlay Park. Others to have played the venue in 2008 include...
for four consecutive Fridays, thus ending their habit of playing Dublin only once per year. This involved two hour sets featuring new material and duets with Sinéad O'Connor—on her song "Nothing Compares 2 U
Nothing Compares 2 U
"Nothing Compares 2 U" is a pop song written by American recording artist Prince for one of his side-projects, The Family. However, it wasn't until Sinéad O'Connor recorded her version for the album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got when it became a worldwide hit, topping charts in 15 countries,...
"—and Damien Dempsey
Damien Dempsey
Damien Dempsey is an Irish singer and songwriter who mixes traditional Irish folk with contemporary lyrics to deliver social comment on the positive and negative aspects arising from Ireland's Celtic Tiger society.-Early life:...
—on the Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
song "Dancing in the Moonlight
Dancing in the Moonlight
"Dancing In The Moonlight" is the title song on the 1973 King Harvest album. The track was released as a single in 1972 and it reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. They released other singles but these were never able to match the success of "Dancing in the Moonlight"...
". The Academy residency led to a Meteor Award nomination for Best Irish Live Performance the following year and they would return for another performance at the same venue that September. A couple
Intimate relationship
An intimate relationship is a particularly close interpersonal relationship that involves physical or emotional intimacy. Physical intimacy is characterized by romantic or passionate love and attachment, or sexual activity. The term is also sometimes used euphemistically for a sexual...
were engaged
Engagement
An engagement or betrothal is a promise to marry, and also the period of time between proposal and marriage which may be lengthy or trivial. During this period, a couple is said to be betrothed, affianced, engaged to be married, or simply engaged...
as part of a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television series prior to the Sunday evening appearance of Republic of Loose on the O2 Stage at Oxegen 2008
Oxegen 2008
Oxegen '08 was the fifth Oxegen festival to take place, following the dissolution of its predecessor Witnness in 2004. It took place on the weekend of Friday 11 July, Saturday 12 July and Sunday 13 July at Punchestown Racecourse near Naas in County Kildare, Ireland. For the first time the festival...
— a performance which also featured collaborator Styles P— whilst the band also performed for several journalists backstage. They performed a DJ set
DJ mix
A DJ mix or DJ mixset is a sequence of musical tracks typically mixed together to appear as one continuous track. When a DJ mix or DJ mixset is recorded onto some medium, it is often referred to as a mix tape...
at Castlepalooza before headlining Solas Festival
Solas Festival
Solas Festival is the name used by a number of separate festivals. The Scottish Solas Festival takes place in Biggar, Scotland. This year it is on the weekend of the 24th-26th of June, 2011 - acts such as Iain Morrison Solas Festival is the name used by a number of separate festivals. The Scottish...
on 17 August 2008. Republic of Loose featured on Today FM
Today FM
Radio Ireland Ltd, trading as 100-102 Today FM is an Irish commercial FM radio station which is available nationally. The station, which commenced broadcasting on Saint Patrick's Day in 1997, can be received nationally and carries a mix of music and talk...
's The Ray D'Arcy Show
The Ray D'Arcy Show
The Ray D'Arcy Show is Today FM's weekday mid-morning radio show presented by Ray D'Arcy. It is on air from 09:00–12:00 midday, competing with RTÉ 2fm's Ryan Tubridy, RTÉ Radio 1's Pat Kenny and Newstalk's Tom Dunne .The production team of Jenny Kelly, Will Hanafin and Mairead Farrell and...
s charity album Even Better Than the Disco Thing
Even Better Than the Disco Thing
Even Better Than the Disco Thing is an Irish charity album released by the commercial FM radio station, Today FM, for the Christmas market on 21 November 2008. The album features covers of well-known disco songs by a selection of Irish musicians. Disc one features sixteen tracks, whilst disc two is...
released in December 2008, finishing off the year with three shows in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
.
Republic of Loose were one of several acts to perform cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s at a show in The Academy titled "Inspirations", held in honour of the actor Paul Newman
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
's Irish charity in February 2009. In June 2009, the band were part of a collaboration of musicians calling themselves The Troublemakers who recorded a cover version of the Horslips
Horslips
Horslips are an Irish Celtic rock band that compose, arrange and perform songs based on traditional Irish jigs and reels. The group are regarded as 'founding fathers of Celtic rock' for their fusion of traditional Irish music with rock music and went on to inspire many local and international acts....
song "Trouble with a Capital T" for charity. The recording session was part of The Raw Sessions
The Raw Sessions
The Raw Sessions is an Irish interactive music television programme broadcast on RTÉ Two in 2009. The country's first ever rockumentary series, it is presented by Dez Ryan and follows the attempts of eight musical acts to write and record an original composition in the space of twelve hours...
and the song was performed by The Troublemakers on The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
. The band performed on the Heineken Green Spheres Stage at Oxegen 2009
Oxegen 2009
Oxegen 2009 was the sixth Oxegen festival to take place since 2004. It took place on the weekend of Friday 10 July, Saturday, 11 July and Sunday, 12 July at Punchestown Racecourse near Naas in County Kildare, Ireland...
before supporting U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
during one of their U2 360° Tour
U2 360° Tour
The U2 360° Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Launched in support of the group's 2009 album No Line on the Horizon, the tour visited stadiums from 2009 through 2011. It was named for a stage configuration that allowed the audience to almost completely surround the stage...
concert dates at Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
in July 2009. Republic of Loose participated in the international celebration of the 250th birthday of Guinness
Guinness
Guinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost...
—known as Arthur's Day
Arthur's Day
Arthur's Day refers to a series of music events which were first organised in 2009 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Guinness brewing company by its owner Diageo plc....
— which took place on 24 September 2009.
Bounce at the Devil
In July 2010, Republic of Loose returned to OxegenOxegen 2010
Oxegen 2010 was the seventh Oxegen festival to take place since 2004. It took place on the weekend of Friday 9 July, Saturday, 10 July and Sunday, 11 July at Punchestown Racecourse near Naas in County Kildare, Ireland. Eminem, Muse and Arcade Fire headlined...
. Their fourth album, Bounce at the Devil
Bounce at the Devil
Bounce at the Devil is the fourth studio album by Dublin band Republic of Loose. It was released on October 8, 2010, on Fish don't fear nets records. It was recorded at Wrightway Studios Baltimore, Maryland, US., and the additional recordings were done at Mule Studios, Dublin. The album received...
, was released later that year and led to an appearance on The Late Late Show. The album, recorded in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, "blends a myriad of influences -- from plastic soul to the sort of 'big hair' rock of the 80s", according to Irish Independent reviewer John Meagher. Entertainment.ie
Entertainment.ie
entertainment.ie is a Dublin-based Irish website which provides extensive cinema, TV, live music, theatre, comedy, exhibition and festival listings for free, as well as celebrity gossip, music and movie news, movie and DVD reviews, CD reviews and up-to-date lottery results.The site was developed in...
s Jenny Mulligan describes it as good craic but occasionally bordering on obnoxious.
Influences, praise and style
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, R'n'B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
. They are influenced by acts such as Bobby Brown
Bobby Brown
Robert Barisford "Bobby" Brown is an American R&B singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, and dancer. After success in pop group New Edition, Brown began his solo career in 1987 and had a string of Top 10 Billboard hits, culminating in a Grammy Award. He was a pioneer of New Jack Swing music, a...
, James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
, Al Green
Al Green
Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
, Howlin' Wolf
Howlin' Wolf
Chester Arthur Burnett , known as Howlin' Wolf, was an influential American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player....
, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
and The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
. They perform as a six-piece band complete with backing singers. The chant, "Loose! Loose Loose!", is commonly heard from the crowd during their performances.
Republic of Loose have earned the admiration of several musicians. Damien Dempsey
Damien Dempsey
Damien Dempsey is an Irish singer and songwriter who mixes traditional Irish folk with contemporary lyrics to deliver social comment on the positive and negative aspects arising from Ireland's Celtic Tiger society.-Early life:...
called them the "best band in Ireland" after performing alongside them. Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
, in an e-mail
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
to the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
, asked to become a member of what she described as "simply the best Irish band ever". Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
has described them as "sophisticated soul bootboys", "trailblazers" and proclaimed that "the Celtic Twilight
Celtic Revival
Celtic Revival covers a variety of movements and trends, mostly in the 19th and 20th centuries, which drew on the traditions of Celtic literature and Celtic art, or in fact more often what art historians call Insular art...
turned into Celtic soul with Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
, then Republic of Loose grabbed the Celtic Tiger
Celtic Tiger
Celtic Tiger is a term used to describe the economy of Ireland during a period of rapid economic growth between 1995 and 2007. The expansion underwent a dramatic reversal from 2008, with GDP contracting by 14% and unemployment levels rising to 14% by 2010...
by the tail, swung it around their heads and threw it out the window into the cosmos". Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow...
's Gary Lightbody
Gary Lightbody
Gary Lightbody is an Northern Irish musician and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Snow Patrol.- Early life :...
, who called them "the best band in the country this year [2007] and for many years to come". Snow Patrol have also remixed "Comeback Girl". Praise has come from other musicians too, including Jake Shears
Jake Shears
Jake Shears is the lead male vocalist for the American music group Scissor Sisters.-Early life and education:...
of Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters are an American band "spawned by the scuzzy, gay nightlife scene of New York" who took their name from a sexual position between two women also known as tribadism...
. Marcus Russell, manager of Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
, is reported as having called Republic of Loose the "most exciting new band" since Oasis. Novelist Irvine Welsh
Irvine Welsh
Irvine Welsh is a contemporary Scottish novelist, best known for his novel Trainspotting. His work is characterised by raw Scottish dialect, and brutal depiction of the realities of Edinburgh life...
has referred to "Comeback Girl" as "one of the greatest songs ever recorded". Actress Mischa Barton
Mischa Barton
Mischa Anne Marsden Barton is a British-American fashion model, film, television, and stage actress, best known for her role as Marissa Cooper in the American television series The O.C..-Early life:...
is also a fan.
Paul Lester, writing in British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
newspaper The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
in July 2007, described Republic of Loose as an "Irish OutKast
OutKast
Outkast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast...
" to be filed next to Danny Wilson
Danny Wilson (band)
Danny Wilson were a New Wave group formed in Dundee, Scotland.-History:Having been initially formed in the early 80's performing under the names Perfect Strangers and then Dream Kitchen, brothers Gary Clark and Kit Clark formed a band with friend Ged Grimes in 1984, initially under the name...
, Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates are an American musical duo composed of Daryl Hall and John Oates. They achieved their greatest fame in the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s. Both sing and play instruments. They specialized in a fusion of rock and roll and rhythm and blues styles, which they dubbed "rock and soul."...
and N.E.R.D and least likely to be compared to The Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
. John Meagher, writing in the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
in April 2008, said the band were "out of step entirely with prevailing trends [...] almost like they stopped listening to music after hearing the young Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
and early Dexys Midnight Runners
Dexys Midnight Runners
Dexys Midnight Runners are a British pop group with soul influences, who achieved their major success in the early to mid 1980s. They are best known for their songs "Come On Eileen" and "Geno", both of which went No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart....
". Vocalist Mick Pyro has commented that there are very few musicians performing "authentic modern soul" and that the band's aim is to "combine the energy of the New York Dolls
New York Dolls
The New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later...
with the funk and soul qualities of The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
". When writing a piece on The Script
The Script (band)
The Script are an Irish alternative rock band from Dublin. Based in London after signing to Sony Label Group imprint Phonogenic, the band released their eponymous debut album in August 2008...
in August 2008, Brian Boyd of The Irish Times claimed that they were "as un-Irish sounding as The Republic of Loose ". Internationally, they have established fan bases in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and have achieved regular airplay on Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
radio in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, as well as France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Bunim/Murray Productions
Bunim/Murray Productions
Bunim/Murray Productions is an entertainment production company based out of Van Nuys, California, and is considered a pioneer in the reality television genre. It is best known for The Real World, The Bad Girls Club, and Road Rules...
has licensed their music for use on American television. They have, however, refused several indie contracts in the United States.
Current members
- Mick PyroMick PyroMichael Tierney is an Irish musician. He is best known as the frontman of the Dublin funk rock band Republic of Loose. He has also partaken in other independent work with fellow Irish and international musicians and performed a duet with Sinéad O'Connor at the 2008 Meteor Awards when she revealed...
— Lead vocalistSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Benjamin Loose — Bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocalist - Dave Pyro — GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocalist - Andre Lopes — Drums, percussion
Additional members
- Emily Rose — Backing vocalist
- Orla La — Backing vocalistBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
- Darragh - Keyboards
- Darach O'Laoire - Guitar
Previous members
- Coz Noleon — DrumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, Backing Vocals - Brez - GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, Vocalist - Deco — KeyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- Eve Ill Jones — Backing vocalist
- Gargos — Percussion
Albums
| Year | Album details | Chart peaks | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRL Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
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| 2004 | This is the Tomb of the Juice This is the Tomb of the Juice This is the Tomb of the Juice is the debut album of Irish funk-rock band Republic of Loose.It was released in June 2004.The album contains three singles; "Girl I'm Gonna Fuck You Up", "Hold Up" and "Tell More Lies"....
|
35 | — | ||||
| 2006 | Aaagh! Aaagh! Aaagh! is the second album by the Irish funk-rock band Republic of Loose. It was released 7 April 2006. At a cost of €70,000 to make, it was their most expensive album to date. Sunday Tribune journalist Una Mullally called it "one of the most original and progressive Irish albums ever made"... |
2 | — | ||||
| 2008 | Vol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil Vol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil Vol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil is the third album by the Irish funk-rock band Republic of Loose. Released on May 2, 2008, it had achieved gold status in the band's native Ireland by the end of the year .... |
6 | — |
Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... Gold |
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| 2010 | Bounce At The Devil
|
10 | — | ||||
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | |||||||
Singles
From "This Is The Tomb of the Juice"- Girl I'm Gonna Fuck You Up
- Hold Up
- Tell More Lies
From "Aaagh!"
- Comeback Girl (IRE #19)
- You Know It (IRE #22)
- Shame (IRE #20)
- Break / The Translation (IRE #29)
- The Idiots
From "Vol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil"
- I Like MusicI Like Music"I Like Music" is a 2008 single by the Irish musical ensemble Republic of Loose. It features on the album Vol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil, being the first single released from it...
(IRE #41) - The Steady SongThe Steady Song"The Steady Song" is a 2008 single by the Irish musical ensemble Republic of Loose featuring Isabel Reyes-Feeney. It features on the album Vol IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil. When released as a single on 20 June...
(IRE #12) - The Ritual
- Awful Cold
From "Bounce At the Devil"
- The Man
- 99 (feat. Bo Starks)
- The Blah Bounce
Choice Music Prize
Republic of Loose's second album Aaagh! was nominated for the Choice Music PrizeChoice Music Prize
-Establishment:It was established by journalist Jim Carroll and manager Dave Reid in 2005. as an alternative to the industry-dominated Meteor Music Awards. The Choice Music Prize is modelled after the Mercury Prize which is awarded each year to the best album from the United Kingdom or Ireland...
, an award won by The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy (band)
The Divine Comedy are a chamber pop band from Ireland, fronted by Neil Hannon. Formed in 1989, Hannon has been the only constant member of the group, playing, in some instances, all of the non-orchestral instrumentation bar drums. To date, ten studio albums have been released under the Divine...
for the album Victory for the Comic Muse
Victory for the Comic Muse
Victory for the Comic Muse is the ninth studio album by The Divine Comedy. It was released by EMI on June 19, 2006. Despite what people might assume, Neil Hannon did not choose the title as a reference to the group's 1990 debut Fanfare for the Comic Muse...
. The band performed at the award ceremony in Vicar Street
Vicar Street
Vicar Street is a concert and events venue in Ireland, located on Thomas Street, Dublin 8. Its capacity allows for 1,000 people for seated performances, and 1,500 people for standing gigs...
on 28 February 2007. Surprise was expressed within the industry when they were not nominated again for the 2009 award.
|-
| 2007 || Aaagh!
Aaagh!
Aaagh! is the second album by the Irish funk-rock band Republic of Loose. It was released 7 April 2006. At a cost of €70,000 to make, it was their most expensive album to date. Sunday Tribune journalist Una Mullally called it "one of the most original and progressive Irish albums ever made"...
|| Irish Album of the Year 2006 ||
|-
Meteor Music Awards
Republic of Loose won the Hope for 2004 award at the 2004 Meteor Awards2004 Meteor Awards
The 2004 Meteor Music Awards were held on Monday 1 March 2004, hosted by comedian Dara Ó Briain. It was the fourth edition of Ireland's national music awards. At the ceremony Damien Dempsey was presented with two awards, Best Folk/ Traditional Act and Best Irish Country/Roots Artist...
. They were nominated in the Best Irish Band category at 2007 Meteor Awards
2007 Meteor Awards
The 2007 Meteor Music Awards ceremony was held in the Point Theatre, Dublin on Thursday, 1 February 2007. It was the seventh edition of Ireland's national music awards and the last to be held at the Point before it shut for redevelopment...
.
Republic of Loose were nominated in the Best Irish Band and Best Irish Live Performance categories at the 2009 Meteor Awards. They lost to The Script
The Script (band)
The Script are an Irish alternative rock band from Dublin. Based in London after signing to Sony Label Group imprint Phonogenic, the band released their eponymous debut album in August 2008...
and The Blizzards
The Blizzards
The Blizzards are an Irish band from Mullingar in County Westmeath. They were formed by Niall Breslin in late 2004, and also feature Dec Murphy , Justin Ryan, Anthony Doran and Aidan Lynch...
in those respective categories.
In addition to this, they have performed at both the 2006 and 2008
2008 Meteor Awards
The 2008 Meteor Music Awards ceremony was held in the RDS, Dublin on Friday, 15 February 2008. Nineteen awards were presented. It was the eighth edition of Ireland's national music awards. The event was later broadcast on RTÉ Two on Saturday, 16 February at 21:00...
awards ceremonies, the latter of which involved a duet with Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
on the Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
song "We People Who Are Darker Than Blue".
|-
| 2004
2004 Meteor Awards
The 2004 Meteor Music Awards were held on Monday 1 March 2004, hosted by comedian Dara Ó Briain. It was the fourth edition of Ireland's national music awards. At the ceremony Damien Dempsey was presented with two awards, Best Folk/ Traditional Act and Best Irish Country/Roots Artist...
|| Republic of Loose || Hope for 2004 ||
|-
| 2007
2007 Meteor Awards
The 2007 Meteor Music Awards ceremony was held in the Point Theatre, Dublin on Thursday, 1 February 2007. It was the seventh edition of Ireland's national music awards and the last to be held at the Point before it shut for redevelopment...
|| Republic of Loose || Best Irish Band ||
|-
| 2009 || Republic of Loose || Best Irish Band ||
|-
| 2009 || The Academy
The Academy (music venue)
The Academy is a music venue located in Dublin, Ireland. It consists of four floors, each for differing music tastes.The Academy was the venue where The Killers performed an intimate show in August 2008, one night before a performance in Marlay Park. Others to have played the venue in 2008 include...
|| Best Irish Live Performance ||
|-
External links
- Republic of Loose — Official website