Live Report: Mary Wallopers bring trademark madness to Electric Picnic

There is little doubt that this is the highest concentration of Dundalk jerseys to ever come together outside Oriel Park.
Louth flags, Irish flags, and every jersey you can imagine brave the muck and mire with enthusiasm. There’s a proud shcaldyness to the affair, one perfectly suited to The Mary Wallopers.

As they bring the most interesting haircuts in Stradbally to the main stage, there’s a roar of approval from the audience who's eagerness to get going is electrifying.

Bursting into their set with ‘Bould O’Donoghue’, the tension breaks as pints, muck and people go flying with delight.

Though the more traditional instruments reign superior over their sound, electric bass and a full drumkit put the wallop in the band’s name, something that directly contributes to the joyful chaos in the pit.

This only increases as they play some songs off their upcoming album- electric guitars are introduced, making for a blend not dissimilar from the likes of the Horslips.

Their music is rapid, politically charged and full of memorable lines- KitKat club, a recent release is no exception to this, displaying their trademark tongue-and cheek lyricism, as fans grab one another and bellow “is it cause I’m Irish? Is it cause I’m pissed?”

Though the electric aspects are popular with the audience, their slower songs receive just as positive a response- their fanbase is a deeply dedicated one, singing slower tunes like ‘building up and Tearing England Down’ with just as much gusto.

Briefly abandoning the aforementioned electric aspects, the band’s older songs still encourage fervour- songs like Eileen Óg swap out guitar riffs for banjoing, but still result in a mixture of mosh pits, jivers and crowd-surfers giving it socks.

Taking a rare break, the band praise the crowd for the shift they’re putting in, remarking on the high level of Louth representation, while still giving a nod to the array of jerseys before them.

The band thank their followers for the lend of the energy, and for a moment it’s silent- until the most die-hard fans recognise the opening chords to Cod Liver Oil and the roar spreads through the arena yet again.

Though it’s not as fast as some of the other songs played during the set, it’s one of their most popular. Written by a Newfoundland ballad writer Johnny Burke around the turn of the century, the chorus still endures as it floats around the arena.