Sometimes, music festival cruises feel a little random; for Celtic punks Flogging Molly, the format makes perfect sense. The band’s high-flying, brine-drunk songs seem right at home on the high seas, where never-ending bars and deckside shenanigans make for blur of raised glasses, good times, and foolhhardy ideas. So it’s unsurprising that their Salty Dog Cruise is now entering its fifth year, and has become the annual highlight of the lives of their fans. “There’s this group of people who call themselves ‘shipmates’ — they meet up in the city and come to our shows, and they all converge and migrate to the boat,” says guitarist and vocalist Dennis Casey.” It’s this level of love and passion. I have to admit, I was very skep...
