The Bleeding Irish

In the Year of our Lord Two Thousand and Three, Nick O'Madden started The Bleeding Irish in attempt to create his own sound of new wave Irish music, not being familiar with bands such as Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys in the mainstream at the time. After many attempts at getting the band up and running, going through several auditions for band mates, it took 4 years for the current line up and sound to be established to what we hear today.

Nick comes from a low class, Irish immigrant family, and is no stranger to extreme poverty as young as 4 years old. The very first band he heard was The Dubliners and The Pogues in their dual performance together singing "Irish Rover." Growing up he became more familiar with his family's history and struggles with his grandparents fighting for Irish Freedom, associations with the Irish Republican Army, coming to America for a better life (but to no avail). His family experienced poverty, national tyranny, dissention, and death. Thus he is able to sympathize with those who struggle every day in the blue collar class, and able to indetify closely with our soldiers, and anybody fighting for freedom or any worthy concept. The lyrics Nick writes reflect those struggles and give hope to those fighting for the cause. The name The Bleeding Irish comes from some of that, as well as a quote from an old Irish Film. where the king says to himself after realizing the Irish tricked him during battle "...bleeding irish."

The Pogues and The Dubliners will always Nick's favorite of bands and the biggest influences on The Bleeding Irish, but he also grew up with and was influenced by other sounds such as Minor Threat, The Clash, Black Flag, and Fugazi and many other type of punk rock or experimental sounds.

Besides Nick facing extreme poverty throughout his childhood, paying for his first guitar through lay away working a part time job and going to high school, he's still been blessed with a lot. The Travel Channel found out the story about Nick and his brother and their upbringing, and decided to do a documentary on them by sending the two boys to Ireland to get in touch with their roots by meeting the Lord Mayor of Galway Neil O'Bralichain, going to Athenry and reuniting with their distant relative Eamon O'Madden, the town's retired blacksmith. The Travel Channel also flew the band out as a suprise the very last day to play a show in County Galway.

The Bleeding Irish have a large and diverse demographic of fans. From retired senior citizens to just young kids. They especially have gained a following among the Irish American group of fans, and also the Marines. A lot of their fans have been deployed to Iraq and have come back in hopes to catch a show or two, before and after their deployment. One of the band's fans, who had to move back to the East Coast, his name is John Clifton, was shot down by enemy fire in Iraq and broke both of his legs. I think he's responded to the music in a very deeper way than any fan. He seems to appreciate the music on a different level than others do, especially the direct rebel songs such as Hunger Strike, The Uprising, and Come Out Ye Black and Tans.

Each member of the band comes from an Irish backround in some way. Joe's great grandparents were Irish, as well as Rhy's, and Jimmy comes from a Scots-Irish backround as well, he was brought up, like Nick, with traditioinal music, so he has contributed to the band's developing sound greatly.

The Bleeding Irish combine the sound of traditional Irish folk songs with the hard edge of American Punk Rock, creating their distinct, upright bass-driven, potitical alternative rock sound that continues to draw crowds and passionate fans. With a new live album on the way and regular performances in Vista, Oceanside, and Downtown San Diego at The House of Blues, the band is making their mark and spreading their infectious music throughout the San Diego music scene.