Next year Kingston Paddy punkers  the Mahones are giving themselves an early 20th birthday present by recording a new CD  called “Black Irish” at the end of the year as well as touring with one their idols — the Popes as well as the Delinquints and DJ Ray Gange who was in the Clash movie “Rude Boy”.
This tour stops by the Slice tomorrow night (Oct. 14). Tickets cost $20.

“It’s nice to be part of the club,” enthused Ireland born Mahones frontman Finny McConnell enjoying a day off  in Canmore with his 16 tour mates.

“You know you’ve made it when you’re friends with the guys you’ve looked up to as a kid. We’re touring with a group of guys from the United Kingdom who have never seen mountains before, so we have 16 guys running around with cameras,” McConnell chuckled, adding his dad owned a couple Irish pubs so McConnell  wasn’t into Irish music when he was young. He turned to punk music until he saw the Pogues and the Popes which combined the two sounds. Shane McGowan formed the Popes after leaving the Pogues.

The Mahones formed in 1990 and since had a string of popular songs  including “Drunken Lazy Bastard,” “Draggin’ the Days,” and “The Queen and Tequila.”

“It’s been a a non-stop party. We’ll get on stage with  each other. The Popes’ new CD Outlaw Heaven is their best. And the music which isn’t on their Myspace page is even better. And they’re playing older stuff like “Church of the Holy Spook” and “Fear of a Paddy Planet. And the Delinquents are my favourite new Toronto punk band,” McConnell enthused, adding as a souvenir of the month long tour, the Mahones and Popes will record a double CD together and may even record a live CD on this tour.
After a tour with the Dropkick Murphys in November, the Mahones will knock off  “Black Irish” in about two weeks, as preproduction is done. All that remains is to record. They may play some of the new songs at the Oct. 14 show.
“Just like when we first started,” he said, encouraging people to come to the show.
“This line up won’t be coming around  again. Organizing 16 people is too much work for me,” he laughed.