Don't believe it if you're told that
Ballydowse resembles
the Pogues,
Oysterband, and early Waterboys. Sure, they occasionally utilize mandolin, bodhran, fiddle, and pipes but their style is more closely associated with that of Crashdog, a previous incarnation of
Ballydowse which included vocalist Andrew Mandell and bass player Brian Grover. It's predominantly the punk vocals and crunch rhythm that dictates the course of these songs. Dave Baumgartner's fiddle certainly adds seasoning -- be it Celtic or Klezmer -- and the presence of didjeridu may give the false impression that they're influenced by Aboriginal music, but
Ballydowse are essentially a punk-rock outfit who are willing to incorporate folksy accents into their music, thus separating themselves from the other groups who can't figure out how to make punk music interesting. ~ Dave Sleger