Dead Maggies

This is what folk punk is all about” London Celtic Punks

“Created their own genre… Tasmanian Convict Punk” ABC Tasmania

Tasmania’s rusty fork in a puddle folk-punk, cow-punk, beer swilling, shanty singing, flannie-wearing, mohawk-bearing musical peasants, The Dead Maggies are story tellers, weaving tales from Van Diemen’s Land’s dark and turbulent folklore and history – set to fast, upbeat, toe-tapping, foot stomping, wild music that makes you dance, shout and folk till you punk.

A raucous combination of storytelling folk-punk and cow-punk, The Dead Maggies formed after the death of Maggie Thatcher and burst onto the Tasmanian music scene in April 2013, made their debut release a few months later and started moving like a convict on the run. After touring Europe in 2014, they smashed the Tasmanian summer festival circuit, toured eastern Australia twice, and released their first full length album ‘Well Hanged’ in November 2015 with songs being played on Triple J, local radio, featured on international podcasts from Germany to the USA, featured as ‘album of the week’ on three Australian Radio Stations (Edge Radio, ABC936 and 2BoB).

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2017 sees the band re-entering the recording studio in January, before taking in Fractangular Festival in February, Port Fairy Folk Festival in March and The National Folk Festival in April.

2016 saw the band score #7 for London Celtic Punks album of the year list, more songs played on Triple J, three tours around Australia, a tour of South East Asia, plus more festival gigs including; Falls Festival, Psyfari (NSW), Illawarra Folk Fest (NSW), Faux Mo (Mofo), Kiama Folk By The Sea (NSW), Huon Valley Midwinter Fest, Taste of Tasmania, and a return to The Famous Spiegeltent.

Full-length album ‘Well Hanged’ was released in November 2015 through Folk ‘Til Ya Punk Records; a new label formed as a collective by The Dead Maggies and a few other folk-punk bands. It was picked up as ‘Tasmanian Album of the week’ (ABC), ‘Edge Radio Recommended’ (Edge), and ‘Album of the week’ (2BoB). It features songs played on Triple J, songs featured by AMRAP, has been featured on many internet radio stations and review my numerous blogs across the world. The album scored #7 for London Celtic Punks album of the year 2015.

In September 2014 The Dead Maggies met up in Edinburgh to busk the Fringe Festival before stuffing themselves into a van and performing 15 shows in 17 nights across Scotland, Wales, England, France, Germany, Belgium and the Czech Republic. Performing in squats, pubs and clubs to big crowds, hectic dancing and beer swilling they played with some great local bands. One highlight was in an Irish Pub, in Germany, full of New Zealanders where one of the Pogues came to watch.

In November 2013 they released their debut minialbum ‘Sing About Dead People’, quickly selling out this was remixed and remastered for a second pressing in April 2014. ‘Sing About Dead People’ includes two songs being aired on Triple J (national), was ‘Tasmanian album of the week’ on ABC Local Radio and high rotation on Edge Radio as ‘Edge Radio Recommended’. Sing about dead people was picked up by international internet radio stations in the UK and US, and feature on Celtic Punk Rock Radio (Europe) ‘Sampler CD 2014’.

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Consisting of seasoned performers from rock, punk, folk, classical, metal and thrash, they mix their backgrounds and styles on traditional instrument in a rather less traditional way.

In just their second gig The Dead Maggies supported Paddy McHugh and the Goldminers (ex-Sydney City Trash). Less than three years later and they have played alongside The Real McKenzies (Canada), The Bennies, The Porkers, The Barons of Tang, The Crooked Fiddle Band (many times), The Graveyard Train, The Go Set (many times) and pretty much every half-decent folk-punk, cow-punk or celtic-punk band in Australia.

They’ve had articles/interviews in music magazines such as; Punkulture (France), Warp (Tasmania) and The Music (NSW/VIC) to name a few, have performed in all corners of Tasmania from Devonport to Eaglehawk Neck, toured NSW, ACT, VIC and Europe

The Dead Maggies put on an engaging show: Tragic tales of Tasmania’s dark and oppressive history are set to upbeat toe-tapping, thigh-slapping, foot-stomping music that makes you folk till you punk. It’s a juxtaposition of deep and sad lyrics set to energetic and exciting music, an unexpected pairing that captivates people from all walks of life. The audience can be completely absorbed in a dark story, whilst dancing like a maniac to rip-roaring music at the same time.

On stage they are a mix of double bass, banjo, clarinet, fiddle, guitar, flannies, mohawks and stories of dead convicts.

The Dead Maggies are from Hobart, Tasmania which is a place you can find on some maps.



The Maggies’ Family:

Hannah Morrell: fiddle, backing vocals
GT Mongrel: guitar, clarinet, vocals
Bicket: drums, backing vocals
MD: double bass, vocals
Colin Reynalds: banjo, guitar backing vocals
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Burnie played accordion / keyboards in the band for ages, he still does on the occasional gig in Hobart, and he came into the studio to record Well Hanged with us.
Simon Slaughter played ganjo in the original lineup 2013-2015.
Ryan Garth has occasionally rocked out on bouzouki on various gigs since 2013 and came into the studio to add some uilleann pipes, low whistle and harmonica to Well Hanged.
Lucy de Vreeze sometimes jumps up and sings with us! Like on Well Hanged!
Jen Spen played violin in 2013.
Dominic Francis plays a lot of gigs in Tassie with us and jumped up to sing along in Well Hanged.
The Tarkine Commotion Choir are a ragtag bunch of musicians and singers we worked with to put on a show for The Bob Brown Foundation. They came and sang on Well Hanged too.
Bek Binnie has done art for us. Katherine Tattersall, Josh Troy, Georgia-Lucy, Bat, Andrei & Angela Nikulinsky and Kellie Spicer (and many more) have made media with us. Steve lets us practice in his shed. Gibbo lets us live in his pub.
And the hundreds of people in the local community who make everything happen, and be awesome.
Beer: for everything.



deathmaggies