Image: Olga KuzmenkoStrong Boys are a gay hardcore punk band from Dublin who are inspired in bringing about the destruction of bad attitudes and religious brainwashing. They write songs like “No Pope”, “Two Dads” and “Cocks and Crosses” with it’s opening line, “You call yourself a Catholic, But you like sucking cock”.This is queer liberation backed by a gruff Negative Approach style of hardcore punk.It seems that many gay hardcore bands verge on parodies where once you get over the initial chuckle of pun names like Black Fag, Gayrilla Biscuits and Youth of Togay, comes the realisation that most are kind of average.Not so Strong Boys who have more in common with legendary hardcore queer rockers Limp Wrist, and their debut LP Riot Shock to be released on vinyl through Leeds label Milk Run records is full of invective bile.Listen to a selection of tracks from the album below and read an interview with Emmett.Noisey: Some gay punk bands are almost joke bands. But you write good songs that have been likened to 86 Mentality. Was that an important part of Strong Boys?
Emmett: Yeah, definitely, I wanted to have rowdy songs that weren't just thrown together for the sake of some jokes. It's meant to be angry, anthemic and send a message. At the same time it's pretty obvious the kind of sound we're going for so I hope it comes through. I wanted to write songs what would make people want to stomp around and make them throw their fists in the air.Is politics expected in a gay hardcore band’s music?
I think it is and the reason I wanted to do this band is to sing about the stuff that pisses me off. Whether it's stuff that's happened to me, happened to others I know or shit I've read. If it's a hardcore punk band there should be anger and rage. I don't think you can really do a gay hardcore band and not have politics involved in someway. In Strong Boys not all the lyrics are necessarily from an us vs. them perspective, some are about things that piss me off in the gay scene or certain attitudes that people have towards each other for who they are. Have you found much opposition or intolerance towards being gay in Ireland?
Since I was a teenager, for sure. Less now, but I've had people shout abuse at my boyfriend and I from cars. It's less like that now but there's till intolerant attitudes in Ireland and still a lot of very religious people with backwards views. It's less noticeable in bigger cities but that doesn't mean it still doesn't happen. You have a song “Two Dads”. What was your reaction to the change in the Irish marriage laws.
When that vote went through I had one of the best nights of my life. It was amazing to see the people in this shitty backwards country go out and say yes and show support. I've never walked though Dublin city on a night out and saw so many couples holding hands and feeling comfortable in their own city to do so. It hasn't felt like a once off thing either, it seems like attitudes are changing for the better. I think it makes a huge difference to people to be able to have the same right to be married to whoever they love. I don't really care about it, but people should have the fucking choice. It’s pretty obvious what your songs are about based on the titles but what about “Riot Shock”?
It’s about the Stonewall Riots and the shock the cops must have felt when the "faggots" fought back. The people there changed everything for everyone.
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Emmett: Yeah, definitely, I wanted to have rowdy songs that weren't just thrown together for the sake of some jokes. It's meant to be angry, anthemic and send a message. At the same time it's pretty obvious the kind of sound we're going for so I hope it comes through. I wanted to write songs what would make people want to stomp around and make them throw their fists in the air.Is politics expected in a gay hardcore band’s music?
I think it is and the reason I wanted to do this band is to sing about the stuff that pisses me off. Whether it's stuff that's happened to me, happened to others I know or shit I've read. If it's a hardcore punk band there should be anger and rage. I don't think you can really do a gay hardcore band and not have politics involved in someway. In Strong Boys not all the lyrics are necessarily from an us vs. them perspective, some are about things that piss me off in the gay scene or certain attitudes that people have towards each other for who they are. Have you found much opposition or intolerance towards being gay in Ireland?
Since I was a teenager, for sure. Less now, but I've had people shout abuse at my boyfriend and I from cars. It's less like that now but there's till intolerant attitudes in Ireland and still a lot of very religious people with backwards views. It's less noticeable in bigger cities but that doesn't mean it still doesn't happen. You have a song “Two Dads”. What was your reaction to the change in the Irish marriage laws.
When that vote went through I had one of the best nights of my life. It was amazing to see the people in this shitty backwards country go out and say yes and show support. I've never walked though Dublin city on a night out and saw so many couples holding hands and feeling comfortable in their own city to do so. It hasn't felt like a once off thing either, it seems like attitudes are changing for the better. I think it makes a huge difference to people to be able to have the same right to be married to whoever they love. I don't really care about it, but people should have the fucking choice. It’s pretty obvious what your songs are about based on the titles but what about “Riot Shock”?
It’s about the Stonewall Riots and the shock the cops must have felt when the "faggots" fought back. The people there changed everything for everyone.
‘Riot Shock’ LP will be out soon on Milk Run records.