Blood or Whiskey is an Irish band known for their mix of Celtic music with punk styles, who found success in the Irish and North American markets following tours there in the late 2000s. Following a break, the band returned to the live circuit in April 2012. Likened often to Irish band The Pogues, however the band themselves state their influences to be more accurately described as a hybrid of The Dubliners meets The Clash. Having released 2 EP's & 3 albums, with tours of the East Coast of America, a regular feature at the Rebellion Festival over the last 8 years, and a tour of Japan under their belts, other career highlights included; supporting Stiff Little Fingers on a UK tour, opening for Manu Chao, Rancid, and The Pogues, playing Oxygen Festival in 2009, and Reading & Leeds in 2010. The band played festivals in the UK in 2011, returning to Rebellion in Blackpool and Reading & Leeds. They played Arthurs Day in Dublin in 2012 and opened for Rancid in November at the Academy Dublin. This was followed by a tour in Germany in December of the same year. 2013 opened with the band securing a place on the bill with Frank Turner and Dropkick Murphys, in Dublin. Early April 2013 saw them take in a ten date jaunt across Europe, stopping in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Belgium. In May they were back out with more dates across Germany, the Czech Republic & Austria. They headlined the Warzone Fest in Belfast on August 23 and opened for Alkaline Trio at The Academy Dublin on August 26 and played The Foggy Dew in Dublin on Arthur's Day. Blood or Whiskey 2014 saw the band release the new single, followed by their 4th album Tell the Truth and Shame the Devil, which was released in March 2014. Hotpress Magazine called it ˜Devilishly Good and A diabolical good listen", giving it an 8 out of 10 rating. Although there had been a touch of ska in previous releases, the new album adds ska, reggae and dub to the original sound. The album launch gig was headlining the Saint Patricks Day Festival in Belfast. They opened for All Time Low two days later in the Olympia Dublin. The first part of the Shame The Devil Tour was 16 dates that took them across 6 countries. The new material broadened the band's appeal and numbers were up across the tour. June saw them at the Roma-Ember Against Racism Festival in Zurich. July saw them back touring and opening for the Dropkick Murphys across England, at the Bristol show Dugs was invited to join them onstage for Shipping up to Boston. They returned to England in August for the BoomTown Fair and a return to Rebellion in Blackpool.
