Gothic Theatre
Spookie Daly Pride
Spookie Daly Pride is a four piece band out of Boston. At the center of the group, is Spookie Daly—Songwriter, Singer, Piano player, & resident lunatic of the quartet. He bangs out original compositions on a junky upright that is the launching point for the SDP experience. With a vocal delivery that conjurs the spirits of Tom Waits, Nick Cave, and Dr. John, his voice is the central lead in the cast of rag tag cartoon characters that make up the Pride. Backing him is Floyd Kellogg on Bass, Tommy Diehl on Drums, and Pete Witham on Guitar. The band delivers high energy music that is reminiscent of their biggest influences: NRBQ, Louis Prima, and the Muppet Band.
The three essential ingredients that define Spookie Daly Pride are: Infectious energy, solid and catchy songwriting, and musicianship that is defined by its unique and quirky delivery.
The Energy | The band projects an overwhelming amount of energy. It has the spirit of primal rock and roll and the vitality of punk. This energy is contagious. One comparison that keeps coming up, time after time, is Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem (The Muppet Show Band) Like performers in a circus of crazy…things… that jump…they bounce around on stage like they have springs superglued to their shoes (or moonboots).
The Musicianship | The music has an exceptionally playful quality with a very conscious sense of humor. Live, The Pride has a high level of communication and improvisation that maintains a tongue in cheek feel. The music is tempered with a quirk that makes sure it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Spookie has been known to play a piano solo with his foot (or lead pipe) if and when the time calls for it.
The Songs | The main focus is on songwriting. The band serves the song, not the other way around. SDP excels in this area in particular. A song is allowed to exist within it’s own vibe. This is a band that can play any style of song they want, because everything is filtered through the rag tag, off the tracks energy. It maintains a cohesive quality for widely contrasting songs that run the gamut from Dixieland, Hip Hop, pre-World War 2 Cabaret Psychadelia, Hard Rock, and Children’s Music.
The live show is an ecstatically uplifting musical experience that has been described as “the most fun you can have with your clothes on.” To date, Spookie Daly Pride has opened for the Foo Fighters, Rusted Root, Kid Rock, Primus, Busta Rhymes, Tom Tom Club, Arrested Development, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Soul Coughing, MOFRO, Toots and the Maytals, John Scofield, Vanilla Ice and Leftover Salmon. Several of their songs have been used on TV shows, including “Big Car,” which was the lead track for the MTV Sports and Music Festival, “Go Get It” which was used on ABC’s Alias, “Birthday Song” which was featured on the MTV’s “Meet the Barkers” and the ESPN series “X-Games Today”, and “Marshmallow Pie” which was used in National Lampoons “Gold Diggers”.
Spookie Daly Pride’s debut album, “Marshmallow Pie” was initially self released in 2003. It was later picked up and re-released nationally by Funzalo Records. Their latest Funzalo release is the much anticipated follow up, “Medicine Chest”, which will be released on May 10th, 2005.
