Flogging Molly Don't Care About U2's Fancy Stage

Gigantic screens and flashy fireworks may get some peoples blood rushing, but it's not something Flogging Molly would ever be into.

"U2 played in Ireland and brought along a million-dollar set," says instrumentalist/vocalist Bridget Regan. "If you want to spend the money on that, then great. But at the end of the day, for us, it's about the songs and the music. I don't know how anyone is going to get anything more from your songs by seeing your face on a giant screen."

What? No pyrotechnics on their upcoming Canadian tour?

"Not unless it's started from our chain-smoking stage manager," Regan says with a laugh.

"I think it's ridiculous. I actually get second-hand embarrassment from it. Any band that pulls bullshit like that makes me wish sometimes that music didn't exist."

Although Regan and her bandmate/husband Dave King (vocals, guitar) are currently visiting family in Detroit, they're both excited about traveling across the Great White North next month.

"It's the first time we've ever done a coast-to-coast tour. We've only ever played in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, the big cities like that. It's going to be a little bit of everything — a lot of songs that we've either never done live or haven't done in a long time."

Flogging Molly never shy away from touring. They've just come off a couple intense stays on the Warped Tour, and Regan says they don't get much time to check out the cities they visit.

"We've grown accustomed to just laying low," she says. "Even when you have days off, you just want to stay in the hotel and watch movies. We get recommendations on good restaurants to check out, but that's about it."

The Vans Warped Tour always seems to be portrayed as a "fun in the sun"-type festival, but Regan says there's positives and negatives to playing the gig.

"The best part is obviously seeing old friends. For us at this stage, it's the equivalent of a high school reunion.

"The worst part is that you're in some dirt lot and the hotel is God knows how far away. No, the worst part is the port-a-loos."

Let's hope all the toilets on their upcoming tour are flushable.

You can see Flogging Molly on these dates:

Oct. 14 Halifax, NS @ The New Palace
Oct. 15 Moncton, NB @ Club Oxygen
Oct. 17 Quebec City, QC @ L'Imperial De Quebec
Oct. 18 Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
Oct. 19 North Bay, ON @ Canadore College
Oct. 20 Kitchener, ON @ Elements
Oct. 21 Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy
Oct. 23 Thunder Bay, ON @ The Outpost
Oct. 24 Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings Theatre
Oct. 25 Saskatoon, SK @ Odeon Event Centre
Oct. 26 Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton Events Centre
Oct. 27 Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall at University Of Calgary
Oct. 29-30 Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom