Dropkick Murphys are a punk rock band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts, United States in 1996. First playing together in the basement of a friend's barbershop, the band made a name for itself because of its relentless touring and for its annual St. Patrick's Day weekend shows in Boston. The band's songs often deal with Celtic influences, and the working-class environment in which the band members grew up. The band put out a series of EPs and was signed by Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong's label Hellcat Records.