LOS ANGELES (Top40 Charts/ New Line Cinema) - One of the most successful bands to emerge from the East Coast Irish rock scene is making the jump to the big screen. Two tracks by the Prodigals, The Open Reel and Bunch of Red Roses, will be featured in a pivotal scene in New Line Cinema's "Pride and Glory," scheduled for release in theaters across the country on Friday, October 24.
The band will play a late-night concert on the evening of the movie release, which falls during New York's CMJ week, at their legendary residency, Paddy Reilly's Music Bar on 29th Street and Second Ave., starting at 11.30pm.
"Pride and Glory" stars Ed Norton and Colin Farrell in an intense tale of a New York City police family whose moral code is tested. The music supervisor for the film was Nic Harcourt, an iconic West Coast tastemaker who discovered Coldplay, Damien Rice, Moby and Norah Jones.
The Prodigals, described as "indelibly Irish" by the New York Times and "NYC's jig-punk answer to the Pogues" by the Village Voice, have long been a fixture on New York City's musical scene. They played at the World Trade Center; headlined Lincoln Center, the Bowery Ballroom and Webster Hall; twice played the Guinness Fleadh; and have maintained a residency at Paddy Reilly's for over 10 years. This is in addition to touring nationally, headlining venues ranging from the House of Blues in Cleveland, to Navy Pier in Chicago, to the Lincoln Theater in the Napa Valley.
"As much as we're an Irish band, we're a New York band," says Gregory Grene, the band's founding member and leader, who spent much of his childhood in Ireland, but has lived in New York for more than twelve years. "The talent we've had access to, the energy, the excitement, and the pure serendipity that exists in New York, has allowed us to flex and grow in a way unique to this city."
The Prodigals embody a mix of backgrounds and influences typical of the city: along with Grene on vocals and button accordion, the band features two other Irish members, Darren Maloney on banjo and Dave Fahy on guitar and vocals. Drummer Chris Higginbottom hails from London, and bassist Ed Kollar is a native New Yorker.
And after seven albums, and more than a decade playing and recording, the Prodigals have proven that they, like the city, have staying power and an ability to continually tap fresh sources of energy, while maintaining a wholly distinctive essence and personality. The band plans on releasing a 'Best of' album in early January 2009.
For more information about the band, visit https://www.prodigals.com.
New Line Cinemas presents the Solaris Entertainment/O'Connor Brothers Production, "Pride and Glory." The film is being distributed by Warner Brothers Pictures, a Warner Brothers Entertainment Company. "Pride and Glory" has been rated R by the MPAA. For more information or to view the movie trailer, visit https://www.prideandglorymovie.com.
