The Dreadnoughts began to play folk-punk in 2007 with a single goal: to make enough money at shows to cover the cost of shots of Fireball Whiskey at Vancouver’s notoriously seedy Ivanhoe Hotel. Fifteen years on and counting, they can boast of six studio albums, two EPs, and hundreds of unforgettable live shows spanning the globe. They’ve blended punk rock and a bunch of European folk traditions with a power and range that few other groups can match. And it’s been a blast.

“The Dreadnoughts’ set,” writes upvenue.com, “can be summarized in one word: outrageous.” If there’s one thing this band is proud of, it’s their live show, which follows the first (and only) rule of punk rock: keep it chaotic. There are no scripted intros. There is no choreography. No pre-prepared sound effects, light shows, or “how’s everybody doing tonight?” Only six loud-mouthed extroverts aiming a series of punked-up folk dances at the audience… sometimes after an entirely unnecessary amount of liquor.

The Dreadnoughts aren’t really a band, they’re an advocacy group, ruthlessly promoting the idea that folk and punk music form a perfect union. They’ve been destroying stages and swilling ciders the world over, spreading their gospel to anyone and everyone who will listen.