Dexys Midnight Runners frontman Kevin Rowland condemned Nigel Farage’s use of the band’s signature song at the Reform U.K. national conference held at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham from September 3–5.
Farage walked to the stage to “Come On Eileen” ahead of his party conference speech. In a statement posted on the band’s social media, Rowland — describing himself as the son of Irish immigrants and the song’s main songwriter — said he was “disgusted to learn that Nigel Farage has used our Dexys Midnight Runners’ song to make his entrance for his party conference speech.” He added, “Myself, and all of Dexys are passionately against Farage’s politics.”
“Come On Eileen” reached No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart in 1982 and topped the Billboard Hot 100 the following year. Dexys Midnight Runners, formed in 1978, released three commercially successful albums in the early-to-mid 1980s: Searching For The Young Soul Rebels (1980), Too-Rye-Ay (1982) and Don’t Stand Me Down (1985). The band is currently touring in support of their new album LOVE, released through Heavenly Recordings and produced by Belfast musician David Holmes.
Source: Billboard
