ON a rare occasion when all members find themselves in the same place at the same time and with an itch to scratch, Limrockers, The Hitchers are set to play their first hometown show in two years. The band will perform at Dolan’s Kasbah venue on Thursday June 5.
The band acknowledges it’s a school night but that can’t be helped. However, fans can expect a few pleasant surprises on the evening – a mix of old favourites, new material, possibly something borrowed, and a generous helping of ear-blistering tunes.
Releasing two albums and a string of EPs in the late 1990s, Limerick band The Hitchers quickly caught the ear of legendary BBC DJ John Peel. He championed their debut UK release It’s All Fun & Games ’Til Someone Loses an Eye and invited the band to record a session for his show—one that still receives repeat broadcasts today.
Their double A-side single Strachan / You Can Only Love Someone won critical acclaim, a raft of new fans, and several award nominations—losing out on Best Irish Single to Ash’s A Life Less Ordinary, a result they took with good grace. Their follow-up album, For the Want of Some Better TV, reinforced their reputation for spiky punk-pop, razor-sharp wit, chant-worthy choruses and fiery live performances. The band became fixtures on the Irish and British gig circuits.
Though The Hitchers officially disbanded in 2001, they have reunited for occasional one-off shows and mini-tours. Media interest resurfaces reliably around World Cups and European Championships, when Strachan—voted by Guardian readers as the “greatest football song ever”—returns to public consciousness.
The song caught the attention of Warner Bros. Germany, who licensed it for 11 Freunde – The Album, where The Hitchers found themselves alongside musical heroes such as Billy Bragg, The Wedding Present, The Proclaimers, New Order, and Half Man Half Biscuit.
In 2019, BBC Radio 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq curated Lost Alternatives, a double vinyl compilation marking his 25th anniversary with the BBC. He selected Strachan to close the album, placing The Hitchers alongside acts like Teenage Fanclub, Sleeper, Travis, and Suede.
The renewed attention sparked by Lamacq’s compilation led to a 25th anniversary reissue of It’s All Fun & Games ’Til Someone Loses an Eye and marked The Hitchers’ return to UK stages for the first time in decades.
Reflecting on the band’s legacy, drummer / songwriter Niall Quinn said:
“In the UK, it’s fair to say The Hitchers are mainly remembered for Strachan. That’s the one that still gets airplay and attention during the World Cup or Euros.
In Ireland, even though Killed It With My Bare Hands gave us our highest chart placing—an unassailable No. 58!—I think people often recall the Red Mohair Jumper / She’ll Be Sorry era that came just before Strachan. That was the first time we were really seen on telly.
Then back home in Limerick, there’s this real fondness for the ‘teenage Hitchers’—with Eoin, Benny, and Bombs in Baskets of Fruit.
I tend to think of The Hitchers less as a band and more like Dallas. Some characters are key to the story but only appear in the first few seasons. Still, the story runs.”
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