Bag pipes. Drums. Bass. Guitars and punks. What more could you need for a band? Not much. Not much at all. Just a pinch of attitude and dash of good scotch.

That is what The Real McKenzies bring with every album and every live show they perform. These ruckus-raising rockers from Vancouver, Canada, deeply intouch with their Scottish roots, bring it hard and fast and you can always count on them for fun and fresh tunes. Their sound is a mesh of The Sex Pistols and Celtic folk music.

With such songs as “Nessie,” “Bitch Off the Money,” “Balled of John Sliver,” “Wild Cattieyote,” and many more. They have had steady releases since 1995, with such albums as “Clash of the Tartans: Sudden Death,” “Loch’d & Loaded,” and the most recently, “Oot & Aboot.” All of the albums are very good, but a good starting place for those who have not listened before would be with “Loch’d & Loaded,” which has the best mix of the standard McKenzies sound.

These semi-Scottish boys have been writing and recording since the early ’90s. In 1995, they were picked up on the Honest Dons label, which describes them as their, “punks in kilts.” Don’t let the kilts fool you-these guys rock hard. Also, they are not your average punk band.

Having high Gaelic influences, most of their songs will inspire you to grab a pint, a dance partner and hit the floor. With wailing bag pipes of goodness, thrashing fast punk guitar, highland drum sounds, a slamming bass guiding the rhythms, toss in a fife and an occasional tin whistle, and you’ve got a recipe for delicious punk music.

The Real McKenzies have toured with such acts as Rancid, Shane MacGowan, NOFX, Flogging Molly, The Bay City Rollers, The Briefs, and others. You can definitely expect a rowdy bunch when ever you hit up a McKenzies show. They have toured six times around America and five times across Europe, where they draw large crowds. So check them out; you can find their stuff online or at most independent record stores.