Kevin Rowland has never been the type to stay quiet, and this week proved it again. The Dexys Midnight Runners frontman responded after Reform UK played“Come On Eileen”as Nigel Farage walked on stage at the party’s Birmingham conference on September 4, 2026. Rowland said he was“disgusted”to learn about it and made clear the band never gave permission for the song to be used.
In his statement, Rowland pointed out that he’s the son of Irish immigrants and the main songwriter behind the 1982 hit. He also said that he and all of Dexys are“passionately against Farage’s politics.”It’s not a departure for the band, which has a long record of activism, from a 2022 railway workers solidarity song with Primal Scream to Rowland joining a Gaza benefit supergroup this year with Paul Weller, Suggs, Glen Matlock and Andy McKay.
The timing is notable too. Dexys released their new album‘Love’last Friday and start a European and UK tour in October 2026. So while one party tries to borrow the song’s good vibes, the band keeps moving forward on its own terms. What do you think: should artists have the final say on where their music gets played?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.