Dexys Midnight Runners’ Kevin Rowland “disgusted” at Reform UK’s for use of ‘Come on Eileen’: “All of Dexys

Kevin Rowland of Dexys Midnight Runners has hit out at Reform UK for using their song ‘Come On Eileen’ at a recent conference – saying that they are “disgusted” by the move and “passionately against Nigel Farage’s politics”.

1. READ MORE: Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?! – Dexys’ Kevin Rowland.
2. How NBA 2K became the evolved rap version of FIFA’s indie-obsessed soundtrack.
3. Natanya – ‘Attitude Era!’ review: nostalgic, playful, spunky pop for those who love life left-field.
4. Teddie Allen is taking everything in her stride.
5. Spellbinding singer-songwriter Nomi. is finding her own frequency.
6. It’s time to get in Gabriel Jacoby’s corner.

The right-wing political party played the song when leader Farage walked onto the stage at the NEC in Birmingham last week (Friday September 4). Soon after, the band took to their social media channels to hit out at the classic ‘80s Number One being used without their permission.

They shared an image of a billboard in the UK, which showed Farage along with the message: “He blames migrants so you don’t blame billionaires”.

In the caption, frontman Kevin Rowland then made his stance even more clear, writing: “I, Kevin Rowland (the son of Irish immigrants) and the main songwriter of ‘Come On Eileen,’ am disgusted to learn that Nigel Farage has used our Dexys Midnight Runners’ song to make his entrance for his party conference speech.”.

Rowland and the rest of Dexys have been open about their political stance. In 2022, they joined forces with Primal Scream to drop the song ‘Enough Is Enough’ in solidarity with railway workers and call out how it is “very wrong” that “millionaires get ever richer while workers are told to accept poverty”.

Earlier this year, Rowland also teamed up with The Jam’s Paul Weller, Madness‘ Suggs, Sex Pistols‘ Glen Matlock and Roxy Music‘s Andy McKay to form a supergroup at a one-off London gig that raised money for Gaza.

The musicians came together for a one-night-only show at London’s Scala, and the event was organised by Artists for Gaza as a way to again raise funds for the Health Workers 4 Palestine’s Gaza Medics Solidarity Fund.

That initiative aids in the rebuilding of maternity wards in Gaza, as well as funding mobile clinics and paying stipends to Gazan medics.

🚨🇬🇧 NEW: “Come On Eileen” songwriter Kevin Rowland says he is “disgusted” that Nigel Farage used the song as his party conference entrance music.

Rowland says he and all Dexys are “passionately against Farage’s politics” pic.twitter.com/gNpOY9b3yM.

Last Friday, Dexys Midnight Runners released their latest album ‘Love’, which they first announced back in May with the wistful single ‘My Life In England Pt. 1’ and details of a new tour.

They kicked off the live shows last Friday in Glasgow, and are set to hit the road again for the European leg of the tour next month. Dates begin with a night in Stockholm on October 4, and see the band play in Germany, France and more before heading back to the UK.

Dates include two stops at London’s Hackney Empire, and you can check out dates below and find tickets here.

Dexys Midnight Runners’ 2026 tour dates are.

NOVEMBER 1 – Brighton, UK – Dome 4 – Dublin, IE – Olympia 5 – Belfast, UK – Ulster Hall 6 – Galway, IE – Black Box Theatre 8 – Bristol, UK – Beacon.

Back in 2023, NME spoke to Rowland for our Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?! series, and the interview, saw him open up about once calling David Bowie “full of shit” and a “bad copy of Bryan Ferry”.

The world's defining voice in music and pop culture: breaking what's new and what's next since 1952.

When you purchase through affiliate links on NME.com, you may contribute to our site through commissions. Learn More.

NME Networks, a part of Caldecott Music Group. All rights reserved.