CHRIS Byrne doesn't bring his band Seanchai and the Unity Squad on as many field trips nowadays, so it was a rare treat to see him play his annual gig at the Jersey Shore Irish Festival this past weekend. They have single-handedly pioneered an urban Paddy genre of Irish music. Their sound is jammed with raps, turntable scratches and funky backbeats that would put you in a cold sweat, and the relentlessly intricate bass lines of former Prodigals bassist Andrew Harkin.

Byrne brings a snarling vocal delivery that perfectly contrasts the cool green sounds from the uilleann pipes that he hunches over onstage. Their version of "Thank You (For Letting Me Be Mice-Elf Again)" is dangerous funk, while "Irish Catholic Boy," the title track of their latest album, sports a raw, visceral punk energy. Their set also included protest tunes like "Wake Up Irishmen," a call to arms set over a block rockin' electronic beat.

Byrne, a founding member of Black 47, former Times Square cop and owner of Rocky Sullivan's Pub, recently moved his legendary watering hole out of Lexington Avenue into the remote outpost of Red Hook, Brooklyn at 34 Van Dyke Street, where his band plays most Saturday nights. He claims to be done with the Manhattan scene, describing his mindset with typical dry humor.

"I've become more like my parents," says Byrne with a laugh. "I just come into the city now once a year, to see the Rockefeller Christmas tree or something like that."

Apart from playing with the band, Byrne has been running previews of his first play, Bklynistan, a story about a troubled son of an even more troubled cop.

Despite the long Irish literary heritage of Rocky's, Byrne claims that the play has brought in a racially diverse component into the bar.

"I love the Red Hook section," exclaims Byrne. "There is no Irish scene there whatsoever - it's not exactly in the best neighborhood. But because of that, the place is teeming with artists that can't afford the high priced rents in the city. So you get a great scene of creative people that drop in when you throw an event like the play."

The two man play is set to make a debut on the island of Manhattan shortly. Byrne describes the play as very punk rock, with a sparse cast and scenery that makes it perfect to play just about anywhere.

Keep your eyes peeled here for more details of the Big Apple debut of Bklynistan. For more information on Seanchai and the Unity Squad, log onto Seanchai.com.