Black 47 went on an unofficial recording hiatus , although they maintained their live performances , influenced as much by the events of 9/11 as the departure of Byrne . The release of '' New York Town '' in 2004 reflected the city before and after the attacks , where a number of Black 47 fans , such as FDNY chaplain Mychal Judge , honoured in the song " Mychal " , were casualties . Post-9 / 11 Black 47 had started to play regularly at Connolly 's Pub in midtown Manhattan , playing shows Kirwan described as intense in order to allow fans who had lost loved ones an outlet for their emotions , and this was channelled into making the album . '' New York Town '' was a critical success , drawing parallels to Joyce 's '' Dubliners '' due to it being a series of short , unrelated stories centered around New York City , and Kirwan was praised for painting a picture of the everyday life of New Yorkers , although the appearance of guest singers such as David Johansen of the New York Dolls and Christine Ohlman was noted for highlighting the weakness in Kirwan 's own voice
9/11
September 11 attacks
Black 47