ChrisW wrote:I posted this in the Philip Chevron forum, It might go here too:

ChrisW wrote:This is a bit of a long story but.............

................You don't forget nights like that. But through it all what sticks in my mind is the wee fella placing that crate of beer on the stage for the band.
A night to remember.
Nice one Philip.

ChrisW wrote:This is a bit of a long story but I have a very clear picture of Philip Chevron at a gig that I will never forget but in general a gig that made me a Pogue's fan for life.

10th September 1985 The Pogues played Aberdeen. At Fusion night club or whatever the place was called then. The general public had only ever heard of a band called The Pogues from a nice little folk number in the charts called Dirty Old Town. And so it was that the upper areas of the venue were full of unsuspecting 'folkies'. All beards and wooly jumpers, waiting for a night of traditional folk music. In my naivety I was one of them.

And as you would expect, the floor was full of die-hard Pogues fans, getting fidgety and impatient waiting for the start of the show.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I thought punk had finished but these people in the pit were like super punks. Even more boisterous, and rowdy. There even looked to be a bare knuckle boxing fight going on - a big bare chested bloke with a kilt was taking on all-comers. The bouncers were powerless to do anything. I think they were expecting a Dubliners style folk band too.

The place couldn't get any more outrageous.

But it could. The band was getting ready to come on. A small wirey chap wearing a hat came onto the stage and placed a crate of beer right in the middle of it. The scene was set, Philip Chevron had carried out one of his main duties for the night.

Then the rest of the guys came on stage and the place erupted. Except the upper raised areas occupied by the folkies. We all looked down in disbelief and it has to be said, a lot of fear and trepidation. The feeling from these balcony areas only served to feed the atmosphere, which was balancing on a knife edge and ready to go into a riot. Seriously.

After only a couple or so songs, the band was taken off the stage in an attempt to quieten the crowd down. Someone had screwed up, and had not realised who The Pogues and their fans were. The manager of the venue came on stage to appeal for quiet. There was no need for me to describe the reaction of the fans at having their gig cut short.

Over the shouts and boos and some missiles - beer glasses mainly - the manager made himself heard, to say that he wanted to make an announcement regarding that night's football. (There were no mobile phones in those days to keep in touch with news.) The crowd briefly quietened down. Even the fighting stopped. I need to explain here that Scotland's bid to make the World Cup finals needed them to gain a point from their fixture with Wales that evening. I thought then, what was he doing? Whatever the result, with the mood of the crowd, there was surely going to be a riot either way.

"Wales were leading 1-0......." silence "....but with 9 minutes to go Scotland equalised...." The crowd exploded. Scotland were going to the play-offs. But the manager stayed still. He hadn't finished yet. He allowed the crowd to settle enough for him to tell them that Jock Stein, the manager of Scotland had suffered a heart attack at the stadium and had died.

You could have heard a pin drop.

"As a tribute to Jock Stein," the manager continued, "I want you to join in with me, the singing of Flower of Scotland"

And so it went. The place erupted in song louder than even could be heard at Hampden Park. The tuneful folkies got what they wanted, and there were some perfect powerful harmonies intermingling with the perhaps more raucous tones from the floor below. So the night was over and we all dispersed quietly. Shocked. Relieved. Happy with the football result and saddened with the tragic news of Jock Stein's death. A real mixture of emotions that left everyone drained.

You don't forget nights like that. But through it all what sticks in my mind is the wee fella placing that crate of beer on the stage for the band.
A night to remember.
Nice one Philip.

soulfinger wrote:May '86 Sloskys Manchester - Riotous!

Jim W wrote:

johnny h wrote:Hiya all,being an old giffer,i saw them at Leeds Uni in a small hall called the Riley Smith Hall,along with The Men They couldn't Hang,either late '84 or early '85,they were all in the bar before the gig,and i bought Shane a pint bottle of original Guinness (there was no such thing as draught in cans then),had a chat with them and wished them all the best for the gig.They were brilliant,a real togetherness about them.

Next time i saw them was on Friday June 14th 1985,again at Leeds Uni,had a chat with Shane at the bar before,and one of their bunch asked the bloke behind the bar for a tray,and he said 'Bugger off,you ruined the one i gave you last time you played!" I'm 100% sure of the date for this one,as i went to a Doctor's party after,and met my future missus at the party!

Also saw them at the previously mentioned Slosky's,and when they played at the Hacienda,which we couldn't find,until,from the other side of the wall,we could hear Brown Eyes being soundchecked...very very happy days

I have a bootleg tape from 1984 at Exeter Uni,i'll have to find the bugger,along with a pogue mahone drumstick Andrew lobbed into the crowd,and i rose like a salmon to catch!

You are getting the two gigs mixed up. The Pogues played the Riley Smith Hall March 1985, support was the wonderful Pink Peg Slax, price £1. Pretty sure it was the first night of their first national tour. Remember a stack of beer on the stage that regularly got handed into the sparse crowd, Andy Rankin had two drums, snare and bass and played the whole gig stood up, they ran out of songs so played a number a second time towards the end. Got a bootleg of this somewhere.

The second time they played was June 1985, that time the support was TMTCH and Pink Peg Slax. Great gig, Riley Smith Hall was filled that time.

Don't know whether there was some affinity for Leeds University after that but they always played warm up gigs there for the next few years.