Cowpunk?

[georgecat]

Well I don't know which exact writings of James' -nate- was referring to. I personally don't see the Pogues as any bit cowpunk. How differently the audience and the artist view their own work.

[DzM]

Well I don't know which exact writings of James' -nate- was referring to. I personally don't see the Pogues as any bit cowpunk. How differently the audience and the artist view their own work.

Pogues.com:<blockquote><blockquote type=cite>I don’t know. At the time, last year, it was the nepotistic angle that required me to dissent (fie! As if an ageing <b>cowpunk</b> band were the bleeding Politburo or the Borgias or something: I’m embarrassed and ashamed), along with the wonderment of the prospect of having (nearly) all the original members of the Pogues on stage last year.</blockquote></blockquote>
Pogues.com:<blockquote><blockquote type=cite> I knit on the way down to Manchester. I have to finish a scarf for my wife’s birthday which is coming up, on the second night in London. My knitting is the cause of some interest, the documentary lens for example. I mean – rock and roll bus, middle-aged ex-<b>cowpunk</b> hellraisers and one of them’s knitting? Damn right I am. I’m fifty-one. You’re lucky it’s not bootees for the grandchild. </blockquote></blockquote>

[Nate]

Thanks for supplying the appropriate references Dzm, now it's a scholarly thread.

[daws]

are the pogues some of the main charactors in straight to hell or just a small part?

[Guest]

I personally don't see the Pogues as any bit cowpunk. How differently the audience and the artist view their own work.

If anything, 'If I Should Fall ...' is cowpunk, not paddy punk. Shame Johnny Cash isn't alive to cover it! Worth listening to the Straight To Hell version

In the early 80s all these bands were coming out of punk and looking for the next big thing. And loads mixed country (to a greater or lesser or degree) with their punk attitude eg the crop dusters, boothill, sons of desert.. The pogues Unique Selling Point was that instead, they mixed irish with punk. But there's plenty of country influence in the pogues so taking cowpunk as a broad church it's there in the pogues, along with cajun, irish, spanish, jazz, big band, blues, rock, folk, northern soul ... the list is endless.

[georgecat]

Well...thanks.

Now I just can't get over the sight of James knitting at the bar in our local pub where they play. Knit knit knit. Sip of pint. Knit knit knit. Sip.

[Kilkenny Cat]

Cowpunk was used by lazy music journalists from papers such papers as NME and Melody Maker around 1984/85 to describe a number of bands such as The Boothill Foot-Tappers / Shilleagh Sisters and Helen and the Horns.

Looking back through some old live reviews I found the following article from Melody Maker reviewing the GLC Jobs for a Change Festival in 1985. Reviewer being a chap called Ted Mico.

So it was back to the "Cowboys for Jobs" stage where the irrepressible Boothill Foot-Tappers were charging through their hoedown with efficacy and frantic speed. The whole cant of C&W cowpunk is ideally suited to rural climes though it does have a cloying taste.

If I get time this weekend I'll scan the whole review in as The Pogues headlined the second stage. But as Mr C often says it was written by a drunk journalist which is evident even back then as the following words are used in his review.....Guinness, stumbling, beer-drenched etc.

[meteors77]

cowpunk for me are psycho bands mix of punk psycho godless wicked creeps and similiar free games..some of them are really mad like demented are go

[cougar]

I'm thinking X/Knitters is a good example. Yes? Here you had a punk band in L.A. with obvious talent and some country influence, so why not put out some country music with a raw edge, or at least what the punk fans could/should get into. Same early formula as the Pogues (swap out country for Irish). Besides, early Pogues was apparently, at least in part, country rockabily rock and roll with a cowboy hat music, or so I am led to believe by some of the literature. Correct me if I'm wrong, people. By the way, the Knitters or X would be great openers for the Pogues. For those of you who don't know, swap out the lead guitarist for the Blasters with Billy Zoom from X, with the whole X line-up, and you have the Knitters -- they play country songs like you want to hear them. I can't explain. Buy Poor Little Critter In The Road. You will get it.

I caught them when they rolled into Boston a couple months back. This was the one show I've ever been to where my loss of hearing lasted more than two days. Not good at all. Great band, their new record was needed.

[Caukill]

i'm gonna jump in here.......

and say 'Cowpunk 'was being coined as a term even earlier than suggested - the first time i came across it was how SPLODGENESSABOUNDS (of '2 pints of lager & a packet of crisps please' fame) used to describe themselves. They released 'Cowpunk Medlum' in 1981.
Sheesh - how did i remember that?

[duncan disorderly]

SPLODGENESSABOUNDS WERE FUCKING BRILLIANT.i FELL IN LOVE WITH A FEMALE PLUMBER WAS MY FAVOURITE.I USED TO HAVE A TAPE OF THEIR ALBUM BUT SADLY IT IS NO LONGER PLAYABLE.IM GONNA HAVE TO SEE IF I CASN GET HOLD OF IT ON CD.

COWPUNK WAS WHAT JOURNALISTS CALLED A LOT OF THE EARLY EIGHTIES BANDS .AT THE TIME THERE WAS A LOT OF PONCY NEW ROMANTIC BANDS IN THE CHARTS BUT THERE WAS ALSO A BIG PSYCHOBILLY SCENE BEGINNING ,PLAYING AT PLACES LIKE KLUB FOOT IN HAMMERSMITH FOR EXAMPLE.A BRANCH OF THESE BANDS WERE KIND OF COUNTRY PUNK LIKE BOOTHILL FOOT TAPPERS,SHILLEALIGH SISTERS,BLUBBERY HELLBELLIES.COFFIN NAILS WERE GOOD DEMENTED ARE GO WERE GOOD TOO COS THEY HAD A FIDDLE,THEY COULD HAVE BEEN CAST WITH THE COWPUNK BRUSH.I REMEMBER IN THE SUN OR SOMEWHERE THEY HAD A DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD ON COWPUNK AND A PICTURE OF TENPOLE TUDOR.
I THINK DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS JUMPED ON THAT BANDWAGON ALTHOUGH IN THEIR CASE THEY WERE BETTER BEFORE .

[duncan disorderly]

CROPDUSTERS YEAH,THEY WERE ANOTHER BAND.MEN THEY COULDNT HANG ,IT WAS LIKE A FOLK REALLY I SUPPOSE. TO BE HONEST I DONT KNOW WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE FUCK I HATE IT WHEN PEOLPE TRY TO CATEGORISE MUSIC LIKE THAT.

[Caukill]

well , looks like you're in luck Duncan:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... 98-5296463

i googled them and there is a current band site too!

Used to like a bit of the psychobilly stuff meself in the mid '80's - wildest gig i ever saw was the Meteors @ Leeds Adam & Eve's . Always liked the Stingrays best tho' and could still listen to them now.

[Ralph]

Mmm...COWPIE.

[duncan disorderly]

Caukill Cheers mAN.