The Pogues w/ Billy Bragg...never happened

[AllBusiness37]

To the best of my knowledge, the Pogues never collaborated with Billy Bragg. While I'm not writing now to bemoan that fact, it does strike me as slightly odd that this never occurred. After all, both the Pogues and Bragg are kind of untraditional London-based folk artists coming from punk backgrounds--or however you'd like to describe it. In my mind the pairing seems like it would have been rather logical. (And I can only imagine how the final product would have sounded!)

I may be totally off base here, but did the possibility of such a project ever cross anyone's mind in the Pogues' camp?

[philipchevron]

To the best of my knowledge, the Pogues never collaborated with Billy Bragg. While I'm not writing now to bemoan that fact, it does strike me as slightly odd that this never occurred. After all, both the Pogues and Bragg are kind of untraditional London-based folk artists coming from punk backgrounds--or however you'd like to describe it. In my mind the pairing seems like it would have been rather logical. (And I can only imagine how the final product would have sounded!)

I may be totally off base here, but did the possibility of such a project ever cross anyone's mind in the Pogues' camp?

Billy's band Riff Raff did a couple of support gigs for the Radiators from Space in late 1977, including the Marquee in London if I remember correctly. I did do a mini-gig myself with Billy at some multi-performer benefit or other at the Hammersmith Palais in the mid/late 1980s. We performed "Dirty Old Town". One of us, at least, remembered the lyrics. It wasn't me.

The Pogues never ruled out a collaboration with Bill, but neither did we rule it in. The circumstances simply never arose and one doesn't simply seek these things out, there is always some sort of organic element governing such things.

Great bloke, Bill. I love him.

[Shaz]

To the best of my knowledge, the Pogues never collaborated with Billy Bragg. While I'm not writing now to bemoan that fact, it does strike me as slightly odd that this never occurred. After all, both the Pogues and Bragg are kind of untraditional London-based folk artists coming from punk backgrounds--or however you'd like to describe it. In my mind the pairing seems like it would have been rather logical. (And I can only imagine how the final product would have sounded!)

I may be totally off base here, but did the possibility of such a project ever cross anyone's mind in the Pogues' camp?

Billy's band Riff Raff did a couple of support gigs for the Radiators from Space in late 1977, including the Marquee in London if I remember correctly. I did do a mini-gig myself with Billy at some multi-performer benefit or other at the Hammersmith Palais in the mid/late 1980s. We performed "Dirty Old Town". One of us, at least, remembered the lyrics. It wasn't me.

Blimey, I remember that -- I was there! It was some sort of benefit for a cancer charity iirc -- I think one of the blokes from Edward II had died of cancer.

I remember you doing Under Clery's Clock, Philip.

It was a very entertaining day, as it was the first time I'd come across Ron Kavana and the Oysterband.

[nboldock]

I love that bit in The Great Hunger where the Braggster comes on and says something like -

"The Pogues took folk music by the lapels and chucked it down the stairs"

Brilliant.

I'm going to see Billy Bragg next week. This pleases me.

[AllBusiness37]

Thanks for the reply, Philip. I suppose the list of musical pairings I would have liked to see happen is both long and pointless, but it's a pleasant distraction to ponder over such matters.

[Paddy Rolling Clone]

There's plenty of time yet..