What's your very first memory of hearing the Pogues

[R0gUE]

Some guy I liked in high school told me that I'd like The Pogues. Naturally, I respected his opinion, but had no money for anything. When I joined BMG to get cheap music I bought Essential Pogues which is a "best of" so I could see what he was talking about. Danced a lot to it and the rest is history. Not too exciting, huh?

[ohAonghusa]

My sister had a friend in high school who was somewhat wise about these things. Knowing we were of an Irish disposition, he put together a tape for her which ended up in heavy rotation in our house. I believe it was Red Roses, RS+L along with some singles and Poguetry in Motion EP. It blew my mind that such a thing could exist. I particularly recall marvelling at the rhyming of "spat on" and "shat on".

For many years I had to imagine the end of And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda as Side One of the tape ran out before the billabong part.

[veggie]

I don't remember when first hearing the pogues but I remember when I heard of the pogues first: I was fourteen and I had this book on the history of Doc marten's, with some groups/singers that like, wear, use them and there was this page on the pogues with Shane quoted this way: "Doc martens? I hate them". Because DM are the only shoes I wear, I felt somewhat curious about this guy- and I liked the picture of him- so I went to the music store and asked for advice- they gave me Rum sodomy and the Lash...

[DownInTheGround]

I went on a family holiday to America and accidently picked up a Pogues Cd i had never listened and played it on the way to the airport, i foolishly left the Cd player in the car. On that holiday a few tunes i could vaguely remember after one play (Sickbed springs to mind) got stuck in my head, I also fell in love with a Norweigan girl so a love sick teenager and tiny fragments of songs made me run out of the airport and listen to the Cd player, i was not dissapointed!

[Grievous Angel]

Heard them on Saturday Night Live when I was about 11 years old. I remember my initial reaction being, "The band sounds great, but I can't understand the lead singer at all. And I think he might be drunk!"

Maybe about a dozen years later, I get to talking with a coworker about music, and he recommends the Pogues. I hadn't thought about them at all since the SNL episode, but I happen to go to an Irish festival in Chicago a few days later, and one of the vendors is selling a copy of "Peace and Love." I started building interest from there, and once I bought "Rum Sodomy & The Lash" and "If I Should Fall From Grace With God," I was hooked.

Indicentally, I've watched the clip of that SNL performance on YouTube a few times, and I can understand every word. I'm now fluent in Shanespeak!

[runjohnnyrun]

I worked in a record store in the '80s when "Poguetry in Motion" came out. I had never heard of the band, but a co-worker told me he had read an article about them in which they were described as a "cross between the Chieftains and the Sex Pistols." As these were the two bands I listened to more than any others at the time, I was intrigued. We decided we needed a store copy of the EP, so opened it up and put it on. From the first notes of "London Girl" I was hooked.

[keelie]

I was a youngin' hanging out in dads truck. Dad was a carpenter so he always had a huge pick up with maddening music playing. Sometimes he would take me to a job with him when he had to work late. We would listen to rum sodomy on the cassette player. I can still see him singing across the bench seat from me.
Often we would dance around the living room to rum sodomy.. i remember spinning and spinning and screaming to the tape. I must have been about 3.
Been a fan ever since, and have exposed many a friends to the wild ride..

[Hibs38]

First time listening, I didn't get it.

I borrowed a cassette (wow, does that date me) from a friend of "If I Should Fall From Grace With God", I listened to the first track, and said, "WTF is that a gd banjo?" Later I realized there was an accordion in the band as well. It seemed the antithesis of cool to a young goth (this is back when I was both young and goth.)

A few years later during the buildup to the first Persian gulf war, (yikes I'm old), and in my circle of friends, the Pogues cover of "And the Band Played Waltzing Mathilda" was very often played, I still didn't entirely get it, I was very impressed with the lyrics and when somebody told me that it wasn't the Pogues who wrote it, I was unimpressed with the band again. I was finally starting to change some of my harsher opinions on older music and finally starting to get into vintage Dylan around then and even old Robert Johnson, Johnny Cash and Leadbelly and I was beginning to appreciate the folk tradition a bit more by this time in my insufferable music snob youth.

Shortly after, somebody played both "The Old Main Drag" and "A Pair of Brown Eyes" for me, I finally broke down and bought Rum, Sodomy and the Lash as an import, with some trepidation since they were charging alot (relatively speaking) for it back then. Then I finally listened to "If I Should Fall from Grace with God" with a fresh set of ears and really heard "Streets of Sorrow" "Birmingham Six" and "Thousands Are Sailing" for the first time.

And the rest is history.

[aitor]

Hello, this is my first mesage, i live in canary islands and i have been listening to pogues since 1987-88, at that time i was living in england (i am spanish), and i was in the kitchen listening the radio and i first listen if i should fall from....... it was great, i went to the record shop and buy it, when i came to spain i continue buying and listening them to now!!!

[DownInTheGround]

Hello, this is my first mesage, i live in canary islands and i have been listening to pogues since 1987-88, at that time i was living in england (i am spanish), and i was in the kitchen listening the radio and i first listen if i should fall from....... it was great, i went to the record shop and buy it, when i came to spain i continue buying and listening them to now!!!

Welcome abord the good ship Medusa. It is a nice ship, with nice people. Shame we don't know where we are going.

[Clash Cadillac]

I was working as a DJ my last year of college at the school's radio station, KTEQ 91.3 FM in Rapid City, South Dakota when I spotted Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash in the new release bin. I gave it a listen and have been a fan ever since. This is still my favorite Pogues LP.

[BottleOfSmoke1957]

i first herd fairytale of newyork and watched the video and always liked the man (shane) with funny teeth

then i was at a party when a family member did an impresion of Shane MacGowan and i was intrested in finding some songs from the man

so i looked and founed a pair of brown eyes since that day when i was six i have been hooked!!!

[chinaski]

many, many...many moons ago when i lived on a different island in a different state...
my friend made me a punk tape shortly after we met. the tape was totally bad ass and included two Pogues songs (maybe you can already guess which ones)

~The Sickbed of Cuchuliann
~Boys From The County Hell

pretty much i creamed and the rest is history.

[Doktor Avalanche]

I was working as a DJ my last year of college at the school's radio station, KTEQ 91.3 FM in Rapid City, South Dakota when I spotted Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash in the new release bin. I gave it a listen and have been a fan ever since. This is still my favorite Pogues LP.

I was a college DJ in the mid-late 80s (WCBN-FM 88.3 Ann Arbor MI). I'd heard OF the Pogues, but never heard 'em until I'd had an on-air request to play something (can't remember which song). I was impressed. When IISFFGWG came out, I listened to the station's copy in a production site. I loved it and went home with a cassette copy and the poster that was inside.

[Clash Cadillac]

I was working as a DJ my last year of college at the school's radio station, KTEQ 91.3 FM in Rapid City, South Dakota when I spotted Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash in the new release bin. I gave it a listen and have been a fan ever since. This is still my favorite Pogues LP.

I was a college DJ in the mid-late 80s (WCBN-FM 88.3 Ann Arbor MI). I'd heard OF the Pogues, but never heard 'em until I'd had an on-air request to play something (can't remember which song). I was impressed. When IISFFGWG came out, I listened to the station's copy in a production site. I loved it and went home with a cassette copy and the poster that was inside.

Thank goodness for college radio...