Shane MacGowan with Liam Clancy in NYC - June 29, 2008

[dublinrambler]

The word is Shane will be one of Liam Clancys special guests for a Liam Clancy DVD they are recording live at the Bitter end in Greenwich village in New York City at the end of this month. Cripppppppppes!

Also,if true would'nt a box set signing session with Shane at Barnes and Noble be a great idea?!

[KLF]

Because he'd relish such an oppurtunity, wouldn't he?

"Dude, you are SUCH a legend! Like, my favourite...hey do you want to come out for a few beers? I know a totally rad Irish bar." 1000 times.

[MacRua]

More probable than his appearance at Glastonbury

[MacRua]

And in order to clarify what we are talking about:

An exclusive musical event with Liam Clancy plus special guests at New York’s The Bitter End, on June 29th at 8pm.

This is a unique staged event, part of a major feature-length documentary on Clancy to be filmed live in front of a specially invited audience with guest appearances from other music legends and contemporary musicians in this legendary Greenwich Village venue.

The event is strictly invitation only and there will be an intimate audience of only 150 people.

Attendance at this event is considered acceptance that you may be filmed in the audience, which will be broadcast on Irish television and worldwide, and may be released on DVD or any other media platforms now known or to be invented.

Crossing the Line Films, Killincarrick Road, Greystones, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.

Shane is in NY, so..

[John C]

More probable than his appearance at Glastonbury

Hey, I was only passing on what I'd heard! Most of the time my little snippets are correct... I apologise for this one...

Peace & love,
John C.

[dublinrambler]

LIAM AND SHANE MacGOWAN @ THE BITTER END, NYC JUNE 29th 2008:
The Broad Majestic Shannon
Red Is The Rose
Dirty Old Town

[Zuzana]

Jamie on Liam Clancy's messageboard:
Liam did a great job on "The Broad Majestic Shannon." However, Shane McGowan tripped his way through "Red is the Rose" and "Dirty Old Town." Shane also stayed on stage for "Mary Ellen Carter" and then proceeded to sing several verses of the "Parting Glass." (I don't think he wanted to part with his glass).
(the whole detailed review of the gig can be found via the link above)

[MacRua]

Constructive discussion continues there:

- The show was fantastic....Kevin it was as always great to see you...sorry I didn't bring my 12-string guitar for you to play...Liam's energy was as always uplifting...All the musicians that appeared with Liam were great with a few exceptions....Shane from the Pogues was just a drunken fool on stage...

- Mr McGowan was not drinking at all, Matt, that is just him.

- I'm sorry Debbie, but Shane had been drinking. I spotted him several times backstage drinking a clear liquid from a glass. He is known to drink gin straight. Don't tell me it was water, since the performers who were drinking water were drinking Poland Spring by the bottle.
Shane's performance was in a word- pathetic. I wondered why the audience was applauding after each song. Is watching someone slowly commit suicide considered entertainment? Maybe in a world of trashy talk shows and celebrity news, it is. I don't think we were doing him any favors by applauding what he gave us that night. They say an addict has to hit rock bottom and lose everything before they can recover. With all the cheers and audience support he got for being so terrible, one wonders what kind of incentive we gave him to change his lifestyle. Maybe he needs to lose all his teeth first.

Was he drinking or was he not? Inevitable but unsolvable question that during last decades gives no rest to fans all over the world... True art must excite.

[dublinrambler]

Constructive discussion continues there:

- The show was fantastic....Kevin it was as always great to see you...sorry I didn't bring my 12-string guitar for you to play...Liam's energy was as always uplifting...All the musicians that appeared with Liam were great with a few exceptions....Shane from the Pogues was just a drunken fool on stage...

- Mr McGowan was not drinking at all, Matt, that is just him.

- I'm sorry Debbie, but Shane had been drinking. I spotted him several times backstage drinking a clear liquid from a glass. He is known to drink gin straight. Don't tell me it was water, since the performers who were drinking water were drinking Poland Spring by the bottle.
Shane's performance was in a word- pathetic. I wondered why the audience was applauding after each song. Is watching someone slowly commit suicide considered entertainment? Maybe in a world of trashy talk shows and celebrity news, it is. I don't think we were doing him any favors by applauding what he gave us that night. They say an addict has to hit rock bottom and lose everything before they can recover. With all the cheers and audience support he got for being so terrible, one wonders what kind of incentive we gave him to change his lifestyle. Maybe he needs to lose all his teeth first.

Was he drinking or was he not? Inevitable but unsolvable question that during last decades gives no rest to fans all over the world... True art must excite.

you can't please all of the people all of the time it would seem

[Zuzana]

More from Liam's fans... or How Shane stole the show.

house of the planter: So it’s with real pain that I must report, the good vibes faded away, toward the, uh, bitter end. Liam had just covered Shawn McGowan’s “Broad Majestic Shannon,” (giving Shawn a nice plug) when--who should careen onto stage but the bad boy himself. McGowan's equilibrium was at odds with the encomium. He reeled out, bumped the piano, grazed the mike, and started to sing. Badly. Worse, after finishing his numbers he wouldn't surrender the microphone. Talk about upstaging!
Suddenly the concert was all about McGowan. And his hatred for “The Parting Glass”--which tune he insulted and whose words he forgot. Liam, who must have at least a master’s degree in handling drunks, was calm and nonreactive. As for the audience--though few in the candlelight thought it too surreal, it was clear the magic was dispersing, what with the white-faced McGowan up there leering out at you.
I did feel particularly sorry for the hard-working camera crew, who having traveled so far were now recording something quite different than what they had intended to capture.
Soon Tom Paxton ambled up, whispered a few discreet words in Liam’s ear--and abruptly it was time for the grand finale. All performers--McGowan still up there swaying–-launched into a brave attempt at “Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go.”

Frank E.Mell: Shane's time on the stage has been documented on other postings, but It appeared as if Liam had scheduled him for one number or two and when an audience member shouted out sing "Dirty Auld Town", Liam said, "yes WE'LL sing it. After the number, Shane started to leave the stage and Liam went into "The Mary Ellen Carter".The impression I got was that Shane said to himself "I know that number" and went back to the mike, He then took upon himself to sing "The Parting Glass", much I'm sure to Liam's surprise as this is his finale! Liam handled it like the pro he is and continued on.

Jamie: I must agree with the comments that Shane McGowan sort of killed the night for me toward the end. He ruined some of the most beautiful and lyrical Irish music that night and brought the night to an unsatisfying close. Especially when he almost sang Rising of the Moon (which I thought I heard was to be on the playlist) in response to a kid who thought this should have been a Pogues concert.

[philipchevron]

More from Liam's fans... or How Shane stole the show.

house of the planter: So it’s with real pain that I must report, the good vibes faded away, toward the, uh, bitter end. Liam had just covered Shawn McGowan’s “Broad Majestic Shannon,” (giving Shawn a nice plug) when--who should careen onto stage but the bad boy himself. McGowan's equilibrium was at odds with the encomium. He reeled out, bumped the piano, grazed the mike, and started to sing. Badly. Worse, after finishing his numbers he wouldn't surrender the microphone. Talk about upstaging!
Suddenly the concert was all about McGowan. And his hatred for “The Parting Glass”--which tune he insulted and whose words he forgot. Liam, who must have at least a master’s degree in handling drunks, was calm and nonreactive. As for the audience--though few in the candlelight thought it too surreal, it was clear the magic was dispersing, what with the white-faced McGowan up there leering out at you.
I did feel particularly sorry for the hard-working camera crew, who having traveled so far were now recording something quite different than what they had intended to capture.
Soon Tom Paxton ambled up, whispered a few discreet words in Liam’s ear--and abruptly it was time for the grand finale. All performers--McGowan still up there swaying–-launched into a brave attempt at “Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go.”

Frank E.Mell: Shane's time on the stage has been documented on other postings, but It appeared as if Liam had scheduled him for one number or two and when an audience member shouted out sing "Dirty Auld Town", Liam said, "yes WE'LL sing it. After the number, Shane started to leave the stage and Liam went into "The Mary Ellen Carter".The impression I got was that Shane said to himself "I know that number" and went back to the mike, He then took upon himself to sing "The Parting Glass", much I'm sure to Liam's surprise as this is his finale! Liam handled it like the pro he is and continued on.

Jamie: I must agree with the comments that Shane McGowan sort of killed the night for me toward the end. He ruined some of the most beautiful and lyrical Irish music that night and brought the night to an unsatisfying close. Especially when he almost sang Rising of the Moon (which I thought I heard was to be on the playlist) in response to a kid who thought this should have been a Pogues concert.

I chatted to Shane about this show. He knew exactly what he was doing and so, I gather, did Liam Clancy, who seems to have enjoyed getting up the noses of some of these prudes after years of gaining their "respect". But yes, I have to confirm that earlier posters worse fears - Shane had indeed been drinking clear and transparent liquids which were not water.

[MacRua]

I chatted to Shane about this show. He knew exactly what he was doing and so, I gather, did Liam Clancy, who seems to have enjoyed getting up the noses of some of these prudes after years of gaining their "respect"..

Maybe Shane knew, maybe Liam enjoyed but prudes don't give up easily. Filmmakers have announced they didn’t intend to release the whole footage – just 52 minutes version of the concert for RTE plus parts of it and the rehearsals for the feature version of "The Legend of Liam Clancy". And Shane is the first candidate to finish on editor’s floor I am afraid. Well boys had fun at least..

[SkaPunkAndOtherJunk]

damnit! I wish I came here earlier and saw he was going to be in the city.

[MacRua]

Stay tuned

[CC]

Shane's sometime new romantic butler writes about the recent trip to NYC, along with details of the Liam Clancy gig.

http://dickonedwards.co.uk/diary

He (DE) can be an acquired taste but his diary is worth reading...