Shane MacGowan and The Dubliners?

[Guest]

I read an article which said that after Paddy Reilly left the Dubliners, the Dubs asked Shane to replace him, as they felt MacGowan's voice had suited their music in previous collaborations. After a few rehearsals, the lads were ready to go but MacGowan insisted on the band being dubbed 'Shane MacGowan and The Dubliners.' The Dubs were apparently rather annoyed by this but played a few low key gigs around Dublin. However, MacGowan then insisted the band be called 'The Shane MacGowan Group' and Barney McKenna was so annoyed he refused to take part and so the band never played with MacGowan again. A couple of people I know claim to have seen some of the low key gigs around Dublin, anyone else hear anything about this?

[Mick Molloy]

News to me

[soulfinger]

The next edition of the Oxford English Dictionary is to have the word gullible removed. It's true, it's really true.......

[Guest]

I had heard something about this a few years back but never knew whether there was any truth to it.

[Low D]

This sounds like something that is not true at all.

But maybe it's a corrupted telling of the ill-fated Hellfire Club, that was MacGowan, Ronnie Drew, Eamonn Campbell, Terry Woods, Philip Chevron & Paul Harrigan? Something like that. Anyway, i know it fizzled and resulted in that on-line petition demanding Shane fire Joey Cashman as manager. This was 2004 or so? Perhaps that story's gone all broken telephone and resulted in what you heard.

[philipchevron]

This sounds like something that is not true at all.

But maybe it's a corrupted telling of the ill-fated Hellfire Club, that was MacGowan, Ronnie Drew, Eamonn Campbell, Terry Woods, Philip Chevron & Paul Harrigan? Something like that. Anyway, i know it fizzled and resulted in that on-line petition demanding Shane fire Joey Cashman as manager. This was 2004 or so? Perhaps that story's gone all broken telephone and resulted in what you heard.

May well be, though in the interest of accuracy, I should point out that I was a member of the shortlived Hellfire Club instead of Shane MacGowan. not in addition to.

[Zuzana]

But maybe it's a corrupted telling of the ill-fated Hellfire Club, that was MacGowan, Ronnie Drew, Eamonn Campbell, Terry Woods, Philip Chevron & Paul Harrigan?

By the way, what happened with the Hellfire Club? Shane pulled out, but the project did happen, and the Hellfire Club played several gigs in 2004, right? And then Philip and Terry teamed up with Jamie Clarke’s Perfect for a gig or two in the same year. And then all the participants went their separate ways, so the speculations about more touring or even a recording by the Hellfire Club never materialized?

[philipchevron]

But maybe it's a corrupted telling of the ill-fated Hellfire Club, that was MacGowan, Ronnie Drew, Eamonn Campbell, Terry Woods, Philip Chevron & Paul Harrigan?

By the way, what happened with the Hellfire Club? Shane pulled out, but the project did happen, and the Hellfire Club played several gigs in 2004, right? And then Philip and Terry teamed up with Jamie Clarke’s Perfect for a gig or two in the same year. And then all the participants went their separate ways, so the speculations about more touring or even a recording by the Hellfire Club never materialized?

I think that, apart from one TV appearance including Shane in the line-up, the only gigs HFC did were in Scandinavia in 2004, with myself, Woods, Paul Harrigan, Ronnie Drew and Eamonn Campbell. They were great fun but I'm not sure if we ever intended to keep it up as an ongoing entity. It got a little awkward when the Dubliners and the Hellfire Club were on the same bill, as happened once. I don't think Barney McKenna ever quite got used to the idea that Ronnie had left the Dubs, seemingly forever, and yet was willing to do similar gigs with other people who were not the Dubs.

Chevron, Harrigan and Woods with Jamie Clarke's Perfect had its golden moments too, and got as far as a German tour. This emulated, in many ways, a Canadian tour myself Terry and Paul had done a couple of years before with The Mahones. While there was definitely good music and good sport on all these ventures, I personally found them to be more trouble than they were worth. However valiantly people tried to make life comfortable for us, the occasional logistical nightmare only served to remind me why I had stopped touring in the first place so, bottom line, I just stopped doing it.

The closest any of these projects ever got to recording was a planned raw-and-gutsy live album we would make at the very end of the Mahones tour, when there were two consecutive gigs scheduled in the same venue (I'm not sure, it may have been Halifax, Nova Scotia??) but even this was abandoned when, a few days before this, I left the tour (Woods and Harrigan elected to continue) once it became clear that nobody would be getting paid for this tour. I just walked out, right before a show, and flew back to the UK. I just refuse, on principle, to work for nothing unless this has already been agreed for whatever reason.

[Zuzana]

It sucks that the Mahones tour ended so bitterly – does this happen often? Some members of the Popes complained about the same – not getting properly paid for gigs. I suppose the tour with the Mahones was managed by a different organization. So is it a rare coincidence or quite a common practice?

As for the the Hellfire Club, do you have any idea how the project originated? Did the (future) participants suggest the cooperation or was it an idea of some agent / producer?

[philipchevron]

It sucks that the Mahones tour ended so bitterly – does this happen often? Some members of the Popes complained about the same – not getting properly paid for gigs. I suppose the tour with the Mahones was managed by a different organization. So is it a rare coincidence or quite a common practice?

As for the the Hellfire Club, do you have any idea how the project originated? Did the (future) participants suggest the cooperation or was it an idea of some agent / producer?

It was certainly not the Mahones' intentions that we did not get paid, nor is it typical to any significant degree, especially not among fellow musicians. But it is fair to say they were incredibly naive about many aspects of the touring life and had not even bothered to advertise properly. In Toronto, of all places, the crowd was so tiny that I made a point of introducing myself personally to everybody in the audience, so that we were at least on first name terms for the rest of the gig.

HFC was essentially Terry's idea. At the time, there was no real indication that the Pogues reunion would extend beyond the 2001 shows we had done, and Terry saw it as an alternative way of making a living. It did pay reasonably well, too, the Mahones episode notwithstanding.

[foggydew1970]

Can anyone confirm....

I hear that Shane and The Dubliners are playing Fitzpatricks Irish Bar in Aberdeen on 7th March - is this true?

Aberdonian Pogues fan

[Alex]

Can anyone confirm....

I hear that Shane and The Dubliners are playing Fitzpatricks Irish Bar in Aberdeen on 7th March - is this true?

Aberdonian Pogues fan

Shane should be in Florida about that time

[Katie McConnell]

To the very, very talented Phil Chevron (I'm a huge fan, and have heard nothing but lovely things about you)- I have nothing but complete respect for you and The Pogues, and really hope that you understand that Finny McConnell (Mahones singer/songwriter) reached out his hand to help the Terry Woods tour after Seamus Bellamy's aborted attempt to configure one, and personally lost $3000 in the process. A bittersweet experience, indeed. He still claims it was well worth it.

And he's not just good-looking...He made sure to capture a live-recording from the mixing desk of one of the concerts. Its phenomenal. I'm sure you would love it. Its currently collecting dust in our studio in Toronto.

Here is the track listing:

1) Thousands Are Sailling (accoustic)
2) Grosse Isle Lament (accoustic)
3) Traditional Instrumental Medley (accoustic)
4) Streets of Sorrow
5) If I Shoud Fall From Grace With God
6) Young Ned Of The Hill
7) Faithful Departed
Gartloney Rats
9) Lorelei
10) South Australia
11) Irish Rover

He recorded this for you and Terry, and its available whenever you want it. It really is fantastic, as the lot of you are wonderfully talented.

Hope this finds you in good health.

lots of love.
Katie xo.


p.s. Finny has previously told me that he thinks "Thousands Are Sailling" is one of the best songs ever written, and should be a stage play.

you can always contact us at mahonesmanagement@gmail.com

The Pogues are, and always will be, the very best.

[Mick Molloy]

Hey Katie,

Could this be available for Pogues and Mahones fans as well

[philipchevron]

To the very, very talented Phil Chevron (I'm a huge fan, and have heard nothing but lovely things about you)- I have nothing but complete respect for you and The Pogues, and really hope that you understand that Finny McConnell (Mahones singer/songwriter) reached out his hand to help the Terry Woods tour after Seamus Bellamy's aborted attempt to configure one, and personally lost $3000 in the process. A bittersweet experience, indeed. He still claims it was well worth it.

And he's not just good-looking...He made sure to capture a live-recording from the mixing desk of one of the concerts. Its phenomenal. I'm sure you would love it. Its currently collecting dust in our studio in Toronto.

Here is the track listing:

1) Thousands Are Sailling (accoustic)
2) Grosse Isle Lament (accoustic)
3) Traditional Instrumental Medley (accoustic)
4) Streets of Sorrow
5) If I Shoud Fall From Grace With God
6) Young Ned Of The Hill
7) Faithful Departed
Gartloney Rats
9) Lorelei
10) South Australia
11) Irish Rover

He recorded this for you and Terry, and its available whenever you want it. It really is fantastic, as the lot of you are wonderfully talented.

Hope this finds you in good health.

lots of love.
Katie xo.


p.s. Finny has previously told me that he thinks "Thousands Are Sailling" is one of the best songs ever written, and should be a stage play.

you can always contact us at mahonesmanagement@gmail.com

The Pogues are, and always will be, the very best.

Hi Katie

Thanks for your message. As I tried to indicate above, I do not hold Finny or the Mahones responsible for the events of that tour, just for naiveté.

Would love to have a copy of the live show.

Regards to all and good luck with the work

Philip Chevron
Pogue Mahone Ltd
192 Heaton Moor Road
Stockport
Cheshire
SK4 4DU
UK