Help Identify show with Richard Thompson from 80s

[HelpMeRemember]

Hi - I've been searching everywhere trying to figure this out - so I hope you all won't mind my trying here.

I'm trying to identify a show I saw in London in 1985 or 1986 (I think 85) with the Pogues opening for Richard Thompson. I can find references to this legendary Dominion show and am starting to think that was the one, but can anyone tell me if they opened for RT at any other gigs in London in 85 or 86??

It was one of the most amazing shows I've ever seen - would love to figure out exactly when/where it was......dementia and drug induced brain damage are no fun....

[RoddyRuddy]

http://www.shanemacgowan.de/JuergenPogues.txt

http://p.bruhat.free.fr/pogues/pog-live.html


You could check out the above gigs list to narrow it down a bit.

[RoddyRuddy]

Kilmichael wrote:


Don't suppose you recall exactly when and were "Whiskey" & "Muirshin" were recorded, Mr Producer?


I don't have a definite date, but January or perhaps February 1985 is almost certainly right. There was some big event the night before - maybe the Richard Thompson support gig at the Dominion?? - because the band was seriously suffering when they turned up at Elephant Studios (Wapping, London) that day. The tracks were done very quickly and the band didn't hang around much - they all wanted to go back to their beds, or the pub, or wherever they felt most comfortable nursing their hangovers. James stayed behind to do some overdubs and I added piano to "Whiskey You're The Devil". The session was engineered, almost inevitably, by the ubiquitous Nick Robbins.

On the matter of duplicating sessions for the BBC, it was not uncommon for bands to record several different versions of their current single for Auntie. The reason for this was (it may no longer apply) the Beeb had an ancient arrangement with the Musicians' Union that only a portion of music played would come from "gramophone records", the remaining quota being made up of live sessions paid for by the BBC, thus guaranteeing the Union a certain degree of employment for its members in the days when membership of the MU was mandatory for professional UK musos if they expected to have TV and Radio careers. Re-recording your current single for the Kid Jensen Show or the Smashey and Nicey show or whatever, was a way for bands to both gain income and guarantee plays for their current stab at the singles chart. If you couldn't cut it in the Maida Vale studios, it was not really a big deal, they would happily swap the new effort, when broadcast, for the actual single. The point was to satisfy the Union that real live musicians had been in and had been paid for their labours.
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[RoddyRuddy]

Diehard fans of Fairport Convention and Richard Thompson usually don't like the Pogues because the Pogues don't play Folkmusic the way it should be played

Ah yes, that particular battle was joined early in 1985 at the Dominion Theatre in London, where The Pogues supported Mr Thompson. The gig was notable for Pogues fans - even then, a lusty-sounding bunch - serenading the star with a few choruses of "Who the fuck is Richard Thompson?" My guess is RT would rather not repeat the experience.

Mr C, I remember this one for the wrong reason. A few of us went upto London to try and get tickets. Went to the Dominion box office and was told it was a GLC promoted gig and sent to County Hall. Wandered around County Hall for ages trying to find someone to speak to and eventually informed it was sold out.

I do recall the Richard Thompson incident though. I'm sure the Daily Mirror carried some story about Pogues fans rioting and fans invading the stage.

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[HelpMeRemember]

Thanks so much!

I'm confused by quotes above because I found a reference in a google books copy of "Kiss My Arse" to the band having interrupted their April 85 German tour to come back for this GLC benefit with Thompson. That time frame would fit my swiss cheese brain memory pretty perfectly. If I could just determine that this was the only show they opened for RT at I could be certain.

For whatever it's worth - I'm pretty sure it WAS the famous Dominion show I saw. Here is my story in short:

I was a young Yank passing through London on my way to Asia. Bored one night all alone I saw RT was listed as playing and figured I'd give him a try. Hadn't been a big fan and had never heard of the opening acts at all. I bought a ticket from a scalper and ended up mid center in what I remember as a packed house. I was drinking from a flask of whiskey I'd brought in an was pretty plastered, but I can remember the night more clearly than most because it was so dramatic.

The Pogues were like a force of nature. I wasn't very familiar with Celtic music in general but was coming from the center of the hardcore punk scene in NYC and my immediate impression was that someone had had the brilliant idea to make a traditional Irish hardcore punk band. The crowd seemed to be mostly there for the the Pogues, not RT - and everyone went completely crazy for them. I remember lots of people invading the stage, stage diving, and maybe even some moshing.

I had no idea who these people were or what I'd walked into but was totally blown away. I'd seen a lot of shows by that point in my life and have seen a lot more in the decades since, but it definitely remains one of the two or three most exciting sets I'd ever seen. Certainly felt like I was witnessing something historic even at the time.

RT's set was awesome and I enjoyed it very much as well, but the crowd almost entirely sat on their arses through the whole thing. The energy level in the room fell so dramatically after the Pogues left no one could have recovered.

I'm guessing this was indeed this GLC benefit I saw, but if anyone else knows of any other shows where they opened for Thompson, I'd appreciate hearing...

Thanks very much!

[Villajohn]

I was at the Dominion that night, i remember The Pogues along with Frank Murray and various Boothills and Alex Cox and Cush(TMTCH)and about 50 or so fans had gathered in The Tottenham Pub in Oxford Street ,and they were well and truly newtified,and i thought to myself,this was going to be ''interesting''.Needless to say Richard Thompson kept his distance from The Pogues after what happened that evening,to say he was shocked and disappointed was an understatement,having said that the security inside the Dominion was virtually non exsistent.However,there was a reunion of sorts at The Vienna Folk Festival later that year,both RT and The Pogues appeared on the same stage on the Sunday,but Tom Verlaine performed his set after The Pogues and if my memory serves me well,Richard followed Tom, who was total shite by the way,Tom Verlaine that is not RT.Hardly anyone in the audience could be bothered to applaud the ex Television lead singer.The Pogues WERE great on that crazy Sunday afternoon in Vienna,i beacame quite pally with Milica and her husband,blues guitarist Hans Theessink, i was back in Vienna the following year and they invited me into their home, where i was treated to view the entire set on VHS,sadly this was never broadcast on Austrian tv as thunder and lightening affected the transmission,personally i thought the overall picture quality was fine as was the sound,but what do i know .So i have i broken my silence of more then 30 years to bring and oldie but goodie back to life,and you wouldn't get a sory like that on Jackanory or Book at bedtime!

[Villajohn]

Apologies for the bad spelling towards the end of that trip down memory lane,Hans and Milica were the main organisers of The Vienna Folk Festival by the way.I just remembered something else,in 1993 The Pogues performed at the Mercury Awards,where they showcased Waiting For Herb,also scheduled to appear was none other then one Richard Thompson,who pulled out at the eleventh hour.According to Philip Chevron,who actually informed me of this in a hotel bar in Southern Germany,stating RT pulled out when he discovered that The Pogues were appearing at the same venue,but,in an interview in Hokey Pokey(the excellent RT fanzine at that time)Richard stated that he was due to showcase his new album Mirror Blue,when his record company,Capitol decided to delay its release date till early 1994,so Mr Thompson reckoned it was pointless promoting an album with a new release date,this was due to a major restructuring going on at the top,where the head honcho,a massive RT fan got the chop.AND that is all i have to say folks.

[firehazard]

Brilliant story, Villajohn. Thanks for the sharing, it's always good to hear stories from back in the day.