Ignorant Sun 'Newspaper' review

[stuart_S]

Hi all,
I'm new to the forum, but felt the need to post....
I don't know if any of you have been unfortunate enough to read the Sun 'review' of last nights Brixton show online. if you haven't, here's the URL: http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2004580002-2005590182,00.html
One word came to mind - one printable word anyway - ignorance.
I felt compelled to e-mail the paper and tell them what I thought. My e-mail is below. If anyone else feels as I do, I urge you to do the same. it's time the Pogues were recognised in certain sections of the press as the class act they are, and not as this reviewer clearly perceives them.

I have just read Gisella Farrells ‘review’ of the Pogues gig at the Brixton Academy last night.

How much exactly does Ms Farrell know or understand of the Pogues, their music and Shane MacGowan?

Going on and on endlessly about how drunk Shane apparently was is not only unprofessional, but incredibly ignorant and hurtful to him, his family, his friends and those who care about him. Shane MacGowan is an alcoholic. He has an illness, and although he may well ‘play’ on this for effect at times, it doesn’t detract from the facts. Quotes like “Shane showed young 'wildman' whippersnappers like Liam Gallagher how drink and drug-fuelled revelry is really done” are just plain ignorant. Shane would be the first to tell anyone that to be an alcoholic or drug addict is not glamorous or clever.

Has Ms Farrell actually heared any of the Pogues back catalogue apart from ‘Fairytale’? If so, she would know that there are many songs in the Pogues repertoire that Shane never did sing on. Terry Woods always sang ‘Young Ned of the Hill’. Spider Stacey always sang ‘Tuesday Morning’ (in fact, it was recorded after Shane left the band) and Philip Chevron wrote ‘Thousands are Sailing’. Surely he has a right to sing it?

Could Shane still sing? Of course he could! He always has been able to, and probably always will. Again, if your reviewer knew anything at all about the Pogues, she wouldn’t have needed to ask this question.

At least she got one thing right – Christmas without the Pogues WOULD be unthinkable – and here’s to many more.

Yours,

Stuart Swann

PS – I saw nobody with “fake rotting teeth”

[philipchevron]

Hopefully, she will reply and confirm that yes, she was drunk.

[stuart_S]

Heh! you never know.....

forgot to say - fantastic show BTW - best since Guilfest!

[JohnG]

...and Jem plays the banjo...not the guitar....but maybe the reviewer can't tell the difference!

[soulfinger]

Let's be fair, the poor woman works for a newspaper (term applied loosely) which thought it appropriate to have a front page headline today referring to Elton John taking his partner up the aisle.

Oh how they must have laughed in the newsroom when they came up with that one.

Mrs s had to stop me staging a one man protest in the supermarket when I saw it on display today.

If the Sun was a person it'd've been on the streets of Belfast the other day shouting sodomite with those other righteous bigots.

[Guest]

CUNT,That's what Shane is gonna say if he reads that paper.

[Paddy Rolling Clone]

Fucking leeches.

[EdTheRed]

I wouldn't even line my cat's litterbox with the S*n. Perhaps they hold a grudge against the Pogues for the dedication of Peace and Love to the victims of the Hillsborough tragedy.

[philipchevron]

I wouldn't even line my cat's litterbox with the S*n. Perhaps they hold a grudge against the Pogues for the dedication of Peace and Love to the victims of the Hillsborough tragedy.

For the benefit of people who miss this cultural reference: at the Hillsborough Football Disaster in 1989 (me and Darryl were both there) at which 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death, The Sun jumped the gun and aggressively blamed the fans themselves. Liverpool has never forgiven the newspaper for this. To this day, it is rarely seen in the city.

[keith]

Phil, it was typical of the SUN to do that. i would expect most football fans including myself who comes from newcastle and a loyal fan of them totally respect what the people of Liverpool have done in relation to the Sun newspaper. In view of their recent article on the Pogues Brixton gig, i bet they were wishing for something to go wrong on 'Jonathon Ross' tonight. It was brilliant to see you all performing on tv again and an excellent performance. Nice one Phil!!!!

[dave 81]

I wouldn't even line my cat's litterbox with the S*n. Perhaps they hold a grudge against the Pogues for the dedication of Peace and Love to the victims of the Hillsborough tragedy.

For the benefit of people who miss this cultural reference: at the Hillsborough Football Disaster in 1989 (me and Darryl were both there) at which 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death, The Sun jumped the gun and aggressively blamed the fans themselves. Liverpool has never forgiven the newspaper for this. To this day, it is rarely seen in the city.

I do remember seeing this on the news, and reading about it in the newspaper. I can only imagine the sheer horror of witnessing it.
Was there anything that provoked this?

[Guest]

Oh well, you either get it, or you don't. The Sun obviously doesn't and I think we can all agree its their loss. Rock on Pogues.[/b]

[justanotheronethen]

fuck the sun, what a fantastic gig. cheers lads
all the best
merry christmas!

[Heather]

I wouldn't even line my cat's litterbox with the S*n. Perhaps they hold a grudge against the Pogues for the dedication of Peace and Love to the victims of the Hillsborough tragedy.

For the benefit of people who miss this cultural reference: at the Hillsborough Football Disaster in 1989 (me and Darryl were both there) at which 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death, The Sun jumped the gun and aggressively blamed the fans themselves. Liverpool has never forgiven the newspaper for this. To this day, it is rarely seen in the city.

I do remember seeing this on the news, and reading about it in the newspaper. I can only imagine the sheer horror of witnessing it.

I'm not a football fan myself, but it was a really awful tragedy felt by everyone on Merseyside.

[trashcity]

Billy Bragg said it all i reckon:

IT SAYS HERE

It says here that the unions will never learn
It says here that the economy is on the upturn
And it says here we should be proud
That we are free
And our free press reflects our democracy

Those braying voices on the right of the house
Are echoed down the street of shame
Where politics mix with bingo and tits
In a strictly money and numbers game

Where they offer you a feature
On stockings and suspenders
Next to a call for stiffer penalties for sex offenders

It says here that this year’s prince is born
It says here do you ever wish
That you were better informed
And it says here that we can only stop the rot
With a large dose of law and order
And a touch of the short sharp shock

If this does not reflect you view you should understand
That those who own the papers also own this land
And they’d rather you believe
In coronation street capers
In the war of circulation, it sells newspapers
Could it be an infringement
Of the freedom of the press
To print pictures of women in states of undress

When you wake up to the fact
That you paper is tory
Just remember, there are two sides to every story

BILLY BRAGG