The Medusa Fora

Just want to thank the Pogues for a fantastic weekend. Please come back as soon as possible. I hope that Shane's leg is doing well after the tumble. He looked like he was in some pain there by the end.

I'd also like to thank PhilofBelloni for his generous offer of drinks post-show, but after three nights I think I am making a wise choice by being home tonight. My wife is indulgent, but to a point.

Philly and New York, get ready...here they come!

P.S. I also have two videos I will shortly post on youtube if the band is OK with that. I was told not to take anymore by security as it was a direct order from the band. If that is the case, I will keep them to myself. I was also told not to take anymore flash photography, but I had not taken any, so mistaken identity, I suppose.

Yes. I second the thanks. It's been a great weekend. I missed Thursday's show in Boston, but made it to the next 3.

Shane did appear hurt, he was walking with more of a limp than usual. It appeared that 3 nights in Boston had got the best of Shane, by my count he messed up in the majority of the songs, starting with the royal fuck up in the first number, Streams of Whiskey.

He was just about golden every other night though. And Phil, I think the highlight of these sets was "Thousands Are Sailing." Great song, great performance. I loved it.

My only complaint would be the same set every night. I'll be in Phillie and NYC on St. Paddy's Day. Will there be any wrinkles or about the same thing all tour?

I will add my thanks for a great stretch. I wish the crowd was a bit more "into it" tonight - no one seemed to wake up until the end of the first set. Perhaps it's tough to follow the intensity of the two Avalon shows. Also, Shane was obviously a bit deeper into the booze tonight...I hope he's OK, though it seems the fall may've fucked his leg up a bit.

I know and respect the band's wish to not become known as a sure thing year after year, but I must say I do hope there are some more Boston shows in our future for the coming years...Either way, thanks for giving me a great weekend. See y'all soon and happy 25th anniversary.

It was my first time seeing the band tonight, so I can't say whether it was a good or bad show for them... but for me it was fantastic! I'm very thankful for the opportunity to see this band and can't believe how lucky I was to be right up front. I didn't notice if the rest of the crowd was into it or not 'cause they were all behind me I will definitely be back if you come to Boston again. Wish I could have gone to an Avalon show but I got an offer I couldn't refuse in NYC this weekend... just got back a couple of hours before the show tonight.

Kinda warmed my heart seeing all the scalpers with piles of tickets trying to sell them for under face value outside... Band got paid - check; fans got in for a fair price - check; scalpers got screwed - check! Yup, everyone got what they deserved.

I do hope Mr. MacGowan is OK... that was a nasty-looking fall.

I have to say the weakest of the 4 shows in this stretch. I didn't like the venue it was my first time seeing a show where there were seats and I dont think its a possitive thing. Add to that I had pretty shit seats and was within 10 feet of the band the other dates. I didnt like the opener at all at all. A poor man's Rage Against the Machine and I dont like Rage that much. The crowd was a bit flat for most of the show and finally the band seemed to be showing some wear from 4 nights in a row. All that being said still a great night and wouldnt trade it for the world.

Great show, just got home...drunk, and Mr. Chev, that was a great job on "thousands"

My compliments to the band on their intro song, Straight to Hell, and their outro, a blues version of Danny Boy which I'd never heard before. Excellent choices.

And what came in between wasn't too bad either.

All the reports of the band being locked in are spot on. It sounded great and the mix was crystal clear.

As for Shane I thought his personal highlight was Poor Paddy. He delivered that song with all the force and feeling that the lyrics demand of him. A fantastic version of that song.

I would dispute reports that the crowd was not really into, nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, it was a different kind of crowd than was present 20 years ago, no doubt, but no less enthusiastic.

For example, my wife and I were sitting in row A, dead center stage of the mezzanine, some of the best seats I've ever had for any show. We could have gotten orchestra seats but we wanted to spend the night sitting and enjoying the show and not on our feet the whole time. A concession to age? Perhaps. But we were no less into it than were up on their feet all night.

The stage arrangement seems to be as follows: Bald guys to the right, everyone else to the left !

Shane took a tumble heading offstage as most have heard by now. I happened to be looking right at him when it happened. He was down for a good 5 or so minutes, well into the next song. He came back, said something about 'break a leg' and seemed no worse for the episode.

All in all a fantastic show.

They remain the hardest working band in show business. They leave it all out on the stage. True showmen and great musicians.

flamesuit on!

please loooong time Pogues fan..... have seen them many times!

Including first us show evah!

And I do know the history of Shane....and they were always on of my fave bands...live and recorded!

BUT.... this is getting ridiculous!

I walked out last night after the 3rd song!

It was a trainwreck waiting to happen and still is....

Shane has a death wish....and I dont want to watch it any longer...

To me obviousLY the band was embarrased and ashmaed at sHANE...

dRINKING FROM 2 CUPS AND A WHISKEY BOTTLE....... HE HAD TO BE HELPED ON STAGE BY ROADIE TO START THE SHOW!!

And I think this will be the last pogues tour w/ Shane...if not the last show!

The bandmates cant keep enabling this suicide by drinking !

Sorry....but those that saw a good show last night....PLEASE!!

SHANE DISRESPECTS HIMSELF...HIS BANDMATES AND THE AUDIENCE!!

SOON AFTER i LEFT....HE PASSED OUT/ FELL..... PLEASE GET SOME HELP SHANE!!

disgusted wrote:flamesuit on!

please loooong time Pogues fan..... have seen them many times!

Including first us show evah!

And I do know the history of Shane....and they were always on of my fave bands...live and recorded!

BUT.... this is getting ridiculous!

I walked out last night after the 3rd song!

It was a trainwreck waiting to happen and still is....

Shane has a death wish....and I dont want to watch it any longer...

To me obviousLY the band was embarrased and ashmaed at sHANE...

dRINKING FROM 2 CUPS AND A WHISKEY BOTTLE....... HE HAD TO BE HELPED ON STAGE BY ROADIE TO START THE SHOW!!

And I think this will be the last pogues tour w/ Shane...if not the last show!

The bandmates cant keep enabling this suicide by drinking !

Sorry....but those that saw a good show last night....PLEASE!!

SHANE DISRESPECTS HIMSELF...HIS BANDMATES AND THE AUDIENCE!!

SOON AFTER i LEFT....HE PASSED OUT/ FELL..... PLEASE GET SOME HELP SHANE!!

I'd have given it more than 3 songs pal, but it is a free country.

disgusted wrote:And I think this will be the last pogues tour w/ Shane...if not the last show!

Philip! You see: Pogues have no other way out - you have to do this bloody Christmas or October or whatever shows!!! Just to shut the dear guest up.

I only went to Saturday (Avalon) and Sunday (Orpheum), Sunday was good, but Saturday effin' rocked!! I've never seen Shane in better form!

SeanO

Hey Everyone,

great to find such an interesting and active forum here...

Sunday at the Orpheum was my 4th Pogues show, after getting snake bit by Shane Shows and Pogues albums in the mid 90's... (i just hit 38 myself for presepctive...) Anyway, as a live music maniac (probably akin to Mr. C's theatre going!("when budget permits and also when it does not!")) i can attest the Pogues are truly a one-of-a-kind live music experience.

Searching out the magic of shared experiences like this is a true joy, and any comments below on Sunday is qualified by all written above.

Personally i find inspiration in all sorts of live music... but for the sake of argument, i'll submit two succinctly different paths of musical expression are employed by most bands/acts i see.

One would be the polished act, with the same banter each night between songs and an almost expected linear format.

Two would be the non-linear, whatever happens, happens, show.

Both can be sublime enchanting and totally fresh each evening.
Both can be predictable, or totally out of the ordinary, regardless of changing or static setlists.
I have a lifetime of musical loves in both categories.

But... were i pressed... there is no question, the seekers of transcendence via a concert should opt for number Two. A band regardless of talent who leaves as much room as they can for audience input each night will find corners a band plowing through their set will not. A possible natural mystic that can sometimes be lost at more prescribed events.

"Sure, sounds great for spinning in hallways at dead shows or closing your eyes to a Van Morrison lyric... but what is your point dude?"

Point is bands like this, bands like the Pogues (to me!) really deserve some slack for making a reach others might not. Not forgiveness, but understanding in their endeavors.

In seeing bands like the Pogues i have noticed the obvious differences night to night, and part of that, or the possibility of that surely brings us back more and more. yeah the dead changed their lists, but even if they didn't the possibility of newness would have been there each an every night.
Of course there is no difference for the Pogues or any band reaching the gap.

Funnily enough there is *some* predictability in these areas, which we are all too familiar with.
And i think we ran into one of them last night... Take your unpredictable band X and put them in a small venue your ears might perk. Take them and put them at a hometown show, again different pre-interest.
It is great trying to do "concert math' with these types of bands to hone in on a winning show. always fun, and always safer just to go to as many as possible!

Anyway specifically, another biggie, and the one i think we found last night, is the post-magic letdown...

When i started reading the reviews of Saturday, it began a slow sinking feeling when thinking of my single Sunday show venture...

Being more wary of places like the Avalon than excited (ie.GA idiots) my heart groaned at my wimpyness and cheered everyone with the balls to go and attempt enjoyment. I knew instantly we were going to be up against it at The Orpheum Sunday...

NOTHING to do with the band no being able to top it, they surely could have...
NOTHING to do with the venue, as i was excited for close reserved seating and had seen the Pogues tear the Orpheum apart in 2006...
EVERYTHING to do with the type of band they are, 'reachers' who, by nature(and thankfully), cannot command the spirit to return at whim.

we would just have to cross our fingers, with the knowledge we missed one hell of a party the night before... here were my takes, and thanks for reading, as i have been thinking about some of your other eloquent posts here...

The Orpheum, March 11th 2007 -

When the lights came down the front of the orchestra was fairly empty and it seemed a little subdued in the building... Cheers were loud but the cohesiveness of the crowd at the outset was not there.
I adore the Clash intro... if that doesn't stir your blood...

right off, it seemed Shane was not to be the shining light he can be, as him and Spider started a night of fitfulness between them as far as i could tell... Shane missing the lyrics of Streams was not as halting as Spider's body language if you ask me... and i am not picking on Spider, he seemed frustrated at from outset and that didn't seem to change. Shane's performance was certainly worthy of frustration at times if there is any truth to what i speak. So a bit of a grumpy, non-cohesive Shane missing lyrics start...

Fans filtered in, but one huge patch of the front orchestra, a patch that i am guessing was 'held back' to be sold after the band/promoter releases them at a time of their choosing... unfortunately they were never sold for whatever reasons... assumably the stretch of 4 shows in BOS quelled demand or idiotic ticket agents. Whatever the reason, it definitely felt icky and hollow to me, so much so i had to to the old 'move up' to at least feel i was part of the crowd, as i was directly behind that empty patch.

things grew looser and the crowd gained collective enthusiasm, and by Kitty-Sayonara-Repeal things were in as full a swing as they would get... Repeal was stellar and the best of the night if you ask me... and this little run made up for the uglier run in front of it, wherein Boys From County Hell, an uber-favorite of mine and Pogue show barometer if you ask me, was just mangled by Shane.

White City and sweet Tuesday Morning eased us out and we were off to a more satifying middle portion of the program... Again i loved Repeal. and in that vain, Thousands Are Sailing dedicated to RFK.
With Shane not on board in the fullest sense, the band and crowd certainly did what they could together and it was certianly an enjoyable evening...

But, back to all the bramble above... I write feeling unsettled in thinking i may not see this band again for some time and just missed Saturday night(ie.any magical Pogues moment) by inches... "what could have been!" Surely they all can't be winners, and that is exactly why i love this band, and respect all in their category, but man, is there a way to shake this feeling?

Write a diatribe to the forum as your first post?

Or, realize you have to be in New Jersey Wednesday, and if you work it just right, maybe, you could squeeze in NYC on Thursday?? are you crazy? are even there tickets left? would you ever have even tried if last night was Saturday instead?

I really don't know... and I like it.

what was the song that spider stacey sang on?

i really liked it a lot.

did shane fall on sunday night? or did he fall at a previous show at avalon?

i thought the show was great.
i wish shane could have sang "thousands are sailing" thats my favourite song and i wish i could have understood his lyrics. too garbled.

i love spider stacey! best guy in the band!

Spider sang "Tuesday Morning" from the album ( do we still say that?) "Waiting for Herb"

From where I sat it seemed that, as Shane was leaving the stage for a break he kind of turned to look back and fell. So not paying attention and alcohol seemed to join forces for the incident.

I was at the Saturday night show and have to say that it was phenomenal. I was hanging on the front barricade and very close to the band, so going to a theater with seats was a bit of a transition. Almost the entire row in front of me, the 5th center, was empty and that irritated me. Also in the front row, to my right were two people sitting the entire time. I am not making a judgement, one was an older gentleman and they may have had their reasons, but it was a bit strange at a Pogues show.

The band members themselves were on and professional as they always have been and as long as they keep it up, always will be. The funny thing is, is that after Shane fell, he seemed to gather himself a bit. The last encore, he had a bad limp and was in obvious pain, so perhaps that informed his performance by then.

At any rate, I was and never have been disappointed with the band. I could watch some other band roll through the hits seemlessly, with little variation and what would that do for me? I could have listened to the CD. I love this band live.

And to end my lengthy post, Mr. Ceveron wrote "Thousands" and brings that to the version he sings, which I think is brilliant. I wrote last year why I love the song and he conveys that every time he steps up to the microphone.

Quincy Dan wrote:Almost the entire row in front of me, the 5th center, was empty and that irritated me. Also in the front row, to my right were two people sitting the entire time. I am not making a judgement, one was an older gentleman and they may have had their reasons, but it was a bit strange at a Pogues show.

There was definitely something going on in that front center section. When the show started I had five empty seats on my left and about 8 on my right... in the 2nd row! And you say the 5th row was empty too? I moved up to the front row for a while because the guy in front of me didn't show up until about 9:45, at which point I moved back to my own seat. Who the hell shows up halfway through a Pogues show with a fricking front row seat!? Not that I'm complaining since I got to 'borrow' the seat, but really...

I wonder if scalpers got ahold of those 2nd and 5th row blocks of seats and were unable to sell them or something.