2004 Media Reviews of Pogues gigs all miss the point....

[Guest]

Having just returned home to Hove after seeing the Pogues play at the Brixton Academy this evening (Weds 22nd Dec), I got home still feeling excited and wired enough by the whole experience that I decided to go online and check this website and see what others were saying.
To be honest I feel dissappointed with stalwart, stale, new-age-politically-correct reviews I have read in the media. It doesn't matter what Shane McGowan chooses to do to his pysical body so much as it matters with what he has chosen to do with his life. Its easy to see this man as a tragic figure, to judge him for living his life by no ones rules except his own, yet for me this is what makes someone like Shane so damn special.
That man's spirit shines brighter than all those healthy-living critics all lined up together, his spirit shines bright enough to light up every face in the Brixton Academy, surely this is what is there to be celebrated and applauded. Yet no we cannot applaud someone like Shane McGowan, we will judge him as mad, bad or sad instead because then we don't have to accept that maybe after all it is up to us to decide the rules we want to live our lives by too.
I cannot put into words how delighted I felt to have the opportunity to be in the same room as all of the Pogues and hear songs I have listened to on my stereo for many years, played live for the first time. I took my 18 year old son with me and have to say when the band finally came back to do their second encore and played the first few chords of Fairy Tale in New York, I felt it was one of the most magical christmas moments I have ever spent with my son.
Yeh I was surrounded by people that were drunk, who cares, so what, don't go see the Pogues if you have an aversion to people who like to drink hard, this is one of the few places they do and can belong. This is a place that maybe we can be free of those limiting judgements for just a little while, as we belt out Dirty Old Town at the top of our lungs while waving our arms in the air. This is joy, this is bliss, for everyone on the stage and off, exactly how they are supposed to be, how could they be anything else? We are all the perfect product of our history, Shane, Cait, the rest of the band, me, my son, this is just what we are, not good or bad but all joined together in flying jigs and soulful songs belted out by all.
Shane may well be the anti-smokers/drinkers lobbyists nightmare, because he IS still here, still singing, smiling, farting, dancing and they all said he would be dead, but look he's still here and shining more brightly than ever.
Fairy tale of New York is the christmas carol of contemporary culture, The Old Main Drag carrying to the universe to ever more poignant message of hope against hope. Anyone who misses the romanticism and sheer optimism and faith that the Pogues represent as people and with thier music isn't really awake to their own hope.
Wishing whoever reads this a magical and wonderful Christmas
Petra Creffield

[duncan disorderly]

Bless you Petra I loved it too but couldnt put it into words more.
I took my sister in 2oo1 and my best mate and it was the best gig we had been to.
This time we all went again and a couple of othere and they said it was the best ever .We sat up singing all night afterwards.Well worth the sore throat.Cant wait til next time

Happy Christmas and Best wishes for the nNew Year to you Petra and everyone else

[Guest]

Great post.

I was also at that gig. What a night!

I swear there were tears in my eyes as I sang along to "A Man You Don't Meet Everyday" and "Dirty Old Town".

They truly are a one off, God nothing makes me feel the same way as the Pogues.

[Guest]

Having just returned home to Hove after seeing the Pogues play at the Brixton Academy this evening (Weds 22nd Dec), I got home still feeling excited and wired enough by the whole experience that I decided to go online and check this website and see what others were saying.
To be honest I feel dissappointed with stalwart, stale, new-age-politically-correct reviews I have read in the media. It doesn't matter what Shane McGowan chooses to do to his pysical body so much as it matters with what he has chosen to do with his life. Its easy to see this man as a tragic figure, to judge him for living his life by no ones rules except his own, yet for me this is what makes someone like shane so damn special.
That man's spirit shines brighter than all those healthy-living critics all lined up together, his spirit shines bright enough to light up every face in the Brixton Academy, surely this is what is there to be celebrated and applauded. Yet no we cannot applaud someone like Shane McGowan, we will judge him as mad, bad or sad instead because then we don't have to accept that maybe after all it is up to us to decide the rules we want to live our lives by too.
I cannot put into words how delighted I felt to have the opportunity to be in the same room as all of the Pogues and hear songs I have listened to on my stereo for many years, played live for the first time. I took my 18 year old son with me and have to say when the band finally came back to do their second encore and played the first few chords of Fairy Tale in New York, I felt it was one of the most magical christmas moments I have ever spent with my son.
Yeh I was surrounded by people that were drunk, who cares, so what, don't go see the Pogues if you have an aversion to people who like to drink hard, this is one of the few places they do and can belong. This is a place that maybe we can be free of those limiting judgements for just a little while, as we belt out Dirty Old Town at the top of our lungs while waving our arms in the air. This is joy, this is bliss, for everyone on the stage and off, exactly how they are supposed to be, how could they be anything else? We are all the perfect product of our history, Shane, Cait, the rest of the band, me, my son, this is just what we are, not good or bad but all joined together in flying jigs and soulful songs belted out by all.
Shane may well be the anti-smokers/drinkers lobbyists nightmare, because he IS still here, still singing, smiling, farting, dancing and they all said he would be dead, but look he's still here and shining more brightly than ever.
Fairy tale of New York is the christmas carol of contemporary culture, The Old Main Drag carrying to the universe to ever more poignant message of hope against hope. Anyone who misses the romanticism and sheer optimism and faith that the Pogues represent as people and with thier music isn't really awake to their own hope.
Wishing whoever reads this a magical and wonderful Christmas
Petra Creffield

yeah