Irish Rover & Sacred Songs

**Mon Dec 24, 2007 8:50 pm**

This has probably been discussed somewhere already, but I attended the Manchester and Birmingham gigs and was quite surprised by the omission of The Irish Rover from the setlist, seeing as this was one of the lads highest charting singles and arguably one of their best known recordings. So does anyone know why this song was chosen to be booted out the setlist, as opposed to, for example, The Broad Majestic Shannon or Sunnyside of The Street? Are some members not so fond of the song?

By the way I know that the band can not please all fans with their setlist and that songs have to be taken out from year to year (as Boys From The County Hell and A Pair Of Brown Eyes have been in previous years, but I found the lack of The Irish Rover really strange for some reason, like no Sally Mac or Streams of Whiskey).

**Mon Dec 24, 2007 9:38 pm**

Anonymous wrote:This has probably been discussed somewhere already, but I attended the Manchester and Birmingham gigs and was quite surprised by the omission of The Irish Rover from the setlist, seeing as this was one of the lads highest charting singles and arguably one of their best known recordings. So does anyone know why this song was chosen to be booted out the setlist, as opposed to, for example, The Broad Majestic Shannon or Sunnyside of The Street? Are some members not so fond of the song?

By the way I know that the band can not please all fans with their setlist and that songs have to be taken out from year to year (as Boys From The County Hell and A Pair Of Brown Eyes have been in previous years, but I found the lack of The Irish Rover really strange for some reason, like no Sally Mac or Streams of Whiskey).

We don't really put our shows together using our "highest charting singles" as a starting point. With the exception of "Fairytale", which is a bit of a cultural phenomenon that's sort of interesting in its own right, I don't think any one of us could tell you what number in the charts ANY of our singles (or albums) reached without checking a reference book.

We play the songs we like playing, or fancy having a go at, as a rule. Now and then, one or other song will feel a bit tired to us, so it gets rested. "Transmetropolitan" was a live favourite for many years. It got rested because we just got bored yelling "yip ay yay" [or "heave away" in our 'Tom Waits phase'!] night after night. But it has come back now sounding quite fresh.

I have never known "Broad Majestic Shannon" not be enjoyable to play/sing, as it happens. Same goes for "Rainy Night In Soho" and a few others. If we're happy, you'll have a better time too.

**Mon Dec 24, 2007 9:42 pm**

Fair enough Mr C, so literally no song is sacred to the setlist as it were?

**Mon Dec 24, 2007 11:00 pm**

Anonymous wrote:Fair enough Mr C, so literally no song is sacred to the setlist as it were?

When no song is sacred, maybe none is damned either !!
Walking past Stephen's Green I kept "hearing" Jack's Heroes,
silently hoping that that would be played on the night.

It wasn't to be, but now I realise that faith never hopes for too much ..

**Tue Dec 25, 2007 1:48 pm**

PADDYgoesDUTCH wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Fair enough Mr C, so literally no song is sacred to the setlist as it were?

When no song is sacred, maybe none is damned either !!
Walking past Stephen's Green I kept "hearing" Jack's Heroes,
silently hoping that that would be played on the night.

It wasn't to be, but now I realise that faith never hopes for too much ..

"Jack's Heroes" will never be played again because, alas, the subjects of the song failed to justify our faith in them.

**Tue Dec 25, 2007 8:23 pm**

philipchevron wrote:"Jack's Heroes" will never be played again because, alas, the subjects of the song failed to justify our faith in them.

I understand, still I like the song a lot though

what about Parting Glass then?

**Tue Dec 25, 2007 9:24 pm**

Without sounding like a suck-up, I think I'd rather hear something the band hasn't tackled in ages (namely Transmetropolitan, which I love to death) than something that has been played at basically every fuckin' concert since the beginning of time. It's a great song, but I wouldn't say it's quite the live staple/anthemic sort of thing that, say, If I Should Fall/Streams of Whiskey have been.

**Tue Dec 25, 2007 9:41 pm**

DrugProwlingWolf wrote:Without sounding like a suck-up, I think I'd rather hear something the band hasn't tackled in ages (namely Transmetropolitan, which I love to death) than something that has been played at basically every fuckin' concert since the beginning of time. It's a great song, but I wouldn't say it's quite the live staple/anthemic sort of thing that, say, If I Should Fall/Streams of Whiskey have been.

I agree. If the band had to play every song that everyone wanted to hear they would be on stage for six hours. It was great to here different songs this year(Trans,Greenland,Dark streets) It's good to change it around a bit. All of the songs are great so some are gonna get left out now and again.

**Tue Dec 25, 2007 9:43 pm**

DCHISHOLM wrote:
DrugProwlingWolf wrote:Without sounding like a suck-up, I think I'd rather hear something the band hasn't tackled in ages (namely Transmetropolitan, which I love to death) than something that has been played at basically every fuckin' concert since the beginning of time. It's a great song, but I wouldn't say it's quite the live staple/anthemic sort of thing that, say, If I Should Fall/Streams of Whiskey have been.[/quo

I agree. If the band had to play every song that everyone wanted to hear they would be on stage for six hours. It was great to here different songs this year(Trans,Greenland,Dark streets) It's good to change it around a bit. All of the songs are great so some are gonna get left out now and again.

Actually, the upcoming Box Set is just shy of 6 hours at the moment, so your estimate is probably on the short side.

**Tue Dec 25, 2007 9:54 pm**

philipchevron wrote:
DCHISHOLM wrote:
DrugProwlingWolf wrote:Without sounding like a suck-up, I think I'd rather hear something the band hasn't tackled in ages (namely Transmetropolitan, which I love to death) than something that has been played at basically every fuckin' concert since the beginning of time. It's a great song, but I wouldn't say it's quite the live staple/anthemic sort of thing that, say, If I Should Fall/Streams of Whiskey have been.[/quo

I agree. If the band had to play every song that everyone wanted to hear they would be on stage for six hours. It was great to here different songs this year(Trans,Greenland,Dark streets) It's good to change it around a bit. All of the songs are great so some are gonna get left out now and again.

Actually, the upcoming Box Set is just shy of 6 hours at the moment, so your estimate is probably on the short side.

Rough guess Philip. Wasn't bad though

**Wed Dec 26, 2007 3:48 pm**

DCHISHOLM wrote:
philipchevron wrote:
DCHISHOLM wrote:
DrugProwlingWolf wrote:Without sounding like a suck-up, I think I'd rather hear something the band hasn't tackled in ages (namely Transmetropolitan, which I love to death) than something that has been played at basically every fuckin' concert since the beginning of time. It's a great song, but I wouldn't say it's quite the live staple/anthemic sort of thing that, say, If I Should Fall/Streams of Whiskey have been.[/quo

I agree. If the band had to play every song that everyone wanted to hear they would be on stage for six hours. It was great to here different songs this year(Trans,Greenland,Dark streets) It's good to change it around a bit. All of the songs are great so some are gonna get left out now and again.

Actually, the upcoming Box Set is just shy of 6 hours at the moment, so your estimate is probably on the short side.

Rough guess Philip. Wasn't bad though

Well yes, but you have to factor in that there are over 100 tracks on the box set. Of these, more than 80 have not been previously released. Of the previously unreleased tracks, more than 30 songs or pieces of music have never been released by us in any form before. Those 30 plus pieces alone would take over 2 hours alone if we ever chose to play them live!

**Wed Dec 26, 2007 4:00 pm**

philipchevron wrote:[

Well yes, but you have to factor in that there are over 100 tracks on the box set. Of these, more than 80 have not been previously released. Of the previously unreleased tracks, more than 30 songs or pieces of music have never been released by us in any form before. Those 30 plus pieces alone would take over 2 hours alone if we ever chose to play them live!

And the problem with the Pogues taking more than 2 hours to play the unreleased tracks, with bonus of playing another full setlist is ????

Only kidding it would be a dream to many but a nightmare for the band

**Wed Dec 26, 2007 4:23 pm**

philipchevron wrote:there are over 100 tracks on the box set. Of these, more than 80 have not been previously released. Of the previously unreleased tracks, more than 30 songs or pieces of music have never been released by us in any form before. Those 30 plus pieces alone would take over 2 hours alone if we ever chose to play them live!

WOW,
so much new stuff,
great news,
I can hardly wait

**Wed Dec 26, 2007 5:54 pm**

Does anybody know why "Young Ned" wasn´t played?

**Wed Dec 26, 2007 6:41 pm**

I must admit, I didn't miss Irish Rover very much. The substitutes were better anyway

Irish Rover & Sacred Songs

Irish Rover & Sacred Songs

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