The Medusa Fora

It is time for the Pogues to play Cropedy! With all the connections these two band have, I believe it must happen.I am talking to you Mr Woods!! and Phil as well. When you guys came to Canada a few years back ( a huge thrill) all I talked about with my friends was Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny, then Kristy and the remarkable msuical lineage that the Pogues have. I am making my way finally this year!.THe Strawbs were recently in Toronto; and this topic came up. Before everyone retires, seeing the Pogues and Fairport at Croredy would be such a joy and event. Come on all of ya'z, make it happen!!!

Hell would freeze over before Fairport would let The Pogues play Cropredy.I would love to see that gig,but some of the Fairports HATE The Pogues.Yes i know that Terry Woods knows Dave Pegg,Gerry Conway and possibly Simon Nicol[who used to take delight in slagging off the band,and probably still does]I was present at that GLC SHOW in 1985 at The Dominion,when large numbers of Pogues fans,invaded the stage shouting obscenities towards Richard Thompson,who actually chose The Pogues along with The Boothill Footappers and Terry and Gerry as part of the support,The Richard Thompson Band headlined.Thompson was visibly shocked by what he heard and various members of folks OLD GUARD including various Fairports were in the audience clearly not impressed.I know it was along time ago,but what happened that night still rankles with some of the chin strokers.Similar events occurred at the CAMBRIDGE folk festival,ever wondered why THE POGUES never got invited back?The POGUES split the folk freternity down the middle,letters by the sackful was sent to SOUTHERN RAG later to become FOLK ROOTS,where the criticism and praise was generally 50/50.Editor Ian A. Anderson was in favour of this new[punk]folk movement led by the likes Billy Bragg,TMTCH,The Boothills and of course POGUEMAHONE.Just because bands like The Levellers,The Family Mahone and even Steve Harley{?} have played CROPREDY,does not necessarily mean THE POGUES would be welcome with open arms.Someone once asked Dave Pegg ,a few years ago why none of the so called New folk movement[which sounds cack by the way!]Peggy replied that his dog makes a better noise then those bands or words to that effect.So there you have it,POGUES at CROPREDY simply AINT gonna happen.Just pause for a second and think what it would be like at midnight where everyone is bellowing out MEAT ON THE LEDGE, i am sure that Shane might even know the song .But COME ON get real or reel even!Enough said.

i missed a bit of text out there,its early in the morning and i am in St.JOHNS NEWFOUNDLAND[aka the ROCK aka THE REPUBLIC OF...]Fairport Convention have always been one of my favourite bands,i loved SANDY DENNY one of the great female singer-songwriters she would have knocked spots off Duffy Winelodge!Richard THOMPSON ,legend,best guitarist after Hendrix ,most of the various Fairprts all bought something to the band.Incidentally, there was a lone voice in The Faiport camp who admitted to being a Pogues fan[after they gave him the job of course]MAARTIN ALLCOCK,who told me this himself in Germany in 1987.I have to admit, MAART did surprise me when he told me DOWN IN THE GROUND WHERE THE DEADMEN GO is/was his favourite POGUES track! Is it anyone elses?

Of course i should have said MEET ON THE LEDGE,though you can put your meat anywhere you want baby!

Cropredy is one of the highlights of the summer festivals it has a laid back atmosphere where the old farts and young bucks meet[on the ledge!] and have a corking good time.Fairports policy of selecting certain acts has sometimes been criticised.But,it is their festival and they would not want an organisation such as Mean Fiddler or the V mob getting involved,nor why should they?As for THE POGUES playing Cropredy,highly unlikely,one or two isolated incidents that occured a few years ago ie so-called new age travellers trying to gatecrash the festival caught the limited police presence completely by surprise,and in 1987 a few Jethro Tull fans kicked off when it looked like Ian Anderson was going to be a no show ,a few handbags and the odd pewter tankard was thrown and when Anderson eventually appeared,it was to a mixture of cheers and boos!Order was eventually restored, i that there has been a bit of history between Pogues and Fairport ,but even though it was a longtime ago,some wounds have not exactly been healed.

I'm not at all sure that the reasons we have never played Cropredy or returned to Cambridge don't have more to do with money than with some 15th century feud between Terry Woods and whichever Fairport it was. On the matter of the "who the fuck is Richard Thompson?" show at the Dominion (which I watched from the wings, Jem having temporarily returned to banjo duties during his paternity leave), it always surprised me a little that Thompson, who had indeed personally requested The Pogues, had not done a little more homework on us. I think it illustrates that not even our early "champions" had a clue what we were. That show was, in any event, the last time we were a support band in an indoor venue in London.

For the record, I've loved Fairport ever since that silly appearance on Top Of The Tops in 1970 (complete with bread roll) for "Si Tu Dois Partir", their version of Dylan's "If You Gotta Go". Richard Thompson himself was masterly and nobody who doesn't highly rate at least some of Sandy Denny's recorded legacy can be said to have any feel for music whatsoever. But the Fairports, it has to be said, have had their twee moments too.

Who says we'd want to play their shit hippy festival anyway? Unless the price was right of course.

philipchevron wrote:I'm not at all sure that the reasons we have never played Cropredy or returned to Cambridge don't have more to do with money than with some 15th century feud between Terry Woods and whichever Fairport it was...

Do you know which year it was that the Pogues played the Cambridge Festival? It's been the subject of endless debates round here for ages... Sadly, since the promoters lost a large portion of the money from last year's festival in an internet catastrophe, I suspect they are currently way short of being able to afford them again.

Cambridge and the Chairport Festival are sort of deadly rivals. Now that probably does stem from some feud dating to the 15th century.

DOWN WHERE THE DRUNKARDS ROLL - RICHARD THOMPSON
DOWN IN THE GROUND WHERE THE DEAD MEN GO - THE POGUES

I would dearly love to see The POGUES play Cropredy,Cambridge,Sidmouth,but it just won t happen.Certain members of Fairport would sooner have VERA LYNN or The Beverley Sisters play there instead of THE POGUES !A shame i love both bands but there is a history,for sure.Mind you Fairports have a habit of rubbishing other bands,[it goes with the territory]i know that the OYSTERBAND were non too impressed with their comments and they ,The OYSTERS have played at Cropredy....

Tygers Onion BASS wrote:I would dearly love to see The POGUES play Cropredy,Cambridge,Sidmouth,but it just won t happen.Certain members of Fairport would sooner have VERA LYNN or The Beverley Sisters play there instead of THE POGUES !A shame i love both bands but there is a history,for sure.Mind you Fairports have a habit of rubbishing other bands,[it goes with the territory]i know that the OYSTERBAND were non too impressed with their comments and they ,The OYSTERS have played at Cropredy....

I promise you, there is no "history", or if there is, it is entirely a Fairport fabrication. We're too busy taking care of the Pogues to be much bothered about other bands, quite seriously. But we will always be gallant towards the Beverley Sisters and Dame Vera should the need arise.

Spider Stacy wrote:Who says we'd want to play their shit hippy festival anyway? Unless the price was right of course.

Class Spider

Maybe the problem that the FAIRPORTS have with the POGUES ,but more to do with TERRY WOODS is the FAIRPORT v STEELEYE SPAN footie match in THE 1969-7O season ,which STEELEYE won.Thanks to the amazing ball skills of a certain T.WOODS and some bone crunching tackles by ex-FAIRPORTER TYGER[NOBBY]HUTCHINGS and the dazzling wing play of THOMAS the RHYMER who gave those FAIRPORT piss-artists a hard time[in England a jolly hard time!]Case solved,hey nonny-no, a wanking we will go........viva les POGUES.

Raymond Glendenning wrote:Maybe the problem that the FAIRPORTS have with the POGUES ,but more to do with TERRY WOODS is the FAIRPORT v STEELEYE SPAN footie match in THE 1969-7O season ,which STEELEYE won.Thanks to the amazing ball skills of a certain T.WOODS and some bone crunching tackles by ex-FAIRPORTER TYGER[NOBBY]HUTCHINGS and the dazzling wing play of THOMAS the RHYMER who gave those FAIRPORT piss-artists a hard time[in England a jolly hard time!]Case solved,hey nonny-no, a wanking we will go........viva les POGUES.

Well, I must say that has the ring of truth about it.

GOD LOVES A DRUNK,DOWN WHERE THE DRUNKARDS ROLL,I REGRET ALL IN THE MORNING.For someone who doesn t drink Richard Thompson has written some great songs about drinking!I am a huge Fairport and Pogues fan,i have seen both bands loads of times mainly in Holland,where i live.They have both been controversial at various times during their long careers.I can recall Fairports creating a stir when they performed traditional songs,electric style,i remember cries of JUDAS[only in DUTCH!]at a gig in the early 70s,memorable.The Pogues bless them!The best live act i have ever seen bar none. Sod the Purists in their chunky sweaters,weaving their own yoghurt!I digress,come back to NEDERLAND soon , POGUES,PLEASE.....