Jamie Clarke's Perfect

[Eckhard]

I am a very evil man

haha...i am sure you are mr.pratt...but i still don't really understand the point of your post ?
why bother...
...and calling me a parasite is just something i don't deserve.

whatever....lets all laugh about it...really i don't give a fuck...but somedays it just gets under my skin...

Okay, Mr. Clark, upon thinking about it I came to the conclusion that "Parasitic" wasn't probably the best word to express my opinion. Keep in mind that English is not my first language.

I think you had the bad luck that you played for the band at a time when many thought that it had finally jumped the shark - to use a TV term. "Pogue Mahone" wasn't a terrible record though - imho. I still have a soft spot in my heart for it. But that era stands for the end of the band until their reunion in 2001.

The way you promote your current career gives me - and others I guess - the impression that you still feed off your time you played for the band ( hence the probably unfair term 'parasitic' ). You play a lot in Germany and I quite oftencame across the bits those local newspapers publish on the internet ( thanks google news ) and there has not been one article I read where it had not been mentioned that you are "the former Pogues guitarist". Which may technically be not quite wrong, but..

Thinking about it again I guess one cannot even blame you for that.

Nonetheless it felt awkward to attend your gig. It felt like watching a cover band claiming to be the Original.

I guess the era of the Pogues that is usually connected to your work with the band doesn't make it easier to judge your work without any bias.

Hope this makes it easier to understand my original post.

And don't forget:

It's not personal. It's strictly business.

[philipchevron]

I am a very evil man

haha...i am sure you are mr.pratt...but i still don't really understand the point of your post ?
why bother...
...and calling me a parasite is just something i don't deserve.

whatever....lets all laugh about it...really i don't give a fuck...but somedays it just gets under my skin...

Okay, Mr. Clark, upon thinking about it I came to the conclusion that "Parasitic" wasn't probably the best word to express my opinion. Keep in mind that English is not my first language.

I think you had the bad luck that you played for the band at a time when many thought that it had finally jumped the shark - to use a TV term. "Pogue Mahone" wasn't a terrible record though - imho. I still have a soft spot in my heart for it. But that era stands for the end of the band until their reunion in 2001.

The way you promote your current career gives me - and others I guess - the impression that you still feed off your time you played for the band ( hence the probably unfair term 'parasitic' ). You play a lot in Germany and I quite oftencame across the bits those local newspapers publish on the internet ( thanks google news ) and there has not been one article I read where it had not been mentioned that you are "the former Pogues guitarist". Which may technically be not quite wrong, but..

Thinking about it again I guess one cannot even blame you for that.

Nonetheless it felt awkward to attend your gig. It felt like watching a cover band claiming to be the Original.

I guess the era of the Pogues that is usually connected to your work with the band doesn't make it easier to judge your work without any bias.

Hope this makes it easier to understand my original post.

And don't forget:

It's not personal. It's strictly business.

Yes, and at least James Walbourne had the good grace to address the matter head on in his post-Pogues band, which are called The Pretenders! Just kidding, Clarkey, just kidding.

And, for what it's worth, Jamie Clarke kept the guitar section chugging in the Pogues throughout 1994 while the ahem, other guitarist was up in the hospital trying to make an agonizing decision about his health and his future. For that alone, I will always be grateful to Jamie, as will the other Pogues. In the event, he contributed mightily to Pogue Mahone, an album of which, as I discovered while assembling Just Look Them Straight In The Eye...., I too am quite fond. It's not Jamie's fault he got lumped with the baggage that characterized the late Pogues years. Or Spider's either, since we're there.

[clarky]

I think you had the bad luck that you played for the band at a time when many thought that it had finally jumped the shark - to use a TV term. "Pogue Mahone" wasn't a terrible record though - imho. I still have a soft spot in my heart for it. But that era stands for the end of the band until their reunion in 2001.

well i still consider it my good luck !

The way you promote your current career gives me - and others I guess - the impression that you still feed off your time you played for the band ( hence the probably unfair term 'parasitic' ).

i think thats the right word for what you want to say

You play a lot in Germany

i live in germany

and I quite oftencame across the bits those local newspapers publish on the internet ( thanks google news ) and there has not been one article I read where it had not been mentioned that you are "the former Pogues guitarist". Which may technically be not quite wrong, but..

but what ???...i mean...i am a former pogues guitarist...just like Paul McGuinnes is a former shane macgowan + the popes guitarist and indeed also a former pogues guitarist, and just like Leesen is a former popes guitarist, and indeed Spider - when he played at Disneyland/Paris with his band before the re-union shows - was a former pogues singer - and all of these people announce that - should i not ? and that is all i say - a "former" or "ex" pogues guitarist ....i am also a former innocence lost guitarist and it says that too everywhere in my press releases, and most often in these newspaper pieces you talk about - of course they mention the pogues more than my other bands because they were the most famous - and of course i am glad that gets me in the paper instead of some other Joe...and i am fully aware that there have been, and will continue no doubt to be cases where ex pogues earns me more than some other Joe - is that wrong ? i mean in other jobs you pay more for experience and training and such things - why cant that be the case for me - is it not good to see me play a concert in your town for next to no money - am i not a good musician ?.. i am not stupid, and i am too old and fat that i would leave it out of my profile - apart from anything, i am fucking proud of it and glad that i was lucky enough to be invited to play with the pogues....but none of that makes me a parasite, or con man or cheat or faker or whatever - its the truth, i did play with them on 1 album, maybe that was luck - so what !...i do not pretend to be the pogues, i dont even know Shane that well, and my band does most definatley not sound like them - i do not know what drugs you were on when you have seen us, but 4 guys, no matter how talented , can not sound like 8...and we have no whistle, no accordion anymore...no Citern/Bezouki etc..and my arrangements of Shanes great songs, when you listen to them, are completely different..and in our programme are many of my own songs, aswell as songs from the kinks and Bobby Fuller, and songs like south australia and dirty old town which are not pogues songs..etc...etc....

Thinking about it again I guess one cannot even blame you for that.

Nonetheless it felt awkward to attend your gig. It felt like watching a cover band claiming to be the Original.

i do not claim to be the original, as i have said above...and think about where you get that idea from ? because i "used to play with the pogues " or because we "nearly sound like them " or where ? are the porters a covers band because they play Jesse James ? and if i played with them would they then claim to be the originals ? how many bands in germany and the US play pogues songs ?

I guess the era of the Pogues that is usually connected to your work with the band doesn't make it easier to judge your work without any bias.

here you have nearly got to the bottom of it...and thats why maybe it felt awkard at our show - right now i only play one pogues song from the "era" of the pogues based around my time with them - the sun and the moon from the pogue mahone cd (which i co-wrote) ...but please don't forget that i made 2 big tours with them and loads of festivals, and live we played loads of their old songs (of course) and songs written by Shane etc...and also, i was their guitar roadie for many years before i played with them...i know these songs..they are great songs..when i first started perfect i played a lot more songs from my "era"...but they got replaced along the way...make of that what you will...

and as a point of interest - my original blue print for perfect was the pogues with joe strummer...
now of course, after 14 years or more...we sound nothing like that either...but thats just my opinion..

Hope this makes it easier to understand my original post.

i understood your original post...to be honest - i even get the same shit from Spider himself...but i still find it all just bollocks and petty jealousy...i love what i am doing...i am most definatley NOT rich from it - we are talking about the difference between a few hundreds and sometimes thousands mentioning the pogues in your biog, and no more - and that is a million miles away from what the "originals" get moneywise.. you can believe me..

And don't forget:

It's not personal. It's strictly business. [/quote]


well actually, it could easily be both personal and business - but luckily enough i have a thick skin and seem to still have quite alot of work...so don't worry about it..


and thank you for your explanation at least...

[clarky]

I am a very evil man

haha...i am sure you are mr.pratt...but i still don't really understand the point of your post ?
why bother...
...and calling me a parasite is just something i don't deserve.

whatever....lets all laugh about it...really i don't give a fuck...but somedays it just gets under my skin...

Okay, Mr. Clark, upon thinking about it I came to the conclusion that "Parasitic" wasn't probably the best word to express my opinion. Keep in mind that English is not my first language.

I think you had the bad luck that you played for the band at a time when many thought that it had finally jumped the shark - to use a TV term. "Pogue Mahone" wasn't a terrible record though - imho. I still have a soft spot in my heart for it. But that era stands for the end of the band until their reunion in 2001.

The way you promote your current career gives me - and others I guess - the impression that you still feed off your time you played for the band ( hence the probably unfair term 'parasitic' ). You play a lot in Germany and I quite oftencame across the bits those local newspapers publish on the internet ( thanks google news ) and there has not been one article I read where it had not been mentioned that you are "the former Pogues guitarist". Which may technically be not quite wrong, but..

Thinking about it again I guess one cannot even blame you for that.

Nonetheless it felt awkward to attend your gig. It felt like watching a cover band claiming to be the Original.

I guess the era of the Pogues that is usually connected to your work with the band doesn't make it easier to judge your work without any bias.

Hope this makes it easier to understand my original post.

And don't forget:

It's not personal. It's strictly business.

Yes, and at least James Walbourne had the good grace to address the matter head on in his post-Pogues band, which are called The Pretenders! Just kidding, Clarkey, just kidding.

And, for what it's worth, Jamie Clarke kept the guitar section chugging in the Pogues throughout 1994 while the ahem, other guitarist was up in the hospital trying to make an agonizing decision about his health and his future. For that alone, I will always be grateful to Jamie, as will the other Pogues. In the event, he contributed mightily to Pogue Mahone, an album of which, as I discovered while assembling Just Look Them Straight In The Eye...., I too am quite fond. It's not Jamie's fault he got lumped with the baggage that characterized the late Pogues years. Or Spider's either, since we're there.

thank you Philip

[PADDYgoesDUTCH]

Nasty tone, Eckhard. I've seen Jamie play twice over the past two years, and by no means did he make any uncalled for claims about his Pogues history, nor does he do so either on his website or on his myspace profile. And his band by no means is a Pogues cover band at all, in contrast, by mentioning rockabily and psychobily apart from folk, I think he's rather clear about what he is and is not offering. One may like what he's up to now or not (he's not among my personal favourites, but that doesn't matter here), but bullying him like that really is inappropriate.
Indeed, your overreaction in apparently wanting to protect what you see as 'proper Pogues heritage' is much in line with critique received by Pogues (and before them by Dubliners) when they started giving their own twist to Irish music.

peace to one and all,
PaddyGoesDutch aka DutchIrishBastard

ps: on the terminology: a parasite takes from and does not give back in return, think neither might be true (cf. Philips remark).

[Eckhard]

Nasty tone, Eckhard. .

Probably. But I simply did not like it. Accusing me of bullying him is bullshit imho: I simply gave my review of how I felt about his oeuvre. As I already said: I may have been unfair, but that's the general dilemma with personal opinions: They have the tendency not to be fair. Kicking me for my opinion after things got sorted out is probably a bit cheap as well.

[PADDYgoesDUTCH]

well, was`t on the forum for a while, mate,
would have reacted the same a few weeks earlier though!

enjoy the Mùnster show anyhow

[Eckhard]

well, was`t on the forum for a while, mate,
would have reacted the same a few weeks earlier though!

enjoy the Mùnster show anyhow

Okay. No problem, mate.

Will you come over for Münster? I mean it's not that far from Amsterdam, right.

[PADDYgoesDUTCH]

know exactly how far Mùnster is, mate, as I played accordion for a while with Münster based Mr Irish Bastard,

might do so actually, would be nice way of meeting old and new friends

shall we invite Jamie ?

as Neck sing: EVERYBODY'S WELCOME TO THE HOOLEY

[Eckhard]

know exactly how far Mùnster is, mate, as I played accordion for a while with Münster based Mr Irish Bastard, ^

Ach?

Did you play in Cologne in 2008 as well as support for the Tossers? Really liked Mr. Irish Bastard then, even though the sound mix wasn't brilliant.


^

might do so actually, would be nice way of meeting old and new friends

shall we invite Jamie ?

Why not. As long as he does not insist to be the supporting act

[PADDYgoesDUTCH]

Did you play in Cologne in 2008 as well as support for the Tossers? Really liked Mr. Irish Bastard then, even though the sound mix wasn't brilliant.^

saw MrIB on that same tour in Holland with Tossers twice,
talked a bit,
then suddenly they bloody invited me to join 'em on the road,
played some 30 shows with 'em april - october 2008,
great fun, esp. as I had never played in a band before !!

they're a great band, though "Pogues-wise",
I guess you'd prefer Greenland Whalefishers

greetz

oh yeah, let's have Jamie in the audience drinking beers with us,
and then MrIB opening for the Pogues,
sounds like fun to me

greetz to one and all

[clarky]

i shall be at the amsterdam show. drinking beer. i think mr.IB are much better than the tossers...but it would be nice NOT to have a band in the same genre...afterall....as some of you like to point out...you can't beat the originals...

here is a link to some new (and old) stuff...
http://www.reverbnation.com/jamieclarkesperfect - music+videos

[Villajohn]

On the first JCP CD,Jamie mentioned O Ceallighs Pub in Groningen , Nederland,something about borrowed instruments,i seem to recall.I can well recall the after,the aftershow that took place in Peter Kellys pub in December 1995,all of the crew and several band members,and myself were there till the small wee hours,in what was wall to wall piss artistry at its most decadent!I became a frequent visitor to Groningen for something like 10 years,her name was.......my secret ,but we met that night,and even today Peter the landlord/boss/The Edge look alike{?}still talks about that night,which is amazing really as there have been other nights like that,but The Pogues only ever played Groningen once ,the OOSTERPOORT.Has Mr.Clarke got any recollections of that night and does he still have those Byrds/Clarence White cassettes i dubbed for him?

[clarky]

On the first JCP CD,Jamie mentioned O Ceallighs Pub in Groningen , Nederland,something about borrowed instruments,i seem to recall.I can well recall the after,the aftershow that took place in Peter Kellys pub in December 1995,all of the crew and several band members,and myself were there till the small wee hours,in what was wall to wall piss artistry at its most decadent!I became a frequent visitor to Groningen for something like 10 years,her name was.......my secret ,but we met that night,and even today Peter the landlord/boss/The Edge look alike{?}still talks about that night,which is amazing really as there have been other nights like that,but The Pogues only ever played Groningen once ,the OOSTERPOORT.Has Mr.Clarke got any recollections of that night and does he still have those Byrds/Clarence White cassettes i dubbed for him?

omg - do i remember that night ! yes...brill...and i have met so many musicians since i have been in central europe who were there that night or have heard about it. funny. that was a really enjoyable dutch tour. i think we drove home after that show...probably direct from the pub !
it was our second studio cd where a dutch guy Rob was playing banjo + mandolin had borrowed some instruments from that pub because he had driven to the studio in Germany and realized he had forgotten his...Groningen was a little nearer i recall...

hey...do i know you ? those Byrds/Clarence White cassettes ring a bell...i am afraid i don't have them anymore they got lost on my way to Germany somewhere ! maybe you could do them again for me. i remember Darryl did some great Byrds and kinks cassettes for me too, and they are also lost.

that would be great if you still have them and its not too much trouble. send me a PM for my address.


enjoy the boys this summer.

cheers jc

[Villajohn]

Good to hear from you Jamie,not so good you no longer have The Byrds tapes,but it was 15 years ago,i taped them from the various Byrds albums that featured the late,great Clarence White.I have all those albums on cds now,featuring loads more Clarence.I was [and still am]the boring old fart that used to follow the Pogues all over the place,i did all but one of those gigs on that tour of Nederland in 1995.The last time i saw you was at the last Pogues gig in that room over the Boston Arms in Tufnell Park,when i finish this message i think you might just about remember me.I know you was never a lover of footie,so my user name has probably washed over you....remember know?JohnMcGovern of Brum currently in ST.JOHNS Newfoundland--no more clues Jamie.All the best