Rover Shane As Wild As Ever (Meteor Awards)

[MacRua]

Rover Shane As Wild As Ever
NewsLetter
By Ian Starrett
Friday 10th February 2006
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<blockquote>Some would say that it's a miracle but Shane McGowan is still going strong. Those who tuned into Sunday's RTE recording of the 2006 Meteor Music Awards will have seen him up on stage belting out The Irish Rover with the Dubliners and The Pogues after he and The Pogues had received a Lifetime Achievement Award.

I'm glad I flicked over from the ITV coverage of the American Super Bowl XLactually I had really wanted to see the half-time show there during which scrawny Mick Jagger and the Strolling Bones sang three songs - to catch this finale to the Patrick Kielty-hosted big night in Dublin. In the end I enjoyed Shane and Co almost as much as Jagger's gang over in Detroit.

It must be nearly two decades since I last watched Shane, The Pogues and Dubliners singing this very same song in Londonderry Guildhall - albeit I thought back then with a bit more gusto than on Sunday night (perhaps we were all so much younger then!) - before we all popped around to the Monaco Bar in Custom House Street for some liquid refreshment.

There was also some pleasurable company around at that Maiden City gig, including Liverpudlian comedian Tom O'Connor and ex-Miss UK Debbie Greenwood, who that week were hosting a lunchtime TV roadshow series direct from the Londonderry Guildhall.

It had been a programme that had shown this then beleagured city in a favourable light at a troublesome time when we were in the news for all the wrong reasons, indeed during that week there was indeed a bomb scare evacuation at one of the daily shows.

Anyhow, Shane is set to return to the banks of the River Foyle, a scheduled appearance on Sunday March 3 is a highlight of the Springtime schedule at the Millennium Forum.

While it may be unseasonally inappropriate at a pre-St Patrick's Day show I really hope Shane treats us that night to a version of The Fairytale of New York, still my favourite Christmas song.

Shane as traditional/punk frontman and songwriter is a treasure and we hope that his days will be long in the land, despite the worries sometimes expressed about him.

Incidentally the Millennium Forum's Spring programme also includes a visit on Sunday April 30 by vocalist/saxophonist Curtis Stigers, a classically trained clarinet player, who has actually leaned towards a jazz sound for his last couple of albums. Coming up too at the East Wall venue from April 4-8 will be Guys and Dolls, presented by Londonderry Musical Society.</blockquote>