AC Review from philly paper

[poguesfanphilly23]

Pogues please crowd in A.C.By Dan DeLucaInquirer Music CriticConsidering Shane MacGowan's hard-earned reputation as a two-fisted falling-down drunk of epic proportions, you'd think that the leader of the Pogues (and sometimes, the Popes) would have a long track record of disappointing his faithful fans with hopelessly inebriated performances.
But it isn't so. Sure, the bleary-eyed sentimentalist has been known to show up late, or not at all. When he steps up to sing his tales of hopeless romance and broken dreams, though, he snaps to with the discipline of a Catholic schoolboy reciting the catechism before a fearsome priest, never forgetting a word.
So it was at the Event Center at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City on Saturday, where MacGowan and the Pogues played a sold-out date before a rabidly enthusiastic audience on their first American tour together in 15 years.
Among the Irish rockers that invade these shores every St. Patrick's season (such as the Saw Doctors, the amiable Springsteen-ophile blokes who opened the show), the Pogues stand apart on two fronts.
First, there's the way the London-based, seven-piece band employs its traditional Irish instruments, such as Spider Stacy's tin whistle or Terry Woods' cittern, with fierce punk rock energy. Second, there's MacGowan, a first-class yarn spinner of the Irish (and Irish-American) experience with a touch of the poet, and a once-great singer with a battle-scarred voice, who can still put a lyric across with dramatic emphasis.
Entering after guitarist Philip Chevron's casino showroom in-joke reference to Sinatra at the Sands - "How did all these people get in Shane's room?" - the 48-year-old MacGowan was more than a wee bit wobbly at first, gripping the mike stand for balance with his right hand while he chain-smoked with his left.
But though he left the stage every third song or so, and his slurred song introductions made Bob Dylan seem like the Great Enunciator, MacGowan gathered strength as the night wore on. (And he didn't pick up the bottle of wine he brought on stage until the final encore of "Fiesta," when he guzzled from it, then successfully balanced it on his head.)
The show came to a head with the breakneck "Sally Maclennane" and a touchingly tender "A Rainy Night in Soho." The band's crowd-pleasing Christmas song, "Fairtytale in New York," appeared as an encore, with vocalist Ella Finer ably standing in for the late Kirsty MacColl, and trying to avoid getting her toes stepped on as MacGowan took her for a turn around the stage as fake snow fell from the rafters.

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Contact music critic Dan DeLuca at 215-854-5628 or ddeluca@phillynews.com.
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[CraigBatty]

I think this one's already been posted elsewhere. Cheers though. Made me lok.