Variety.com review of NY

**Sun Mar 19, 2006 9:32 pm**

The Pogues

(Nokia Theater; 2,100 capacity; $65 top)
Presented by AEG Live. Opened and reviewed March 16th, 2006. Closed March 19th, 2006.
Musicians: Shane McGowan, Spider Stacey, Philip Chevron, Jem Finer, Daryl Hunt, James Fearnley, Terry Woods, Andrew Ranken.

Posted: Sun., Mar. 19, 2006, 12:29pm PT
By DAVID SPRAGUE
Variety.com

Full URL

Timing may not be everything, but it sure counts for something -- as borne out by the decision to circle St. Patrick's Day when it came time to schedule the New York dates on the brief reunion tour staged by these Irish legends' original lineup. At this, the first of four sold-out gigs, the band couldn't entirely hide the ravages of age and indiscretion, but still managed to generate a goodly amount of its old energy -- and just about all of its full-throated celebration of life.

At the onset of the perf, it seemed as if the band was primed for a sprint, rather than a Marathon, what with the breakneck pacing and spittle-drenched delivery afforded "Streams of Whiskey" and "Turkish Song of the Damned." And while frontman Shane McGowan did take several trips to the wings -- to grab a breather or some form of restorative -- the group managed to keep up the pace for the better part of two hours, most of which was filled with their most uptempo material.

McGowan is often unjustly caricatured as nothing more than an irascible drunk who happens to have a flair for tapping into Celtic tradition -- an image he did little to dispel by shuffling onto the stage clutching a Costco-sized bottle of whiskey that was clearly more than a prop. Scratch just a bit beneath his grimy surface, however, and it becomes clear that McGowan falls squarely into the Gaelic tradition of smash-mouth bards, capable of cutting to the emotional bone without losing that twinkle in the eye.

That was amply evident in the passel of woozy ballads -- like "A Pair of Brown Eyes" and "The Old Main Drag" -- that punctuated the perf with a sentimentality that reconciled the ugliness and beauty that coexist in life (and love) on the skids. Whistle-player Jem Finer and cittern player Terry Woods underscored the inherent Irishness of the melodies, but tore into songs like "The Repeal of the Licensing Laws" with a feral glee that'd draw envy from many a Warped Tour whippersnapper.

Encores were chock-a-block with audaud favorites -- "Fairytale of New York," with Finer's daughter Ella tackling the part the late Kirsty MacColl did on record, resonate particularly strongly -- as well as rambling stories from McGowan's quiver. If the latter occasionally went awry due to a combination of denture-less slurring and inebriated cackling, nothing was lost in translation when the music was in full flight.

----------------------------------------------
© 2006 Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.

**Sun Mar 19, 2006 9:39 pm**

Not a bad review, thanks Zuzana! Go raibh míle math agat, a mhodhnóir!

**Sun Mar 19, 2006 9:52 pm**

I wonder when Jem took up the whistle.

**Sun Mar 19, 2006 9:55 pm**

Hah! Missed that when I parsed it the first time. Nice one, boss! Man, so talented these Pogues....

**Sun Mar 19, 2006 9:59 pm**

I also feel compelled to point out that I haven't observed this "Costco-sized bottle of whiskey" on the three nights I've watched (for those of you without the reference - Costco is a wholesale club for the public - buy things in bulk - something you would normally get as a litre, they'll sell it by the four-litre container, etc).

**Sun Mar 19, 2006 10:04 pm**

Is it possibly the much-referenced rosé wine in a demi-john? Ot could it be just a bottle of tap-water rendered darker by tricks of refraction from the journo's p.o.v?

**Sun Mar 19, 2006 10:13 pm**

Fintan wrote:Is it possibly the much-referenced rosé wine in a demi-john? Ot could it be just a bottle of tap-water rendered darker by tricks of refraction from the journo's p.o.v?

In DC, he was drinkin' from a regular-sized (~750 ML) bottle of what I'll trust was rose wine. It was pinkish, but I couldn't read the label -- in part because it had been partially peeled off.

And yeah, I also wondered when Mr. Finer took up the whistle.