-Glasgow Dec 11, 2007 reviews

[MacRua]

First Night: The Pogues, Carling Academy, Glasgow
Irish spirit lives on as carousing Celts raise the roof – and a glass
By David Pollock
Published: 12 December 2007
The Independent
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When Shane MacGowan was unceremoniously rejected from the Pogues' line-up in 1991 during a tour of Japan, not many people – fans or otherwise – would have offered him good odds on seeing the millennium, let alone a reunion tour.

Of course, MacGowan - central to his band's image as a hard – carousing bunch of Celtic ne'er-do-wells – is blessed with a titanic capacity for drink. Although reports of his imminent demise have probably been just barely exaggerated over the years, he has somehow managed to keep standing and performing ever since.

While MacGowan formed the Pogues and continued to work with them through the 1990s, there's a dark and sad irony in the fact that he managed to survive Joe Strummer, his replacement in the Pogues until their eventual dissolution in 1996. Would that they could both be here to effect some kind of special guest duet.

Yet, in a world where rock legends with a real sense of individuality and charisma (no matter how abrasive) are in short supply, it's a real pleasure to see MacGowan still going strong.

Since they buried their many hatchets in 2001 and came back together for a Christmas tour, the Pogues' seasonal trip around the country has become an annual fixture. Of course, they're the creators of less faint-hearted types' favourite Christmas song ever in "Fairytale of New York", a fact leant even greater poignancy by the tragic death of Kirsty MacColl – MacGowan's original duet partner is another he's inexplicably survived.

By touring for only a few weeks each year and so far avoiding the compressed environment of a recording studio, the Pogues are doubtless mindful of spending too much time in each other's company, and it's a tactic which seems to be working. They look, as much as any other band, like they're enjoying performing. MacGowan certainly seems giddily satisfied, although that may be for reasons other than simple musical euphoria. If he's as half-cut as his speech might suggest, though, he's in good company – half of the crowd are clearly feeling the Glaswegian Christmas spirit.

To be fair, much of the singer's between-song conversation is unintelligible but he does get rather excited, when he mentions drinking brandy. His praising speeches for the crowd are accompanied by a raise of the glass and a tip of the head.

Yet his vocal performance is largely the equal of the band's rowdy but capably energetic playing. Amidst jig upon crashing reel, MacGowan is animated and enthusiastic. The vague busker's tone of his voice is perfectly suited to this two-hour marathon of closing time anthems.

He does occasionally waver – "The Irish Rover" is only recognisable from the music – but an addled triumph accompanies "Dirty Old Town", Streams of Whiskey and "Sally MacLennane". By the time he takes his bow, it felt like all our merriest Christmases had rolled up to the bar at once.

[Zuzana]

THE POGUES, CARLING ACADEMY, GLASGOW
By Fiona Shepherd
Date: 12 December 2007
The Scotsman
Section: Music
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Rating: ***

THE Pogues' pre-Christmas tour is now as much of an institution as the traditional sport of offering amateur opinions on Shane MacGowan's wellbeing. Here goes... it could have been a trick of the light, but he looked to be radiating a semi-healthy pallor and was steady enough to balance a pint glass on his head to much general merriment.

The rest of his party piece went off as expected - he growled his way through a succession of energetic jigs and spent the remainder of his time looking faintly befuddled by his surroundings. At his best, he unleashed his inner troubadour for one tender, waltzing piano number and was joined by 2,500 backing vocalists on the immortal Dirty Old Town.

The band were on spirited form, though the muddy sound meant that the music was often more rabble than rousing. It was, for example, not always apparent whether they were playing the riotous Sally MacLennane or one of the other reels that sound a bit like it.

In the end, sound quality was of little consequence to the crowd, who simply used the band as a conduit for a party where they knew all the steps in advance, they could count on Spider Stacy banging a tray over his head at some point, and winding up with everyone's favourite Dickensian carol, Fairytale of New York.

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[Noonan McKane]

Fair enough. A great show.

Did David Pollock used to write in The Glasgow Herald (Now 'The Herald)?

[The Duke of Ingmar]

To be fair, much of the singer's between-song conversation is unintelligible but he does get rather excited, when he mentions drinking brandy. His praising speeches for the crowd are accompanied by a raise of the glass and a tip of the head.

Did Shane really praise brandy ? In "A drink with ..." he called brandy the "worst drug ever". Or is this a typical MacGowan controversy ?