-Brixton 18 & 19 Dec reviews

[Jon]

You'd expect nothing better from the Sun with it's right wing, pseudo racist rantings and the Torygraph is the posher cousin, they both aim to the lowest common denominator.

Michael Stipe has used crib sheets for years, as has Nick Cave but both of those acts do more than a handful of gigs every year.

Cunts, the pair of them!

[pogues24]

I am not Irish, was not drunk, and yet understood almost all of what was said and sung last night. Shane MacGowan was on excellent form, as were the rest of the band. Why do reviewers always assume Pogues fans are Irish drunks? Whilst I have no problem at all with Irish drunks - there are many English sober (and drunk) folk out there that appreciate the music of this great band - half of whom are neither Irish nor drunk.

It is a rather blunt stereotype. I'm Irish-American and people still think that means that I love to drink and that I will dance at a drop of the hat. Curse my mom for giving me red hair and freckles.

Iain

[Simon Maguire]

I am not Irish, was not drunk, and yet understood almost all of what was said and sung last night. Shane MacGowan was on excellent form, as were the rest of the band. Why do reviewers always assume Pogues fans are Irish drunks? Whilst I have no problem at all with Irish drunks - there are many English sober (and drunk) folk out there that appreciate the music of this great band - half of whom are neither Irish nor drunk.

It is a rather blunt stereotype. I'm Irish-American and people still think that means that I love to drink and that I will dance at a drop of the hat. Curse my mom for giving me red hair and freckles. :lol:

Iain

Well Iain, I'm afraid you can't avoid the sterotype. lol.

[JamesFearnley]

Jesus exactly

[firehazard]

You had to be Irish or drunk to understand a word McGowan said or sang...

You had to be drunk or Irish - or preferably both - to understand most of the lyrics.

Hmmm. So, apart from publishing the usual stereotypical crap, is The Scum also "borrowing" its reviews?

[Zuzana]

CAUGHT LIVE: THE POGUES
Sunday Mirror
JODY THOMPSON
23/12/2007
Full URL



Thanks to Faggot-gate the Pogues' sell-out London Christmas knees-up was suddenly in the spotlight. Not bad for a band whose last new song was in the charts back in 1993.

Yet by the time they appeared on stage the BBC had performed a U-turn and unbleeped the insults "faggot" and "slut" from the Pogues' Christmas classic Fairytale Of New York, adding to the party atmosphere And the Pogues, now in their 25th year, are still the best band for a knees-up.

A clearly well-lubricated Shane MacGowan, with the deathly pallor of the Ghost Of Christmas Past, still has the capacity to hit every note that's required - although not necessarily with the correct words. No matter.

The Pogues might play essentially the same set every Christmas yet you wouldn't criticise a carol service for featuring your favourite festive hymns. And no Songs Of Praise Yuletide special could get the whole place linking arms and jumping up and down.

Advertisement
The Pogues defy fashion. Their tunes will never age. Even Streams Of Whiskey and Boys From The County Hell from their 1984 debut album Red Roses For Me sounded fresh and taut. And the audience was filled with as many indie kids in skinny black jeans as blokes with thinning hair and expanding waistlines.

Of course, it was Fairytale that everyone wanted to hear. Guitarist Jem Finer's daughter Ella sang the sadly-missed Kirsty MacColl's part under a shower of fake snowflakes. And with "faggot" included, it sounded as majestic as ever with its tragedy, poignancy and humour.

It's no surprise it's been voted the best seasonal song of all time. It fair brought a tear to this old cynic's eye.

SET LIST

Streams Of Whiskey
If I Should Fall From Grace With God BMS
Turkish Song Of The Damned
A Pair Of Brown Eyes
Dark Streets Of London
Tuesday Morning Sayonara
Summer In Siam
The Sunnyside Of The Street
Repeal Of The Licencing Laws
Body Of An American Thousands Are
Sailing Boys From The County Hell
Dirty Old Town
Greenland Whale Fisheries
Bottle Of Smoke
Sickbed Of Cuchulian Transmetropolitan
Rainy Night In Soho
Sally MacLennane
Star Of The County Down
Fairytale Of New York Fiesta

[Fionn MacCool]

Now that's a good interview

[moose]

Now that's a good interview

You are right Toscs, i whole heartedly agree.

[Jon]

Now that's a good interview

Probably the first reviewer to attend a gig?

[Irishbookish]

Sitting in Brixton Academy listening to the magic created by Fairytale in NY was one of the highlights of 2007 for me.
The simple yet raw passion aroused something deep and primeval in the crowd, and when alls said and done Shane will be remembered for creating this unique magic.

[MacRua]

Now that's a good interview

Guitarist Jem Finer softened your heart?

[philipchevron]

Now that's a good interview

Guitarist Jem Finer softened your heart?

It's got strings. Horizontal strings, not vertical, so it can't be a fiddle or a sitar. Therefore it must be a guitar. QED.

[DzM]

Now that's a good interview

Guitarist Jem Finer softened your heart?

It's got strings. Horizontal strings, not vertical, so it can't be a fiddle or a sitar. Therefore it must be a guitar. QED.

Not necessarily. Could be a mandolin (see other thread).

[philipchevron]

Now that's a good interview

Guitarist Jem Finer softened your heart?

It's got strings. Horizontal strings, not vertical, so it can't be a fiddle or a sitar. Therefore it must be a guitar. QED.

Not necessarily. Could be a mandolin (see other thread).

A mand -? Ah, an 8 string guitar you mean.

[DzM]

Now that's a good interview

Guitarist Jem Finer softened your heart?

It's got strings. Horizontal strings, not vertical, so it can't be a fiddle or a sitar. Therefore it must be a guitar. QED.

Not necessarily. Could be a mandolin (see other thread).

A mand -? Ah, an 8 string guitar you mean.

Sorry. I got all bogged down in the technical industry mumbo-jumbo. It is, in fact, more commonly known as "that fragile kinda smaller guitar with all those strings. But not the one with the tambourine built into it."