-Lumino Mag: Pogues Deliver Two Solid Nights at The Riv

[MacRua]

Pogues Deliver Two Solid Nights at The Riv

Riviera Theater
Chicago, Ill.
March 5- 6, 2008

Written by TAMMI OWENS / Photos by BARRY BRECHEISEN
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
Lumino Magazine

Full URL (with photos)

The first of two sold-out nights at Uptown’s Riviera Theater began with a bump in the road. When showtime arrives and your singer is nowhere to be found, that’s trouble, especially if that singer has a (lets say) colorful past. Yet, I guess it wouldn’t be Shane MacGowan if he wasn’t surrounded by controversy. It’s been a long time coming, but The Pogues are back, complete with Shane back in the fold, and on the road doing what they do best.

As the time ticked by, the one saving grace was the ever flowing beer that fortunately continued to flow and the masses indulged. Finally about a quarter after 9 PM, you could hear the buzz that Shane was in the building. Arriving out of the shadows from stage left, Shane arrived wearing a black stove hat, sunglasses and the ever present lit cigarette and an uneasy swagger as he made his way to the mic. The crowd cheered for their leader who would take them on a journey with their own style of Irish folk radical punk music.

The rumor, I heard later of Shane’s tardiness, was claimed to his confusion of the venue. Apparently, Shane was biding his time at the Foundation Room at the House of Blues, which Shane was under the impression was the venue they were going to perform that evening. Anyone that knows Chicago knows that the downtown House of Blues is no where near to the Uptown area of the Rivera Theater. Of course if they had just previous played a HOB or one was coming up in their itinerary you could cut him some slack; sadly it’s not the case.

Regardless, all was forgiven the minute the band went into the opener “Streams of Whiskey.” A title that was used in 2002 for an often panned live album from a gig of The Pogues from Leysin, Switzerland on July 12, 1991. Although the sound of this disc isn’t the top notch quality that we have come to expect, it captures a moment in time shortly before Shane would leave the band, with the guys tight and is a solid performance. The Pogues these days, a little bit older, a bit heavier and a few new faces since 1991, are still a great live band and the Chicago shows proved their ever lasting power.

Shane looks surprisingly healthy these days then I have seen him in years past. I still can’t decipher his in-between song banter, but it’s nice he’s still here on stage. He’s one of those people like Keith Richards, Iggy Pop, and cockroaches – they are going to out live us all. And God love them all…except the cockroaches. In fact there’s something loveable about the self destructive drunken frontman. The Pogues have proven they can exist without their toothless singer, but that wouldn’t be as much fun now would it?

MacGowan was in great form shining on the classic “Dirty Old Town” and letting out a great guttural wail during “Bottle of Smoke." Yet he wasn’t the only one taking on lead vocals this evening. Spider Stacy, who’s no stranger to the vocal duties, stepped up several times through the course of the night for songs like “Love You ‘Till The End” and "Tuesday Morning." Stacy helped keep the band alive when MacGowan left in the ‘90s and after the short but great stint by Joe Strummer. Hiding in the shadows, drummer Andrew Ranker also came in to provide vocals on "The Star Of The County Down."

Of course like many live shows, if you leave a Pogues show earlier, you might miss some of the best moments. I came back for night two to catch the tail end of their show and arrived just in time for the horn driven "Fiesta." Anyone who’s seen them perform this live knows Spider Stacy takes on the song in a special way. Spider takes one for the team, or his noggin, by bashing a beer tray over his head and adding it as an additional percussion instrument. I’ve read he uses a metal pizza tray these days but either way it’s got to take its toll on your head by the end of the tune. Still, it’s a must see live.

Regardless of which night you came out for The Pogues, both nights showcased a band that almost faded away before it’s time. The boys have been reunited on and off since 2001 but it wasn’t until 2006 they committed to a full-fledge tour. Now into 2008, the guys are back on the road and proving their staying power. At the moment there are no plans for a new album of new material. However, never say never. Who knew the band would ever see the return of MacGowan, let alone back on the road with him.

The boys from Kings Cross in London have proven their place in history. Their unique blend of traditional Irish music and the punk scene has continued to influence bands today. It’s great to see them all back on stage, but let’s hope they take that energy and talent back into the studio for one more go.

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© 2004-2007 Lumino Magazine

[meowhouse]

What or who are these "a few new faces since 1991" mentioned?

Maybe Philip could tell us the real reason Shane was late. Did he really think they were playing HOB and so was hanging there? I find that a little hard to believe but maybe it's the truth. I'll have to read the Chicago thread.

[philipchevron]

What or who are these "a few new faces since 1991" mentioned?

Maybe Philip could tell us the real reason Shane was late. Did he really think they were playing HOB and so was hanging there? I find that a little hard to believe but maybe it's the truth. I'll have to read the Chicago thread.

Shane was late because it was the first night of the tour and not everything had quite fallen into place just yet. The rumour that he was hanging at the House of Blues instead, which I hadn't heard before, can only have come about because our digs in Chi-town, the Hotel Sax, shares a forecourt with HoB.

[meowhouse]

I would imagine that with whatever schedules are prepared, and since there are person(s) who prepare them, and since everyone else apparently "knew" where they were supposed to be, that it would not be likely that he would go to the wrong place and just be sitting there thinking "Huh where is everyone? Guess no one showed except me!"

I'd really like to ask the writer where he/she heard this but I'll probably come off like a nutter.

[kgrunt]

See I had read somewhere that he was sick. I thought it was in The Chicago Suntimes...I can no longer find the article online. I Guess big Brother is at work.

[philipchevron]

Oh, for fuck's sake. At the recent opening night of the play "God Of Carnage" in the West End, the whole show came to a clanging halt for 20 minutes and the remainder of the play, when it resumed, was performed with two lights - the stage ghostlight and a follow spot fuelled by a generator. Opening nights are famously frought in all disciplines. It's just fucking tiresome being asked to account, two months later, for the Pogues lateness on the opening night of their most recent tour.

[meowhouse]

I didn't mean for you to have to account for anything. I am annoyed at the writer of the article for printing it that way when it doesn't make sense. I doubt Shane would be so stupid as to mistake a venue. Be tired, be busy with something else, not feel like going, be talking and lose track of time, yes. Wait for hours because he was in the entirely wrong place and didn't notice and conveniently not one person mentioned it, no.

[philipchevron]

:oops: I didn't mean for you to have to account for anything. I am annoyed at the writer of the article for printing it that way when it doesn't make sense. I doubt Shane would be so stupid as to mistake a venue. Be tired, be busy with something else, not feel like going, be talking and lose track of time, yes. Wait for hours because he was in the entirely wrong place and didn't notice and conveniently not one person mentioned it, no.

Meow, my apologies, my frustration was not directed at you and I'm sorry if you thought it was.

[meowhouse]

Thanks.

I'm overly sensitive sometimes. Don't mind me.

[Kriss]

Actually this is great. Now I''l be running around saying "Oh for fucks sake! everywhere I go.

[kgrunt]

Well, I hope it was not directed at me(since me and meow were the only people who posted replys up to that point). I drove over 500 miles to watch the show in boston and if anyone would have been late I would have just spent more money at the bar...

See I had read somewhere that he was sick. I thought it was in The Chicago Suntimes...I can no longer find the article online. I Guess big Brother is at work.

Truth is I only wrote what I did to point out how diferent articles show different truths(as they may well be false). I should have pointed that out or at lease put a at the end of it...crap, I am sort of new at the whole posting thing.

[meowhouse]

After getting over my delicate flowerness, I'm going to assume it's annoyance that every other group on the planet is allowed the possibility that whatever problem they had was caused by any number of mundane factors, but with this group there must be only one explanation ever for every mistake large or small, and his name is Shane.

Now let's all hold hands around the campfire and sing Kumbaya.

[kgrunt]

Now let's all hold hands around the campfire and sing Kumbaya.

I read that Kumbaya is going to be in the box set ... ...

[kgrunt]

Actually one thing all this has shown is how easy it is to lose focus...the concert review was positive

[philipchevron]

After getting over my delicate flowerness, I'm going to assume it's annoyance that every other group on the planet is allowed the possibility that whatever problem they had was caused by any number of mundane factors, but with this group there must be only one explanation ever for every mistake large or small, and his name is Shane.

Now let's all hold hands around the campfire and sing Kumbaya.

Amen.

And Amen.