2005 Azkena, Spain - indignant about some of the critiques

[Carlos Cantabria]

I have read some critiques which make me sick, and I would like to share my indignation with all of you.

In first place, I paste for you what a newspaper said about the Pogues, which was not a bad critique at all, but mentioned the complaint of some people:

"A pesar del transcurrir de las horas y de que el cansancio estaba reflejado en la cara de muchos, pocos se quisieron perder a otra de las viejas glorias que este año han acudido al festival. Aunque entre canción y canción de Pogues se escuchaba alguna que otra queja debido a que el concierto poco o nada tuvo que ver con el rock, la mayor parte del público bailaba y aplaudía a rabiar. Tanto que la banda de Shane MacGowan, que sólo se bebió seis copas durante la actuación, ofreció varios bises".

Next you have my translation (sorry for my English):

"Despite of the hours passing and of the fact that tiredness was reflected on the face of many people, only a few wanted to miss another of the old glories that this year have gone to the festival. Although between song and song of the Pogues it could be heard some people complaining that the concert had only a little or nothing to do with rock, most of the audience danced and clapped a lot. So much that the band of Shane MacGowan, who only drank 6 cups during the show, performed several bises".

Well, I can understand those people who complain that "the pogues are a folk group rather than a rock group, so they shouldn't have been contracted for the festival". Ok, complain then against the organizers of the festival, but not against the band, who just were loyal to theirselves (and to their fans), and we the really fans of the group were delighted by the performance. So WE the fans are the ones who have the moral authority to criticize their performance if it was loyal or not to what the band offers and what we their fans demand.

Here you have a headline which appeared in another newspaper:

"El cartel del sábado estuvo a la altura de las expectativas musicales y de público Los irlandeses The Pogues decepcionaron".

Translated to English:

"Saturday list responded to the musical and audience hope. THE POGUES DISAPPOINTED" (the capital letters are not on the original text).

Then, read this paragraph:

"Si Television y Bad Religion estuvieron a la altura, no puede decirse lo mismo de los Pogues, al menos de su vocalista, un Shane Mcgowan que parece perdido sin remedio para la música. Indolente y ajeno, se refugió en la penumbra, una actitud que volvió distantes a sus compañeros, hoy más cerca de los venerables Chieftains que de los Clash más fieros".

"While Television and Bad Religion responded to the expectatives, we can't say the same of the Pogues, at least of their singer, a Shane MacGowan who appears to be irredeemably lost for music. Indolent and extraneous, he found a place to hide in the penumbra, an attitude that made his partners to be distant, today nearer to the venerable Chieftains than to the most feral Clash".

Well, if Mr. Arturo García (that's the name of the fucking "judge") prefers one style better than another, that's his problem. But I insist in the fact that the Pogues were loyal to theirselves and to what we their fans demand from them. The Pogues must respond to what their fans demand, not to what people who don't like the style of music that the Pogues make demand, but to what we the ones who like their music style demand.

Now I am tired and must go to bed. Tomorrow I will continue mentioning some of the critiques.

Sorry for my English, and good night.

Carlos.

[territa]

Gracias, Carlos -- once again, parece que the reviews fueron escribidos antes de que ocurrio the concert.

(apologies for the south Texas Spanglish)

translation: Thank you, Carlos -- otra vez, it seems that las criticas were written before el concierto happened.

[worm]

thanks, Carlos. Could you say which newspapers said that?

and, for the record, Television were indeed outstanding but Bad religion were fucking not better than The pogues.

[Carlos Cantabria]

Why can't I access to the second page?

Carlos.

[DzM]

There was some significant database corruption that happened last night. Several posts to this thread were recorded in the index, but their text was not. It made things ... bad. While the poblem is now fixed, those posts are gone forever. Sorry about that.

[Carlos Cantabria]

Sorry for my delay. The thing is that, surprisingly, the last critiques that I have read are quite positive, considering the Pogues the best in the show with Social Distorsion. What a difference, isn't it? After a few days (these following days I must work) I will show you and translate you all.

See you.

Best regards,
Carlos.