March 5 & 6 2008: Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL

[miked]

Wow - there is a big misunderstanding on this... Billy - reread the posts...

[Clash Cadillac]

If you are going to "pass along" don't pass along poison and mis-information.

I was glad Zuzana posted these reviews. Both reviewers immediately lost credibility with me the way they slammed Ike Reilly, however as Zuzana pointed out these are only personal views that you can agree with or disagree with. Don't kill the messenger because you don't like the message.

Billy, are you trying to say that only positive feedback should be posted here. Only messages that you agree with? That sounds like FOX news or something worse.

[Fargo Pogues Fan]

I had the privilege of seeing you guys play this past Thursday and it was absolutely incredible!! The show was flawless and one of the best if not the best concert I've ever seen. Thanks for putting on a helluva show!!! Good luck with the rest of the tour.

[Billy]

If you are going to "pass along" don't pass along poison and mis-information.

Billy, are you trying to say that only positive feedback should be posted here. Only messages that you agree with? That sounds like FOX news or something worse.

No absolutely not, I am just saying by any reasonable standard statements like "Back in the day, before he rotted away from boredom and booze, he was barely passable as a singer" are wrong and that is different then stating you like something or not. The Grateful Dead had only one hit single so does that mean Brittney Spears is better? The case could be made that Garcia didn't have a great voice but was a great singer and you don't have to like their music to come to that conclusion. If one is going to provide feedback of any kind (v/s e.g. just stating emotions / feelings like the show was great or I hated the show) then provide some basis for the remark as well.

[Billy]

Wow - there is a big misunderstanding on this... Billy - reread the posts...

What do you mean?

[Zuzana]

I am just saying by any reasonable standard statements like "Back in the day, before he rotted away from boredom and booze, he was barely passable as a singer" are wrong and that is different then stating you like something or not. (...) If one is going to provide feedback of any kind (v/s e.g. just stating emotions / feelings like the show was great or I hated the show) then provide some basis for the remark as well.

There is not much difference between "he is barely passable singer" and "I’ve never liked his singing very much" in a fan review – both are statements of what the author likes, just the wording is different. If another blogger said "Britney Spears is the best singer that has ever walked the earth", would you criticise him for mis-information and demand him to provide some basis for the remark as well, or would you just brush it aside, thinking something about incompatible tastes?

I think it’s better to enjoy the shows than to get worked up over reviews you don’t agree with. (And by the way, it seems to me the blogger whose review I quoted did enjoy the show.) This is a place to discuss all things Pogues, so negative reviews ("poison") have a place here as well as anything else.

[Billy]

I am just saying by any reasonable standard statements like "Back in the day, before he rotted away from boredom and booze, he was barely passable as a singer" are wrong and that is different then stating you like something or not. (...) If one is going to provide feedback of any kind (v/s e.g. just stating emotions / feelings like the show was great or I hated the show) then provide some basis for the remark as well.

There is not much difference between "he is barely passable singer" and "I’ve never liked his singing very much" in a fan review – both are statements of what the author likes, just the wording is different. If another blogger said "Britney Spears is the best singer that has ever walked the earth", would you criticise him for mis-information and demand him to provide some basis for the remark as well, or would you just brush it aside, thinking something about incompatible tastes?

I think it’s better to enjoy the shows than to get worked up over reviews you don’t agree with. (And by the way, it seems to me the blogger whose review I quoted did enjoy the show.) This is a place to discuss all things Pogues, so negative reviews ("poison") have a place here as well as anything else.

I guess we are beating the horse dead, I just disagree is all. I personally did not care for Ike Reily's music or performance for instance but no one can say he cannot sing or play well. So I think there is a big difference. One could go into a critique of his music and song writing based on objective criteria if one wanted to discuss it further along those lines. I felt the blogger presented a critique not an opinion and I just believe a critique needs some kind of basis and found his critique baseless. I don't begrudge anyone anything but in turn I get to respond. And sure the guy said he enjoyed the show but then characterized Shane as little more than a personality and again I disagree, and that is different than stating his voice is showing signs of wear and tear and even neglect. And again he has the right to say it but objectively speaking I believe he is wrong and I think I have made a strong agreement, provided a basis for that statement and provided recordings to back it up. And I realize in a forum criteria for being “objective” is not / does not need to be very strenuously enforced.

We could debate this all day long so I get your point and I hope you get mine. It has been nice chatting with you.

Cheers!

[Zuzana]

Cheers.

[O'Blivion]

I now pronounce this horse dead.


But wait...one last dying gasp...I expect, nay DEMAND a certain amount of snarky comments
for ALL of the singers I love the most. Not sure why, it's just worked out that way - besides
Shane, my list would include Bob Dylan, Tom Waits and Joe Strummer. And it's not just a
matter of "it's WHAT they sing, not HOW they sing it" - I actually LOVE how they sing, I
understand why everyone else doesn't, and what's more I take a certain perverse pleasure
in the fact that they don't. Because in each of these cases, people are missing out on some
of the finest, most profound musical gifts in history simply because they would rather hear
something pleasing to the ear.

That caveat aside, I enjoyed that fella's blog. Much of it resonated with me - especially, for
who knows what reason, the mention of the Pixies. The Pixies and the Pogues sit beside each
other on my CD shelf, I discovered them both about the same time, the same guy turned me on
to both of them, and both came back 20 years later to show that we were right about them the
first time around. Of course, nothing in the Pixies' catalog stirs my soul like the Pogues, but I
still love them.

OK, the veterinarian was just here. He said that horse needs to be buried before it starts to
draw flies.

[Clash Cadillac]

I had the privilege of seeing you guys play this past Thursday and it was absolutely incredible!! The show was flawless and one of the best if not the best concert I've ever seen. Thanks for putting on a helluva show!!! Good luck with the rest of the tour.

Another Pogues fan from the Dakotas.

There doesn't seem to be many of us. Dakotans that is.

[Eric V]

I had the privilege of seeing you guys play this past Thursday and it was absolutely incredible!! The show was flawless and one of the best if not the best concert I've ever seen. Thanks for putting on a helluva show!!! Good luck with the rest of the tour.

Another Pogues fan from the Dakotas.

There doesn't seem to be many of us. Dakotans that is.

Pffff! Are you kidding? The Pogues are HUGE in the Dakotas.

[Clash Cadillac]

I had the privilege of seeing you guys play this past Thursday and it was absolutely incredible!! The show was flawless and one of the best if not the best concert I've ever seen. Thanks for putting on a helluva show!!! Good luck with the rest of the tour.

Another Pogues fan from the Dakotas.

There doesn't seem to be many of us. Dakotans that is.

Pffff! Are you kidding? The Pogues are HUGE in the Dakotas.

Right, now when is their next gig scheduled here

[Icky Baldock]

I've never seen Christy Moore sing Spancill Hill with Shane. Wow! Thanks for sharing. Can't wait to see the band tomorrow night in DC.

[Michael Howes]

I drove from Toronto to Chicago - all in one day - to catch my first Pogues concert. Here's what stood out for me:

1. The number of young people. Didn't know that the Pogues had such a young fan base. The ones near me knew the words as well as the old drunken men standing in the pit.
2. Shane can sing, he just can't talk. Or at least can't be understood. I was struck that no matter how much he stumbled, when the music hit the point for him to sing, he reached out and grabbed the mic and off we went.
3. The music was fabulous.
4. I think the Pogues have the same following as the Grateful Dead had. What should we call them?
5. The Riviera was a perfect setting for the band. They are both a bit rundown but grand.
6. FTONY wasn't on the play list and I don't know if they play it now that Kristy is no longer with us.
7. My favourite song started it all off. Who else could have such a song include a line about Behan?

I didn't mind the drive so much, but Phil perhaps Toronto could be on a tour in the near future.

[territa]

I drove from Toronto to Chicago - all in one day - to catch my first Pogues concert. Here's what stood out for me:

1. The number of young people. Didn't know that the Pogues had such a young fan base. The ones near me knew the words as well as the old drunken men standing in the pit.
2. Shane can sing, he just can't talk. Or at least can't be understood. I was struck that no matter how much he stumbled, when the music hit the point for him to sing, he reached out and grabbed the mic and off we went.
3. The music was fabulous.
4. I think the Pogues have the same following as the Grateful Dead had. What should we call them?
5. The Riviera was a perfect setting for the band. They are both a bit rundown but grand.
6. FTONY wasn't on the play list and I don't know if they play it now that Kristy is no longer with us.
7. My favourite song started it all off. Who else could have such a song include a line about Behan?

I didn't mind the drive so much, but Phil perhaps Toronto could be on a tour in the near future.

Dear Michael Howes,

Congratulations on your first Pogues concert! I have traveled farther (but didn't drive) to see them, and infer from your post that you found it worthwhile. Re #1 -- yeah, isn't it great?! and, btw, how old are you? Re #2 through #4 & #7 -- I absolutely agree. Re #6 -- they do play FTONY during the Christmas tour, December, in the UK. Jem Finer's daughter, Ella, has been filling in, and is not only beautiful but (if it can be said) does Kirsty proud. An unforgeteable moment to be there for that.

Here's to many more!