NY, March 17, 2008

[philipchevron]

I was lucky enough to make it to both Saturday's show, and last night's show.
Last night, however, was probably the most fun I have EVER had at a show.
I got home, and went to bed with a hoarse voice, tired legs, and a smile on my face.
Thank you!

We enjoyed all three New York shows, though our consensus is that last night was the best of the three from a performance perspective.

Just trying to get my legs back, WOW is all i can say, i do agree that Mondays show seemed to be stronger than Sundays, i was able to attend both.

Both shows were excellent, but Mondays seemed to have a stronger edge to it, not sure what could have made it that way for me, but I'm sure it had a lot to do with meeting up with the many Medusans i was able to hang with right up there near the from of the stage, Katthleen and her husband, Vancouver Steve, and so many others, at present I'm having a difficult time recalling names, not sure if the Jamesons had anything to do with it, or maybe the Guinness??.......................

Phillip is was an amazing show all around, hearing all you fine musicians taking individual stabs at the mike for different songs was even more rewarding, as we all love and adore Shane and his uniqueness, when we see and hear what the other band members can contribute talent wise, it truly demonstrates how much "collective talent" has been accrued into one entity known as "The Pogues"??

i cannot say it enough, thank you, thank you and thank you once again, for such a fine couple of evenings of pure raw entertainment that you bring to your fans. The final song Fiesta, with Ollin and the Marseille Fig players all getting on stage for the final was just so rousing??

this was my second trip to New York to see you fellows, and the last words from Shane were??..........."thankyou, and we will see you all next year"??

I'am already planning for next years shows, so heres to the health of all the band members and once again thankyou to all of you, this band is so special to me i cannot describe it enough, and of course meeting all these other Medusans only confirmed to me that the rest of the world is totally "fucked up" and we Medusans are the only ones who really get the meaning of life??

"enjoy it while we have it"


kudos to all of you with spades??.......... and see you next year laddys??

It's a joyful noise. The world needs joyful noise at the moment.

[sheva]

It's a joyful noise. The world needs joyful noise at the moment.

Amen and amen, brother. Good thing we have you and your cohorts to provide so much of it.

[blownspeakers]

Got my videos from Monday up. They're the first six on my youtube page: http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=blownspeakers
The ones after that are from Saturday; a few pages back are my vids from NYC '07 and '06.

Enjoy! And thanks Philip et al. for the past three years of fantastic shows. I am so lucky and spoiled to have had a Pogues show (or two) each year since I began listening to the band a few years ago (at the ripe ole age of 18). I only hope this tradition continues for a while longer

[Kilkenny Cat]

Arrived back in the UK earlier today after a few days in NY. Went along to the Roseland for the Saturday show and thought it was just magnificent. (More than made up for the early morning rugby performance I witnessed in Kavanaghs on 3rd ave).

First saw them 23 years ago and this was my 44th show and have to say it's up there amongst the best. The band was extremely tight and Shane on top form. Certaintly the best since the reform shows started.

Highlights were Dark Streets of London (swear it was the fastest I've ever heard them sing it), Thousands are Sailing (great to see and hear Philip again), and Sick Bed.

The NY crowd were up for it too, plenty of singing along and dancing where I was standing. My only complaint...........what a terrible bar, just 3 types of pissy lager on sale.

Filmed just the one song in it's entirety which I've posted on You Tube (Rainy Night in Soho)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GqEei0p4CM

[SgtRock]

Wanted to post this since I'm very proud of it:

2 days, 2 shows, 2 set lists. One from each show I went to (sunday and monday)

[blownspeakers]

Ooh, I'm jealous! I used to collect set lists whenever I could, but now I usually move to the back before the end of a show so I can take off and catch a train home without being stuck in the post-concert rush. I doubt I would have been able to get anything if I'd stayed in the front, though -- the crowd was rather rabid

[BottleOfSmoke]

Got my videos from Monday up. They're the first six on my youtube page: http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=blownspeakers
The ones after that are from Saturday; a few pages back are my vids from NYC '07 and '06.

Enjoy! And thanks Philip et al. for the past three years of fantastic shows. I am so lucky and spoiled to have had a Pogues show (or two) each year since I began listening to the band a few years ago (at the ripe ole age of 18). I only hope this tradition continues for a while longer

Thanks for sharing!!! Only 363 days to go!!!

[Billy]

But at the end of the day what will remain...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQt0SHBXYxs&feature=related

See the moon is once more rising
Above our our land of black and green
Hear the rebels voice is calling
"I shall not die, though you bury me!"
Hear the Aunt in bed a-dying
"Where is my Johnny?"
Faded pictures in the hallway
Which one of these brown ghosts is he?

Fare thee well my black haired diamond
Fare the well my own Aisling
Thoughts of and dreams of you will haunt me
'Till I come back home again

And the wind it blows
To the North and South
And blows to the East and West
I'll be just like that wind my love
For I will have no rest
'Til I return to thee

Bless the wind that shakes the barley
Curse the spade and curse the plough
Waking in the morning early
I wish to Hell I was with you now
One, two, three, four telephone poles
Give me a drink of poitin
Madness from the mountains crawling
When I first met you my own Aisling

Fare thee well my black haired diamond
Fare the well my own Aisling
Thoughts of and dreams of you will haunt me
'Till I come back home again

Fare thee well my black haired diamond
Fare the well my own Aisling
Thoughts of and dreams of you will haunt me
'Till I come back home again

[BottleOfSmoke]

My only complaint of the show(s)...

No Guiness or Smitty's. Even on St. Patty's Day. That blew!

[DzM]

If anyone bought one of the claddagh shirts, preferably a girl shirt, in a size small or medium, and wants to part with it would you please let me know? I've got my doubts as to its future availability online because it was a town-specific design. I didn't have time to buy one, and am regretting that now.

Got you covered.

[territa]

If anyone bought one of the claddagh shirts, preferably a girl shirt, in a size small or medium, and wants to part with it would you please let me know? I've got my doubts as to its future availability online because it was a town-specific design. I didn't have time to buy one, and am regretting that now.

Got you covered.

thank you!

[Billy]

My only complaint of the show(s)...

No Guiness or Smitty's. Even on St. Patty's Day. That blew!

Guinness and Jameson should be mandtory at any Pogues concert or Irish Fest. Won't go to Milwaukee Irish Fest as they only serve Milwaukee brewed beer, yuck.

[O'Blivion]

Once again I run the risk of losing the clarity of my memories of this amazing night by letting them steep too long, so I'm just going to dive in and start unloading. It feels like I'm going to have to get downright Kerouacian (I may have just invented that word - if so, it's pronounced "Care-oh-wacky-en")to do it any sort of justice.

I just cannot come to grips with the fact that this is the third year in a row I've seen the Pogues - the fucking POGUES - over St Paddy's Day week. It's just a fucking miracle, a wonderful instance of one's wildest dreams actually coming true. This year we decided to go to two shows; our booze-soaked Baltimore exploits are recounted elsewhere. Since I came out of that bacchanal with only the vaguest memories of the actual event, I resolved to temper my intemperance to some degree in New York City. So when my Sweetheart and I hit the State Store Monday morning, we bought a half dozen airline bottles of Black Bush which we could easily sneak into Roseland. That way we could pace ourselves throughout the evening, as opposed to killing a fifth on the way to the show. NOT drinking, and not getting DRUNK, was not an option.

We met up with our pal Gregg and another friend in Harrisburg and hit the road. Gregg had programmed all the songs from the Pogues' current setlist into his iPod and we listened to it while we drove, then replayed the ones which aren't engrained in our DNA like most of them - Tuesday Morning and Love You Till The End and the Irish Rover. We were in New York in no time, it seemed, and checked into the Econo Lodge on 47th. The room my Sweetie and I were in was just a few inches bigger than the bed.

(to be continued)

[KathleenwithaK]

Once again I run the risk of losing the clarity of my memories of this amazing night by letting them steep too long, so I'm just going to dive in and start unloading. It feels like I'm going to have to get downright Kerouacian (I may have just invented that word - if so, it's pronounced "Care-oh-wacky-en")to do it any sort of justice.

I just cannot come to grips with the fact that this is the third year in a row I've seen the Pogues - the fucking POGUES - over St Paddy's Day week. It's just a fucking miracle, a wonderful instance of one's wildest dreams actually coming true. This year we decided to go to two shows; our booze-soaked Baltimore exploits are recounted elsewhere. Since I came out of that bacchanal with only the vaguest memories of the actual event, I resolved to temper my intemperance to some degree in New York City. So when my Sweetheart and I hit the State Store Monday morning, we bought a half dozen airline bottles of Black Bush which we could easily sneak into Roseland. That way we could pace ourselves throughout the evening, as opposed to killing a fifth on the way to the show. NOT drinking, and not getting DRUNK, was out of the question.

We met up with our pal Gregg and another friend in Harrisburg and hit the road. Gregg had programmed all the songs from the Pogues' current setlist into his iPod and we listened to it while we drove, then replayed the ones which aren't engrained in our DNA like most of them - Tuesday Morning and Love You Till The End and the Irish Rover. We were in New York in no time, it seemed, and checked into the Econo Lodge on 47th. The room my Sweetie and I were in was just a few inches bigger than the bed.

(to be continued)

hahaha, you and sweetie were fun with the Black Bush and all! Great to be holding onto the rail with yez all.

[O'Blivion]

hahaha, you and sweetie were fun with the Black Bush and all! Great to be holding onto the rail with yez all.

Oh my, the pleasure was all ours!

WHAT AM I SAYING? The pleasure, fun and pure JOY were EVERYONE'S.

the narrative continues:

Another major change in our drinking strategy for the night was : MUST EAT FOOD.

We crossed the street to a conveniently-located Irish bar named "The Blarney Stone" (one of 8,000 "Blarney Stone"s in Manhattan, I gather) but couldn't get a drink, let alone order food. Drunks were spilling out the door and into the street. We continued up 8th Avenue and found another establishment which wasn't quite so Irish and claimed a booth. We ordered beers, which came in ridiculously small glasses - Gregg had vowed (in jest, as it transpired) to limit himself to three drinks, and reckoned this dixie cup full of Guinness was only worth a half. As we waited for our food to arrive, an Irish bagpipe band marched in the door from the recently-ended parade and played a beautiful rendition of "America The Beautiful." Then they marched up the stairs to serenade the other level, giving our table a perfect view up each of their kilts.


The jukebox in there was all Irish but it was mostly Flogging Molly and U2. Jesus CHRIST, I thought as I gulped down another Guinness, the fucking POGUES are right up the damned street...just then "Body of An American" came on full-tilt. Everyone sang along. We continued up the street to Roseland with a spring in our steps.

I went into the box office to reclaim after-show passes. They're not available until the door opens, I was told. Shit. I'd hoped to be able to get in early and grab a spot at the rail. But instead I returned outside and got in line behind a few early-arriving fans. My posse all went down 52nd to buy shots of tequila; I held our spot and sipped Bushmills out of an orange juice bottle I'd carried with me. (The Black Bush was for later - I'd doled it out to everyone with me as emergency rations to be retained for the encores) I chatted with an American expat who was just in town from Okinawa and had happily stumbled across the show. When my friends returned, he and Gregg traded scuba diving stories.


The marquee said "Tix Available",
which pissed me off. They'd just
released more tickets. "Sold Out"
makes a better photo.

The doors opened and we went through a polite pat-down which missed all of my Black Bush bottles, and some other contraban. While my Sweetheart went off to get us a spot at the rail, I got in another line to retrieve aftershow wristbands.

While I waited, I chatted with some west coast folks who were there with Ollin, the opening band. I'd read about them - described as "Mexican Pogues" I believe - and was looking forward to seeing them.

After an excruciating wait, the girl at the ticket window finally got around to the guest list. I was soon in the door. I rushed to the nearest bar. "Guinness", I said. "Sorry. Bud, Bud Lite, or Beck's." WHAAAAT??? WTF? Two guys from Ireland commiserated with me as I settled for a $7 CAN of BECK's poured into a plastic cup. What a fucking joke. How could Roseland NOT stock up on Guinness on this of all nights???? Don't they like money????? Plus it's just wrong. Guinness and good Irish whiskey are SACRAMENTS at a Pogues show. This was like having Communion but forgetting the Christ crackers.

In a few moments we were reunited at the rail - at the same spot I always end up at, it seems, on Terry & Philip's side of the stage. People all around us were friendly, good folks, and everyone was in high spirits. Everyone's yer kin at a Pogues show, especially in New York on St. Paddy's Day...before we knew it William Elliot Whitmore was playing. Being aficionados of old 78s as we are, his style and delivery won us over immediately. Playing his ancient, backless, hill-country banjo and stomping his foot, he would've sounded the same a century earlier. His set was too short, if anything. Seemed like four songs; the last one, "John Law", a request which he debated aloud about playing as there were probably more than a few off-duty cops in the audience. Still, he played it and lived to tell the tale. I'm sure the cop in the song wasn't an Irish cop.

(to be continued)