Sun Mar 23, 2008 7:41 am
I guess it has been close to 17 years since I first saw The Pogues. Maybe it was in 87 or 89; At the time they were playing a triple bill with the Violent Femmes and Mojo Nixon. I really had no interest in The Pogues, I grew up hanging out at my best friend Hugh's house, his father would play these Irish records and I just could not stand them. So there I stood in the arena of the University de Montreal and out comes this band that was on fire, I couldn’t believe how powerful an accordion and a whistle could be, they were backed by what seemed like a complete horn section, there were guitars, banjos and other instruments that I couldn't identify. I had never seen or hear anything like it. They blew me away and were easily the best band of the night.
The next day I ordered every album I could find from Columbia House...when I finally got the albums I starting listening with great anticipation trying to find the songs that I had specifically heard that night. I think I had played fiesta about 10 times in a row, when suddenly my parents burst into the room dancing hand in hand in this quick spirited polka type waltz(I have German parents who often listen to big band stuff)...good times. Somewhere after the next time I saw them at the metropolis in Montréal in the 90's, life got serious with work, the kids...And I guess I lost the time I had always had for my music and I did not even realise it.
Then About a month ago Hugh calls me up (He now lives in Connecticut) and says that the Pogues are hitting Boston on the 20th of March and that we should go. I first say "NO" because going seemed impractical: I'm almost 40, It's a weeknight, I am needed at work, who are we going to get to watch the kids? I thought it was not worth the trouble. Then my wife says that she thinks we should all go (Me and her meet Hugh and his wife for supper and drinks and the show)...it’s a good plan because me and Hugh can get into trouble when were alone. Hugh books the tickets, we book our rooms and I send an e-mail to my work saying I need 2 personal days. Next day I sheepishly ask my mom if she would take the kids for a couple of nights, she asks why, I tell her and she smiles and says "JA, you always liked the poguies" (what can I say she calls Hugh...Jewie).
We leave Montréal (which is under ten feet of snow) early Thursday morning and are greeted by wintery weather in Vermont, Hugh calls us while we are on the road with bad news. Turns out that their baby sitter is sick with the flu and his wife can not make the show. Hugh is already in Boston on business and his wife was going to meet up with him, she has the tickets, Crap!!! A quick call to ticket master and we get reprinted tickets waiting for us at the show. Boston is warm (by Canadian standards) and there is no snow (WOW). We pick up the tickets at about seven and look for a good place to eat in the area. We find a great pub called Kennedys just around the corner and settle down for an excellent meal and a few pints (Bangers and mash is like northern German soul food for me). We straggle into the Orpheum at about 8:30 (Missing the opening act/sorry to Gimme Danger). Shortly after we arrive the show starts and we were not disappointed, everyone was in good form: James was on fire, Darryl looks like he hasn’t aged, Terry and Jem were as perfect and professional as I remember, Shane was a real team player taking the time to play percussion and providing (what i thought was a surprise) backing vocals on “The star of the country down”, spiders whistle blew trough me in a way that brought me back to 1989, Andrew was solid and strong on drumms and last of all was Mr. Philip Chevron, who softened my Prussian heart as I raised a glass not to JFK but to his glorious return after beating the odds against a disease that recently took my strong honest hard working father who once danced through my room to The Pogues…in better times.
When the show ended we walked back to the hotel, it must have been well after eleven PM. My wife’s boots where killing her feet and we could not find a cab, so she took off her boots and walked the rest of the way in her socks(Boston really is a beautifully clean city). So there I was walking hand in hand with the women I love, shoulder to shoulder with my best friend Hugh, and a feeling that I guess I had not realised was missing, I did not recapture my youth but I definitely re-felt it...good times, good food,good drink,good company, good trip...great band.
Thanks guys
Peter
