Brixton Show Dec 18 & 19th 2007

[Fionn MacCool]

From what I could tell (from some way back) it seemed like Shane introduced it and the others said something to the effect of 'no that was last night' and after a huddle they went into Sunnyside. So, no, I don't believe they did play it. There did appear to be a little confusion up there at various times...

Haha yeah I remember that. I don't really like Summer in Siam at all, so when they introduced it I thought it would be a good time to go and find my friends on the other side of the venue... then Shane started singing Sunnyside I felt horribly tricked!

Had a fantastic night, well make that two nights. I was in pretty bad form going out on Wednesday after the gig the previous night and no sleep - I even had second thoughts about going at all! Got the ball rolling in the end though! It's an absolute miracle I found the energy to jump around for the whole gig - then go to the Swan and jump around some more.

It was a genuine pleasure to meet the Fora members, I find some of the users on here a bit odd but everyone I met (Wlashy, Beisty, Shant on, Christine, Johan, Mats, Per - I think that was it?) were all dead on. Cheers for that pint Shant-on, I tried to find you after to return the favour but couldn't - next year I will!

Have a good Christmas all

[moose]

[quote I find some of the users on here a bit odd quote]

[MissWalshy]

it was great to meet you TOSCS for the first time LOL

[Fionn MacCool]

lol well I didn't have you on the list to begin with, but thought you might kick up a fuss otherwise...

SHE FELL OVA
SHE FELL OVA

[Shant on]

I tried to find you after to return the favour but couldn't - next year I will!

That old chestnut !

[MissWalshy]

lol well I didn't have you on the list to begin with, but thought you might kick up a fuss otherwise...

SHE FELL OVA
SHE FELL OVA

x 2 more..



My dad said you were the worst tin whistle player in the world!! LOL!!

Good auld Tone.

[Jackthelad]

I fell over four times Ive never been so drunk.

And Shane only fell over once from what i can remember!! haha thats saying somthing. That was the first Pogues gig I've been to and it was superb.. manic aswell! It makes up for the show I missed in Dublin last year because of the fog around the airports.

I wasn't really that impressed with the band that was on before (The Holloways?) I don't think they suit playing live becuase when I looked them up on youtube and watched a video of theirs of a recorded song they sounded OK.

One other thing, what is the name of the song that is played imediately before the band comes on stage?

[Fionn MacCool]

That old chestnut !

Haha no seriously I felt guilty because I pretty much disappeared with the pint!
I'll buy Walshy a drink and she can pass on the gesture, thereby buying you a pint by proxy. A new, and interesting concept if ever I heard one.

My dad said you were the worst tin whistle player in the world!! LOL!!

Good auld Tone.

In fairness, I wasn't the only one playing it... and I can actually play Sean South fine, it's just the only tune I know lol. Well I can play The Sash as well but it tends not to make the set list...

One other thing, what is the name of the song that is played imediately before the band comes on stage?

Don't take my word for it, because I was locked, but I think it's Straight to Hell by The Clash.

[Simon Maguire]

Streams
Fall
BMS
Turkish
Brown Eyes
Dark Streets
Tuesday
Sayonara
Summer
Sunnyside
Repeal
Body
1000's
Boys
Dirty Old Town
Greenland
Bottle
Sickbed
--------
Transmet
Rainy Night
Sally
--------
Star
Fairytale
Fiesta

or something like that..

For Wednesday 19th we had the same except Summer in Siam never quite happened (despite it being mumbled about!), and we had Kitty in between Sunnyside and Repeal.

We took our lovely niece for her first Pogues gig. Lost her in the tide for about an hour but she washed up with us again in the end. Now she sees what being London Irish is all about!

No fair we didn't get Kitty!! Loved Summer In Siam tho.

Anyone at the 18th gig see Shane push his Microphone forawrd and it swung back and smacked him on the head?

[JohnG]

And he is in remarkably better shape than he was the last time I saw him (with the Popes - St Pat's - Shepherds Bush 3 years ago) even if he was 3/4 pissed.

Couldn't agree more. He seems to be in better shape each tour I've seen since the band reformed!

Very enjoyable last night. It was good to have the setlist refreshed - I think it's the first time I've heard Greenland live - brilliant. Well done to Phil's stand-in too, who made a more than able deputy.

Did anyone else see James and Shane throwing the artificial snow at each other right at the end, by the way,....I don't know, boys will be boys!

[Fighting Bill Treacy]

I suppose I could nitpick about the chainsawing by Shane during If I Should Fall, but it was a quality piece of damage control by Spider to get him back on track so i'll let it slide. As for Shane, it was his best vocal performance from the five Brixton gigs I've seen since 2001. And the sight of the entire crowd going batshit ballistic from the very back of the standing area at Brixton during Fiesta and Sally MacLennane still makes me smile! Top quality boys, bring on next year!

[Fionn MacCool]

As far as the new set list went, it was great to hear Greenland Whale Fisheries, but was gutted not to hear Irish Rover and Young Ned of the Hill. Out of interest, why wasn't Irish Rover played, seeing as it's one of the band's more popular songs and usually an encore. Would be one of the last songs I'd expect to be dropped. Transmetropolitan is a great track also, but not sure if it's ideal for live gigs.. not quite as.. anthemic as others.

It's great to see the look on first-timer's faces when the band 'finishes' without playing FTONY. I remember a few people asking if it was over and I'd tell them "pretty much, they'll play Fiesta now and then that's it", just to see the look of delight when Fairytale starts.

Did anyone else see James and Shane throwing the artificial snow at each other right at the end, by the way,....I don't know, boys will be boys!

Haha yeah, it actually made me feel kinda warm inside actually! Good to see the band enjoying themselves still.

Was Shane giving out to the security at the end? I think he said someone in between the songs about security, and at the end I thought I saw him leaning over the stage saying something to the security guys who were taking a crowd surfer away.

[Marke998]

I went to the above gig and would like to share my experience here.

The gig kicked off with half a dozen songs from The Holloways. The music was ok but the sound quality was poor and distorted. When they left the stage we sat in anticipation of the main event. We sat, we waited. We sat, we waited. The evening dragged on whilst some god-awful music in a foreign language assaulted our ears. Every now and then people shuffled about the stage. Occasionally, this was timed with the end of a song (was that the national anthem of Uzbekistan they just played?) and the crowd would cheer in anticipation of the band coming on. But no, they’d got other things to do which, I suspect, included trying to sober up Shane McGowan enough to get him on stage. So we sat and waited. We sat, we waited.

After about an hour and 20 minutes the band appeared. Someone shone a light and helped McGowan shuffle over to his microphone. He was so pissed he could barely stand let alone sing. He mumbled into his microphone and then started singing. Well, that’s not entirely true. What he did was to drunkenly slur into the microphone occasionally in approximate time with the rest of the band and occasionally in a way that sounded somewhere close to singing but was really just drunken shouting. It was shit.

The evening progressed with more terrible drunken singing, mumbled words and forgotten lyrics whilst the rest of the band continued to produce the really brilliant sounds I associate with the Pogues. The crowd loved it. I couldn’t understand why anyone would cheer the band whilst Shane continued to wreck tune after tune but I guess atmosphere and a lot of beer during the interminable delay before the band came on must have had the desired affect on the audience.

Throughout the performance Shane constantly knocked over his microphone stand and threw the song sheets and lyrics he had before him onto the floor. He didn’t know which song was going to be played next and the band had to nurse him like a sick child throughout the whole show. At one point a member of the band commented ‘Well, it’s better than being dead.’ True but only just.

They gave us two encores and the crowd went wild at the opening bars of Fairytale of New York. People were singing along and dancing in the aisles. They brought on a guest singer to duet with Shane and I have never felt so sorry for an artiste as I did for her when Shane mumbled and fucked up his part. He ruined the song but still the adoring fans cheered, danced and sang along.

When it was all over, I felt robbed. The Pogues had come to put on a show and give the crowd a great time. Somehow, they pulled it off but I cannot see how they can expect to keep a fan base when the lead singer is such a mess.

I knew Shane was ill before I bought my ticket and I expected him to be a bit drunk. But he was so pissed that he couldn’t perform and he let the band and the audience down time after time. That show made the band thousands of pounds but I for one didn’t get value for money.

I have always wanted to see The Pogues and was really looking forward to the gig but I will never see them again. Sober up Shane and give us what we deserve in return for buying your music and supporting you throughout all these years.

Mark.

[Paddy Rolling Clone]

You sound like a fun guy. Glad you enjoyed it.

[DES]

I'm sorry mate, but what did you expect? Unless you have been living under a rock for the last two decades you should really be better informed!!! Don't get me wrong I take your point and for the first four tunes I thought Shane was truely awful, but to his credit he pulled it back from the brink, there is evidence on youtube to back me up. His rendition of Rainy Night in Soho was superb, probably the best I've heard over the last few years of gigs.

Now I'm off to the pub in preparation for tonights Belfast Gig, Pogues Abu!!!!