Baltimore Sun: The Pogues @ Rams Head Live

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Midnight Sun
Sun reporter Sam Sessa covers the city's after-hours scene
The Pogues @ Rams Head Live

MS commenter/correspondent Mike Williams saw Irish punk rockers the Pogues at Rams Head Live last night.

Here is his report ...

At last night’s show, the Pogues’ songs about whiskey, rum, and spirited characters seemed like a perfect fit for Baltimore’s hard-drinking blue collar heritage.

After a lively — if not largely ignored — opening set by ska veterans The Pietasters, lead singer Shane MacGowan and his band mates played for almost two hours.

MacGowan’s gravely, sometimes slurry vocals showed the effects of decades of heavy smoking and alcohol use, but the combination of great instrumental work the tin whistle and banjo made up for it.


Even the state law prohibiting smoking indoors wasn't enough of a detriment, as MacGowan frequently lit up on stage — or had a glass out of reach.


For diehard Pogues fan or the casual Irish folk music listener, band staples such as "Broad Majestic Shannon" and "Dirty Old Town" proved to once again quench the appetite Baltimore has for energetic Irish music — especially so near to St. Patrick's Day.

Comments:

A slightly different perspective on this concert. To a great extent, the fans of the Pogues come to know and expect Shane's delivery (think Dylan) and would be gravely disappointed if he showed up verbally coherent.

He has become an iconic "tortured artist" for many of his generation. Were he to go "dry" tomorrow, I'm sure his delivery would remain.

The show was exceptional. The band was tight as a drum and shane hit all his marks with precision. The crowd was definitely in to it as well.

On a venue note, this was my first trip to Ram's Head Live (don't get out much anymore), and wow, was I impressed. Great sitelines compared with any other local venue (recher, 9:30, etc), clean sound, solid acoustics plus I didn't smell like an ashtray when I left.

The combination of an exceptional poet, rocker and supporting cast along with the venue made this one of my favorite concerts in quite some time.

Posted by: Jed Davis | March 13, 2008 6:17 PM

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