Titus Andronicus 'Furious' After Tour With Pogues

[Guest]

Titus Andronicus 'Furious' After Tour With Pogues, Band Shows Them No 'Respect'

Posted on Apr 5th 2011 11:00AM by Ciaran Thompson
http://www.spinner.com/2011/04/05/titus ... th-pogues/


When Titus Andronicus frontman Patrick Stickles found out his band would be the opening act on a nine-date North American tour with the Pogues he was ecstatic.

"This is like the best thing that ever happened to me," Stickles tells Spinner, recalling his reaction to hearing the news. "One of the greatest bands ever, and they clearly love us; we're going to be best friends, just like all the old songs."

But after the first gig in Chicago early last month, the New Jersey quartet -- who released one of Spinner's Best Albums of 2010 with 'The Monitor' -- knew that is wasn't a match made for the ages -- quite the opposite, actually.

"It's obvious that the diplomatic route isn't going okay so I'm just going to go back to the real route, which is to say that I hated the tour," says Stickles. "It made me furious throughout. I didn't think that we were treated at all with the respect that we deserved, not even the respect as saying 'we're an important punk band,' but respect that we're human beings."

"After doing nine shows with them, they never took the time to introduce themselves or watch any of our performances," he fumes. "The closest that we got to them was when we would have to load-out after our show so they could have a nice clear backstage area. We would be out in the alleyway, and they would pull up in their hotel shuttle bus."

The legendary Irish folk-leaning punk band fronted by boozehound Shane MacGowan were on the North American leg of their 'A Parting Glass With the Pogues' tour, and were originally asked by Titus Andronicus' booking agent if the band could open one show for them.

"I was like, 'This is the greatest punk band from my ancestral homeland of Ireland, and it makes me sick,'" says Stickles of the experience.

"The tickets were exorbitantly expensive, none of which trickled down to us, by the way. They paid us pittances -- not that that's the most important thing. They sing about celebrating the individual and they sing about everyone having dignity, even the downtrodden and stuff, yet they are happy to step on whoever they have to so that they can line their coiffures to the extent that they want to."

Despite the "dispiriting" experience, Stickles wishes to acknowledge tin whistle player and founding member Peter "Spider" Stacy. "He did say hi to me one time, that was cool. We talked for about 45 seconds and it felt pretty good."

Having finished the Pogues tour, Titus Andronicus are relieved to be back on the road where, Stickles puts it rather epically, "people are people and every human has dignity no matter how great or small their place on the world stage."

"It raised a lot of questions about the intersection of punk rock and commerce," says the frontman. "It firmed or reaffirmed for us a lot of things about how we want to construct our business model as we hopefully continue to grow."

[philipchevron]

"so that they can line their coiffures to the extent that they want to."

Chance would be a fine thing. Not all of us have "coiffures" still worth lining, you know.

We wish them well and hope their future touring experiences are a little happier than this one was for them.

[RICHB]

It reminds me of the first time I went for a pint with my dad ha ha

[RICHB]

It reminds me of the first time I went for a pint with my dad ha ha

Do I need to explain that???

[curbyrdog]

Did anyone read this?

http://www.crawdaddy.com/index.php/2011 ... he-pogues/

Has anyone called Spider "Peter" ever?

[philipchevron]

Did anyone read this?

http://www.crawdaddy.com/index.php/2011 ... he-pogues/

Has anyone called Spider "Peter" ever?

“It raised a lot of questions about the intersection of punk rock and commerce… it firmed or reaffirmed for us a lot of things about how we want to construct our business model as we hopefully continue to grow.”

Ah yes, that all-important intersection........that business model construction..........that continuing growth. Hail hail rock n roll!

[Guest]

That Titus band sounded really pissed off at the Detroit show... But I thought that was the style of music...

[NewJerseyRich]

It reminds me of the first time I went for a pint with my dad ha ha

Do I need to explain that???

Do tell Rich !

[Brian]

As someone who is a big fan of Titus Andronicus and very much enjoyed seeing them open for the Pogues, I'm sorry to read that they were disappointed by the experience. But I think the better course here would have been to express some gratitude for the opportunity and exposure, then shut the hell up. I suppose that's not very punk, though, is it?

[dparsons9]

The Titus boys should read Danny Barnes blog and apply his lessons on being a great sideman to being the opening band for legends:

http://www.dannybarnes.com/blog/how-pla ... elses-band

[DzM]

The Titus boys should read Danny Barnes blog and apply his lessons on being a great sideman to being the opening band for legends:

http://www.dannybarnes.com/blog/how-pla ... elses-band

I have never been in a band. I don't think I ever will be. But this ... this is all kinds of awesome. They should teach this in high school. "How to be reasonably successful while working for other people."

[Mike M]

Now, somehow, I'm even less bothered by the fact that I missed them in Chicago. What a whiny little prick.

[firehazard]

You'd think that the intersection of punk rock and commerce would be a place where there'd be a bit of a barney, and a few broken windows at least.

Actually, wouldn't "Intersection Of Punk Rock And Commerce" be a great name for an album...?

Anyway, the bit about lining coiffures is priceless. That Guinness shampoo doesn't come cheap, you know.

[RICHB]

It reminds me of the first time I went for a pint with my dad ha ha

Do I need to explain that???

Do tell Rich !

Wellll how can I say this without offending everyone ha ha. My Dad had a bit of a rep of being a bit of a hell raiser were we lived when he was younger. Anyway back in 1990 when I was 19 (he would have been in his 50s)I decided to go out with him one Saturday afternoon for a couple of pints (although he hadnt invited me in the slightest). Anyway i was explecting a large amount of drunken rock n roll crazyness with him and all his friends. What actually happened was my Dad and his mates just watched the tele for a bit and put on a few bets and talked about football. I suppose the point im making I presume Mr Titus was expecting to join up with the Pogues of the 1980's and be involved in some sort of Rock N Roll (or Punk with Folk attitude) Circus. In actual fact they were on tour with a professional mature (ahem) outfit. Im bound to have offended everyone with that ha ha

[john k]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/ap ... andronicus