Well, I was too short to see the stage properly when jeevmon and I went to his Chicago gig a few years back, but apparently he puked all over the stage, then turned right back around and started singing again. That was definitely a concert first for me.
My husband was at a show where he came out, sang a few bars, yelled “Oh fuck off!” and left the stage. For the rest of the night.
I’m jealous too. Have a wonderful time! Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash is probably in my Top Five albums of all time.
I think anyone going to a Pogues show these days will be pleasantly surprised, especially if you haven’t followed the band for a while. Shane and the gang have been playing quite a few concert dates together over the last few years. It started with a series of dates around the Christmas season in Ireland and the U.K. and it has grown from there. I saw them in London last december and then again in Boston in March. Absolute magic.
The thing about it is that anyone going to Pogues show, with Shane singing, knows just how lucky they are. Most of us thought we would never have those days again. Many of the members of the band probably feel the same way. And that sense of mutual appreciation and love between the band and its fans becomes palpable during the shows. Its unlike anything I have ever experienced at a concert.
Kristy was missed for sure but having Ella Finer, Jem’s daughter, fill her spot on stage with Shane during Fairytale of New York was amazing. So much more meaningfull that just hiring any old vocalist for that song.
Have a great time at the show. You’re in for a real treat.
24 hours to go!
I didn’t realize it was Jem Finer’s daughter singing… I’ll reserve judgement instead of hating outright! 
This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing for me, especially since I never thought Shane would last this long. I think it’ll be a great show.
No cameras, cell phones, bottles, cans or nuclear weapons allowed in the venue…
Okay, you timid wankers, I’m going without you!
I just have to get dressed and we’re off…
Hopefully, I will have a coherent report at some point tomorrow.
I can’t wait to hear how the show was.
It was phenomenal! I was 20 feet from Shane, and it was all good.
A few random notes about the show…
First, the band- God damn, there wasn’t a man on that stage who isn’t an amazing talent. They were very tight and rocked the house for two full hours, including two encores. Every single number raised the bar.
But wait a minute! When did the musicians of my youth get so… old?!? The whole left side of the stage looked like it was waiting for a pension check!
In particular, Spider Stacy, Phil Chevron, Terry Woods and James Fearney rocked harder than ever. Spider sang a song (damned if I can remember which) and did a hell of a job. Who knew a tin whistle could be a rock instrument? I cried hearing Phil sing Thousands are Sailing, and that man can play a guitar! And Fearney plays an accordian like it’s an electric guitar- love that guy.
Then, to Shane. Oh my… I knew what to expect, so I wasn’t as horrified as I could have been, but frankly, it almost broke my heart to see him like this. While he’s singing, he is the Shane MacGowan of old- angry, raucous and proud. But in between numbers, he was incomprehensible (more so than normal) and, well, tottering on the edge. He seemd quite sad and bemused by the whole thing. He didn’t seem particularly happy about anything.
The set up was two songs with Shane singing, then 1 or perhaps 2 without him while he took a bit of a break. It seemed to work pretty well, and he didn’t seem overly tired by the end.
It was a long show, which impressed me.
About Ella Finer- she is a lovely girl with a fine voice, but she has nowhere near Kirsty’s chops and the song doesn’t suit her. She blew the chorus twice. And what really creeped me out is that she was dressed just like Kirsty- the dress, the flower in her hair… squick. And Shane dancing with her at the end was just sad.
Playlist? Yeah, right… Lots of stuff of of If I Should Fall From Grace With God and Rum, Sodomy & The Lash, a nice mix of old stuff and “popular.” Particularly moving were “Dirty Old Town” and “Irish Rover.” I can’t remember what two songs were in the first encore, but the second was “Fairytale of New York” (of course) and “Fiesta”, which was a right riot onstage and off.
So overall, the best I could have hoped for, seeing as Shane is who and what he is. The boys have only gotten better and faster, and I can still see the Shane MacGowan I used to love inside this tragic wreck of a talented poet.
If you have a chance to see the shows in LA or Vegas, get your asses there, please. Please.
Hummmm… I still got a house in Vegas…
Really, you should go. Last chance, perhaps…