Review: The Pogues

Photos by Chuck France/Special to The Star

On a raw, rainy Sunday night in Kansas City, the Pogues came to the Midland theater. About 1,300 fans showed up to watch and listen, and though I can only guess how many were seeing this renowned Irish/punk band for the first time, it's accurate to say everyone in the place was seeing them in Kansas City for the first time.

Thus the air of anticipation in the room before the show, much of it due  to the band's frontman, Shane MacGowan, whose infatuation with alcohol is legend. About 9:20 p.m., the lights went down and the P.A. started playing the Clash's "Straight to Hell." MacGowan and his band were reporting for duty. Within moments, they were singing "Streams of Whiskey," foreshadowing intended.

The Pogues played for about 105 minutes. MacGowan was on stage for nearly 80 percent of that time, give or take five minutes. He tripped once -- took a face-down header to the floor as he left the stage. But he responded with a rejoinder: "That's why they call me Captain Trips." Otherwise, he was upright, if not completely upstanding, and relatively sharp, his enunciation not withstanding.

If you could pick a time to see one of your favorite bands for the first time it probably would not be at a time when most of its members are headed towards their 60s and their lead singer is in his third decade of debauchery. It'd be when they were vibrant and vital, like the Stones or the Who in the late '60s.

At the end of the new millennium's first decade, the reunited Pogues aren''t young and vibrant but they have rekindled some of their vitality. As a freewheeling band, they can still start a roaring fire, especially accordionist James Fearnley, the resident gymnast and cheerleader, who slid across the stage on knee pads several times; and banjo player Jem Finer and mandolinist Terry Woods, who applied accents and filigrees to the arrangements all night.  

When MacGowan was escorted/ushered off the stage, someone took over lead vocals, like Spider Stacy on the jaunty "Tuesday Morning," a track recorded after MacGowan was booted from the band.

The center of most everyone's attention, though, was the cadaverous MacGowan, whose acccessories included large sunglasses, a lit cigarette and a drink. As he strutted on stage, he looked like a combination of Keith Richards and Cruella DeVille (with a touch of Dean Martin). 

When he spoke -- a mix of a hard growl and a wheeze -- he was pretty much incomprehensible, kind of like Ozzy Osbourne, as a friend reminded me. ("I need closed-captioning," a friend texted.) But when he sang it was usually a different story. He sounded rough and reckless during a few songs, and he wasn't helped by the sound mix, which was spotty at best.

 
But MacGowan  can still deliver a performance that will make a longtime fan grateful that he was there to hear it, as he did during a heartfelt rendition of "Rainy Night in Soho" or during the evening's other stellar moment, the Celtic string-band rendition of "Dirty Old Town." Even the hyperventilating version of "If I Should Fall From Grace With God," an early highlight, sounded close enough to the original that you could ignore its sloppy edges.

There were other highlights: the traditional "Irish Rover," which MacGowan introduced as "Dog, which is God spelled backwards"; "Sunnyside of the Street"; "The Old Main Drag"; "Bottle of Smoke"; and the two rollicking closers, "Poor Paddy" and "Fiesta." 

Those of us who had never seen the Pogues before Sunday night had nothing to compare this show to; so it would be easy to let the thrill of the opportunity overshadow the quality of the performance and MacGowan's behavior, which was both charming and oddball at the same time -- like the random banshee shrieks he issued a few times.

He also smoked and drank nonstop on stage. During the final number, he poured beer from a bottle onto his face and into his mouth; much of it ended up on the floor. You could get indignant about the stereotype he was reinforcing, or you could laugh, shake your head and look the other way, which is was most people seemed to do. 

Even by the strictest of measures, this was a lively and entertaining -- though imperfect -- show, certainly worth the $45 admission. It was also a once-in-a-lifetime performance, if only because it's highly unlikely the Pogues will come this way again, no matter how long Shane remains standing.

The Detroit Cobras: The openers, a garage/cover band from Motown, have improved their live shows. They made a good impression on a crowd that was hungering for the headliners to hit the stage. The Midland felt a little large for them, though. At a place like the RecordBar, they would have killed. 

| Timothy Finn, The Star

 

Comments

[Gulliver Foyle, Jr.]

While I cannot say I disagree with any one specific in this review, the show I saw last night was far more entertaining and, frankly, better musically. The musicianship of the other seven is and was stellar, and Shane was close to understandable.
The crowd was tame by Pogues standards, but this was very good show. Perhaps the bar isn't as high as 1988, but nobody who followed the band in the 80s ever thought there would be a Kansas City show in 2009 with these eight musicians.
Okay, it seems I suffer from diminished expectations, but last night at the Midland was much more fun and better music than this review says.
The Denver Post blog, Reverb, has a much better review of a very similar show from last Friday. Check it out.

[ReverbTank]

I focking loved it. Was anyone close enough to confirm the presence of teeth?

[Penny]

Good review, Tim. This show was my introduction to the Pogues and I think you described it very accurately. I'm not an old fan, but I loved it that the devoted crowd seemed to love every minute. I shot some video clips that aren't bad, but the sound wasn't the greatest from where I sat. They are posted on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/my_videos

[-phil.]

The show was absolutely incredible...stunning. Spider Stacy's "percussion" of the cookie sheet against his skull repeatedly during "Fiesta" was hilarious.

And ReverbTank, Shane got a whole new set of choppers not long ago, so he's got a full mouth of pre-yellowed fakes now.

[-phil.]

Here's the story and photo of Shane's new teeth: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1183171/Oh-bye-gum-Shane-MacGowan-FINALLY-gets-set-new-teeth.html

[stlphotogal]

I was in the front row on the floor and didn't think I saw any teeth...but could be mistaken. I thought the show was fantastic and they played all of my most loved favorites though I am a bit worse for the wear today as we drove in and back from St. Louis yesterday and am at work today! Slainte!

[Joel]

I thoroughly enjoyed the show, but am disappointed they didn't play "Fairytale of New York," one of my all-time favorite songs.
Nice review, Tim.

[Jeff Pendergraft]

HMMMMMMM, expectations.

You would not expect to hear happy songs about butterflies at a Nick Cave show. You would not expect Charles Bukowski to pat you on the head and read his favorite Dr. Seuss book to you at his readings, especially now that he is dead. You would not expect Tom Waits to sing about the goodness of Jesus.

Why for fuck sakes would a person expect anything different than what we experienced last night with Shane and the Pogues.

What I saw was an incredible band led by, in my opinion, the greatest wordsmith of my time. He has masterfully created characters who are the most hopeless yet triumphant subjects in song. When you listen to this music you experience a feeling that is unique to this band alone. If you can relate it runs deep. If you cannot, then I suppose the drunken exterior would be the focus.

Long live the Pogues.

[Ann]

Glad to have seen the show, but it was hard for me to get past the depression of Shane's addictions. I guess I was under the impression that he was not drinking so watching him fall face down and slur his words was sad. Yes the accordianist, banjo player and the mandolin player were accomplished, but sure wish someone could help the lead.

[Ultan]

"it was hard for me to get past the depression of Shane's addictions"

A-ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Oh mercy!

You did know what to expect when you bought a ticket, right? Celtic Thunder or whatever it's called is on tomorrow night, niceness and tameness sounds like more your thing.

[Mike A]

Didnt anyone tell Shane that city ordinance prohibits smoking in public places?
I wonder how that would have gone over

[Bill S]

I had my doubts that Shane would even show, so I was pretty pleased with his performance -- he sounded OK and seemed to remember all the lyrics.

The sound was godawful, but it's hard to find a soundman nowadays who can resist bringing that bass drum WAY up in the mix for the full BLOAT-A-RAMA effect. Maybe I'm being too harsh -- it's possible that the drummer asked the crew to make his instrument sound like the soundtrack of a Bruce Willis movie.

[Chris Williams]

There can be no "Fairytale of New York" without Kirsty MacColl. Who would have thought Shane would have out-lived Kirsty? She was there in spirit though then they covered one of her father Ewan's songs.

[Chubby]

Chris, they do play "Fairytale in New York" live. Saw them do it twice a couple of years ago. Not sure who the female singer was though.