That he lived as long as he did is a real miracle.
I have one great memory that I will share.
Back in the 80's, I was a DJ on a few of the Circle Line "booze cruises" that left from Pier 84 in Manhattan. We'd leave at 7PM on a Friday night, and pretty much run circles around Manhattan while a few hundred people got drunk and danced to the music. It was always a great party. A girl I was trying to date at the time, literally missed the boat one Friday. As we pulled back in at 10PM sharp, she was standing alone on the pier waiting and mouthing "I'm Sorry" while waving what looked like tickets at me. We disembarked, and she ran over to me, almost in tears, saying she got caught up at work, but, "I'll make it up to you." With that, she handed me tickets to see The Pogues at Danceteria.
The Pogues played downstairs, in the back corner on the left. If you are at all familiar with the layout of the club, it was a very small area, and it was jammed. It was also hopping. Not a single soul stayed still for the entire show. I had never seen The Pogues play before, but it was exactly how I imagined it would be. Hundreds of people hoisting their beers while pogoing in place, singing to every traditional Irish tune and revved up folk/punk original the band played. For years after, I'd say it was the most fun I had ever had in my life.
R.I.P., Shane.
Cheers!
10 comments:
Damn....I follow Shane's wife on Twitter. I know he had been battling health issues but she had posted news last week that he'd been released from the hospital and how happy and grateful she was. Hope he's reconnecting with Kirsty MacColl to sing another version of Fairytale of NY
Really upset by this news, even if it's not unexpected. A great, hugely empathetic songwriter, underrated singer, terrific performer before it took its toll. I saw him, with the Pogues and solo, loads of times back in the 80's and 90's. Great, timeless, songs, great albums. He could do it all, rock, and utterly heartwrenching ballads where every bit of emotion was raw, earned and real. Can't decide if my favourite show is the first one I saw, in Glasgow Uni touring R,S&TL, the show I saw at Toronto's Palais Royale before IISFFGWG came out, no-one (well, I didn't) knew Strummer was playing in the band, or the Xmas show at Glasgow Barrowlands a few weeks later - and if you had to see the band in one town, their Glasgow shows were legendary - when Strummer AND Kirsty McColl were playing with them.
RIP Shane.
Tell us you got the girl... waiting for you with Pogues tickets... she sounds like a keeper!
Yes, good GF for sure. I saw the Pogues once and they were shambolic and wonderful, not to messed up to be good as was sometimes the case I imagine. But I'll always associate that concert with this: I was riding to Atanta w my friend Denise to see the show and she had a CD in the car. I'd looked at the cover numerous times in the record store and the cover and album name and the literate song titles made me ALMOST buy this album I knew nothing about, but I never quite did. "What??!! You haven't listened to Everything But The Girl?" Put it on right now, she said and we dove into Idlewild. Surely, that jazzy, mellow, acoustic album was the polar opposite of what we'd be hearing from the Pogues but great music is great music and I've loved EBTG ever since, right up to their new excellent album. Thanks for the rousing concert, the classic Christmas song "Fairytale Of New York" and for EBTG, Shane.
Many years ago a friend of mine saw the Pogues on St Patrick's Day in Boston. having drunk two bottles of wine he was by far the soberest person in the house. "The closest thing to an all out riot I live through", he said. "Who knew a riot could so much fun?".
Some stories should never be checked for veracity.
One of the great songwriters and self-destructors. I saw the Pogues at the Fillmore in San Francisco way back when with an Irish friend. There were at least a 1000 more pogoing to nearly every note, so much so the floor was swaying a bit. Shane polished off a good deal of a bottle of Jack Daniels during the performance, but still sounded good. They absolutely rocked that night.
- Paul in DK
@Anon, I was at the that same show in Boston. Your friend was right . . .
R.I.P Shane and thanks for the music
Wish he could have written some more songs for the Pogues before he passed, but I saw him live with them in 1987 or 88 and like all of you, thought they were fantastic. RIP, sir.
Saw the Pogues a few times. Everything I expected. All of those songs feel 100 years old and brand new at the same time. What a gift he had. What a shame his demons didn't let him nurture it more. What a talent
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