Last Friday, we sent Molly Müeller to take in a soccer hooligan’s fantasy for her first show review.
The Pogues are the type of band that draws a religious following and the excitement that was buzzing in and around the Ogden Theatre last Friday night indicated that church was in session. Being 50% German and 50% Irish, I have always leaned towards the German influence in my blood but the incredible energy that was flowing around the venue that night made me want to hoist the flag of Ireland and rally in the streets of Dublin…or something like that.
When my husband, a respected music aficionado, learned that I was going to see the show he wondered aloud who would be fronting the band because he figured there was no way that Shane MacGowen was still alive given his well-known friendship with drugs and alcohol. Dressed in a fuzzy black and white sweater and dark sunglasses, Shane was inspiring throughout the entire show. During “Dirty Old Town, “(definitely the highlight of the show) some in the audience held up lighters like 1970’s teenagers at a Lynard Skynard concert during “Free Bird.”
His energy and clear vocals coupled with an outstanding performance by the entire band proved he was not only alive but well deserving of the adoration of the crowd, a mix of 20 year-olds in green soccer shirts, thirty-something punk rockers and couples in their 50’s looking certainly more Irish than me.
The show started with a vigorous rendition of “Streams of Whiskey” and ended with “Fiesta.” The band was so wrapped up with the crowd by this time one of the band members was banging a metal sheet against his head to keep the beat. There were two highly anticipated encores and as Shane MacGowen hobbled off the stage assisted by three attendants with flashlights, The Clash’s “Rock the Casbash” played on the P.A. and you could tell everyone was leaving feeling a little bit redeemed.
Molly Müeller