The Pogues & Lucero @ Roseland Ballroom, NYC - pics
photos by Faith-Ann Young
The Pogues performed two of their three scheduled pre-St. Patrick’s Day NYC gigs over the weekend at Roseland Ballroom (canceling Thursday, 3/12). Franz Nicolay opened Friday, 3/13. Lucero opened Satuday, 3/14.
“While the cittern and pennywhistle players chugged away at “Sally MacLennane,” youngsters in tweed caps jigged along with linked arms, and although frontman Shane MacGowan slurred his way through “If I Should Fall From Grace With God,” the crowd knew every word. In fact, the only intelligible phrases to come out of MacGowan’s mostly-toothless mouth were 1) “we’re drunk,” and 2) “General Franco, everybody!” When the singer stopped the music with a stream of verbose garble, a thick brogue carried from the back of the packed hall: “Start singing, ya lazy bastard!”” [Village Voice – Saturday night]
And from Faith, also from Saturday:
On cue, “Straight To Hell” by The Clash blasted loud as the The Pogues walked on stage. Shane MacGowan came on in black shades with a bottle of wine and cigarette in hand. Starting strong with “Streams of Whiskey,” The Pogues carried the crowd with ease and tight musicianship – particularly accordionist James Fearnley and a wiry, shrunken, Phil Chevron. If you didn’t know every word, you were in the sad minority. [Faith-Ann Young]
The Pogues play again tonight (3/17) and tomorrow night (3/18) in Washington, DC, and this weekend (3/20 & 3/21) in Boston. Lucero will be at SXSW and a lot of other places soon.
More pictures from Saturday night below…
Lucero…
The Pogues…