He’s not dead yet. Smiles spread across the faces lining the balconies. Three songs in and Shane MacGowan is still standing, still singing.
 | | The Pogues at the Academy |
Downstairs, in the sold-out Academy, the crowd are roaring their approval, spilling their drinks and leaning on each other. We’re not dead yet. The younger audience members are jumping up and down. Then Cait O'Riordan, runs onto the stage and sings ‘I'm A Man You Don't Meet Every Day’. Her voice is strong and clear and slurring Shane, just for a moment, cuts a slightly sad figure, tired and old and deflated. Next ‘A Pair of Brown Eyes’ and Shane is awake and centre-stage, louder and clearer, singing:
 | | Watching The Pogues |
”One summer evening drunk to hell
I stood there nearly lifeless
An old man in the corner sang
Where the water lilies grow..." Shane takes a break and Philip Chevron does his ‘Thousands Are Sailing’. MacGowan returns for a thumping sing-along ‘Body of an American’. A huge cheer greets ‘Dirty Old Town’ – the Academy has sung the first verse before Shane gets started. It's a classic Pogues line up - Spider Stacy, Jem Finer, Philip Chevron, Terry Woods, Andrew Ranken, James Fearnley and Darryl Hunt combined with Macgowan’s lyrics and charisma is a powerful mix.
 | | Shane at the Academy |
Then ‘The Sick Bed Of Cuchulainn’: “There's devils on each side of you with bottles in their hands
You need one more drop of poison and you'll dream of foreign lands…” A glorious noise, The Pogues own these songs. Dancing Cait O'Riordan is back on stage for ‘Sally MacLennane’ and a brilliant, shambolic ‘Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah’. ‘The Irish Rover’ and ‘Boys From The County Hell’ rush by. During ‘Fairytale Of New York’ foam ‘snow’ falls and Shane and Cait waltz around the stage. I’m pleased to report that The Pogues are still entertaining, still vital. An experience like no other - great songs, great front-man, great band. They close on ‘Fiesta’: ”Come all you rambling boys of pleasure
And ladies of easy leisure
We must say Adios! until we see
Almeria once again.” ======== More Pogues info: http://www.pogues.com
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