Amsterdam 1 August 2010

[Mick Molloy]

Fucking mental!!!!

[martie]

Yeah well what can i say.
Maybe its better to say nothing.

Absolutely brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!

[Patrick]

It was legendary. Shane was in topcondition and knew all the lyrics. The band played intense. From the start - streams of whiskey - to the final -fiesta - it was a hell of a party!

[PADDYgoesDUTCH]

wasn't half bad at all, to say the least

but why was there no support band ??
sure loads of band would have loved to fill in

[Goof]

Great show, highly enjoyable . Bummer that the biggest size for the black tourshirt was large. I need at least XL, preferably XXL. I think that goes for more people with a beerbelly. Bought one anyway. And no playing of the biggest hit? But that's not one I want to hear in concert perse. Overall great gig. The coming days will be spent playing the whole Pogues discography again, cheers

[DownInTheGround]

Just arrived home from my first non-domestic Pogues gig.
Two words: sexcellent and pricey.
Some more words: I rather enjoyed the whole weekend and Amsterdam is one sweet cash vacuum, especially to tattoo hungry tourists. The Pogues were fantastic but I agree with the above comment that they could have done with a support act, shit if I had known I would have brought my guitar. I also didn't enjoy having to surrender 3 Europes per person to join the Melkweg, calling it a gullible English tax would haven been much easier. All in all, a very good weekend and assuming successful resuscitation to the bank account, one I would be happy to repeat.

[ishmaelk]

One hour late, half an hour short.
I love The Pogues, but the show started with Shane not caring as much as a shit about it. After an hour of delay, the only thing he said was "Fuck you".
The concert got better with every song, and Shane eventually managed to sing quite well. The band was in top form, and it was obvious that without them, Shane would be just a fat drunk muttering beautiful words written by someone who died 20 years ago.

[PADDYgoesDUTCH]

Thought you guys might wanna know what one of the major Dutch newspapers wrote about the Pogues gig in Amsterdam last Sunday (a quick translation, and please remember, don't blame the translator for errors and opinions not his):

MACGOWAN LETS POGUES SHINE

When the Sex Pistols announced their first reunion in 1996, they replied to sceptical questions remarking "At least we play them three chords better than in the past". This was true, but also made clear that this exactly was not the point. The Pistols-reunion was hardly worth it because they no longer believed their own songs and just did a routine show.
So that leads to The Pogues, Shane MacGowan's famous Irish folkpunkband: also re-united (in the eight-piece line up from the mid 80s, when their three best albums were released) and, according to announcements, 'better than then'. Last Sunday in the sold-out Amsterdam Melkweg it could be assessed whether that was in fact the case.
And yes, indeed. A few seconds of Streams Of Whiskey (1984) sufficed to observe that the band now plays tighter than before. Once firmly into the gig, somewhere around Boys From The County Hell (1985), their playing pleasure was evident: 8 men with big Irish hearts, past 50 and a couple of years more, knowing that something special happens when they get together to play MacGowan's best songs. Then only one piece of the jigsaw still needed to fall in place: the performance by the massive-consumer himself. It's a miracle his liver and heart still function and that, despite him being a wreck, he still is capable to do what he did in the Melkweg.
Not that he sang crystal clear (he never did so on the albums either), let alone that he was sober: the glasses on the table next to the mike sure contained no mineral water and his talking to the audience as always could not be understood.
But Shane remained standing, was miraculously solid on the lyrics, smiled a lot, displaying his new and much too white new teeth, and already reached the touching climaxes we all came for in the first half of the set in a few of his most beautiful balads: A Pair Of Brown Eyes (1985) and shortly after Kitty (1984).
Each note he had to get out of his toes, it was touching to see that, once he passed the 'balladtest’, he seemed aware that things could no longer go wrong in the enthousiastic Melkweg, not even in the final song Fiesta, the public's favourite that The Pogues themselves always had a certain disliking of. This night, even that could hardly be noticed.

[Villajohn]

Great gig! but then i would say that woodeneye?

[PADDYgoesDUTCH]

Great gig! but then i would say that woodeneye?

it being your 200th Pogues gig, at least it would be a well informed opinion, woodentit??

[Zuzana]

Great set of photos from the Amsterdam gig by Sensaos at Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sensaos/se ... 639647178/

[MacPaddy]

I love watching the photos as well as hearing your stories about the gigs. It's almost like I can feel the Pogues nearing Norway!

[fluke]

Okay, I'm a bit settled down now so I will try and type 'my experience'.
I don't know where to start though.
A couple of things I like to share with you. First of all, Shane's voice! Two days in a row it stunned me. I saw him a couple of times before but he sounded absolutely great.
What I loved about the Amsterdam gig was the fact that just in front of the stage, the mix wasn't really thight. This made it possible for me (first time) to really hear the individual instruments. Sad the concert was that short because I could have listened for hours to the brilliant Terry Woods. I knew he plays good but to hear him this way was amazing. The same goes for Philip, tearing away on the stunning looking country gentleman over two voxes and being able to focus on the guitar sound and experience what he adds to the overall sound was amazing. Daryll also, he plays a great bass. I thought James could have been put louder in the mix but maybe that was the spot I was standing..
The set, I believe, was the same as munster although greenland and 1000's where swapped if I remember correctly.
The crowd was typicaly Dutch. Standing, defending the spot they where standing on and eyeing at each other afraid someone took your place. It was a real difference with the German crowd, (I experienced this a couple of times before.) they had a party with the whole crowd. I have the feeling it's getting worse the last years but maybe it's me.
After the show we had a couple of drinks before going to a pub. When we came outside the Melkweg the crew was smoking a sigaret by the bus and I had a chat with the merch guy I talked to a couple of times. The other roadies where relaxed and very nice. Around us there where loads of people waiting and shouting for Shane. I looked at it from a distance and saw I was standing next to Daryll. I told him about the mix thing and that I loved listening to him (and others) 'separately' he was really nice but hey, we knew that.. When I looked better I saw Jem standing on my other side. They where both watching the crowd waiting for Shane and where making fun of it. "oh wait, here his highness is coming.." (It was not cynical, don't know why but I have to add that. I'm afraid 'my english' will make it look like that)
A couple of minutes chatting with two pogues and then Shane strode by followed by Joey, security and hordes of fans and they all where off in the tour bus.
After that we went to the pub wich was packed with nice people sharing the excitement of the gig and telling stories about past Pogues concerts etc. What occurred to me is the amount of pogue fanatics that aren't aware of this forum! I invited them all on the raft!
I met a couple of fellow raft members though. Mick was as always standing in the pitt, nice seeing you again Mick. And yes, I've met the celebrity Villajohn.. (who are you calling geezer?? ) Philip reminded me the morning after, that I asked, when meeting John: are you the real Villajohn.. hahaha, you told him??
There where rumours that Gerhard was near and Kit cat kev also. Don't think I've seen them but I would have liked that. I had a nice evening with waterboy, hope he will find his password and will be on the forum more often. (in Munster I talked to some Mr Irish basterd members and asked them about Paddy g D but they didn't understand what I was asking them..) (the editor is reacting strange so I'm gonna continue in another post..)

[fluke]

in 2007 I tried to contact Philip through pm on this forum to have him sign the record cover of IISFFGWG at the lokeren feesten concert. I was unaware of his physical condition back then so a couple of weeks before the gig I was shocked to hear what had happened to him. I had my record signed by the rest of the band members but Philip was missing. Maybe stupid to state here but I worried a lot about the stories he shared with us and now I had the chance of seeing Mr Chevron playing live again was very special to me. I couldn't resist the opportunity contacting him a couple of weeks ago and aquiring if he would mind filling up the 'white square' that was stil on my cover. Philip was very nice and we agreed to meet each other after the Amsterdam gig but this wasn't possible finaly because of luggage dislocation and early leaving times. But what happened..? Philip gave two options how to complete my quest! So, monday morning I went to the hotel he was staying and waited in the lobby. I got to meet Philip, shook his hand and we had a picture taken! Andrew was there too. Andrew explained how hard it is to play on the mainland. (sorry can't find another word..) Philip signed my cover. A mixture of nervousnes and the early hours made that I didn't say the things I should have but it was a great moment for me. (I hope you didn't mind Mr C?) One thing I did not say and have to now, you look great and I hope you feel that way too! It is so great to see you back where you belong after a rough time..
What an experience this was! This is why I love music, going to concerts and so on. I hope there is a recording of one of the shows because you all should hear sunny side for example, but also boys ftch or Kitty! What would be a great addition to the catalogue, I was thinking, would be a recording where you can switch to the different players. (to get what I mean, see kids are allright dvd and see the John entwistle extras..)
Thanx Forum members, thanx Philip for your trouble and thanx the rest of the band for everything!

Greetings Fluke

[PADDYgoesDUTCH]

.. in Munster I talked to some Mr Irish Bastard members and asked them about Paddy g D but they didn't understand what I was asking them ..

If that was after gig near the merch stand, we probably stood a few meters apart.

I think MrIB guys didn't understand as they may not ne aware that on this forum I call myself PaddyGoesDutch.

Being the Dutch guy in MrIB (pumping the box with them for half a year, two years ago, till distance became too big a problem), I there got the nickname DutchIrishBastard, which I carry to this day on stage and on myspace.

So what did you wanna know ??

Was in Amsterdam too, by the way ..