The Pogues
October 14th at the Regency Ballroom, San Francisco

I think when it comes down to it, most people know more about the Pogues’ legacy than their actual music. Their whisky-infused Celtic punk made shockwaves during the ’80s in the UK and beyond, and today they stand as a band of legendary lore that is, shockingly, actually still standing. I knew that this ragtag ensemble led by the one and only Shane MacGowan was going to put on a hell of a fun show in San Francisco, and I knew that I had to see it.

The gig at the Regency Ballroom was the second of their two nights in San Francisco, and the alcohol was flowing and the expectations were high. The crowd consisted of lots of chatty elder Irish dudes that were on their fifth or fifteenth Pogues show and there were lots of younger folks as well, many like me who had never seen them before and were lucky enough to take advantage of their US residency. The group took the stage to an uproarious explosion of cheers and whistles, and the eight Celtic punks immediately kicked into a raucous set. Before us stood five members of the last official incarnation of the Pogues (pre-reunion tours) with three supplemental musicians that they take on the road as well. Their songs are accordion- and fiddle-laden and move at a brisk, trotting pace or a slow, swinging drawl, necessitating either a schwilly jig or a sing-along sway, a pint of beer raised to the heavens in homage to the Pogues’ mere existence.

I guess I expected more theatrics from MacGowan, just based on the reputation that precedes him (he told the Daily Mirror last year that he started drinking at four years old) but he actually just stood behind the mic in a baseball tee. Slurry and indecipherable as his vocals are, his pipes are loud, and still carry the charm and rigorous political punk of songs that are eloquently penned and quite profound. Going through a repertoire that included “The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn”, “If I Should Fall from Grace with God”, “Bottle of Smoke”, “Rainy Night in Soho”, and a rendition of “Thousands are Sailing” sung by guitarist Philip Chevron, who evidently, I found out after the fact, had been quite sick, missing past Pogues reunion tours. This was a touching moment for fans who were privy to that information, and based on the sheer adoration displayed by the audience, I expect most of them were.

With the energy rabid and unrelenting, a full set and two encores later, I left the venue satisfied that I’d finally witnessed this essential piece of rock ‘n’ roll’s royalty… weathered as it may be.

Watch: The Pogues, “If I Should Fall from Grace with God” [at youtube.com]

Read past installments of It Shows:

Yonder Mountain String Band at the 9:30 Club, Washington, DC

Fran Healy and Andy Dunlop of Travis at the Swedish American Hall, San Francisco

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco