Pubs & Pogues

A couple of years ago (back when G worked for a British company and I rode his coattails as often as I could when he went there for meetings) we wandered into a pub on a little side street in London.  As a non-British non-drinker, I was always fascinated by the whole pub experience (do I choose where I sit?  do I walk over to the bar and shout my soda order? is someone going to yell at me? and what about the crowd of people lingering outside?  do I just walk up and make conversation? are they already in groups of friends?)  

As you can tell, I overthink things.

This time it was irresistible.  It was the night of the European Football Playoffs  and there was a jolly chaos inside that we couldn't ignore.  So we went in, joined in the happy cheering and jeering, suddenly die-hard English football fans by virtue of pub-adoption. I grinned through the whole jubilant exuberant night and left feeling like I had jumped, Mary-Poppins-and-Burt-style, into another world.  Minus the penguin waiters.

* * *

Last Friday G and I had tickets to the Pogues concert at The House of Blues.  Let's see...Irish folk/punk band in Boston?  In a concert hall with five bars along the interior perimeter?  Think that'll be lively?

I'm pretty sure we were the only sober ones there.

I'm pretty sure lead singer Shane MacGowan was the least sober one there.

I'm pretty sure 85% of the attendees were singing along with the band at the top of their lungs.

It brought back memories of that merry pub experience (multiplied by 10). There aren't any seats at the House of Blues concert venue, which makes for a lot of dancing and interactions. Lots of grown tough burly Irish American men dancing jigs, complete with locking elbows and spinning.  Pretty much like this:

For instance: At one point I was walking on the way back from the loo and a guy put his finger on top of my head. I looked at him quizzically and he and his girlfriend said "spin! spin!" so I did and they all cheered.  (Apparently I was the first who did. I kind of felt like "Norm!" at Cheers).  It was amazing fun.   We laughed a lot--at the dancers, at the manic mood of the whole audience, at the enthusiasm.

And at the same time, a bit of sadness on the underside of the evening.  Looking at addiction's ravages in Shane MacGowan (he looks decades older than his age) you wonder why the extreme lows and destructiveness have to so frequently accompany the joyousness.

{In fact, the Boston Globe called the show "a blended blur of life's emotional extremes: joy, laughter, tears, and sorrow. Beating at the music's clamoring heart were the Pogues, who ultimately left us wondering whether there ever was a band so perfectly, equally suited to playing either a wedding or a wake." } 

Other Pogue favorites:  Fairy Tale of New York, Love You Till The End

photo via MaryElle St. Clare's Flickr page

Comments

[Christie]

An Irish band at a bar in Boston? Um, yeah. Sounds like a wild party to me. Way to spin for the drunk people. I'm very proud of your spunk.

[Annie]

The spin thing was really silly. But it does give you a flavor for the mood in the room...so nice after the long winter. I love it when Boston shows its happy silly side. It also shows up at Red Sox games.

[seven smiles]

what an interesting, quirky, spicy little week-end treat. :)

{as you know, I spent mine watching the Twilight DVD.
hmm...

you win.}

[Hazen5]

I love the Pogues! What a great night.

P.S. I got an awesome prize in the mail, Thank you!
I will post on it ASAP!

[martha corinna]

Your story was very evocative, I was transported (almost Mary Poppins style).

I adore enthusiasm, I am lacking that much these days and hope to be able to be swept up by it somehow.

Your last bit was so true, there is such a spectrum of light and dark that accompanies the loss of inhibitions. I often wonder at it all. I envy the ability to love like crazy and let go but I am surrounded by dear family members who are captive to the disease of alcoholism and cannot escape. I'm in constant pursuit of a some sort of "natural" loss of my ego. I'm still looking.

[diane]

I've been to a pub in Ireland but not in England. The pub we went to was in the country during the day so there were only a few local, quiet drunks. Now I want to go to a rowdy pub.

[Lindsay-ann]

Hi Annie
Glad you enjoyed the Pogues.
I keep away from pubs especially if there's a match on! A rowdy english pub does need to be seen to be believed!
Best Wishes
Lindsay

[calibosmom]

We have got to hang out together! Will you please call me when you have tickets to a "wicked awesome" concert? I'll be there with my kilt wearing Scotsman! Sounds like a blast!