The Original Dropkick Murphys: The Pogues.

Quick Background

The Pogues are a traditional Irish Folk band with heavy Brit punk influence, founded in 1982. The original line up disbanded in 1991 when singer/songwriter Shane MacGown left the band. The other members continued until 1996 when the band officially announced a break up, but reformed in 2001. Currently, the line up includes eight members.

Shane MacGowane: vocals

James Fearnley: accordion
Spider Stacy: backup vocals, beer tray, tin whistle, and lead vocals in MacGown’s absence.
Jeremy ‘Jem’ Finer: banjo, guitar.
Andrew Ranken: drums
Phil Chevron: banjo, guitar

Terry Woods: mandolin, cittern
Darryl Hunt: bass

The Pogues’ discography includes sixteen (yes, sixteen) albums, EPs, and collections:

Red Roses for me (1984)

Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash (1985)

Poguetry in Motion (EP, 1986)

If I should Fall from Grace with God (1988)

Peace and Love (1989)

Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah (EP, 1990)

Hell’s Ditch (1990)

The Best of the Pogues (1991)

The Rest of the Best (1992)

Waiting for Herb (1993)

Pogue Mahone (1996)

The Very Best of the Pogues (2001)

Streams of Whiskey: Liven in Leysin, Switzerland 1991 (2002)

The Ultimate Collection including Live at the Brixton Academy 2001 (2005)

Dirty Old Town: The Platinum Collection (2005)

The Pogues Ultimate Collection of Songs to Listen To (2007-2008)

I love The Pogues.

Reasons

1. They were a stalwart of rockin Irish folk/British punk throughout the 80’s disgustingness of hair/glam ‘metal.’ (I’m not saying they were the only one. They weren’t. But they were important.)
2. The invented Celtic punk, fusing two very different styles of music together.
3. The presented traditional music to a young audience. And their young audience loved it.
4. Politically tinged lyrics without being preachy or obnoxious.
5. They use traditional Irish instruments, such as the tin whistle, as well as an accordion in their music. And it’s awesome.
6. Not all of their songs are have to be about something. Some of them are just fun. (This is an important aspect of music, to me. If you can’t have fun, or you take yourself too seriously, you’ll never survive.)
7. They struggled through the erratic behavior of their lead singer/songwriter and were able to show that they could be a band without him.
8. They also managed to close the rift with said singer/songwriter and brought him back to the band.
9. They didn’t immediately record a shitty album after they got back together in order to promote their reunion or to show “Hey, we’ve still got it!”
10. Their sound is infectious and you don’t have to be Irish to enjoy it. (I am, partly, but that’s not the point.)

Here’s where the bitching starts:

All right kids, I broke out the CD player for this one. My computer hard drive is way too full to house all my music on it, which includes eight Pogues albums. That’s how much I love the Pogues.

If you’re a Dropkick Murphys’ fan (and I am) and you haven’t heard of the Pogues, you’re not a Dropkick Murphys’ fan. You’re a fuckstick. There would be no Dropkick Murphys without the influence of the Pogues.

Voted one of the Top Fifty Bands to See Before You Die, by Q Magazine, I haven’t seen them yet. And I don’t see them coming to visit the east coast anytime soon. If they do, I will be there.

Because the band broke up for a time, and they were most popular back in the 80’s, older people don’t respect my thoughts and opinions about them. This statement also goes for The Doors, The Clash, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, The Who, Pink Floyd, Steppenwolf, The Band, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Elvis, Iggy Pop, The Stooges, Hanoi Rocks, Queen, Van Morrison, Johnny Cash, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The Misfits, Led Zeppelin, etc, etc, etc. Just because I’m younger than you doesn’t mean my opinion isn’t valid. In fact, I probably know more about what I’m talking about than you. So shove it. Lardass.

On the plus side, because the band broke up for a time and were popular back in the 80’s, there aren’t a bunch of little idiots running around, extolling their music.

You don’t have to be Irish to appreciate and love The Pogues. It’s cultural music blended with punk to make it relevant to all cultures, not just the Irish.

So, Dropkick Murphys’ fans, pick up a Pogues album, so next time someone like me asks if you’ve heard of them, you won’t say “Who are The Pogues? Are they like, new?”