ith late frontman Shane MacGowan replaced by a succession of guests, this 40th anniversary show for the Pogues’ debut album, Red Roses For Me, could so easily have been a pale imitation, glorified karaoke. And yet, it’s utterly triumphant. There are no overwrought speeches during this evening curated by the band’s co-founder Spider Stacy, only a brief dedication to MacGowan and other departed bandmates, and the Dubliners’ Ronnie Drew before The Irish Rover.
Within a nanosecond of opener Transmetropolitan, it’s pandemonium amid a sell-out crowd who burst instantly into a hundreds-strong mosh, bellowing back every word. The Battle Of Brisbane pushes things even higher; Greenland Whale Fisheries a notch higher than that. By Boys From The County Hell, it’s totally feral.’s Tom Coll, thrive off that energy. Garbed in suave black suits they pose and posture, James Fearnley wielding his accordion as if he’s Hendrix with a guitar.
Stacy is a charming presence, using his tin whistle as a conductor’s baton, and takes the pressure off the occasion through constant self-effacement. “From the sublime to the ridiculous,” he jokes after Nadine Shah – who’s transcendent The Auld Triangle is the finest performance of all – is followed by the sprightly Repeal of the Licensing Laws.