Firstly, my apologies for the lack of posts lately. I've been on holiday and whatnot, primarily, and also been busy decorating (am I boring you yet?), so I have EXCUSES, see - proper ones and everything.
Anyways, I'm back.
Whilst I've been away, my favourite ever band The Pogues have announced that they will indeed be doing another Xmas tour this year - despite saying earlier this year that they wouldn't be doing it this time. Hurrah! They changed their minds!
As something of a Pogues obsessive (I'm really not exaggerating), this comes as sound news to me. I've been to the last three Xmas gigs at Manchester MEN Arena and loved them all, so the opportunity to see them again is quite simply too tempting to resist. That said, I did initially think, "I won't go this year... this is getting out of hand". But then I discovered that the support act for Manchester (only) is none other than the maestro himself - Billy Bragg!!! So hey, what the hell, looks like I'll have to go again. Tough life, eh.
Which leads me to the download for this post. This is a rare-as-rocking-horse-shit recording of The Pogues, live in Japan in 1988, performing a cover of "Japan" by jazz looney Pharaoh Sanders. This was the only tour on which they EVER played this song, and no studio version exists, not even as a bootleg (I have had this confirmed by Phil Chevron from the band - the track was only rehearsed on the afternoon of the gig, and then played "blind" that night).
Here it is in all its glory - it was broadcast on Japanese TV, along with the rest of the gig, so the sound quality is damn good, as you would expect. Check out Shane's vocal - priceless!
The Pogues - Japan (Live in Tokyo, October 1988)
There you go... how's that for a return to form? Enjoy.
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