“Madstock for us is musically, socially and geographically our homecoming. There is no other day like it, for us, our families and for the people that come to see us.” – Suggs

As previously announced, on Friday 17th July, 2009 in London’s Victoria Park, Madness bring Madstock to the East End for the first time this century.

The band are pleased to announce the first details of the supporting cast for this very special day in the East End. Joining them will be THE POGUES and MAN LIKE ME on the MAIN STAGE and a whole SECOND STAGE of entertainment featuring BJORN AGAIN, HAYSEED DIXIE, THE AGGROLITES and SCARLETT AND VIVA with more to follow and a whole THIRD STAGE to be announced alongside other onsite entertainment and facilities.

Madness are one of the most important bands in UK music history. Their incredible run of hit singles beginning in the late 70’s are part of the nation’s consciousness. No band’s back catalogue deserves its place in the treasured musical archive of Britain more than this. Few bands can lay claim to the kind of immediacy that Madness’ classic singles possess and, 30 years since their debut single, ‘The Prince’, the seven remain a vital part of the cultural lifeblood of the country.

As with the Christmas tour, Madstock will be a chance for fans to hear the classics but also an opportunity to hear tracks from the forthcoming new Madness album, ‘The Liberty Of Norton Folgate’, due for release in May of this year.

The new album, the first from Madness since 1999’s ‘Wonderful’, saw The Guardian in that same review bestow critical acclaim on the new material noting that ‘their touch hasn’t deserted them’.

Tickets are priced at £35 (subject to booking fee) and are available from www.ticketmaster.co.uk/event/22004192B3425A7D.

Madness on amazon.com

Madness on amazon.co.uk

Madness Official Website

Madness MySpace

A remarkable 5CD Box Set by The Pogues, at least three quarters of which comprises previously unreleased material while the remainder is made up of decidedly hard-to-find Pogues’ rarities.

Compiled by The Pogues with track by track annotations from Phil Chevron, there are a bountiful 109 tracks from 1983 demos (pre-dating their first recordings for Stiff Records) through to live recordings from 2001 when The Pogues re-convened for a series of memorable live shows for the first time since they disbanded in 1996.

‘Just Look Them Straight in the Eye and Say… Pogue Mahone’ is an absolute treasure trove of unreleased recordings for all Pogues’ fans, spanning their entire career and featuring rehearsal recordings, b-sides, out-takes, rare mixes, BBC sessions plus recordings with Steve Earle, Joe Strummer and, of course, Kirsty MacColl.

Alongside these are unreleased soundtrack recordings from Sid and Nancy, and rarities from the films Garbo and Straight To Hell, alternate versions of Pogues’ classics like “Fairytale Of New York” and “Rainy Night In Soho” and a generous selection of live recordings. These include full-throttle live recordings from Barrowlands, Glasgow in 1987 and The Pogues featuring Joe Strummer from the Forum in London, December 1991 where they perform Clash favourites “London Calling” and “I Fought The Law”. The box set rounds off with live tracks from The Pogues’ triumphant reunion shows at Brixton running up to Christmas 2001.

Including original songs never before released and covers such as the Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Do You Believe In Magic”, Barry McGuire’s “Eve of Destruction”, The Faces’ “Maggie May” plus more traditional fare like Ewan MacColl’s “Hot Ashphalt” and “North Sea Holes”, this collection presents a true alternative picture of The Pogues’ irrepressible career, an extraordinarily rich addendum to their already available recorded works.

Currently on tour in America, The Pogues are already scheduled to play a number of major festivals this summer including Ireland’s Oxegen Festival and T In the Park in July and the V Festivals in August 2008.

Tracklist:

Disc: 1

1. Kerry Polka
2. Rocky Road To Dublin
3. Boys From The County Hell
4. NW3
5. Donegal Express/The Hen And The Cock Go To Carrickmacross
6. Do You Believe In Magic
7. Hot Asphalt
8. Danny Boy
9. Maggie May
10. Haunted
11. Travelling People
12. Eve Of Destruction
13. My Baby’s Gone
14. North Sea Holes
15. Garbo
16. Last Of McGee
17. Afro Cuban Bebop – Strummer, Joe & The Astro-Physicians
18. Young Ned Of The Hill
19. Pinned Down/I’m Alone In The Wilderness
20. When The Ship Comes In
21. Waxie’s Dargle

Disc: 2

1. Repeal Of The Licensing Laws
2. Dark Streets Of London
3. Greenland Whale Fisheries
4. Streams Of Whiskey
5. Auld Triangle
6. Poor Paddy On The Railway
7. Sea Shanty
8. Transmetropolitan
9. Kitty
10. Boys From The County Hell
11. Connemara Let’s Go
12. Billy’s Bones
13. Old Main Drag
14. Sally MacLennane
15. Town That Never Sleeps
16. Something Wild
17. Driving Through The City
18. Rainy Night In Soho
19. Fairytale Of New York
20. Fairytale Of New York
21. Fairytale Of New York
22. Navigator

Disc: 3

1. Aria
2. Good The Bad And The Ugly
3. Haunted
4. Love Theme
5. Junk Theme
6. Glued Up And Speeding
7. Paris
8. Needle For Paddy Garcia
9. JB 57
10. Bowery Snax/Spiked
11. Hot Dogs With Everything
12. Rince Del Emplacada
13. Rake At The Gates Of Hell
14. Turkish Song Of The Damned
15. If I Should Fall From Grace With God
16. Battle March
17. Lullaby Of London
18. Shanne Bradley
19. Streets Of Sorrow
20. Thousands Are Sailing
21. Balinalee
22. Nicaragua Libre
23. Japan

Disc: 4

1. Sally MacLennane
2. Pair Of Brown Eyes
3. Kitty
4. Maggie May
5. Dirty Old Town
6. Sickbed Of Cuchulainn
7. Fiesta
8. If I Should Fall From Grace With God
9. Johnny Come Lately Steve Earle
10. Boat Train
11. Night Train To Lorca
12. Mistle Thrush
13. Got A Lot Of Livin’ To Do
14. Victoria
15. Murder
16. Lust For Vomit
17. Wake Of The Medusa
18. Black Dogs Ditch
19. Aisling
20. Murder
21. Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
22. Maidrin Rua
23. Johnny Come Lately

Disc: 5

1. Johnny Was – Sexy Bongo
2. Miss Otis Regrets/Just One Of Those Things
3. All The Tears That I Cried
4. The One And Only
5. Afro-Cuban Be-Bop (Single version)
6. Turkish Song Of The Damned (Live at the Forum)
7. London Calling (Live at the Forum, London, December 1991)
8. I Fought The Law (Live at the Forum)
9. The Girl From The Wadi-Hammamat
10. Moving To Moldova
11. Call My Name
12. The Sun And The Moon
13. Living In A World Without Her
14. Who Said Romance Is Dead?
15. Sound Of The City Night
16. Four O’Clock In The Morning
17. The Star Of The County Down (Live at Brixton Academy)
18. White City (Live at Brixton Academy)
19. Medley: The Recruiting Sergeant / The Rocky Road To Dublin / The Galway Races(Live at Brixton Academy)
20. The Parting Glass/Lord Santry’s Fairest Daughter (Live at Brixton Academy)

Just Look Them Straight in the Eye and Say… Pogue Mahone: the Pogues Box Set on amazon.co.uk

The Pogues on amazon.com

Rhino

The Pogues

Since coming to the UK, I’ve not only been introduced to The Pogues punk Irish/folk music, but I’ve learned to love it and of course their unpredictable, beer loving front-man Shane MacGowan. Although his interviews may be difficult to watch for some, he is well respected amongst his fans and I believe underrated as an incredible songwriter and poet.

The Pogues’ music has been played many a time in my home and will no doubt be playing on St. Patrick’s day. We’ll be sure to raise a toast to Shane and the boys.

Watch the video of The Pogues playing “Dirty Old Town”

March 5 & 6 – Congress Theatre / Chicago, IL
March 10 – Avalon / Boston, MA
March 11 – Orpheum / Boston, MA
March 14 – Roseland Ballroom / New York, NY
March 16 – Electric Factory / Philadelphia, PA
March 17 – Roseland Ballroom / New York, NY
*Dates could change! Please go to The Pogues Official website for the latest tour dates and information.

The Pogues
The Official Shane MacGowan Website

By: Jenny May