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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAlthough the tour centered on an album released four decades ago, the performance felt rooted in the present and hopeful about the future. Guest performers\u2014many clearly inspired by the Pogues\u2014played with enthusiasm and gratitude. Among them were Holly Mullineaux (bass), Daragh Lynch (guitar, vocals), Jordan O’Leary (guitar, vocals), Fiachra Meek (pipes, low whistle), Jim Sclavunos(drums, percussion), Iona Zajac (harp, vocals), John Francis Flynn (vocals), Lisa O’Neill (vocals), Nadine Shah, and James Walbourne(guitar). I didn\u2019t manage to get the names of their horn and woodwind players, but their contributions were indispensable. And it was a thrill to see a Bad Seed (Sclavunos) and a Pretender (Walbourne) on stage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019d last seen the Pogues at the 9:30 Club on 17 March 2009 and 15 March 2011, with Shane MacGowan and Philip Chevron still in the lineup. This time, I wasn\u2019t sure what to expect\u2014only that I was glad to be there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fans began lining up as early as 2:00 pm. Thanks to fellow fan Matt Crowe, I scored a soundcheck ticket and caught the band\u2019s playful warm-up, with Stacy, Finer, and Fearnley bantering with fans and encouraging their new collaborators. The soundcheck wrapped before doors opened at 6:30 pm, and by 8:00 pm the theatre was packed. The Pogues launched into \u201cThe Sick Bed of Cuchulainn,\u201d setting the tone for a high-energy night. Highlights for me included Spider leading \u201cBilly\u2019s Bones,\u201d \u201cThe Old Main Drag,\u201d \u201cBoys from the County Hell,\u201d and \u201cSally MacLennane.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The band made bold choices with Shane MacGowan\u2019s songs. Rather than imitate his voice, guest vocalists performed in their own styles. Jordan O\u2019Leary gave a heartfelt \u201cA Pair of Brown Eyes.\u201d Iona Zajac and John Francis Flynn tore through \u201cNavigator.\u201d Lisa O\u2019Neill stunned with \u201cDirty Old Town\u201d and \u201cA Rainy Night in Soho.\u201d Zajac delivered a raucous \u201cPoor Paddy,\u201d Flynn a soulful \u201cAnd The Band Played Waltzing Matilda,\u201d and Lynch a jubilant \u201cStreams of Whiskey.\u201d As Crowe noted, it was refreshing to hear the lyrics delivered with such clarity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The night was a celebration. Longtime fans sang with the same joy as first-timers, all united by songs that had become part of their lives. Rumors swirled that Mike Scott of the Waterboys\u2014who had played the 9:30 Club the night before\u2014might appear, but he didn\u2019t. (The Pogues and Waterboys did share a bill days later at the Seisi\u00fan festival in Boston.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Adding to the weekend\u2019s magic, my wife, Fleurette, and I saw Pulp at the Anthem the following Saturday. A fan told us members of Pulp had attended the Pogues show from the balcony\u2014fitting, since both bands share roots in the English punk scene. After waiting 30 years to see Pulp, their set was extraordinary but knowing they\u2019d shared that Friday night with us at the Lincoln Theatre made it even more special. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s impossible to capture every detail of a night like this. What mattered most was hearing these timeless songs with renewed vitality and sharing them with Fleurette as she discovered the Pogues for herself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re just discovering the Pogues\u2014or seeing them for the first time\u2014you still have a chance. The band is currently on their U.S. tour: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Soundcheck Setlist<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Show Setlist<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Encore Set<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Upcoming Anniversary Releases<\/strong> Written by: Raymond Estes Photos by: Fleurette Farley Estes On Friday, 5 September 2025, The Pogues delivered a nearly two-hour set at Washington, D.C.\u2019s historic Lincoln Theatre, celebrating the 40th anniversary of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":62234,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[41,246,39,20],"tags":[1684,298,1681,1682,1679],"class_list":["post-62233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-itlm-otrs","category-music-news","category-reviews","tag-james-fearnley","tag-live","tag-rum-sodomy-and-the-lash-tour","tag-spider-stacy","tag-the-pogues"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62233","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=62233"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62233\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62242,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62233\/revisions\/62242"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/62234"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=62233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=62233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=62233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/The-Pogues-Lincoln-Theatre-Washington-DC-2025-12.jpg\")
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To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Rum Sodomy & the Lash<\/em>, Rhino Records is releasing two special editions: a collectible 2LP red marble vinyl<\/strong> on 24 October 2025<\/strong> and a deluxe 2CD set<\/strong> on 28 November 2025<\/strong>. Both feature the original album along with the Poguetry in Motion<\/em> EP, BBC Janice Long session tracks, B-sides, rare live recordings, and a rough mix of the Pogues\u2019 unreleased cover of The Lovin\u2019 Spoonful\u2019s \u201cDo You Believe in Magic.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"