The Pogues - Dublin

I arrived at Heathrow and Shane was already there with Joey Cashman.. Shane and I were chatting for ages and then off we all went through the security.. Shane was being wheeled in a chair.. He has a back problem and thought it would be easier to be pushed all the way to the plane.. When we arrived in Dublin we all made for the hotel.. Nice hotel in the City centre.. I got to my room and as usual checked my emails etc.. I had a shower and went down to the bar. A few mins later in walked gerry O'Boyle.. Boy was I glad to see him.. He is a lovley guy.. Gerry seems to know everyone and soon there was a crowd of people sitting around us.. They all knew Gerry.. We got into a couple of cars and headed off to the Point for the final gig on this tour..

The gig was mad...as one might exect it to be.. Ronnie drew from The Dubliners appeared on stage with the Pogues, I got some nice shots..




I met some nice people in the backstage bar.. Gerry and his crowd were heading off to the hotel, so I left with them.. It seemed to take forever to get there.. We were waiting fro a car for about an hour..Anyway, we got to our hotel and Gerry and I were siiting in the bar trying to decide if we could be bothered to go to meet up with the Legendary BP Fallon who had taken over a club for a DJ set.. We then found out that BP had kidknpped Shane.. We then decided that we would go.. It was now getting late..but you only live once eh? When we got to Whelans, we got our rtiming just right .. It was all over.. Anyway, we headed upstairs in to the back room where Shane was sitting with about 400 hundred bottles of booze, no change there then.. We sat and chatted to BP and all in the small room.. I hadnt seen BP for years.. We reminised a little about the tiem when I was on tour with the Bob Geldof and The Boomtown Rats. BP was also on that tour,I think he was The Boomtwoun Rats PR man as well as managing a band who were supporting them called Protex.. I must did out the photos of BP from that tour.. i think it was about 1980..

We left this club and tried to get a taxi to take us back to the hotel.. Well it took about an hour to get a taxi.. What fun that was standing in the street hailing any moving vehicle.. When I got to the hotel Shane was sitting in the foyer.. We sat and chatted for an hour or two.. i was shagged out and at about 7 am I said I am off to bed.. I got to my room and collapsed in my bed..

Whe I got up at about 12 midday. I had a shower and got y bags packed and made sure I was on the flight out of Dublin to London Heathrow.. As this was Christmas Eve I wanted to make sure I was getting on the flight.. Otherwise I would have been in Dublin for Christmas.. There are worse plces to be marooned at Christmas..

I saw Shane who was sittng in the bar ( there's a suprise) we had a brif chat when the hotel informed me that my coar was here for my ride out to the airport.. I said goodbye to Shane and said have a great Christmas.. His Birthday is Christmas day.. I asked him what he was planning. He told me that he was probably going to go to Thailand.. Off I went to the Airport.. Made it OK onto my flight and ogt into London all OK

The Pogues Last night at Brixton Academy

This is the last night in London.. I was attempting to get a backstage shot of the whole band.. This has so far on the tour been proving to be extremely difficult.... For some very strange reason, they don't want to be photographed off stage together... There seem to be a couple of little ego's flying around.. I must say, Shane isn't one of them. He and I get on very well.. I am not convinced they are all having a great time together on this tour, mind you I could be wrong .. Maybe it's just me, being Mr unhappy sitting up here in this room from 4:30 until 11 pm, mostly on my own waiting for the band. I sound like a right misserable idiot now.

I didn't go out and shoot the show in the meantime, I just sat up there guarding all of my equipment.. then just when I thought it really wasn't going to happen. They all crept in one by one.. All very surreal.. We then had about 20 seconds to get a shot.. It was a messy shot. There are nine of them in total and it was a messy room and untidy.. But, at least I have the only shot of the original lineup of the Pogues since the early 80's..

The Pogues - Brixton, London Again

Shane MacGowan
& Cait O'Reardon
Copyright 2005
Danny Clifford

Back to Brixton again.. I had a load of photos published in the UK from last nights gig.. The Times, The Telegraph and the Independent, plus a few others..

The Pogues - Brixton, London

Shane MacGowan - Copyright 2005 Danny Clifford













Back to London for the first of three nights at the Brixton Academy, South London.. Big noisy crowds... guess what ? Loads of flying beer.. Shane was on form before and after the gig..

The Pogues Manchester MEN Arena

For me the second date on the Pogues Reunion tour.. I arrived at the hotel in Manchester, checked in and headed straight to the MEN Arena.. Whilst I was walking in I saw Stuart Pearce or Psycho as he is known (ex England Footballer).. He was on his way into the gig on his own.. I was also shooting this gig for Mojo Magazine.. They were reviewing it.. When I got inside I saw that there was a big lightimg rig. It was being filmed ..





I was quite relieved as there was to be plenty of light... Quite an amazing gig.. Loads of flying beer.. just for a change..

The Pogues - Glasgow

I arrived in Glasgow for the Pogues 2nd show in the Pogues Reunion Tour.. They asked me not to arrive yesterday at their first gig.. They were all (except Shane) a bit nervous on the opening night. I got to the hotel and it seemed rather deserted. They were all in their rooms.. I decided to just make my own way to the venue.. I called Ross, the tour manager and told him I had arrived and suggested I would see them at the gig. So, off I went and eventually found the venue.. I decided to go and check out the photo pit.. Whilst walking through venue towards the pit, I realised that there were rather a lot of very drunk and happy people on the crowd.. Lots of Celtic Football Club shirts.. So, I get into the pit and check out the lighting rig..ummm.... not many lights up there.. I then turned round and looked back at the crowd.. Shock horror.. as I looked back I suddenly had top dodge my first full pint of lager hurtling towards me.. I managed to move and it hit the stage.. I then realised I was going to need my waterproofs.. Shane did warn me about this.. I reached into the back of my camera bag and pulled out a very lightweight waterproof jacket.. So, on it went... A short while later on came Shane MacGowan and the Pogues.. No sooner than they had stepped onto the stage, the flying beer started hurtling at the stage. Well they loved them. Clearly, that was the crowds way of of showing their appreciation.. Strange but true..


So, I shot the show. Sadly the lighting was, as I had anticipated, bloody awful. Such is life.. I made my way back to the hotel and waited for Shane to arrive.. After quite a while he showed up and had two of three bottles in each of his jacket pocket. he was also holding a pint of what I assume was gin or vodka or something similar.. We had a chat for a little while and he said he was off to his room.. I then headed off to my room and started to edit up my images..

The Prodigy

Shot The Prodigy at Brixton Academy, London.. It was a mad show.. Very fast and wild.. Got great shots of them..

Paul Carrack at The Stables

I went up to Milton Keynes to photograph the one and only Paul Carrack. He was on very good form, the band are all bonkers, especially, Robo, Pauls guitarist.. Paul Copley was telling about his latest cooking escapades.. next time I am in Sheffield I will pop in and check it all out.. Paul Carrack is without doubt one of the most talented artist's I have worked with. He has such an amazing voice. I remember chatting with Lulu once and she was raving about Paul and his voice. He is her fav of all time, so she told me anyway.. The lighting at this show was better than any of Paul's gig's that I have photographed. This is due to the fact that he now has a new great lighting chap, who's name I cant remember. But he is great. The light is just right.. So, thanks to him, I got some fab shots..