| Shane at the Irish Rover, New York by Kevin Rooney ( for ROCKIN BOPPIN LUNATIC ) The crowd was very receptive. I played stuff like "Star of the County Down", "Spancil Hill", "Black Velvet Band". I also mixed it up with a Beatles song, "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away", Hank Williams' "I Can't Help it if I'm Still in Love With You", Waylon Jennings' "Good Hearted Woman", the Georgia Sattelites' "Keep Your Hands to Yourself", Bob Dylan's "Love Minus Zero" with harmonica, and the Stones' "Ruby Tuesday". Somewhere in the middle of my set, I said I was going to play a song about my hometown. "Where's that?" someone shouted. "New York!" I answered, and sang "The Streets of New York". Definitely a gig to remember, though I was soaking in sweat because the place was like an oven. No sooner had I said my thanks and unplugged did Lancaster County Prison hit the stage. I now changed position from performer to audience. John Carruthers(banjo,haronica), Gerald Donnelly(guitar), Mark (Jet) DeAngelis(Bass), Joe Vazquez (guitar)and new drummer Alan What'shisname hit the stage like a hurricane. Starting with "The Patriot Game" and rocking and shaking the place all over with every song. This being a release party for their excellent new CD "Every Goddamn Time", which features 4 songs with Shane, their set was based on it. From Gerald Donnelly's fist-pumping anthem "Iron Clad" to his cover of Marty Robbins' "El Paso City" featuring the country guitar style of "Smiling" Joe Vazquez,and a Johnny Cash meets Death-Metal version of John Denver's "Country Roads" to Carruthers' outer boroughs anthem "Home Sweet Brooklyn" (Home Sweet Queens to me) to his "Ate His Thumb", a true story about the Donner Party, American settlers in the old west who had to resort to cannibalism for survival. Apparently I saw the same documentary he did! Mark De Angelis gave us "Whiskey O Whiskey" Lancaster County Prison truly rocked the house and kicked some ass. The place grew still as the band grew silent, they announced a friend of theirs from County Tipperary, John Clarke (I think his first name was John, but his last name was definitely Clarke) joined the Prisoners for "Jug of Punch", "Black Velvet Band" and "School Days Over", psyching everyone up..............for the entrance of the special guest. When Shane MacGowan came up on stage, the whole place went crazy. This was what we had all waited for!! He looked great, I think. His hair freshly cut and newly shaven. The band launched into several takes of "The Town I Loved So Well" in which Donnelly duets with Shane for a music video, getting all the footage they needed. They later played the song again live (or is it Memorex), also "Satan is Waiting" from the CD, and Shane classics "Lonesome Highway" and "Irish Rover". He sounded great, just like he always does, which was fine with everyone. During the show everyone was soaked in sweat. John Carruthers brought me downstairs to meet Shane! I shook his hand and told him how honored i was to meet him and play before him. He was very gracious and funny. Laughing and joking. He signed one of my gig flyers, which was all i had for him to sign. A friend of a friend took a picture of Shane with his arm around me because I forgot my camera. I will always treasure my autograph and my memories of meeting Shane. |
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| On the 12th of July, 2003 I had the honor of performing at the Irish Rover Pub in Astoria, Queens, New York. I was the opening act. My guitar, harmonicas and I. I arrived at the Rover around 8:30. Barry O'Reilly, the owner, welcomed me and rushed me to the stage. I asked if Shane was there. Barry, a good friend of his, said he was in a BarberShop down the street. "He heard you were coming" joked Barry. The packed house was getting restless. I plugged in and starting playing "Slievenamon". |
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