- Music
- 22 Apr 01
BRIAN KENNEDY, MARY BLACK, SHANE MacGOWAN (Beechmount Leisure Centre, Belfast)
BRIAN KENNEDY, MARY BLACK, SHANE MacGOWAN
(Beechmount Leisure Centre, Belfast)
The biggest gig in West Belfast’s history provided a fitting conclusion to 1998’s Feile An Phobail.
Shane MacGowan was first on stage in front of a crowd of 10,000 people. Although it was not a vintage MacGowan performance, the audience lapped up both Shane’s solo material and Pogues classics like ‘Sally MacLennane’. Mary Black, a contrast to MacGowan if ever there was one, followed, and finally overcame the sound problems which bedevilled the early part of her set.
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The night, though, belonged to Brian Kennedy. By the time his set climaxed with ‘Message In A Box’, a carnival atmosphere had taken hold. As Van Morrison might put it, “Wouldn’t it be great if it was like this all the time?”
• Niall Stanage