Formed originally by Shane McGowan, The Popes have long outgrown their creator to become their own monster, and one that takes no prisoners, giving the audience a polished and bravura performance of old favourites such as ‘Don’t Let The Bastards Grind You Down’ along with material from their new album, ‘New Church’, such as album opener, ‘Storming Heaven’. They play the sort of music that makes people, even clumsy and uncoordinated people like me, want to get up and dance. Songs like ‘Rock & Roll Paddy’, ‘Bastards’ and the almost ballad like ‘Outlaw Heaven’ are exactly how you think Irish folk would sound with a little bit of punk angst thrown in. As Paul ‘Mad Dog’ McGuinness stops one of the songs part way through in order to tell the fiddle player that he is Irish and should therefore speed up his playing, the whole room is smiling and dancing. Ticket: $49.00 ($3.00 bf) Guests: Between The Wars