BRIAN KENNEDY, MARY BLACK, SHANE MacGOWAN

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.

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