SHANE McGOWAN AND NICK CAVE

SHANE McGOWAN AND NICK CAVE (Cradle Benefit, City Hall, Cork)

SHANE McGOWAN is looking a lot better than the last time I saw him four years ago in the lovely Offaly town of Shinrone when he appeared to be unable to stand.

These days, while Shane is still far from being an upright member of the community, he is at least upright. At this Rock the Cradle bash, organised by The Word in aid of Bosnian kids, it looks like he’s back from the brink of alcoholic catastrophe and while he’s certainly a bit pissed, this time he seems to be enjoying it.

The voice is in middling fettle, backing band The Popes appear to know their onions and the sell-out crowd is eager and willing so it’s a small pity that the show turns out to be little more than a run-through The Pogues back catalogue. Opening with the classic rabble-rouser ‘Sally McLenane’, Shane and his chums lead us down a familiar avenue of rumbustious drinking songs. If at times they sound like a pub band, it’s not altogether inappropriate.

Nick Cave appears for just the one number but it’s a belter. Introduced as “a Sinatra song”, perhaps mischievously, it fair raises the roof. Cave’s harsh yet velvety voice still sends a shudder down the spine and his appearance is all too brief. What’s it they say about a taste of honey?

But with McGowan and Co now hitting full stride, the crowd are largely unperturbed. One or two new songs are aired and sound up to scratch, which augurs well for the debut Popes album, and encoring with ‘Fairytale of New York’, Shane reminds us why he’s got such a rep. If he can continue to knock out tunes like these, his twisted smile will be with us for a while yet.

Tonight it was a bit like a rowdy party with Nick and Shane, the booze brothers, lashing out a few numbers, having had one too many. But it was a good party . . .

• Kevin Barry