FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE

1. THE PONY INTERVIEW WITH LARRY KIRWAN OF BLACK 47
2. COLLEGE NIGHT THURSDAYS AT THE STONE PONY
3. CALENDAR OF EVENTS

This Week at The Stone Pony: Black 47 (Friday), Bruce In The U.S.A. (Sunday)

New On The Stone Pony Calendar: Marah (February 23), Patti Smith (February 24), Jack's Mannequin (March 2), John Valby "Dr. Dirty" (March 2), Pepper (March 5), Badfish (March 9), Saliva (March 10), The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (March 23), Warrant (March 24), Lez Zeppelin (March 30)

Visit The Stone Pony on MySpace.com at: http://www.myspace.com/ponyrock

2007 STONE PONY ANNIVERSARY SERIES KICKS OFF WITH BLACK 47

Powerful, political, loud and thoroughly Irish. That's probably as good a way as any to describe Black 47, who return to the Stone Pony to kick-off the 2007 Anniversary Series here at the club on Friday, February 9. Led by lead singer and guitarist, as well as their primary songwriter and musical director, Larry Kirwan, Black 47 released their debut album in 1989 and hasn't stopped since. Their albums have ranged from glamorous major-label releases to cult indie favorites, highlighting both Kirwan's songwriting chops (which are polished through his other writings for page and stage), as well as their stellar musicianship, which combines all of the elements of a great punk or underground rock show, with enough horns and the hunting melody of the Uilleann pipes - the national bagpipe of Ireland - to let you know that soul, R&B and the Celts are along for the ride.

Always prolific, the band's most recent CD is "Bittersweet Sixteen," which includes two new tracks, six songs off their no-longer-available major labels albums, and some unreleased tracks and live recordings from the early days of the band. The album is unique in that it not only offers something for someone who's just being introduced to the band, as well as an important document for long-time fans of this New York institution to complete an archive of their work.

The Stone Pony interviewed Kirwan - who we last featured here in February 2004 - about their upcoming Tour of Ireland as well as the state of music and politics.  This wide-ranging interview is as varied and multi-faceted as the band itself. So, read on, then join us at the club on Friday evening for the full experience.

The Stone Pony: You recently announced the itinerary for your annual Trip to Ireland, which will take place in November. Do you find that these trips mean something to you on a personal level, and is the opportunity to reconnect with the places and people that inspired your music still meaningful to you?

Larry Kirwan: As the years have gone by I find myself slipping away from Ireland. It's inevitable, I suppose. Losing both my parents over the last six years has helped cut some bonds.  I still dream about Wexford and Ireland, though, so I'm connected to it on a deep level. But I no longer have that driving need to go back. However, when I do go, I instantly fit back in on most levels and wonder just why I stayed away for so long. I really like going back with the band because when you're working you really get to the core [of] a country and place.

The Stone Pony: On this year's trip, Black 47 will perform in Belfast for the first time since 1996. Where will you be presenting that show and how do you expect to be received by the locals?  What sort of fan base do you have in Ireland, and are these trips over there as much a chance to let those people see the band for a week as much as a chance to bring American fans on tour?

LK: I've always felt close to Belfast and the North of Ireland in general. It was always a very interesting area of the country to me. Perhaps, that's because I was raised in a Republican background by one side of my family. Losing the North was a major trauma to my Grandfather - who raised me. There is a chapter in my "memoir," Green Suede Shoes, set around the song "Uncle Jim" that defines what the North means to me and how I was affected by sectarianism and bigotry on a particular trip there. But, on top of that, Belfast is a very "music" town. It's odd how some towns are musical and others are less so. The venue hasn't been set yet but I'm sure we'll have people showing up from all over the North because of songs like "Fanatic Heart," "Bobby Sands MP" and other songs that are set in the city and general area.

Our fan base in Ireland is small but growing again. We don't get played on the radio and took long breaks away from touring there. It's mostly young now and people have come to know us from CDs that have been burned and passed hand to hand.

Bringing people with us helps to subsidize our tours. It's a great way for people to see Ireland for the first time or even to come alone. We provide an instant family. Everyone looks out for loners or black sheep and there is a wonderful sense of camaraderie. It's a rock & roll tour with history, politics and a lot of other things throw in. We're now taking reservations.  We keep the prices down so that most people - if they save - can afford to come. It's $1,399 with everything included and you can call Hammond Travel direct at 866-486-8772 or visit black47.com for details.

The Stone Pony: You've called your latest CD, "Bittersweet Sixteen," "a look back at 16 years on the road."  When you were putting the album together and going back through all of that past material, did you find yourself getting nostalgic or did you enjoy the experience more just finding stuff that you might have forgotten?

LK: I was struck by just how formed our sound was from the get go.  We recorded the first cassette within ten weeks of forming the band.  It was rough and tough but all the ingredients were there from the start. Part of the choosing was very pragmatic - to include songs that people couldn't hear anymore because record companies had deleted them.  Thus, our buddy Vin Scelsa was able to supply us with a live tape made for his radio show taped right before we recorded "Home of the Brave" for EMI.  We were also able to get some live tracks of songs from the "Green Suede Shoes" CD. It was interesting and a bit nostalgic to look back.  I had never had the time nor inclination to do that, but writing the book "Green Suede Shoes" made me more open to the process.

The Stone Pony: Your last CD, "New York Town," was very introspective and focused on your hometown as an epilogue to 9/11.  With "Bittersweet Sixteen," your focus is back on the road and looking back further into your history. Was there anything conscious about that decision to shift your focus like that from one album to the next, and do you feel your own attention has changed from the time that "New York Town" was written?

LK: Each album reflects a different time and space.  "New York Town" was a distinct attempt to capture New York City at the turn of the millennium, right before and after 9/11. I knew the city would undergo huge change and I wanted to nail my memories to the mast and not have them mellow or become gauzy with time.  It's become a big favorite with Black 47 fans and has made a difference to many people who were greatly affected by the disaster.  So, in that sense, it has been a success.  But each album is different.  I'm writing a new one now and concentrating on that - no books or plays. It's definitely taken me a little time to get back in a songwriting mode but now I'm flying.  I suppose, as Lawrence Durrell once stated, that I've let the rusty water run from the pump and am hitting the crystal spring again.  It's one hell of a relief.  I have a good idea where books and plays come from but songwriting is still a mystery.  Keep that tap running!

The Stone Pony: When you perform the songs from "New York Town," do you find that everything you wrote and felt at the time is still valid, or does it feel like a work of its time and place?  Have any of your attitudes changed since you wrote the album and how do you think people should balance the need to heal and move on without forgetting or allowing people to use the memory of 9/11 in negative ways.

LK: Well, I'm lucky to be in a band like Black 47 because things change every night. We take all our moods, traumas, joys and crises onstage with us and work them out through the music.  It's like being a method actor who is also a Dadaist. You're totally affected by the now of time and place.  Of course, if you're doing a song like "Mychal" or "Orphan of the Storm," you're back in the vortex of 9/11 - with all the anger, fear and loss; but you have to deal with that process with the tools you have at the moment you're performing or else you'll just get swept away by the sadness of what you're singing about.

The only attitude that has really changed is an abiding disdain for President Bush and those around him for continuing to use 9/11 to justify the invasion of Iraq.  That's unconscionable and it's about bloody time the country woke up and held him accountable. A little late in the day, perhaps, but better late than never.

As regards moving on.  Well, that's easy to say. Some people were more affected than others. Coming from Ireland and its Troubles, I have a bit of a sense of that problem.  But suffice it to say that Black 47 is a storehouse of memories. We don't belabor the point. But there are a lot of ghosts rattling around in our songs and every night some of them get the opportunity to materialize and stride the mortal coil again.

The Stone Pony: Black 47 has always been known as a "political" band. Have you felt any compulsion recently to write about the modern political climate, the war or the world situation in general?  It seems that while a lot of music, film and literature focuses on the war in Iraq, the creative impulse doesn't seem as strong, or as good, as there was in the 1960s or 1970s. Do you have any thoughts on why it doesn't seem that artists are making as strong an impact on the culture today as one might expect considering what's going on in the United States?

LK: I wonder about that myself. We've been against the war since before the war began and made no bones about the matter.  Since we don't tend to play exclusively for the converted, we had a tough time until late '05, then I think people woke up a bit. One great thing though is that the two songs we wrote about Iraq, "Downtown Baghdad Blues" and "South Side Chicago Waltz" have become popular with the troops in Iraq. That meant a lot more than some drunken bozo threatening us or people walking out of shows.

I'm not sure why artists are not having a strong impact today. Perhaps, it's because music is not as central to people's lives as it was in the '60s and '70s.  It's become more entertainment and celebrity driven; whereas, once it was about life. Also, this is a class war.  Working class people are doing the fighting, bleeding and dying.  Vietnam, because of the draft, was much more egalitarian.  I would also hazard a guess that as a nation we're a lot stupider. Television has won the game.  Radio is dominated by right-wing zealots, advertising companies and those who just want to hold on to their jobs.  The awful thing is that in regard to this war the chickens will inevitably come home to roost and they won't be heading to Crawford, Texas.

The Stone Pony: A few months ago, you wrote a wonderful blog about CBGBs in light of its closure in New York City. You mentioned briefly that you were once briefly, and temporarily, banned from performing there. Can you share the story of how that happened and any other thoughts of your gigs at that venue?

LK: In the middle of a song called "Rose" (about Aleister Crowley's first wife) I did a Middle Pillar magickal exercise, complete with athame (knife).  It was very peaceful but obviously quite intense gesture.  I was a bit put out, especially as Wendy Williams had been humping a chain saw some nights before and was invited back.  Eventually, I was forgiven and played there many more times.  I always enjoyed the place and saw some amazing acts there.  I wish Hilly all the best and hope he can open again somewhere else.  For that matter, the very best to my friend Alan Pepper at the Bottom Line, who once had me thrown out during a Peter Gabriel gig when he caught me sneaking slugs from a bottle of Southern Comfort that I'd smuggled in.

The Stone Pony: You've written about seeing Bruce Springsteen's infamous shows at the Bottom Line in the 1970s and that you were an early fan of his.  When you first played here at the Pony, did you feel a connection to Asbury Park's musical legacy?  How would you compare the vibe of the club to some of the great venues that you've played and attended shows at in Manhattan?

LK: I was beyond thrilled to play the Pony because of Bruce.  I could feel the ghosts the first evening I walked in. Tipitina's in New Orleans had much the same effect.  I still love playing Asbury Park.  It's a tough old town with a lot of history - a "music" town, in the very best way. It's as good a club as you'll find in America.  Right up there with Toads in New Haven and all the old grand dames of rock & roll.  Support the joint.  When it's gone, part of history will flee with it.  Bruce, as ever, continues to be inspirational.  My love to Lisa Lowell and Soozie Tyrell too, drinking partners from the old Tramps on 15th Street and Irving Place.  How come these ladies get better looking all time?

The Stone Pony: Your Myspace profile classifies the band's music as Rock / New Wave / Soul.  Did The Godfather of Soul, James Brown, have any influence on your sound and do you have any thoughts on his music and life that you would like to share?

LK: Really?  I don't think I've ever noticed that description.  Anyone who has had horns in a band has been influenced by James. I was a lot more influenced by Otis Redding, though - both hornwise and artistically. He's still my favorite singer.  I couldn't sound like him in a million years but I still get shivers when I hear his voice. I'm afraid I can't offer any insights into Jame's life and, as for his music, well, he's the one who really shows you how to use space in the arrangements. You can see right through a James song; that's what makes him so important. As an old musician once said to me in a ballroom in the Bronx, "will you quit wankin' all over the song. Leave holes in the thing, big enough for a bloody king to fall into."

The Stone Pony: What are your upcoming projects that you would like fans to watch out for the year ahead? Are there plans for the next Black 47 album or any other books in the works?

LK: I want to take time with the next Black 47 CD.  Write around 20 songs and see what surfaces during live shows. For certain reasons, most of the last CDs have been lyric driven; now, I'd like to let the music do more of the talking.  I've just finished a new book called "Rockin' The Bronx." It's set up there in 80/81 in the period that John Lennon, Bobby Sands and Bob Marley died.  It's another picture of the city at a point in time.  I've also collaborated with Tom Keneally (Schindler's List) on a Broadway musical. I've written the music and songs for his book. We'll see if that sees the light of day.  And I suppose I better get started on another book. See you at the Stone Pony. Keep the faith!

The Black 47 official website can be found at www.black47.com. Their latest CD, "Bittersweet Sixteen," can be purchased online or at fine music retailers like Jack's Music in Red Bank, NJ.

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THE STONE PONY ONLINE NEWSLETTER is written by Matt Mrowicki and published by Impression Technologies, LLC (www.imprtech.com). ©2007, The Stone Pony. Comments may be sent to: newsletter@stoneponyonline.com.