***
Shane bites its head off at the end of the last encore – inspired by Ozzy. And then Joey sews it back, backstage. Sometimes he has to pry its head from Shane’s mouth first... sometimes Shane spits it out, on the stage or into the crowd. So Joey’s task is to rescue the head first, from mad fans, from the most hidden places, risking his health, his mental stability. That’s why he always insists on tight security in the venues – not to confiscate cameras, not to kick out allegedly drunken fans (these are just side-projects), but to make sure nobody leaves with the precious teddy bear head. As the bear is crucial – Andrew refuses to play without it. If Joey failed, the band would be left without a drummer.
When first part of the mission is accomplished, a backstage idyll could be seen by the eyes of an unsuspecting fan: James peacefully knitting, Joey sewing the teddy bear.... under James’s table. Occasionally, some other Pogue takes a seat at the table, propping his feet up on Joey’s back... or shoulders... or head. But actually Joey hates sewing. And the desperate cries from James ("Give me back my thread!!!") belie the idyllic air too. Who can blame James, once Joey sewed his clew to the bear’s body, instead of the head. And it was James’s favourite colour. So no one can even hold it against James that he tried to kick the shite out of helpful Joey – he simply takes knitting to heart. From time to time, when the old head gets unusable, Joey asks James to knit a new one. Such a request pleases James heartily. Especially if Joey also presents him with cupla eyes – his old trouser buttons. And a tiny piece of the red cloth from an old shirt – as a scarf for the bear... and red sleeves. James obediently fulfills the task and they are reconciled again. And the teddy bear is lovelier than ever before...
***
A year passed... new mysteries arose. On Halloween evening, the Pogues strutted onstage in Los Angeles dressed in mariachi costumes (Shane’s variant being a bathrobe) and Andrew sat down behind his familiar drum kit, adorned with the hammer and sickle. But... really familiar? Where has the teddy bear gone? And what about the scribbles surrounding the infamous symbol? "Nell"? "Hackney"? With urgent exclamation marks? Well, maybe the appearance and disappearance are connected...
Nell Hackney is the teddy bear! Look at the pics from San Francisco – there is the teddy bear and no signs, while on the L.A. pics – there is no bear and a sign! Adrew misses him and calls him back...
The poor creature has finally died a horrendous death?!
Nah, Joey is lonely backstage during the gigs... He wanted to cheer himself up a bit. He took it to perform the usual procedure and just didn’t give it back...
But now Andrew is sad and lonely!
Joey will give it back to him at the end of the tour. Just one more night with the lovely bear!
He should be careful. What if Andrew finds out and attacks him with the hammer? Or with the sharp sickle? It is dangerous...
He keeps it under his t-shirt. Unless Andrew tries to get under it, he is safe.
Hm, maybe it explans why they say he has "serious man-titties". Titties or teddies...
Do you think in pants it would look better?!
Ehm, more manly?
But then Andrew would kill him for sure...
photos © DzM, 2006, 2007