The Pogues
The Pogues | |
---|---|
Chameleon | |
Past members |
|
Website | pogues.com |
The Pogues were an English or Anglo-Irish[a] Celtic punk band fronted by Shane MacGowan and others, founded in King's Cross, London, in 1982,[1] as Pogue Mahone—an anglicisation by James Joyce of the Irish phrase póg mo thóin, meaning "kiss my arse". Fusing punk influences with instruments such as the tin whistle, banjo, Irish bouzouki, cittern, mandolin and accordion, the Pogues were initially poorly received in traditional Irish music circles—the noted musician Tommy Makem called them "the greatest disaster ever to hit Irish music"—but were subsequently credited with reinvigorating the genre.[2] The band later incorporated influences from other musical traditions, including jazz, flamenco, and Middle Eastern music.
The band started off playing in London pubs and clubs, and became known for their energetic, raucous live shows.
In 1987, the Pogues' arrangement of the folk song "The Irish Rover", a collaboration with the Dubliners, reached number one in Ireland and number eight in the UK; the two bands performed the song on Ireland's The Late Late Show and the UK's Top of the Pops. Later in 1987, the Pogues released the Christmas single "Fairytale of New York", co-written by MacGowan and Jem Finer and recorded as a duet between MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl, which reached number one in Ireland and number two in the UK. The song remains a perennial Christmas favourite in the UK and Ireland; in December 2022, it was certified quintuple platinum in the UK, having achieved three million combined sales.[4] It featured on the band's critically acclaimed and commercially successful third studio album, If I Should Fall from Grace with God (1988), which also included "Thousands Are Sailing", "Fiesta", and the political protest song "Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six". The Pogues recorded two more albums featuring MacGowan—Peace and Love (1989), including "White City" and "Misty Morning, Albert Bridge", and Hell's Ditch (1990), featuring "Sunny Side of the Street" and "Summer in Siam"—before sacking him during a 1991 tour as his drug and alcohol dependency increasingly impacted their ability to perform live.
The band continued after MacGowan's departure, first with Joe Strummer and then with longtime band member Spider Stacy as frontmen, releasing new material on Waiting for Herb (1993). They broke up following the critical and commercial failure of their seventh and last studio album, Pogue Mahone (1996).[5] The band—once again including MacGowan—re-formed for a reunion tour in late 2001. They continued playing regularly across the UK and Ireland; they also toured on the East Coast of the United States and in mainland Europe. To mark the 30th anniversary of their founding, they released the live album and concert video The Pogues in Paris: 30th Anniversary and the box set Pogues 30, containing remastered versions of all their studio albums, plus a previously unreleased live album. Longtime guitarist Philip Chevron died in October 2013. The Pogues played their final live shows in summer 2014, before dissolving. Longtime bassist Darryl Hunt died in August 2022 and MacGowan died in November 2023.
Band history
Pre-Pogues years: 1977–1982
The future members of the Pogues first met when MacGowan (vocals), Peter "Spider" Stacy (tin whistle), and Jem Finer (banjo) were together in an occasional band called The Millwall Chainsaws in the late 1970s after MacGowan and Stacy met in the toilets at a Ramones gig at The Roundhouse in London in 1977.[6] MacGowan was already with The Nips, though when they broke up in 1980 he concentrated more on Stacy's Millwall Chainsaws, who changed their name to The New Republicans.[citation needed]. Shane and Stacy performed their first gig as The New Republicans at Richard Strange's Cabaret Futura in London's Rupert Street Soho in the early months of 1981. Also on the bill that night were Soft Cell.
Early years: 1982–1986
In 1982,
By their show on Friday 29 October 1982 at 100 Club in London, Cait O'Riordan (bass) and Andrew Ranken (drums) had already joined the band.[12] Pogue Mahone appeared on Thursday 3 November 1983 at Gossips in Dean Street Soho with Trash Trash Trash and The Stingrays.[citation needed]
The band played London pubs and clubs,[13] and released a single, "Dark Streets of London",[14] on their own, self-named label, gaining a small reputation – especially for their live performances, and national airplay on BBC Radio 1. They came to the attention of the media and Stiff Records when they opened for The Clash on their 1984 tour.[5] Shortening their name to The Pogues (partly due to BBC censorship following complaints from Gaelic speakers in Scotland) they released their first album, Red Roses for Me, on Stiff Records that October.
The band gained more attention when the UK Channel 4's music show
With the aid of producer Elvis Costello, they recorded the follow-up, Rum Sodomy & the Lash, in 1985 during which time guitarist Philip Chevron joined. The album title is a famous comment falsely attributed to Winston Churchill who was supposedly describing the "true" traditions of the British Royal Navy.[15] The album cover featured The Raft of the Medusa, with the faces of the characters in Théodore Géricault's painting replaced with those of the band members. The album shows the band moving away from covers to original material. Shane MacGowan came into his own as a songwriter with this disc, offering up poetic storytelling, such as "The Sick Bed of Cúchulainn" and "The Old Main Drag", as well as definitive interpretations of Ewan MacColl's "Dirty Old Town" and Eric Bogle's "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" (this had previously been covered by Shane's fellow punk contemporaries Skids in 1981).
The band failed to take advantage of the momentum created by the strong artistic and commercial success of their second album. They first refused to record another album (offering up the four-track EP
Mainstream success and break-up: 1987–1996
The band remained stable enough to record
In 1989, the band released Peace and Love, a jazzier record featuring six tracks written by MacGowan, as well as eight tracks written by band members Jem Finer, Terry Woods, Andrew Ranken, and Philip Chevron. As Mark Deming wrote in AllMusic, "It does make clear that MacGowan was hardly the only talented songwriter in the band -- though the fact that the set's most memorable songs were written by others did not bode well for the group's future."[18]
The band was at the peak of its commercial success, with both albums making the top 5 in the UK (numbers 3 and 5 respectively), but MacGowan was increasingly unreliable. He failed to turn up for the opening dates of their 1988 tour of America, and prevented the band from promoting their 1990 album Hell's Ditch, so in 1991 the band sacked him following a chaotic live performance at the WOMAD Festival held in Japan.[19][20][21] Vocal duties were for a time handled by Joe Strummer. Spider Stacy took over permanently after Strummer left in the winter of 1991. After Strummer's departure, the remaining seven Pogues recorded in 1993 Waiting for Herb, which contained the band's third and final top twenty single, "Tuesday Morning", which became their best-selling single internationally.[citation needed]
Terry Woods and James Fearnley subsequently left the band and were replaced by David Coulter and James McNally respectively. Within months of their departures, ill health forced Phil Chevron to leave the band; he was replaced by his former guitar technician, Jamie Clarke. This line-up recorded the band's seventh and final studio album,
Post-breakup
After the Pogues's break-up, the three remaining long-term members (Spider Stacy, Andrew Ranken and Darryl Hunt) played together briefly as The Vendettas. They played mainly new Stacy-penned tracks, though Darryl Hunt also contributed songs, and the band's live set included a few Pogues songs. First Ranken then Hunt left the band, the latter going on to become singer/songwriter in an indie band called Bish, whose self-titled debut album was released in 2001. Ranken later performed with a number of other bands, including Kippers, The Municipal Waterboard and, most recently,[
Shane MacGowan founded
James Fearnley moved to the United States shortly before leaving the Pogues. He was a member of The Low And Sweet Orchestra and later the Cranky George Trio. Philip Chevron reformed his former band The Radiators, which briefly included former Pogue Cait O'Riordan. Terry Woods formed The Bucks with Ron Kavana, releasing the album Dancin' To The Ceili Band in 1994. Later, he formed The Woods Band, releasing the album Music From The Four Corners of Hell in 2002.[citation needed]
Reunion: 2001–2014
The band, including MacGowan, re-formed for a Christmas tour in 2001 and performed nine shows in the UK and Ireland in December 2004. In 2002 Q magazine named the Pogues one of the "50 Bands To See Before You Die". In July 2005, the band – again including MacGowan – played at the annual Guilfest festival in Guildford before flying out to Japan where they played three dates. Japan is the last place they all played together before MacGowan was originally sacked in 1991, and they have a strong following there.[citation needed]
The band played a date in Spain in September 2005. The reunited Pogues played dates in the UK with support from the
Shane MacGowan wrote a blog for The Guardian in 2006, detailing his thoughts on the current tour.[24]
The band was awarded the lifetime achievement award at the annual
Guitarist Phil Chevron has stated there were no plans to record new music or release a new album. Chevron said that one way to keep enjoying what they were doing was to avoid making a new album, although he did say that there still is a possibility in the future for new music, but certainly not in the near future. Terry Woods has commented that MacGowan has been writing, and most of it sounds good. In 2008 the band released a box set Just Look Them Straight in the Eye and Say....POGUE MAHONE!!, which included rare studio outtakes and previously unreleased material.[25]
The band received mixed reviews of their performances though they continued to pull the crowds. Reviewing a March 2008 concert, The Washington Post described MacGowan as "puffy and paunchy," but said the singer "still has a banshee wail to beat Howard Dean's, and the singer's abrasive growl is all a band this marvelous needs to give its amphetamine-spiked take on Irish folk a focal point". The reviewer continued: "The set started off shaky, MacGowan singing of 'goin' where streams of whiskey are flowin,' and looking like he'd arrived there already. He grew more lucid and powerful as the evening gathered steam, through two hours and 26 songs, mostly from the Pogues' first three (and best) albums".[26] In December 2010 the Pogues (with support from Crowns) played what was billed as a farewell UK Christmas tour.
In March 2011, the Pogues played a six-city/ten-show sold out US tour titled "A Parting Glass with The Pogues" visiting Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Boston, and New York City (in that order), with only the last three cities getting more than one show. Stacy said "I think we are basically pretty certain this is the last tour of this type we'll be doing in the States. There might be the odd sort of one-off here and there. We're not saying this is absolutely, definitely the end".[27]
In August 2012, the Pogues embarked on a 30th Anniversary Summer 2012 8-city European Tour scheduled from 4 August 2012 at the Stockton Weekender Festival in
In March 2013, the Pogues released 30:30: The Essential Collection, a 2-disc set featuring 30 songs along with eleven videos. In October 2013, the Pogues released a box set titled Pogues 30 containing remastered versions of all of their studio albums plus a previously unreleased live album featuring Joe Strummer at the London Forum in December 1991.[28]
Guitarist Philip Chevron died on 8 October 2013 in Dublin, Ireland from oesophageal cancer, aged 56.[29]
In December 2013, the Pogues went on a four-date UK Christmas tour, followed by a few shows during spring and summer 2014.[b] The Pogues' last performance on British soil occurred on 6 July 2014 at the British Summer Time festival in London's Hyde Park.[30] The Pogues' last ever performance (to date) occurred on 9 August 2014 during the "Fête du bruit dans Landerneau" festival in Landerneau, Brittany, France.
Post-split: 2014-
In a December 2015 interview with Vice magazine,[31] when asked whether the band were still active, Shane MacGowan said: "We're not, no", saying that, since their 2001 reunion happened, "I went back with [The] Pogues and we grew to hate each other all over again", adding, "I don't hate the band at all – they're friends. I like them a lot. We were friends for years before we joined the band. We just got a bit sick of each other. We're friends as long as we don't tour together. I've done a hell of a lot of touring. I've had enough of it".[30]
Long-time Pogues bassist Darryl Hunt died in London on 8 August 2022, at the age of 72.[32]
Shane MacGowan died in Dublin on 30 November 2023, at the age of 65.[33] The band's surviving members reunited to perform "The Parting Glass" at his funeral on 8 December 2023.[34] Following the death of MacGowan, "Fairytale of New York" went to No. 1 in Ireland on 1 December 2023.[35] On 13 December 2023, The Pogues reissued "Fairytale of New York" as a charity 7-inch single in tribute to MacGowan and to benefit the Dublin Simon Community, an organization fighting homelessness that MacGowan had supported.[36]
On 3 May 2024, surviving members Finer, Fearnley and Stacey performed Pogues songs with a variety of guest musicians on vocals at Hackney Empire, London, to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of "Red Roses for Me".[37][38]
Members
- Spider Stacy – vocals, tin whistle (1982–1996, 2001–2014)
- Jem Finer – banjo, mandola, saxophone, hurdy-gurdy, guitar, vocals (1982–1996, 2001–2014)
- James Fearnley – accordion, mandolin, piano, guitar (1982–1993, 2001–2014)
- Shane MacGowan – vocals, guitar, banjo, bodhrán (1982–1991, 2001–2014; died 2023)
- Andrew Ranken – drums, percussion, harmonica, vocals (1982–1996, 2001–2014)
- Darryl Hunt – bass (1986–1996, 2001–2014; died 2022)
- Terry Woods – mandolin, cittern, concertina, guitar, vocals (1986–1993, 2001–2014)
- Cait O'Riordan – bass, vocals (1982–1986, 2004)
- Philip Chevron – guitar, vocals, mandolin, banjo (1985–1994, 2001–2013; his death)
- Joe Strummer – vocals, guitar (1991–1992; also replaced an ailing Phil Chevron for a US tour in 1987; died 2002)
- Dave Coulter – mandolin, violin, ukulele, percussion (1993–1996)
- James McNally – accordion, whistles, percussion (1993–1996)
- Jamie Clarke – guitar, vocals (1994–1996)
Timeline
Discography
- Red Roses for Me (1984)
- Rum Sodomy & the Lash (1985)
- If I Should Fall from Grace with God (1988)
- Peace and Love (1989)
- Hell's Ditch (1990)
- Waiting for Herb (1993)
- Pogue Mahone (1996)
Notes
- ^ While often labelled as variously "English", "Anglo-Irish", "Hiberno-English" or simply "Irish", amongst others,[39][40][41][42][43] the band has described itself as "all English" in interviews[44] and band members such as Jem Finer and Philip Chevron, once the band's only Irish-born member, objected[45] to the "Irish" label to describe the band;[46][47] James Fearnley refers to the band as "for the most part English".[48] The band has faced accusations of cultural appropriation or insensitivity as an English band playing traditionally Irish music.[49][50][51][52][53] With the departure of Shane MacGowan in 1996, Darryl Hunt explained that, with the loss of the band's only founding member with Irish heritage, the Pogues "respected [...] everybody's culture" and took "energy and ideas" from Irish music as well as elsewhere.[54]
- ^ On 31 May 2014 at the Rock in Idro Festival (Arena Joe Strummer) in Bologna, Italy; on 14 June 2014 at Thetford Forest (High Lodge), Suffolk, England, UK; on 26 June 2014 at Bristol Harbour, Bristol, England, UK; on 5 July 2014 at the British Summer Time Festival (Hyde Park), London, England, UK; on 27 July 2014 at the Fuji Rock Festival (Naeba Ski Resort), Niigata, Japan; on 9 July 2014 at the "Fête du bruit dans Landerneau" Festival, Landerneau, Brittany, France.
References
- ^ "Music & Nightlife | Music Preview | The Pogues". Metroactive.com. Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
- ^ "A life too interesting: Shane MacGowan". 30 November 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ "Shane MacGowan obituary: A wild life, raw talent, and a forever connection with Christmas - whether he liked it or not". Sky News. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
- ^ a b "The Pogues". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- ^ Jones, Sam (21 December 2007). "He might be a drunk and a bum but he still has that most precious of musical things – a unique and special legacy". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
- ^ Fearnley, James (2013). Here Comes Everybody: The Story of the Pogues. Faber & Faber. p. 53.
- ^ Joyce, James (1922). Ulysses. Project Gutenberg.
- ^ "Pogue Mahone". Green's Dictionary of Slang. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023.
- ^ "Radio 2 – Documentaries – Pogue Mahone: The Story of the Pogues". BBC. Archived from the original on 10 November 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
- ^ "Shane MacGowan". Pogues.com. 25 December 1957. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
- ^ "The Pogues Setlist on Oct 29 1982 at 100 Club, London, England". setlist.fm. December 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
- ^ "Newspaper cutting : Mahone Is Where The Heart Is!". Shanemcgowan.de. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
- ^ "Poster : Pogue Mahone : Debut Single on Sale Here". Shanemcgowan.de. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
- ^ "Quotes Falsely Attributed". The Churchill Centre. Archived from the original on 29 December 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
- ^ BBC News, 16 December 2004. Pogues track wins Christmas poll Archived 19 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 17 November 2005.
- ^ BBC News, 15 December 2005. Fairytale still the festive pick Archived 13 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 December 2005.
- ^ Mark Deming. "Peace and Love - The Pogues". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ The Pogues Womad festival Rinkou Park Yokohama Japan 30 aug 1991 Shanes last gig, retrieved 10 August 2023
- ISBN 978-1-78760-108-6.
- ^ allmusic (((The Pogues > Biography)))
- ^ Interview Archived 15 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine from The Irish World, 21 November 1997, Tonya Henderson.
- ISBN 978-1-78760-108-6.
- ^ Shane MacGowan. "Shane MacGowan". Guardian Unlimited. London. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
- ^ Deusner, Stephen (15 July 2008). "Pitchfork: The Pogues: Just Look Them Straight in the Eye and Say...Poguemahone!!". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 10 April 2009. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
- ^ "Performing Arts". The Washington Post. 11 March 2008. Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
- ^ "The Pogues' Upcoming US Tour 'Will Be Their Last' | Live4ever". Live4ever.uk.com. 28 February 2011. Archived from the original on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
- ^ "The Medusa Fora • View topic – POGUES 30 / STRUMMER/POGUES". Pogues.com. Archived from the original on 13 October 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ "Pogues guitarist Philip Chevron dies following long battle with cancer". The Independent. 8 October 2013. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
- ^ a b "Shane MacGowan shows off his new teeth; calls it quits with the Pogues. (by Derek)". anglotopia.net. 29 December 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
- ^ "'I Don't Like Christmas, It's Gross': An Interview with Shane MacGowan (by Leonie Cooper)". Vice Magazine. 24 December 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
- Independent.co.uk. 9 August 2022.
- ^ "Shane MacGowan: Pogues singer dies aged 65". BBC News. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ "The Pogues Reunite and Perform "The Parting Glass" at Shane MacGowan's Funeral". Consequence of Sound. 8 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ O'Shea, Kerry (4 December 2023). ""Fairytale of New York" surges to number one after Shane MacGowan's death". Irish Central. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ^ Blistein, John (13 December 2023). "The Pogues Reissue 'Fairytale of New York' as Charity Single Honoring Shane MacGowan". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ^ https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/may/05/the-pogues-shane-macgowan-red-roses-for-me-review-hackney-empire-london
- ^ https://www.hackneyempire.co.uk/events/the-pogues-red-roses-for-me
- ^ McAuliffe, Colm (20 October 2015). "Jem Finer of the Pogues: a millennium in music". Britain's Current Affairs & Politics Magazine. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ "Beyond 'Eileen,' Ted Leo Lays Out Why Dexys Midnight Runners Are Worth Your Time". Billboard. 15 March 2019. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ O’Hagan, Sean (14 January 2018). "Bruised, bloody but unbowed: the songs of Shane MacGowan will outlast us all". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ Beresford, Jack (30 October 2019). "Christmas has come early this year with The Pogues limited edition whiskey". The Irish Post. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ "The Pogues' Shane MacGowan's mother dies in car crash". ITV News. 2 January 2017. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ "The Reformation of That Irish Band From England: The Pogues". The Pogues. Archived from the original on 22 November 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ISBN 978-0-85712-019-9. Archivedfrom the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ "The Medusa Fora Pogues.com". Pogues.com. 15 October 2010. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ "Irish and proud?". The Irish Times. 21 March 2013. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ISBN 978-0-571-25540-5. Archivedfrom the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ Ruggiero, Bob (17 June 2014). "Pogues Accordionist Squeezes Out Anarchic Band's Story". Houston Press. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ "English Heart". IMRO. 8 April 2011. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ISBN 978-1-135-04895-2. Archivedfrom the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- Denver Westword. Archivedfrom the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ Power, Ed (17 March 2010). "Celebrating St Patrick's Day? Don't do it with the Pogues ..." The Guardian. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ Regan, Michael (28 April 1996). "Back On Track With Their English Style of Irish Insolence". Suburban & Wayne Times. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
External links
- The Pogues – official site
- The Pogues discography at Discogs
- The Pogues at IMDb
- Shane MacGowan – official site
- The Pogues article in The Guardian