by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
By demonstrating that the spirit of punk could live in traditional Irish folk music, the Pogues were one of the most radical bands of the mid-80s. Led by Shane MacGowan, whose slurred, incomprehensible voice often disguised the sheer poetry of his songs, the Pogues were undeniably political — not only were many of their songs explicitly in favor of working-class liberalism, but the wild, careening sound of their punk-injected folk was implicitly radical. While the band was clearly radical, they also had a wickedly warped sense of humor, which was abundantly clear on their biggest hit, the fractured Christmas carol Fairy Tale of New York. The groups first three albums — Red Roses for Me, Rum Sodomy & the Lash, If I Should Fall From Grace With God — were widely praised in both Britain and America, and by 1988 they had earned substantial cult followings in both countries. Yet MacGowans darkly romantic, wasted lifestyle, which was so key to their spirit and success, ultimately proved to be their downfall. By the end of the decade, he had fallen deep into alcoholism and drug addiction, forcing the band to fire him if they wanted to survive. The Pogues carried on without him in the early 90s, playing to a slowly shrinking audience, before finally disbanding in 1996.
Shane MacGowan, an Irish punk inspired by the Clash, formed the Pogues in 1982 after playing with the London-based punk band the Nipple Erectors, a group which was later called the Nips. MacGowan met Spider Stacy in a London tube station, where Stacy was playing a tin whistle. The two began working together, drafting former Nip Jim Fearnley to play guitar. Naming themselves Pogue Mahone — a Gaelic term meaning kiss my ass — the trio began playing traditional Irish tunes in London pubs and streets, eventually adding Jem Finer (banjo, guitar), Andrew David Ranken (drums) and Cait ORiordan (bass) to make it a full band. As the group developed into a sextet, they added MacGowans original songs to their repertoire, and began earning a reputation as a wild, drunken and exciting live act. Shortening their name to the Pogues, the group released an independent single, Dark Streets of London, in early 1984 and supported the Clash on their summer tour. By the fall, they had signed with Stiff Records and had released their acclaimed debut Red Roses for Me.
Red Roses for Me was a critical hit, establishing the Pogues as one of the most vital, and certainly one of the most political, bands in Britain. Early in 1985, they added guitarist Philip Chevron and recorded Rum Sodomy and the Lash with producer Elvis Costello. The album was an underground success and was widely praised, especially for MacGowans songwriting — not only in the U.K., but also in the U.S., where they were becoming college radio staples. Instead of following Rum Sodomy and the Lash with a new album, the Pogues took nearly a full year hiatus from recording, releasing the Poguetry in Motion EP in 1986 and appearing in Alex Coxs film Straight to Hell in 1987. By 1988, ORiordan had left the band to marry Costello, and she was replaced by Darryl Hunt; banjoist Terry Woods was also added to the band. Early in 1988, they signed to Island Records and released the Steve Lillywhite-produced If I Should Fall From Grace With God later that year. The album became the groups biggest hit, generating the number two U.K. single Fairytale of New York, which featured vocalist Kirsty MacColl.
Although the Pogues were peaking in popularity, Shane MacGowans relentless drug and alcohol abuse was beginning to cripple the band. Although neither the 1989 hit single Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah or Peace and Love (also 89) were noticeably affected by his excesses, MacGowan missed the Pogues prestigious opening dates in 1988 for Bob Dylan and stalked the stage like a madman during a pivotal Saturday Night Live performance. By 1990s Hells Ditch, Spider Stacy and Jem Finer began singing the bulk of the Pogues material. Despite positive reviews, Hells Ditch was a flop, and the group wasnt able to support the record because of MacGowans behavior. Consequently, he was asked to leave the band in 1991; three years later, he returned with a new band, the Popes. For subsequent tours, the Clashs Joe Strummer filled in as lead vocalist, but by the time the band recorded their comeback Waiting for Herb in 1993, Stacy had become the permanent vocalist. Waiting for Herb was kindly reviewed, yet was also ignored, as was 1995s Pogue Mahone. In 1996, the Pogues decided to disband after 14 years in the business, though in 2001 the group reunited (with Shane MacGowan in tow) for a short British tour.
