The Pogues have paid tribute to their late frontman Shane MacGowan, saying his “spirit lives on” as they prepare to perform second album Rum, Sodomy & The Lash in full for its 40th anniversary next year. The new run of gigs comes after the group marked the 40th anniversary of their debut album Red Roses For Me with a series of UK shows earlier this year, with six performances now planned to honour their second LP next May. Banjo player Jem Finer said MacGowan was “irreplaceable”, but added that his essence had been “flowing through” guest singers at gigs.
The British-born Irish singer died last November, aged 65. Speaking about his influence on their return, Finer (69), who co-wrote festive favourite Fairytale Of New York , added: “A lot of the music he wrote, and most of it he sang, even if he didn’t write it. “He’s an irreplaceable person, but somehow his spirit lives on in these people, in working with these other singers, it’s kind of like flowing through them, so he’s very much there, very celebratory and beautifully respectful.
“It’s a spiritual thing without being contrived at all, which if it hadn’t worked like that, we wouldn’t be doing this amazing thing that blossomed into one concert and another and has led to that uncontrivable thing.” One final performance of the first record is planned for Dublin next month with the help of guests including Fontaines DC’s Grian Chatten and singer Nadine Shah, before the band prepare to take o.