The Pogues

It’s Christmas in the drunk tank and The Pogues have reformed, featuring the classic line-up of Shane MacGowan, Jem Finer, Darryl Hunt, Philip Chevron, Terry Woods, Spider Stacey, Andrew Rankin and James Fearnley. Who wouldn’t raise a glass to this momentous occasion?

In the arena, Phil Spector’s Christmas Album boomed through the PA and the good-natured rollicking (of mainly lads, it has to be said) resembled an RTC rag-week knees-up. Then it struck me. Most of them were in their early to mid-20s and would have been barely out of nappies when Shane and the lads were at their peak in the mid ’80s.

As showtime approached chants of “Shane-O... Shane-O...” built to a crescendo and a riotous roar greeted the eventual arrival onstage of this truly unique combo. But the question on everyone’s lips was – precisely how many sheets to the wind would our main man be on the night? Mumbling something that roughly translated into, “Hello, fucking Baile Atha Cliath”, MacGowan roared into action, clearly in better voice than he’s been for many a year... It was uphill all the way from here with a greatest hits set that included the gorgeous, ‘Pair Of Brown Eyes’ and gems like ‘Sally McLenane’, ‘If I Should Fall From Grace With God’, and ‘The Old Main Drag’. The first moment of magic came with the sublime ‘Rainy Night In Soho’, surely their second best song, ever. Spider Stacey took over the vocals on the post MacGowan hit ‘Tuesday Morning’ revealing a fine song that in retrospect deserved its top-20 status. Then came the moment that would bring tears to the eyes of the most battle-weary as 7,000 voices sang the refrain of ‘Fairytale of New York’, The Pogues masterpiece, and a song that grows in stature with the passing years.

It was all over in jig-time and thousands sailed out into the cold night, happy, sad, satisfied. Nostalgia doesn’t get better than this.