The Pogues announce first headline tour in 10 years
Celtic rock band will be joined by ‘special guests’ for their shows celebrating the 40th anniversary of their second album, ‘Rum Sodomy and The Lash’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Pogues have announced their first headline tour in a decade and their first shows since the death of vocalist and songwriter Shane MacGowan last year.
The influential Celtic punk-rock band will perform live in celebration of 40 years since their second album, Rum Sodomy and the Lash, with dates scheduled for May 2025 in Leeds, Birmingham, London, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle.
“The world got you down? What helps is celebrating 40 years of Rum, Sodomy and the Lash with The Pogues!” a statement shared to the band’s website said.
Original members Spider Stacy, James Fearnley and Jem Finer will apparently be joined by “special guests” to help them celebrate the album’s milestone.
Released in August 1985, Rum, Sodomy and the Lash was the Elvis Costello-produced follow-up to The Pogues’ debut, Red Roses for Me.
While it was not a commercial success, the album received rave reviews from critics and featured many of the band’s best-known works, including “A Pair of Brown Eyes”, “The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn” and MacGowan’s take on “Dirty Old Town” by Ewan MacColl.
Tickets for The Pogues tour go on general sale on 9.30am GMT on Friday 22 November – fans can gain pre-sale access by signing up to the website by 5pm on Tuesday 19 November.
The full dates announced so far are as follows:
Thursday 1 May – Leeds, O2 Academy
Friday 2 May – Birmingham, O2 Academy
Saturday 3 May – London, O2 Academy Brixton
Tuesday 6 May – Glasgow, Barrowland
Wednesday 7 May – Manchester, O2 Apollo
Thursday 8 May – Newcastle, O2 City Hall
The tour announcement comes ahead of The Pogues’ inevitable return to the charts with one of their signature songs, the Christmas-themed “Fairytale of New York”.
Featuring the late Kirsty MacColl on vocals with MacGowan, the folk ballad has re-entered the Top 75 in the UK every December since 2005, and has also made the Top 10 on several occasions.
MacGowan died on 30 November 2023, just a month before his 66th birthday (on Christmas Day).
Stacy, Fearnley and Finer previously announced that a 40th anniversary of Red Roses for Me will take place in Dublin on 17 December, featuring members of groups including Fontaines DC, The Pretenders and The Mary Wallopers.
A statement confirmed that longtime drummer Andrew Ranken would not be taking part in the reunion shows due to health issues; Fontaines DC’s Tom Cull will be standing in.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments