Shane MacGowan’s spirit is alive through “Fairytale of New York,” echoing his impact once more.
At Dublin’s 3Arena, where 13,000 seats stood filled, the Pogues’ surviving members marked 40 years since their first album, “Red Roses for Me,” performing it in full. Grian Chatten from Fontaines D.C. took the spotlight with “Streams of Whiskey,” passing the torch to a new wave of Irish musicians.
Chatten’s voice fit the song perfectly, echoing MacGowan’s life of ups and downs. In November 2023, MacGowan passed away at 65 from pneumonia after years of wild living. His lyrics seemed almost prophetic: “I have cursed, bled and sworn/Jumped bail and landed up in jail/Life has often tried to stretch me/But the rope always was slack