Shane MacGowan Confirms Its Over For The Pogues - Noise11.com
The Pogues

The Pogues

Shane MacGowan Confirms Its Over For The Pogues

by Paul Cashmere on December 27, 2015

in News

The Pogues are sick of touring and are, in fact, no longer active, at least according to Shane MacGowan.

MacGowan spoke with Vice, saying, when asked if the band was no longer active, “We’re not, no.”

He even went on to say that, when the reformed in 2001, they “grew to hate each other all over again” but, when his wife Victoria objected to that statement, became a bit less harsh, saying “I don’t hate the band at all—they’re friends. I like them a lot. We were friends for years before we joined the band. We just got a bit sick of each other. We’re friends as long as we don’t tour together. I’ve done a hell of a lot of touring. I’ve had enough of it.”

MacGowan is currently recovering from a fall this past summer that fractured his pelvis. He says that he is still walking with the help of a crutch while the break heals.

The Pogues formed in 1982 and released their first album, Red Roses For Me, in 1984. Their popularity peaked with their third LP, 1988’s If I Should Fall From Grace With God, which included the now holiday standard in the U.K., Fairytale of New York. They hit number 1 in the U.K. with The Irish Rovers with the Dubliners (1987 / #1) and, later in the year, with Fairytale.

Shane was fired from the band in 1991 but they continued on until their breakup in 1996. They came back together in 2001 with MacGowan and did occasional tours and special shows, but they never released another studio album.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Never miss a story! Get your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to the Noise11 Music Newsletter here

Listen to the Noise11 Music News channel now at iHeartRadio

Follow Noise11.com on Facebook and Twitter

NOISE11 UPDATES are now in Apple News

more from vvnmusic.com

Related Posts

John Hammond photo by Jessica Chornsky
John Hammond Blues Guitar Pioneer Dies Aged 83

Influential American blues artist JOHN HAMMOND, whose six-decade career preserved and reinterpreted traditional blues for modern audiences, has died at the age of 83.

2 days ago
Beck credit Brent Goldman with orchestra
Beck Announces First Ever Australian Orchestral Shows

Beck will bring his acclaimed orchestral performances to Australia for the first time, with the artist set to perform a series of special concerts in Sydney and Melbourne reimagining songs from across his celebrated catalogue.

2 days ago
Radiohead by Ros O'Gorman
Radiohead Demand ICE Remove Video Featuring ‘Let Down’

British band Radiohead have condemned the unauthorised use of their song Let Down in a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement social media video, issuing a blunt public statement demanding its removal.

4 days ago
Neil Sedaka
Neil Sedaka Dead At 86, Pop Pioneer Behind Breaking Up Is Hard To Do And Laughter In The Rain Remembered

Singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka, whose timeless pop catalogue shaped early rock and roll and powered a remarkable career revival in the 1970s, has died aged 86, leaving behind one of popular music's most enduring songbooks.

4 days ago
Andrew Ranken of The Pogues
The Pogues Drummer Andrew Ranken Dies Aged 72

Founding member and rhythmic architect Andrew Ranken shaped The Pogues' Celtic punk sound from their earliest London pub shows to global success.

February 12, 2026
Brad Arnold of Three Doors Down photo from the band Facebook tribute
Brad Arnold Of 3 Doors Down Dead At 47 After Cancer Battle

3 Doors Down founder and frontman Brad Arnold has died aged 47, leaving behind a catalogue of songs that defined mainstream American rock in the early 2000s.

February 8, 2026
Noah Kahan supplied Mercury Records
Noah Kahan Makes Triumphant Return With New Single “The Great Divide”

Vermont's global superstar returns with his first taste of a highly anticipated fourth album, reflecting on life, success, and the ties that bind.

February 6, 2026