Pogues members to answer reader questions ahead of winter tour
The Guardian is collecting questions for Spider Stacy and James Fearnley as the Pogues prepare for greatest hits shows with guest performers.
The Guardian opened submissions on 25 September for a reader interview with the Pogues’ Spider Stacy and James Fearnley ahead of their winter greatest hits tour. Fans have until 4pm BST on Monday 28 September to ask about the band’s history and future, including its performances without Shane MacGowan.
Questions can be posted in the comments beneath the Guardian’s invitation. The newspaper says answers will be published later in the week. Its announcement is a call for questions, rather than a completed interview explaining the coming tour.
What is confirmed for the winter shows
The Guardian says the tour begins on 28 November. Dublin venue 3Arena lists a 9 December show, followed by Belfast’s SSE Arena on 10 December and Killarney’s Gleneagle Arena on 12 December. Its announcement also describes dates across Ireland, the UK, Germany and the Netherlands in 2026.
According to 3Arena, original members Fearnley, Jem Finer and Stacy will perform with guest musicians and singers. The venue names The Wran and Maicín as special guests, but says further vocalists and musicians are still to be announced. It therefore does not provide a complete guest roster.
The venue names songs including Fairytale of New York, Dirty Old Town, A Pair of Brown Eyes, Rainy Night in Soho and If I Should Fall From Grace With God. These are advertised selections, not a full running order; the announcement does not explain how the set list was assembled.
Fearnley’s account of the reunion
In an interview published by The Echo on 13 January, Fearnley traced the ensemble’s development to Stacy’s enthusiasm for contemporary folk music in Dublin. He described a circle of performers connected through Stacy and his wife, with personal friendships and musical admiration bringing people together.
Speaking to interviewer Eve Jeffery, Fearnley resisted describing the performances as a deliberate new twist designed to make the music attractive. His explanation instead focused on the musicians around Stacy and their approach to traditional and new songs. Those January comments offer background, not selection rules for every winter guest.
Fearnley also described the pleasure of performing MacGowan’s material while acknowledging how difficult his absence remained. He characterised the performances as inclusive and celebratory, and said much of the material consisted of MacGowan’s words and tunes. His comments were his own assessment of the reunion’s approach.
A catalogue carried through successive reunions
The Guardian dates the Pogues’ formation to 1982 and their debut album, Red Roses for Me, to 1984. Rum Sodomy & the Lash followed in 1985. After splitting in 1996, the band reformed in 2001 and performed intermittently until 2014; MacGowan died in 2023.
The Guardian describes subsequent anniversary concerts with guests taking vocal roles. Its forthcoming interview offers readers a chance to ask Stacy and Fearnley about that continuing work, but their answers about the winter lineup and the band’s future are not yet included in the invitation.
Sources and context
- Post your questions for the PoguesThe Guardian
- Interview with James Fearnley from The PoguesThe Echo
- The Pogues3Arena
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