The Pogues

The original Irish punk band -- the ones who started it all -- are back on the road again. The musical equivalent of a pub crawl, the Pogues have staggered through a career that combines the instrumentation and tunes of traditional Irish music with the energy and attitude of punk. Led by the incomparable Shane MacGowan, they rode a wave of success through the 80s and early 90s until their breakup in 1996, and are now playing together again after reuniting in 2001.

The Pogues were founded in 1982 as Pogue Mahone -- "pogue mahone" being the Anglicisation of the Irish póg mo thóin, meaning "kiss my arse". The band specialised in Irish folk music, often playing with the energy of the punk rock scene from which several of the members had their roots. Their politically-tinged music was reminiscent of The Clash, with whom they played (Joe Strummer produced one of their albums and even joined the group briefly), and used traditional Irish instruments such as the tin whistle, banjo, cittern, mandolin, accordion, and more.