Fontaines D.C. frontman Grian Chatten joined The Pogues on stage to perform ‘Streams Of Whiskey’ in Dublin last night (December 17). Watch the footage below.
The Pogues played a special concert at the 3Arena yesterday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their debut album ‘Red Roses For Me’ (1984), alongside a host of guest vocalists.
Following the death of Shane MacGowan last year, the current Pogues line-up consists of singer Spider Stacy, and founding members Jem Finer and James Fearnley. Vocalists stepping in for the night included Nadine Shah, Daragh Lynch from Lankum, and John Francis Flynn. Fontaines drummer Tom Coll also performed as part of the live band.
Towards the end of the main set, Chatten sang ‘Streams Of Whiskey’ from ‘Red Roses For Me’ – which was written by the late MacGowan. You can a watch fan-shot video of the moment here:
Grian Chatten singing ‘Streams Of Whiskey’ at the Pogues night tonight in Dublin 🇮🇪
🎥 Greg Fitzsimons pic.twitter.com/kzt25YertI
— The Rock Revival (@TheRockRevival_) December 17, 2024
Chatten paid tribute to MacGowan after he died aged 65 last November. “So long North Star,” he wrote. “I will love you forever.”
In 2020, Fontaines D.C. shared a cover of the traditional song ‘I’m A Man You Don’t Meet Every Day’, made famous by fellow Irish band The Pogues.
Last month saw The Pogues announce their first headline tour in 13 years – and first since MacGowan’s death – to mark the 40th anniversary of their 1985 second album, ‘Rum Sodomy & The Lash’.
Scheduled for May 2025, the forthcoming trek will include a gig at the O2 Academy Brixton in London, as well as stops in Leeds, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle. Find any remaining tickets here.
Speaking to NME recently, Spider Stacy recalled how Fontaines D.C. had a hand in The Pogues’ guest-filled show in London this May – with this then leading to a full 2025 live tour.
“The ‘Rum Sodomy & The Lash’ shows stemmed from the ‘Red Roses For Me’ anniversary shows which came from outside the band,” Stacy told NME. “Tom [Coll, drummer] from Fontaines D.C. was doing a weekend of Irish music in Hackney in May, and wanted to do something to mark 40 years of ‘Red Roses…’, and he got me involved and off we went.”
James Fearnley added: “It’s grown organically from the people who want to see and hear us rather than us foisting what we think is worth celebrating on anybody else.”
Stacey also hailed Fontaines D.C. as “a fantastic band” who are “very much carrying their own torch” among the new wave of Irish groups.
“And Kneecap – Irish-language rappers – are without precedent,” he added. “If you’re talking about bands like Lankum and The Mary Wallopers, that’s a different story because it’s more Pogues-like territory – to hear them doing what we do in their unique way is exciting. All of those bands are immense.”
Elsewhere in the interview, The Pogues addressed the culture wars surrounding their hit Christmas song ‘Fairytale Of New York’.
Meanwhile, Fontaines D.C. recently wrapped up their 2024 UK and Ireland ‘Romance’ tour with two sold-out gigs at Dublin’s 3Arena.
The band are due to play huge outdoor gigs inLondon, Manchester, Newcastle and Cardiff in 2025. They have been confirmed for next year’s TRNSMT Festival too, and will embark on a US headline tour in the spring.
You can find any remaining tickets here (UK and Ireland) and here (US).
Elsewhere, the Grammy-nominated ‘Romance’ has come in at Number Two on NME‘s 50 best albums of 2024 list – where it was praised for “displaying unmatched levels of ambition and sheer brilliance”.
The record’s lead single ‘Starburster’ is Number Three in our 50 best songs of the year feature.
