The Pogues “weren’t bothered” about ‘Fairytale Of New York’ topping the Christmas charts.
Fans launched a campaign for the band’s 1987 festive classic with Kirsty MacColl to reach the festive number one for the first time after the death of frontman Shane MacGowan last year but members Jem Finer and Spider Stacy don’t think the ballad is diminished by its failure to top the charts.
Finer told NME: “No, we weren’t bothered. That was more of a record company thing. It doesn’t mean anything.”
Stacy added: “It doesn’t need it. ‘Fairytale of New York’ not being Number One is a bit like how neither (acclaimed footballers) Johan Cruyff nor George Best won a World Cup!”
Shane passed away at the age of 65 in November 2023 and Finer reflected on the “extreme” emotions the ‘Dirty Old Town’ band went through at his star-studded funeral in Dublin.
The 69-year-old musician said: “We went through all emotions. It was extreme sadness, but then elation that you can only feel when you’re in that state of extreme grief.
“The spirit of Shane was very much present – even in the fact he arrived late! He was definitely there. It was unlike any service I’d ever been to.”
Meanwhile, Stacy hailed the success of “immense” Irish bands such as Fontaines D.C. and rap trio Kneecap.
He said: “Fontaines are a fantastic band, but they’re very much carrying their own torch. And Kneecap – Irish-language rappers – are without precedent.
“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.”
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