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The Pogues are making their way back to New Zealand for the first time in 35 years.
The Irish folk-punk band - consisting of surviving members Spider Stacy, Jem Finer and James Fearnley - just announced their long-awaited return to the Antipodes in April next year, with several New Zealandstops already confirmed.
Celebrating 40 years since their album Rum Sodomy & The Lash was released to global acclaim, The Pogues are poised to begin their tour in March at the Unesco-listed Fremantle Prison in Western Australia, before playing six more shows in Adelaide, Melbourne, Byron Bay and Sydney.
They’ll then cross the ditch for three concerts in Aotearoa, booked to play Wellington’s St James Theatre on April 8, Christchurch’s Town Hall on April 9, and Auckland’s yet-to-open NZICC Theatre - the largest of its kind in the country - on April 11.
Guest vocalists Daragh Lynch, Iona Zajac and John Francis Flynn will join the band’s seasoned members to revive past sounds for today’s fans, in light of lead singer Shane MacGowan’s death in November 2023.
The Pogues’ 1988 and 1990 tours, marked by fallouts, debauchery and the failed Neon Picnic festival, were fondly documented by the local journalism scene with tales that became akin to folklore in New Zealand.
The Pogues' surviving members Spider Stacy, Jem Finer and James Fearnley will be joined by fresh faces on tour. Photo / Getty Images
According to journalist Russell Brown, who interviewed band members while working for music magazine Rip It Up, MacGowan’s substance abuse issues were already putting excessive strain on The Pogues by the time they first touched down on our side of the Tasman, and he was dropped from the band in 1991.
“It broke up the band; they hated him by the time he got to New Zealand,” Brown said.
“But it was clearly part of who he was. There was something to quell in there.”
After a turbulent few decades of infighting, breakups and subsequent reunions, the band’s surviving members made their third effort last year to regroup and recommence touring.
Before then, The Pogues had not played together for a decade, when their 13-year-long reunion abruptly ended after a string of summer festival appearances in the UK and Europe.
Their latest rekindling has followed in the wake of MacGowan’s death and of long-term bassist Darryl Hunt’s, who had been working with the band since 1984, 15 months earlier.
Ticket sales for The Pogues’ New Zealand leg begin at 1pm on Thursday via Ticketmaster, with an exclusive pre-sale run through Bluesfest Tours beginning at 9am the day prior.
The Pogues: Rum Sodomy & The Lash‘s 40th Anniversary Tour
New Zealand dates:
April 8 - St James Theatre, Wellington
April 9 - Town Hall, Christchurch
April 11 - NZICC Theatre, Auckland
Tom Rose is an Auckland-based journalist who covers breaking news, specialising in lifestyle, entertainment and travel. He joined the Herald in 2023.
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