The Pogues

On 25 November 2026 The Pogues will play TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht. The Irish-British band emerged in the early 1980s in London, out of the punk scene and the Irish diaspora, with Shane MacGowan, Spider Stacy and Jem Finer at its core. Their sound blends traditional Irish melodies with punk energy and straightforward rock songs: tin whistle and banjo alongside electric guitars, raw group vocals next to restrained ballads.

With Red Roses for Me (1984) and Rum Sodomy & the Lash (1985, produced by Elvis Costello) they established a form in which traditional tunes and original songs reinforce one another. If I Should Fall from Grace with God (1988) broadened the palette, with contributions from Kirsty MacColl, to be followed by Peace and Love, Hell’s Ditch, Waiting for Herb and Pogue Mahone. Since the 2000s the band has regularly returned to the stage with sets that lean on the Celtic punk repertoire that defines them.

In Utrecht you’ll hear that mix again: driving reels and jigs, stories edged with melancholy, a rhythm section that pushes and choruses you’ll be singing along to. An evening in which The Pogues let their folk-punk heritage sound plainly and directly before you, without detours.