The Pogues

The Pogues bring their Celtic punk to O2 Academy Leeds on 1 December 2026. Formed in early 80s London around Shane MacGowan, Spider Stacy and Jem Finer, the band fused tin whistle, banjo and accordion with a rock rhythm section, shaking up folk traditions with punk tempo and street poetry. Their first albums set the tone: Red Roses for Me introduced rough-edged ballads and bar-room rush; Rum Sodomy & the Lash, produced by Elvis Costello, tightened the storytelling; If I Should Fall from Grace with God broadened the palette with brisk folk rock and collaborations. Later records like Peace and Love, Hell’s Ditch, Waiting for Herb and Pogue Mahone kept that blend in motion through changing line-ups and phases.

On stage, the material moves between reels, waltzes and straight-ahead rockers, fiddles cutting through electric guitars and whistle lines up front. The set taps a catalogue that runs from traditionals to original songs, carried by tight arrangements and a steady backbeat. A night built on melody, rhythm and the hybrid energy that has defined The Pogues’ sound at the crossroads of Irish roots and punk drive.