http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/leisure/music/3765492.The_Popes_at_12_Bar__Swindon_on_Friday_October_24/The Popes at 12 Bar, Swindon on Friday October 244:52pm Thursday 16th October 2008
By Flicky Harrison »
Paul McGuiness former guitarist with The Pogues know all about jailhouse rock, having just written a whole album’s worth of songs while on remand in Pentonville Prison.
The musician was accused of perverting the cause of justice but has since been released without a stain on his character.
“I was set up,’’ he said, but the upside is a new album called Outlaw Heaven.
“I had to write it in my head as I had no guitar in prison,’’ he said.
The new CD is out this month and has former Pogue and founder member of The Popes, Shane MacGowan, guesting on a number of tracks.
“I spent 10 years working with Shane so he sings on five tracks, a duet with me and a solo,’’ said Paul. He met the controversial singer when Paul was roadie-ing for The Pogues.
His big chance came when the guitarist fell ill and Paul stepped into the breach.
“I worked as a roadie and watched them play every night. I joined up when they were in Switzerland. They had sacked Shane by then but he was still around.’’ Paul’s first televised gig with The Pogues was on the David Letterman Show.
The guitarist said that later Shane had the tapes of that gig and asked him to come into The Popes. They released two sell out singles Are You Looking At Me and Holloway Boulevard on Scarlet Records before signing to Snapper Records.
It was Shane who nicknamed Paul ‘Mad Dog’ and at great risk to life and limb I asked him why.
He said: “Shane gave me the name because we were a heavy drinking band and I got into scrapes. I was a bit of a pugilist but I am too old for that now. I have mellowed.’’ It was during this time that the notorious music pub crawl came about.
“We played the entire Holloway Road in London starting at 11am in the morning and taking the crowd with us. We ended up in the Archway Tavern but the music had become a bit muddy by then,’’ laughed Paul. “People still talk about it.’’ The Popes have some A-lister friends including Johnny Depp who sang on their single: That Woman’s Got Me Drinking.
“He played on a couple or our songs and managed to get wine in the mixing desk when we were recording The Snake album,’’ said Paul.
The guitarist writes most of the songs for The Popes and says their sound is more rocky than Thin Lizzy but has a mix of Van Morrison and The Pogues.
The guys are about to head off on a six week European tour.
The Popes Friday October 24 The 12 Bar, Westcott Place, Tickets: £10 01793 535713
Factfile: Paul McGuiness
Born: London grew up in County Waterford and Dublin.
Family: dad a van driver, mum a housewife and grandfather worked for a trading standards company and came up with the idea of the Green Shield stamps Own family: daughter Aisling, 12, which is Irish for dreams. ‘She is my red haired daughter’
Other jobs: bar work and a labourer
Sports: supports Man Utd
