The Irish Independent , Sat. Dec.15 '06
The Podge & Rodge Show
Tuesday , RTE2 , 10.50PM
This would put you off your cornflakes, wouldn’t it? The brothers O’Lepracy have made much in the past of their supposed blood relationship with ‘Uncle’ Marty Morrissey, but perhaps Shane McGowan is also a distant relation. He may or may not be aware of Rodge and Podge’s unique celebrity status in the land of his fathers; it will possibly not even have been discreetly whispered to him that they are in fact puppets; but no doubt he will happily enter into the sick and sadistic spirit of things when he appears on the brothers’ festive show this Tuesday night.
And a most festive fellow he is too, but McGowan’s association with the yuletide goes slightly deeper than that, as he happens to have written probably the greatest Christmas song of all time. Taking their title from a JP Donleavy novel, he and fellow-Pogue Jem Finer wrote Fairytale of New York in 1987. When it was released as a single later that year, it went to No.1 here, and No.2 in the British charts, but the song would have a life way beyond any ephemeral success.
Perhaps only an Irish songwriter could find romance in a New York City
drunk tank, but the combination of his pained growl and Kirsty MacCoLl’s sweet singing is irresistible, and was made all the more poignant following her tragic death in 2000.
What he will make of the antics of Rodge, Podge and Lucy I have no idea, but as if all of that isn’t surreal enough, Shane will be joined by June Rodgers, who will no doubt spend most of her time speaking in that squeaky voice of hers to celebrate her recent return to Panto. And you can rest assured there’ll be usual quota of tasteless vox-pops and lurid video clips involving Lucy, who was recently persuaded to don a dominatrix outfit, much to Rodge and Podge’s delight. I wonder, meanwhile, if the brothers will overcome their natural parsimoniousness and offer old Shane something stronger than stewed tea.