A Fairytale return

[Zuzana]

A Fairytale return
Dec 16, 2005
With Kate Mansey, Liverpool Echo

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THEY are responsible for the nation's favourite Christmas song.

And this year The Pogues are re-releasing the classic festive tune Fairytale Of New York.

Christmas parties wouldn't be the same without the scumbags and maggots of the hit that reached no. 2 in 1987.

Out on Sunday, December 18 the re-release coincides with the fifth anniversary of Kirsty MacColl's death.

The singer, who recorded the duet with the band, died tragically when a speed boat smashed into her while she was swimming in Mexico.

Kirsty's mother is still fighting for justice, petitioning the Mexican government to fully investigate the circumstances of her death.

Spider Stacy, who formed the Irish punk band with Shane MacGowan in 1982, says: "It's five years since Kirsty died and it would really be nice to get it to number one - it's one of those songs that everyone thinks did get to number one anyway."

Proceeds from the single will go to the Justice for Kirsty Campaign and homeless charity Crisis at Christmas.

The band says the bitter-sweet song will always be a reminder of Kirsty's great talent.

Spider says: "The other day my girlfriend and I got in the car and Fairytale Of New York came on the radio.

"There's something unbearably poignant about hearing her voice on the radio.

"It's bad enough in a normal situation, but there's just something about the quality of the sound on the radio that really gets to me.

"It's very sad and it will always be very sad, but the last thing she would have wanted was for everyone to go around moping."

It is fitting that Shane - who wrote perhaps the most popular festive song in the UK - has his birthday on Christmas day.

This Christmas, the BBC is broadcasting a documentary called The Story of The Fairytale of New York and the Pogues are to perform a classic duet with Katie Melua on TV's Jonathan Ross Show, which goes out on BBC1 on December 22.

Spider says: "It's a hard one to play because it's always had a kind of importance, first when Kirsty was playing it - because you didn't want to make any mistakes when she was around, and then after she had gone because you knew you'd get a stiletto in the face from the crowd if you messed it up.

"I never get sick of hearing it and if the only way I can hear it is to play it then that's it."

Recalling the punk background that set the Pogues on the road to stardom, Spider says: "Punk was crucial for us.

"It was that whole idea that anybody could be in a band - you didn't have to worry about minor details like whether or not you played an instrument.

"If you thought you could do it, you just got up and did it - all things were possible."

The band play in Manchester tomorrow as part of their UK tour.

Spider says: "I don't want to sound big headed but we get a good reception wherever we go - we do seem to reach out to people.

"I wish we were playing Liverpool - maybe next time."


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© owned by or licensed to Trinity Mirror Plc 2005

[Heather]

Must get the Echo on my way home. Sounds promising for Liverpool next time then.