"The portrait of Shane is so vivid and disturbing, the capturing of the various scenes the band moved through so affectionate and sad, and the writing so good. Fearnley has made a work of art to set beside the band's records. Beautiful."
-- John Jeremiah Sullivan
The Pogues came barreling out of Kings Cross, London in the early 80s -- a riotous sound of punk rock and poetic Celtic folk that would turn traditional Irish music on its head. With emotive songwriter Shane MacGowan at the helm, the Pogues were destined for world tours with the likes of Elvis Costello, U2 and Bob Dylan.
In Here Comes Everybody, James Fearnley paints a clear, often dark picture of the fantastic highs and dramatic lows of life in one of the most original bands of their era. Drawing from his personal experiences as well as the series of journals and the letters he wrote throughout the band’s career, Fearnley reveals how the drifters who made up the Pogues, led by MacGowan, succeeded, according to Billy Bragg, in “taking Irish music and throwing it down the cellar steps.”
The exuberance of their live performances coupled with relentless touring spiraled into years of hard drinking and excess which eventually took their toll -- most infamously on MacGowan, but also on the rest of the band -- causing them to break up after nine years (though reuniting in 2001 and touring ever since). Fearnley tells their story is told with beauty, humor and honesty with a novelist’s eye bringing to life the youthful friendships, the concerts, the conflicts and the eventual collapse, in a hugely compelling and moving account
James Fearnley was born in 1954 in Worsley, Manchester. He played guitar in various bands, including the Nips with Shane MacGowan, before becoming the accordion player in the Pogues. Fearnley continues to tour with the band and lives in Los Angeles.