A POGUES GALLERY

John’s photo of memorable Stirling gig features in new book

Shane Macgowan after he left the Pogues in 1992), more than 20 times.

He said: “Over the years I’ve seen the Pogues, and Shane Macgowan and The Popes, 21 times; 19 in Scotland, mainly at Glasgow’s Barrowland, The Garage, SECC, and O2 Academy and twice in London.

“But the gig for the best atmosphere would be the St Patrick’s Day gig at Glasgow Barrowland in 1991. It was also the same day Celtic beat Rangers so the atmosphere was electric and the band played an absolute blinder.”

As well as Shane, John took pictures of Pogues’ bass player Cait O’riordan and singer and tin whistle player Spider Stacey at the Albert Halls gig.

These additional pictures do not feature in the book, entitled ‘16 Years: Gigs in

Scotland 1974-1990.’

But John’s photo of rockabilly band Restless taken at Glasgow’s Rooftops in the mid 1980s is included.

By the time the Pogues appeared at the Albert Halls in June 1985, post-punk acts like The Undertones, a Two-tone tour (featuring Madness, The Specials and The Selecter) had played Stirling venues as well as Orange Juice and New Order. And Billy Bragg had appeared at Stirling Miners’ Welfare in support of the miners.

As well as the Pogues, John attended gigs by folk-punk band The Men They Couldn’t Hang at Stirling University and psychobilly rockers King Kurt at Stirling’s Rainbow Rocks nightclub in the mid 1980s.

Today he works in banking, is married to Marion, and they have three children. Pre-coronavirus he would attended two to three gigs per month.

But the Pogues’ gig at the Albert Halls back in the summer of 1985 – more than two years before the release of their biggest hit Fairytale of New York – remains a very special occasion.

He added: “Early Pogues concerts, like the Albert Halls, are the ones I recall the best, going along with school friends, at the time of the band’s first three albums.”

■‘16 Years: Gigs in Scotland 1974-1990’ took two years to put together through a crowdsourcing project. Compiled by Chris Brickley, it features more than 150 previously unpublished photographs from private contributors.

■ If you have any old Stirling gig photos to share email them – along with band name, venue and date – to alastair.mcneill@ reachplc.com

Night to remember Pogues, Albert Halls, Stirling, June 17, 1985. Singer Shane Macgowan, with guitarist Phil Chevron in the background. Picture by John Welsh of Denny.this picture has been contributed to new photobook on Scottish gigs ‘16 Years: Gigs in Scotland 1974-1990.’ Meeting his heroes John Welsh in 1987 with Pogues’ accordionist James Fearnley (above) at Picnic in the Park in Finsbury Park, London, where he aslo met the late Phil Chevron (below). Left is bass player Cait O’riordan during the 1985 Pogues gig performed at the Albert Halls in Stirling