The Pogues are currently on tour in North America — it’s their first outing here in 13 years, as the band reformed in 2024 after a decade following the death of frontman Shane MacGowan. This was not their first tour without Shane — they played without him for most of the ’90s and this tour is both a celebration of him and his music as well as specifically the 40th anniversary of the band’s album Rum, Sodomy & The Lash.
The lineup that original members Jem Finer, Spider Stacy, and James Fearnley put together for this tour is pretty special and full of ringers, including Lankum‘s Darragh Lynch (guitar), Iona Zajac (vocals/harp), singer/autoharpist Lisa O’Neill, The Pretenders‘ James Walbourne (guitar), John Francis Flynn (vocals / multiple instruments), Jordan O’Leary (banjo), Alfi’s Fiachra Meek (pipes/whistles), The Bad Seeds‘ Jim Sclavunos (drums), and Holly Mullineaux (bass), plus a brass section of Pete Fraser, Daniel Hayes, and Ian Williamson.
The band were clearly having a blast playing these songs on Tuesday, the first of two nights at NYC’s Terminal 5, and the joy translated to the audience. Spider Stacy dedicated “The Parting Glass” to Shane as we all raised a glass to him.
Photographer Toby Tenenbaum was at Night 2 and his photos, along with setlists from both shows, are below.
SETLIST: The Pogues @ Terminal 5 9/16/2025
The Sick Bed of Cúchulainn
Wild Cats of Kilkenny
A Pair of Brown Eyes
Billy’s Bones
Navigator
Planxty Noel Hill
The Gentleman Soldier
Jesse James
I’m a Man You Don’t Meet Everyday
The Body of an American
The Old Main Drag
The Parting Glass
Dirty Old Town
A Rainy Night in Soho
A Pistol for Paddy Garcia
Poor Paddy Works on the Railway
And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda
London Girl
Encore:
The Irish Rover
Streams of Whiskey
Boys From the County Hell
Dark Streets of London
Sally MacLennane
SETLIST: The Pogues @ Terminal 5 9/17/2025
To War
The Sick Bed of Cúchulainn
Wild Cats of Kilkenny
A Pair of Brown Eyes
Billy’s Bones
Navigator
Planxty Noel Hill
The Gentleman Soldier
Jesse James
I’m a Man You Don’t Meet Everyday
The Body of an American
The Old Main Drag
The Parting Glass
Dirty Old Town
A Rainy Night in Soho
A Pistol for Paddy Garcia
Poor Paddy Works on the Railway
And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda
London Girl
Encore:
The Irish Rover
Streams of Whiskey
Boys From the County Hell
Dark Streets of London
Sally MacLennane
Encore 2:
Dirty Old Town