Our playlist this month is a tribute to the memorable, gnarled Shane MacGowan of the Pogues. Whilst there are plenty of tracks to choose from, we've had to be careful because of language use and other content (including The Pogues' most famous of Christmas songs). But here are a few that capture the raw energy, anger and regret that were a common feature in this most Irish of punk bands. RIP Shane.

 

Dirty Old Town is, of course, by Ewan McColl (whose daughter Kirsty, sang on the legendary 'Fairytale of New York', which is probably Christmas No. 1 again by the time you read this...), about the working man's lot of hard dirty work, in which he still manages to find love:

 

We don't know if Shane McGowan and Sinead O'Conner were friends - but if they were, they're sitting somewhere singing this, we think...