The Pogues career) was the increasingly erratic behaviour of their vocalist and principal songwriter, Shane MacGowan. Their record label, Stiff Records, went bankrupt soon after the 1987 release of the single "The Irish Rover" (with The Dubliners). Members of the band, including O'Riordan, acted in Alex Cox's "Straight to Hell", and five songs by the band were included on the film's soundtrack album. The band remained stable enough to record "If I Should Fall from Grace with God" with its Christmas hit duet with Kirsty MacColl "Fairytale of New York". "Fairytale of New York" was released as a single in 1987 and
Shane MacGowan and The Popes Denis Dowling. Violinist Dave Allen and guitarist Ian Bramble have released a Christmas song and an album with John Coghlan. The Popes drummer Will Morrison used to play in Here Be Dragons, with bassist Greg Courtney. In November 2013, Paul McGuinness suffered a serious head injury that left him hospitalized for months. As of 8 June 2014, he was still residing in the brain injury rehabilitation unit at Homerton Hospital. Shane MacGowan and The Popes The Popes are a band originally formed by Shane MacGowan (of the Pogues) and Paul "Mad Dog" McGuinness, who play a blend of rock, Irish