Pogues frontman Shane McGowan turned 50 of Christmas Day.
The 80s band first made themselves known by playing punk rock with a traditional Irish flavour.McGowan and The Pogues filled the void left by disbanded Sex Pistols and roughened by the British sounds that at the time emanated from Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet and Culture Club.
As an appropriate 50th birthday present, The Pogues are currently back in the UK charts with their 20 year old Christmas song ''Fairytale of New York'. The song is a duet with the late Kirsty MacColl, who died tragically in a boating accident in 2000.
McGowan told The Daily Mirror that he has managed to reach the ripe old age of 50 by "smoking, drinking and partying".
He told the newspaper that he started drinking at the age of 4. "It greases the whistle", he said.
