2Page 28 Irish Daily Mail, Friday, June 7, 2013 it’s friday! It wasn’t The Pogu es without Shane ell I can’t say that I have ple as. Amusingly and ironically, I was ever been in the music busi- hiding in plain sight in the most perfect ness,’ Philip Chevron states by Jason O’Toole hiding place in the world — The Pogues mischievously when I ask — but that’s neither here nor there. ‘I was a drunk and I needed to figure what his favourite moment in the music industry and the fans’ hearts are well out a way to deal with that before it in the music industry has secured. Both were left reeling recently when The became too late. Alcoholism changes been. ‘Do you think they’d have me?’ Pogues relayed the heartbreaking news that Philip, you fundamentally. I think every alkie WLead guitarist with The Pogues, and the man who who has been suffering from head and neck cancer understands that implicitly the first wrote some of their biggest hits including Thou- for a number of years, has developed an inoperable time they drink alcoholically, which is Reflective: Philip has terminal cancer sands Are Sailing, it’s safe to say that Philip’s place tumour that will ‘prove fatal with time’. when you drink specifically to be some- Despite his failing health, the 55-year- one else. Sooner or later, someone else old Dubliner has vowed to carry on as is who you are, someone you hear about normal for as long as he can, since doc- the next day, someone you don’t know, tors are unable to give him a ‘cut-off someone you can’t really imagine, some- point’. No longer able to speak as a re- one of whom you’re ashamed.’ sult of the disease, he agreed to be in- After being rushed to hospital with terviewed over a lengthy exchange of liver failure that ‘almost killed me emails. Last week, he told the Mail in twice’, Philip spent the best part of 1994 extremely brave and moving terms, how in and out of hospital. In 1995, he quit he refuses to be cowed by his terminal drinking — and the band. diagnosis. And today he shares his He strenuously rejects reports from memories of being part of one of the the time which suggested he also had a most successful — and dysfunctional drug problem. ‘I drank but I seldom Sky± box — bands of the Eighties. drugged! Like most rock ’n’ roll musi- Born Philip Ryan, his musical journey cians, I have experimented with drugs. began in Santry, north Dublin, where In my case, none of them really passed with free standard set-up growing up he learned to play music on the litmus test and I found it quite easy a ‘sophisticated toy piano’ before being to just leave them be. I was already ad- when you join Sky TV from just €27 a month inspired to switch to the guitar by his dicted to the drug that is alcohol. ‘cool uncle’. ‘Anyone can end up being an alcohol- In the mid-Seventies, Philip first made ic. It’s a genetic predisposition, for the an impact on the Dublin music scene as most part — unrelated to whether or part of punk band The Radiators From not you bought the distillery.’ Space. Hugely popular with Irish audi- By this time, Shane had already left ences, in 1976 they were signed to indie The Pogues. Philip insists that the label Chiswick Records. When their first widely-held view that Shane was sacked album, TV Tube Heart, was released by the band for unprofessional behav- the following year, the band were tipped iour is not true. ‘Shane wasn’t actually for international stardom and made the kicked out. It had become clear he hat- move to London. ed touring, but was proving unable to Replay the best bits Catch every episode TV when it suits you Put the action on hold ‘We went to London for the eternal actually say so. He needed a nudge to reason that there was no work for us in admit it was the case. The rest of us Ireland,’ Philip recounts. ‘But this had not yet become tour weary and also put us into the commercial tread- wanted to carry on.’ Watch TV your way with a free Sky± box mill in Britain, which in turn signalled our “end” when we did not live up to 1 Pause, record and rewind live TV with a free Sky+ box commercial demands with our second album. We did not get the breaks we FTER he was released from Enjoy unmissable entertainment may have deserved, but that’s just hospital, Philip rejoined The 2 Watch brand new and award-winning shows for just €27 a month with our Value Pack showbusiness.’ Pogues. However, he felt It was at The Radiators’ first ever gig that it wasn’t the same out- in London when Philip met Shane fit without Shane at the Value Pack – 38 channels including MacGowan. ‘Shane came to see The helm. ‘When I went back to the band I €27 Radiators at our very first gig in Lon- Adiscovered I didn’t really want to rejoin a month don in 1977 and I’ve known him ever and they’d probably had enough of me since. He’s a very attractive individual too. Despite the commercial success — Plus many more… because the energies that make Tuesday Morning was our biggest him great are the same ones hit since Fairytale Of New York OR that make him a pain in the and showed we could carry a**. He appears careless of out on without Shane — Family Pack – 103 channels including all channels in the Value Pack his gifts, heedless, but frankly the whole thing €35 he’s not really. was getting wearying for a month ‘It’s tougher for him TAKE all of us. It was still an than it is for any of the interesting band, it Plus many more… people dropping like IN 1987, Fairytale Of New just wasn’t what we flies in the wake of his York was beaten to u n d e r s t o o d T h e unreliability. He’s a Christmas No.1 by the Pogues to be. Whichever Pack you choose – get all your favourites as standard selfish guy, but that’s Pet Shop Boys’ cover of ‘It’s important to un- part of the equation too; Always On My Mind. derstand that once a he has to protect what- It has charted chemistry as volatile but ever it is he needs to pro- perfect as The Pogues Channels available without subscription. tect in order to be Shane every year falls apart — as it started MacGowan. So, you know, if since to with the removal/depar- you don’t understand this, ture of Shane — the remaining don’t join his band.’ elements no longer bump up against Add Unlimited Broadband – free for 6 months After The Radiators split in 1981, each other in the productive way they 3 Now new and existing customers can enjoy: Free Sky Hub Philip went to work alongside Shane for once did. A band is a living organism. a chain of independent record shops ‘By the time I left again, Terry Woods Broadband with absolutely no limits Wireless signal with unbeatable reliability and the two became close friends. and James Fearnley had also gone, key Inclusive evening and weekend calls Free Sky Hub – simple and secure connection ‘Shane and I worked in separate but men both. I wasn’t quite sure what was related Oldies record emporia — Rock left but it wasn’t doing much to get ex- Save €300 a year vs Eircom* On (me) and Rocks Off (he) in London. cited about and that was both all our My one is immortalised in Thin Lizzy’s faults and none of our fault. The Rocker. I was there for four years ‘The Pogues without so many Pogues and loved it. It was like a post-graduate was still The Pogues and still an im- course in 20th-century music. It was a pressive contemporary band. But they Join Ireland’s favourite digital TV provider, now with Unlimited Broadband real wrench to leave it to join The were never more than that — as they Pogues full-time.’ had once been. So what was the point? Initially, Shane had invited Philip ‘But leaving that bubble is incredibly along as a producer to help the band scary, too. You find a niche, it becomes 0818 716 043 sky.ie record some songs for an EP. He joined the part you play. You could easily grow Please have your credit or Laser Card to hand when you call them full-time when Shane decided to fat and cosy playing it. But hell, you concentrate on singing after their suc- know, you’re not yet 40. Get a life!’ cessful debut album. While Shane MacGowan’s songwriting Known as much for their party-hard genius has often overshadowed the oth- lifestyles as their music, as The Pogues’ er band members, Philip is himself a *Eircom comparison: Sky Unlimited Broadband and Talk Freetime costs €40 per month. Eircom 24Mb Ultimate Broadband with unlimited off peak phone package without TV costs €60 per month. €300 savings over 12 month contract. Eircom phone packages include 30 minutes of mobile calls. Other Eircom offers may apply. See eircom.net for details. Correct at 30 May 2013. 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