Here Comes Everybody: The Story Of The Pogues is James Fearnley's account of his 12 years touring with the shambolic Celtic-punk band from London. It should come as no surprise that booze plays a starring role in the story. 

"And in English culture generally, indeed," adds Fearnley.

Co-starring with the drink in Fearnley's book is The Pogues' charismatic and often-besotted frontman, Shane MacGowan; it's the combination of MacGowan and liquor that drives much of the plot. In fact, the book opens in 1991, in Japan, with the band throwing the wrecked MacGowan out of the band. To which he responds, "What took you so long?"

"In some sense the whole book is my attempt to explain what took us so long," says Fearnley.

In a conversation with Soundcheck host John Schaefer, Fearnley talks about MacGowan's unpredictable genius, and about how he went from being a session guitarist, to a novelist, to an accordion player for a punk band. He also describes the sometimes fraught position of being in a British band playing politically-charged Irish music.