The Popes wrote latest release inside Pentonville Prison

Published: 18 June 2010
by RÓISÍN GADELRAB

FROM the infamous Holloway Crawl where Shane MacGowan and The Popes played 12 bars in one night to songwriting in Pentonville Prison, Paul McGuiness’s life as a rock star has been centred on Islington. As The Popes prepare to headline Holloway Arts Festival, frontman McGuinness reflects on years spent drinking with the Irish contingent in Holloway Road’s watering holes.

The Popes play the Boston Arms in Tufnell Park on June 24, where they are expected to revive song Holloway Boulevard, about the area where McGuinness used to live. He came to the UK in 1980 while touring with punk band DC9. 

“I didn’t want to go home,” he says. “I felt at home here. I’ve a daughter who’s in Ireland with her mum. When I go back, it’s beautiful, but after a week I realise why I want to leave. In London there are so many minorities, you can live an alternative life. Here I really discovered my Irishness. The bands I played in were influenced by the London rock scene. I came to soak that up but the opposite happened.” 

He first met future bandmate Shane MacGowan at a Pogues gig and they became drinking partners. McGuinness became a part-time roadie for The Pogues, stepping in when one member fell ill.

He says: “The best Irish music is played outside Ireland. I’d never really seen it in its raw, immigrant state, and seeing the life The Pogues injected into it made me rediscover and connect with my roots. I was present when they sacked Shane. He suggested we start up a band and The Popes started.”

The influence of Holloway Road was apparent in The Popes’ work: “At the time Holloway Road had a fantastic rejuvenation. In the 60s it was popular with Irish people. Many were on their way to America and stopped off in Holloway Road, loved it and stayed. Holloway Boulevard was a bit of a joke, like Hollywood Boulevard, some used to  call it ‘the Strip’. 

“There was a period in the 80s when it started falling apart. I moved to Stoke Newington mainly because of my child. I still go back. I’ve still got drinking buddies there.”

His fondest memory is of the Holloway Crawl with MacGowan. He said: “We started early in the morning, hired a bright red pick-up truck, ran into each pub and played for half an hour.”

He recalled how they would gather for lock-ins at pub The Favourite, owned by Tom McManamon, a watering hole frequented by The Dubliners.

“It was one of the hot spots for lock-ins, Tommy would stop by and play. Many people came before the Celtic tiger. We’d see them missing Ireland and not able to go back and that provoked much passion.

“If you look above the new shopfronts, you can see the signs from the old shops, the growth from the 60s and the history. I also love the community spirit. The priest in St Gabriel’s Church feeds the local bohemian crowd.”

In 2005, Mr McGuinness ended up on remand in Pentonville Prison.

He said: “It was very oppressive. The cells were full of cockroaches. I used to get three little pieces of paper a week from Her Majesty to write letters. I hadn’t written songs for ages and suddenly I had this new energy. I tried to work out the ideas and chords in my head but the only way I could get my hands on a guitar was at the folk mass. 

“It was the only time in my life I was first in line for mass. The priest would let me borrow it for 15 minutes. I’m very grateful to him. That was enough for me to know if I was going in the right direction.”

His experiences were translated into recent album Outlaw Heaven, inspired by going cold turkey in prison.

He said: “There’s a euphoria when you’re coming off drugs and drink. I began to imagine everyone there was my friend. Then I was thinking about Robert Johnson, Jimmy Hendrix, Phil Lynott, perhaps there’s a bar in outlaw heaven or a rehearsal room where they all hang out and maybe one day I’ll get to meet my favourite musicians and jam with them. You do an awful lot of dreaming when you’re locked in a two-man cell for 23 hours a day.”

• The Popes play the Boston Arms, 178 Junction Road, N19, on June 24, at 8pm. Tickets available on the door or at www.hollowayartsfestival.co.uk

Hundreds of artists join big local names at Holloway Arts Festival 

MORE than 300 artists will be exhibiting their work at 50 venues at this year’s Holloway Arts Festival  beginning next Friday (June 25), writes Peter Gruner.

At the same time  poet, Wendy Cope, artist Grayson Perry, comedian Paul Lyalls, performer John Hegley and author Anthony Horowitz will all be taking part in the 11-day event.

There are artist-in-residency programmes at Archway Herbal Clinic, Islington Council Town Hall and  St Luke’s Community Centre.

Artists include Louise Isik Sayarer, Malcolm Litson, Daniel Locke and Kit Poulson. 

In addition, Rosanna Greaves, Michaela Nettle and Giulia Ricci will present work at the Claremont centre, Culpeper Community Garden at the Angel and the Estorick Collection in Highbury.

 The festival will culminate with the Big Day Out, a free, family-friendly outdoor day at Whittington Park, an extravaganza of arts, crafts, music, food and theatre. 

• Details of all the events at the festival are available online at www.hollowayartsfestial.co.uk