Andrew Ranken, drummer and founding member of The Pogues, has died

Andrew Ranken, drummer and founding member of the Pogues, has died at 72, a decisive figure in shaping the sound and identity of the London band formed in 1982. The news was shared by the band through their social media channels, where Ranken was remembered as "drummer, founding member and beating heart of The Pogues", as well as a "true friend and brother forever".

In the message, signed by Spider Stacy, Jem Finer and James Fearnley, a portrait emerges that holds together artistic dimension and human bond: gratitude for the friendship, for his witty and generous spirit, "and of course for the music". An acknowledgment that reaffirms Ranken's specific weight in the band's trajectory, across stages, studio work and internal dynamics.

The group's historic entourage also wanted to pay tribute to him. Siobhán MacGowan, sister of Shane MacGowan, the frontman who died in 2023,

called him "a fundamental part of the story", highlighting his talent and his uniqueness on drums. Victoria Mary Clarke, the singer's widow, remembered him as "a real gentleman" and "an absolutely legendary drummer", adding that he will be deeply missed.

Born in 1953 in Ladbroke Grove, London, Ranken started playing drums at 14, moving through the British capital's lively music scene with acts such as Lola Cobra, The Stickers and The Operation. In 1983 he became involved in the project that would take shape as The Pogues, contributing from the very start to the definition of that hybrid language fusing punk rock with Irish tradition, later labelled Celtic punk.

Ranken took part in all of the band's albums and is credited as the one who came up with the title of "Rum Sodomy & The Lash", the 1985 record that cemented the band's international reputation. He later explained that the name "seemed to sum up life in our band", an effective distillation of the rough, ironic spirit running through the project.

His energetic, instantly recognisable drumming was a structural element of the Pogues' sound throughout the Eighties, helping to build a musical identity that left its mark on the British scene and beyond. Last year the band had reunited for a tour celebrating the fortieth anniversary of "Rum Sodomy & The Lash", without his involvement.

In recent years Ranken had returned to activity with The Mysterious Wheels, with whom in 2023 he released the charity single "Take Me Down to St Joe's", in support of St Joseph's Hospice in Hackney. A discreet but constant presence, right up to his final projects.

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