The Pogues drummer Andrew Ranken dead at 72

Andrew Ranken, RIP — (Image credit: D Dipasupil/FilmMagic)

Andrew Ranken, drummer of London-Irish folk-punks The Pogues, has died, aged 72.

The news of his death yesterday (February 10) was confirmed by the group's surviving original members Spider Stacy, James Fearnley and Jem Finer in a social media post on the band's social media platforms today.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Andrew Ranken, drummer, founding member, and heartbeat of The Pogues," the statement reads. “Andrew, thank you for everything, for your friendship, your wit and your generosity of spirit, and of course for the music, forever a true friend and brother. Our thoughts and love are with his family at this sad and difficult time.”

Ranken was born in London on November 13, 1953, and was studying media studies and sociology at Goldsmiths College in London when he was asked to replace The Pogues original drummer Jon Hasler in 1983. Formerly the frontman of 'new wave R&B' band The Stickers, Ranken was playing drums with a country-blues band called The Operation when he was recruited to join the line-up.

"We were on nodding terms for quite a while in local pubs," Ranken told Pogues biographer Carol Clerk. "Some of them had Irish songs on the jukebox. Eventually we got talking about Irish music.

"They said, 'Right, this is the deal: you've got to stand up, and you're only allowed to have two drums, but you can have this little saucepan as well to bang on if you like.

"I thought this was quite a challenge and quite interesting, so I had a go at it, and found I could do what they seemed to want, and got the job. I was very keen to try something different. Everything was a bit up in the air anyway, because I was in my last year in college, and I was seriously thinking about getting a proper job."

"He didn't fuck around trying to be flash," Jem Finer told Clerk. "It was really exciting. It was like, Wow, this guy has really got it."

Nicknamed 'The Clobberer' after a Shane MacGowan song of the same name, Ranken played on every Pogues album, from 1984's Red Roses for Me through to their seventh and final album, 1996's Pogue Mahone.

The band split in the summer of 1996, after being dropped by their record label Warners.

"It was quite soul-destroying," Ranken told Carol Clerk. "I just felt like the bollocks had gone out of it... it all just became meaningless. We were going through the motions."

The Pogues reformed in 2001, and Ranken performed with the band until their second split in 2014.

Pogues guitarist Philip Chevron passed away in 2013, bassist Darryl Hunt ( who replaced original bassist Cait O'Riordan in 1986) died in 2022, and frontman Shane MacGowan died in November 2023.

"Andrew was a beautiful human and a total gentleman and an absolutely legendary drummer," Shane MacGowan's wife Victoria Clarke posted on instagram. "He was very much loved by Shane and I have no doubt that he will be warmly welcomed by Shane, but he will be very much missed here on Earth."

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A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.

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