Profiles

The Pogues are still one of Britain's most popular bands - enjoying sell out tours here and in America and guaranteeing chart success every Christmas thanks to Fairytale of New York.

Their bass player for more than two decades has been Darryl Hunt. In the 1970s he was studying fine art in Nottingham. He enjoyed his time so much he stayed in the city for a further eight years.

Plummet Airlines

It was during this stay in Nottingham that Darryl embarked on his musical career. He started playing bass with the Nottingham-based Plummet Airlines. They'd formed while students at art college in the city but pretty soon had been signed to Stiff Records.

They released a double-A sided single - Silver Shirt / This Is the World. And then all went quiet.

"They signed us up for a single but we didn't do a second single or an album which was a shame," says Darryl.

"The managers we had at the time thought (Stiff) weren't offering enough but I think it would have been a good plan to do a record with them."

Onwards and upwards

Despite Plummet Airlines plummeting out of music, Darryl was soon back with another Nottingham band The Favourites.

In 1979 they did a cover version of Abba's SOS and Annie Nightingale made it a single of the week.

Believing they'd do better by leaving Nottingham for London they headed south. But it all went wrong again.

"We moved down to London and soon after we broke up. I found myself in a squat in Kings Cross which is how I met Shane (MacGowan) and everybody from the Pogues. They were all in squats in Kings Cross as well."

Making the money

Darryl was invited to play occasional bass and then became a full-time member in September 1986. He's surprised they've lasted so long.

"I didn't think half of us would live this long because of what was being consumed by the group at the time. It wasn't advantageous to a long life!"

But The Pogues remain a formidable outfit and Darryl's even managed to cash in on Hollywood. His Pogues song Love You Till the End was sung by Hilary Swank in the film P.S. I Love You. It was a nice little earner that helped finance his solo project Bish.

Memories of Nottingham

Darryl Hunt might be part of an arena filling Irish group but he regularly returns to Nottingham.

"I come up to watch Forest play. I still like to come up and look around, see where I used to live and wander around Arboretum park which used to be my local park."

But for him Nottingham isn't a patch on what it used to be.

"The start of the rot was the building of Maid Marian Way. It was considered to be the most disgusting urban development in the country and I don't think the city's ever recovered from that.

"It (the 1970s) was a fine time to be in Nottingham. All the shops were open on Mansfield Road. You could get anything there. The city centre hadn't been turned into a non-stop club land.

"Arkwright Street was the best. You could get everything you needed - second hand clothes, record stores, it was a wonderful street.

Darryl's back in Nottingham this summer when The Pogues play the Splendour festival (Wollaton Park, Sunday 19 July 2009). On the same bill are Madness, Fun Lovin' Criminals, Imelda May, The Rifles and Kid British.