IRISH ROVER

Because Shane MacGowan, bless his whiskey-sodden soul, can no longer speak coherently, James Fearnley is here to tell the tale. That’s what friends are for. The Pogues accordionist was one of the band’s founding members, and buddies with McGowan going all the way back to his first band, The Nips. In Here Comes Everybody: The Story of the Pogues, Fearnley offers up a tell-all about the band that combined Irish traditional and punk rock in an unblessed union. From a rare lucid (read: sober) point of view, the memoir recounts all the perceived challenges of working with its swaggering frontman — apparently punctuality was as much a problem area as dentistry — but remains sympathetic, even tender. Fearnley reads from his book tonight, accompanied by live banjo, accordion, and acoustic guitar music to set the tone.

Mon., May 19, 7 p.m., 2014