Kirsty MacColl and Shane MacGowan performing Fairytale of New York on the Jack Docherty Show on Irish TV in 1997.

The song has stalled at No. 11 in the UK Christmas Chart (it was actually lower in the mid week interim charts) and will presumably fade away next week.

Meanwhile the Irish Mirror spoke to Jean MacColl this week, and their piece is here. They also spoke to Shane MacGowan.

Unfortunately the film footage which was shot at October’s Kirstyfest, which was expected to be part of a documentary on Saturday 20th December, has not made the broadcast cut. If you were there and were looking forward to watching yourself in the choir, the producers pass on their thanks and best wishes for the new year, and are sorry that there wasn’t enough room to use the coverage. Thanks to Barry for the update. As he says, “Looks like our ’15 Minutes’ doesn’t start just yet!”

Kirsty MacColl and the Pogues performing Fairytale of New York, all still shiny and new, at the Town and Country Club in London at the St Patrick’s night concert in London. Guinness all round!

Hay un ángel corriendo alrededor de esta casa.

Fourteen years ago today Kirsty MacColl died in Mexico. Her songs are still being sung, recorded, uploaded and cherished. Our lives are still enriched from her being here.

Kirsty ¡Viva

Kirsty longa ao vivo!

It’s Stephen Brennan with a moment of calm amidst all the madness.

Fairytale of New York is now sitting at No.11 in the UK singles chart – it’s highest placing since 2006! Can it go higher? Still a chart to come before Christmas Day.

The Independent reports that the arrival of digital streaming could yet propel Fairytale to the top. For the first time the songs that people are actually listening to count towards the chart, which now includes data from streaming services including Spotify and Deezer alongside download and CD sales.

The change means that each time Fairytale is streamed on someone’s festive playlist or played through Spotify as the soundtrack to an office Christmas party it counts towards its chart placing. Currently 100 streams count as the equivalent to one download or physical single, so streaming of hit songs on phones and tablets more than a million times a week can make all the difference. An Official Charts Company (OCC) spokesman said: “Fairytale has seen a significant boost this year thanks to streaming. The song streamed 552,000 times last week.” Which would seem to equate to over 5 thousand “sales”.

Time to get listening people!

“RUN DEVIL RUN songs are brimming with honky-tonking, bar-room-brawl, tall stories of love lost and won along the road movie tales of Nashville, Memphis, Tombstone and in between the sheets.”

They also do a mean Chip Shop cover!

‘Rewind the Christmas Hits’ will be on Channel 4 at 8pm on 20th December, including interviews and footage of fans singing ‘Fairytale of New York’ at Soho Square in October in the company of Jean MacColl and Jem Finer from the Pogues. Set your PVRs!

Postscript: the Soho Square footage will not be shown after all.

Here’s wishing everybody a very Happy Christmas and a great New Year.

Jamie and Louis will be joining Hamish at my new bungalow and we will raise a glass to you all on Christmas day.

It was great to see you all in Soho and I’m looking forward to the BBC TV programme with you all singing to John Meranda. It was nice to see Fred Shortland from the Justice for Kirsty Campaign committee, Olivia Lichtenstein who made the documentary with us in Mexico trying to get at the truth (so alien to the Mexican wealthy Gonzalez Nova and his family) and Jem Finer from The Pogues amongst other old friends. And it is fantastic to see new faces joining us each year.

The organisation was, as always, first rate and I do thank Barry’s relatives for returning me to the Victory Club where I stayed for a night.

I hope to see the two young brothers again next year and hear them joining in the singing. My dance team turned up in force with Max, one year old, actress friend Barbara Young and director Philip Hedley. Good wishes to Eunice and my grateful thanks, as always, to Alan Officer who has been a tower of strength for 14 years at least.

Love to you all,
Jean

Diane Griffin offers the first known cover of the B-side from the 1990 single Don’t Come the Cowboy With Me, Sonny Jim! It’s excellent.