The PoguesFairy tale of New York

Genre – Folk punk, ChristmasReleased -1987Directed by – Peter Dougherty The Pogues are a Celtic, punk band. Formed in 1982, and still presently together, they are famed for being widely well known for having founded the folk punk genre, and popularising it in the UK.

“Punk is musical freedom. It’s saying, doing and playing what you want." Kurt Kobain

The punk rock genre was popularised in the late 1960's/early 70's in the US and in Great Britain. The genre is notable for its hard-edged music, with lyrics which will typically express strong political ideologies and promote 'anti-establishment', meaning that they stand in opposition of the conventional social, political and economic principles of society.

Celtic Punk is a subgenre of punk rock and is characterised as having a mix of traditional Celtic music. Bands of this genre will often play a mixture of traditional Celtic music, as well as their own compositions. common themes associated with this genre include politics, alcohol and working class pride.

Genre conventions• The music video for Fairytale of New York contains reference to the typical conventions

of the Celtic punk genre. As is common for a text of this genre, the main themes of drinking and working class pride are very much evident throughout. Goodwin's theory of music videos is referenced, with there being a clear link between the lyrics and the visuals. The lyrics "its Christmas Eve babe//in the drunk tank" are accompanied by the visuals of the music video's intoxicated protagonist being locked away in a cell for the night. This solidly supports the genre of the text. Alcohol being a huge theme of the genre,the audience are immediately aware of the fact that they are viewing a text of a gritty nature, helping to associate it with the Celtic punk genre.

• The upbeat nature of the music during the chorus and onwards suggests a dream or fantasy, most likely a dream of the main protagonist taking place during his stay in the police cell. During this part of the music, the female protagonist of the music video is seen to triumphantly stride the streets of New York City, emphasised by a number of low angle shots towering, concrete skyscrapers. This contrasts to the representation created in the music video Afrikka Shox, in which the low angle shots create an image of alienation for the black protagonist who finds himself as a minority in the cruel metropolis. Furthermore, this positive representation of New York, in which the working class female feels a sense of having 'made it' in the city of dreams helps to construct genre. A sense of the working class having overcome the restrictions that society has placed upon them, very much develops a feeling of working class pride within the music video, and audiences will recognise this as .

Fairytale of New York (1987)

Noir

• We find that the music video for fairytale of New York contains elements of mise en scene, most commonly associated with film noir productions which were first being formed in the 1940's. Audiences who are aware of the film noir period will be flattered by the strong references to Carol Reed's The Third Man (1949). Use of dark, low key and chiaroscuro lighting help to strengthen genre links within the music video. Audiences with an interest in film will recognise a link between the dismal themes such as the struggles of the lower classes within society, their political insignificance and alcohol abuse, with the tragic plotlines of the 1940's black thrillers. This helps to strengthen the tone of the music video and by referencing the conventions of such an iconic era in film making, helps to better construct genre.

The Third Man (1949)

Fairytale of New York (1987)