In the 13 years since The Pogues last toured through America, England’s Celtic punk heroes prematurely lost one of its singers, the one and only Shane MacGowan, but also saw its legend skyrocket into the stratosphere.

Much of that has to do with the perennial holiday classic, “Fairytale Of New York,” in addition to the 40th anniversary of the Elvis Costello-produced breakthrough album, “Rum Sodomy & The Lash,” which features favorites “A Pair Of Brown Eyes,” “Sally MacLennane” and “Dirty Old Town.”

Shortly before reuniting at Riot Fest on Friday, September 19, Chicago Concert Reviews swapped emails with vocalist/tin whistle player Spider Stacy, who alongside fellow multi-instrumentalist original members James Fearnley and Jem Finer, plus several special guests, promise a full album play of the above and anything else a 90-minute co-headlining slot opposite Blink-182 can accommodate.

How would you describe your relationship with the city? 

Spider Stacy: I’ve always liked Chicago. It has strong bones.

How familiar are you with Riot Fest? 

Stacy: I’m very much looking forward to playing Riot Fest. I saw Me First And The Gimme Gimmes and The So So Glos play here a few years ago, and had a great time. In any case, its reputation precedes it, so yeah, bring it on!

What are the qualities that helped make “Rum Sodomy & The Lash” such a classic? 

Stacy: The record speaks for itself. It’s timeless.

What do you consider to be a few of the other most important moments for The Pogues? 

Stacy: All of us being in the right place at the right time.

Besides being kings of the underground, the band had its fair share of commercial success as well. What was it like reaching a broader audience, especially here in America?

Stacy: “Commercial success” might be pushing it a bit, but it’s true that “Tuesday Morning” seems to have been quite a few people’s entry point to The Pogues.

How has the legend of “Fairytale Of New York,” in particular, grown over the years and what does it mean to you at this point? 

Stacy: “Fairytale” is one of those songs that has completely outgrown the artist that originally recorded it. There are people all over the world who love that song, yet who are utterly unfamiliar with anything else we’ve done, which is how it should be.

Why do you feel like The Pogues stood out from so much of what was happening at the time and continue to be such a unique band? 

Stacy: How long do you have? I’ve always known we were the best band in the world.

Can you describe the roller coaster of working with Shane MacGowan and how you hope he will be remembered? 

Stacy: I would never call it a “rollercoaster.” It was f***ing brilliant, but then everything got too much. Too many demands being made. People are only human.

How do you look back on The Clash’s Joe Strummer filling in as the front man? 

Stacy: Ha! I loved seeing the looks on people’s faces when it dawned on them just who it was on the centre mic.

Tell us a bit about the current line-up and the chemistry you have together. 

Stacy: Words cannot express the sheer joy I feel playing with these people. They’re all superbly talented artists and each of them is a joy to have around. I envy the people coming to see us.

Is there any new music in the forecast or future plans in general for The Pogues? 

Stacy: I’m sure we’re not quite done yet. 

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The Pogues perform at Riot Fest in Douglass Park on Friday, September 19. For additional details, visit Facebook.com/Poguetry and RiotFest.org.