Irish rocker Shane MacGowan is turning his back on touring after growing tired of life on the road.

The Pogues frontman is a prolific live performer and has often played more than 300 gigs in a 12-month period during his 35-year career.

However, the Fairytale of New York hitmaker, 54, is adamant years on the road have taken their toll and he no longer has the thirst for live performance.

He tells British magazine Radar, "I'm fading it out. All that touring, and gigging, and all of that, I'm sick of it. You know?"