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| INCREDIBLE SHANE |
| This section contains the latest rumours, news, gossips, reviews I find rummaging about Pogues/Popes/music sites/messageboards/guestbooks and is dedicated to |
| Special thanks to reporters and the best regards to all Shane's fans all over the world |
| Last updated 02.04.2003 |
| Paddy Rolling Stone The official web site |
| The Parting Glass An annotated Pogues' lyrics page |
| Jer's Pogues Pub A celebration of the music of THE POGUES. images, videos, MP3s... |
| My Priory Diary bittersweet diary of Victoria Clarke |
| What's in Your Basket A rock'n'roll lifestyle is not usually a healthy one and former Pogue Shane MacGowan's is no exception. 15/07/2001 |
| it's a long way to go… Eventful sojourn with Shane MacGowan and Victoria Clarke to Shane's birthplace in Silvermines july 2001 |
| Shane MacGowan gets the drinks in He won a scholarship to Westminster and became a rent boy; he topped the charts with The Pogues but ended up broke; he's planning a bank robbery and wants Lynn Barber to drive the getaway car... 11/03/2001 |
| A Drink With Shane MacGowan Act One |
| A Drink With Shane MacGowan Act Seven |
| Double Shot of Celtic Soul Punk poet Shane MacGowan drinks it all in, then spits it back out march 2001 |
| BackStage Pass MacGowan as the modern embodiment of the Irish literary tradition in all its glory and tragedy 2000 |
| Shane MacGowan It must be Christmas if...Fairytale of New York is on the radio... |
| CANOE on the Pogues 1996-2001 |
| MacGowan smiles in death's face Ex-Pogues frontman thrives amid excesses 30/03/2001 |
| A man of many words and few teeth 'I'm completely Irish' he says in a completely English accent 05/03/2000 |
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| Hard Luck O'The Irish: An Interview with Shane MacGowan by Ian Brennan 2000 |
| SITES |
| ARTICLES / INTERVIEW |
| Rock vibes at Arts Club and museum Woulr rock stars turn up? Some of us craned our necks at two separate events this week to watch for the rock 'n' rollers. 02/02/2002 |
| My hooligan days with Shane SHE was just 16 years' old when she first saw a picture of him in a music magazine above the caption "Shane O'Hooligan". |
| Sell-out Shane is Tipptop! SHANE McGOWAN has always claimed his heart is still in Tipperary and next Friday night he's going to prove it. august 2001 |
| Pogues ReUnion A re-formed Pogues, briefly together for a Christmas tour, are proving a sell-out attraction In Britain and Ireland... 15/12/2001 |
| MEMOIRS |
| Shane MacGowan Olympia Dublin, 11 Aug 2001 |
| HotPress on Shane MacGowan 1989-2002 |
| The Pogues Point Theatre, 20th December 2001 |
| A Rusty Tin Can and an Old Hurley Ball A resource for Pogues & Shane MacGowan fans |
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| Shane MacGowan has revealed one of his main reasons for quitting The Pogues - the band wouldn't let him air his pro-Republican views through his music november 1997 |
| The cream of Ireland's independent rock and dance artists have joined together for the charity album. Among the contributors is Pogues leader Shane MacGowan 06/08/2002 |
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| Shane MacGowan & The Popes to play Olympia Shane MacGowan & The Popes will play Dublin's Olympia Theatre for two nights in September. 28/08/2002 |
| ....I suspect Shane MacGowan is a born-again fruitarian, and that the only liquid that passes his lips is bottled water. Forum, London 23/12/1999 |
| Singer's fightback fails to disguise his fall from grace Forum, London 19/03/1999 |
| 'It all comes down to drink, sex, drugs, fighting and dancing' Shane MacGowan spills his secrets to Bob Flynn 06/12/2001 |
| The Pogues Manchester Academy These December dates are billed as "the Pogues for one week only", but the band will extend their long-awaited return as surely as Shane will celebrate it in the pub. |
| They don't make Irish drunks like they used to... Wonderful tales are leaking out of Bloom's Hotel, in the heart of Dublin's banking district. 14/02/2001 |
| MacGowan 'thrown out of Priory for bad behaviour'. Is this a record? The former lead singer of the Pogues, Shane MacGowan, has left a rehabilitation clinic after a "row of sorts" with staff. 26/02/2000 |
| Lisa's biggest hit She broke Shane MacGowan's nose, but he and his then girlfriend Victoria Clarke became friends with thepunchy Lisa Stansfield September 2001 |
| Shane MacGowan The death-defying founder of the Pogues is a king hell drinker, a writer and the last of a vanishing breed. 31/07/2001 |
| STEWART ENQUIRY ON TOUR To save face the Idler's racing correspondent, Stewart Enquiry, promises a special report on the Punchestown six day festival, Ireland. His companion on this mission? Shane MacGowan…as related by JOCK SCOT |
| Shambolic Shane demeans Kenny's Late Late Show DID Shane MacGowan's shambolic appearance on The Late Late Show last Friday night make for riveting viewing? Of course it did. 21/02/2000 |
| Fun Times at Celtic Connections festival, Glasgow, Scotland "Folk group plays in support of Shane MacGowan from the punk rock group The Pogues. A bit unlikely but things worked out really well for all concerned." 25/01/2002 |
| Saint Sinead Helps Shane Walk... "The World's last living hellraiser still raising hell, Shane MacGowan, can miraculously walk again thanks to the saintly goodness of Sinead O'Connor. 27/11/2002 |
| JANUARY 2003 - MARCH 2003 21.03.2003 AN AUDIENCE WITH THE POPE! SHANE SHAKES IT AT DeathDiscoDublin#17! Shane Macgowan took to the DD DJ decks for the third time with a storming set at DeathDiscoDublin#17. Looking alarmingly fresh-faced and healthy, Shane opened his set with Margaret Barry and Tom Waits, before pumping it with The Clash. "I like DJing" Shane noted afterwards, "because I like, like, Hendrix and Elvis and I can't do that in my bands, know what I mean?" Yes, we do. Take a bow, Mr MacGowan... Some of Shane's DDD#17 songs: - Clash: What's My Name - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: The Mercy Seat - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Nobody's Baby Now - Dr John: Walk On Gilded Splinters - Frank Quinn: The Wexford Chorus - Clash: Straight To Hell - Hank Williams: Lost Highway - Jacque Brel: La Quete - Bobby Sands: The Rhythm Of Time [recitation with music by Gerry McGrogan] - Bob & Marcia: Young, Gifted And Black And Shane also spinned The Town I Loved So Well, the unreleased track by Lancaster County Prison with Shane singing. Beautiful. 17.03.2003 FANS' REVIEWS Was very disappointed with Shepherd's Bush last night - not with the performance, just the venue - IT SUCKS - if you're anywhere near the back downstairs by the bar all you can hear between songs is ... well to be blatantly honest... SOD ALL except for the crowd. The accoustics in that place are shite! As for Shane, well I enjoyed myself, always do - band were superb, obviously denied numerous songs due to the maestro's late arrival, but I went home happy that they'd done a few of my favourites. Thanks Shane and the Popes for another enjoyable evening of live music. Greebo. Shane official site's guestbook I thought he was great last night! good strong singing, the band on good form, lots of banjo coming through. Granuaille was perfect. He rarely sat and he wasn't out of tune. Just a shame he was late, so no encores, but we did get three tunes from the Popes before he arrived including that banjo feast, Hills of Connemara Fightin Bill Tracey. Shane official site's guestbook Just got home from their gig at Shepherds Bush - I've spent years dreaming of my first concert. It was shit - Shane propped up on a stool, struggling his way through the worst of his back catalogue, out of tune and ruining every song. It was tragic and I will now shed a tear whenever I hear his name. Paramedics arrived while I waited for an autograph simonthelikeable. Shane official site's guestbook Agree with Simon the fans were flocking out in big numbers I know we shouldn`t expect much of Shane these days but he was dire.But the band was total shite. crazyhorse. Shane official site's guestbook The gig was not sold out before hand. Loads of tickets left in the box office but it was fucking heaving inside so they must have shifted them all by the time he came on. The big man shuffled on with a walking stick, he was, however in good spirits both nights laughing and joking and danced with his ma (who sang fairytale with him) during the song. Stood up on friday but sat on his bar stool on sat. Sound was OK (it didn't spoil the evening), but compare it to the sound on the live album & it was poor. still there was not enough of the banjo coming through. Line up was standard: Shane, Tommy, Bob, Mad Dog and Reg. They need a squeeze box and a whistle tho I think. the tunes as best i can remember (not definately in order): IISFFGWG, DONEGAL EXPRESS, DIRTY OLD TOWN, DUBLIN TOWN, POPE'S INSTRUMENTAL, MORE PRICKS THAN KICKS, IRISH ROVER, GREENLAND WHALE FISHERIES, AULD TRIANGLE, SALLY MAC., BOTTLE OF SMOKE, FAIRYTALE, BODY OF AN AMERICAN, BROAD MAJESTIC SHANNON, ROCK N ROLL PADDY, PADDY ON THE RAILWAY, STREAMS OF WHISKEY, BACK IN THE CTY HELL, GRANUAILLE. bar the sound which was a touch ropey, the two nights at the olympia were great. if you're sitting down or you're away at the back standing with a pint then your not gonna have the best time. get involved. i was in the pit both nights, sweated my balls off, got kicked in the head, fucked up my trotters, fell over and loved every minute. just enjoy the fact that you're seeing him play Tommy. Shane official site's guestbook I was at the gig on friday night <14.03.2003>, i had a great time. the audience were great, everyone knocking each other down then picking you back up, its what its all about. i must have been the youngest person inthe pit, 17. its my third time seeing shane, the point for the reunion and the olympia twice. after waking up on saturday i was shocked to see that fool bob geldof win a life time acheviment award on those awards when someone like shane is still to recive the recognition he deserves Eamo. Shane official site's guestbook Shane was fucking brilliant saturday nite <15.03.2003>....will someone plz list the the songs he played,i was so fuckin pissed the only song i remember was dirty old town,i seen shane in temple bar the next day did anyone else???? Slugger O Toole. Shane official site's guestbook just got back from dublin. fucking great! support act were The Shamrogues who were very good indeed. played some great tunes - Rocky Road to Dublin, Whiskey in the Jar, Seven Drunken Nights etc had a good punchy sound real nice showmanship too. got the crowd going. shane was great both nights although he fucked up paddy public enemy on friday. stopped the tune to start over. set list included: IISFFGWG, Donegal Express, Greenland Whale Fisheries, Fairytale, Bottle of Smoke, Dublin Town, Auld Triangle amongst others (no particular order). Those who didn't go missed out...class. Big hello and thanks to the Antrim boys, Ger and Ryan. God bless tommy. Shane official site's guestbook I liked the stripped down popes lastnight. I'm kinda happy to see there was no "squeeze box", it tends to doninate the songs. Shane was in great form the healtiest i've ever seen him. Pierce Cooney. Shane official site's guestbook Went to the gig last night <14.03.2003>. They band were quite late coming on stage. I was quite near the front and the sound was appalling. Shane, minus beard sporting shorter hair than of late, sat for most of the show. He seemed in good form and made some smart remarks between songs. A couple of the songs were sung out of key, notably "Paddy Public Enemy". I would not blame Shane because the sound was shit. Tommy played too. Pretty usual set list. I did not stay till the end because I wanted to get down to Voodoo and see his DJ appearance. The only new song was "Dublin Town" in the set. Shane's DJ set was interesting. He would choose tracks and BP Fallon would put them on. I can't recall everything he played and did not know some tracks. However, there was a bit of Irish, some Hank Williams, Dr. John, and Johnny Allan. Also, a version of "The Town I Loved So Well" with Shane singing some verses very well indeed. Don't know who the other artist on the track is. Shane was not singing along/introducing tracks this time. He was too busy signing autographs. Paul McCluskey. Shane official site's guestbook FILM If Shane Should Fall From Grace With God by Dave Soyars Singer/songwriter and former Pogues leader Shane MacGowan is a successful musician and a highly gifted writer. Two recent polls in Ireland declared his Fairytale of New York to be the best Irish song ever. He has a good relationship with his parents, a sane, down-to-earth girlfriend who loves and nurtures him, and the satisfaction of knowing that he's making a good living doing what he loves. On the surface, at least, his life could be considered quite idyllic... Drink and drugs make singer's story all but untellable 03/17/03 John Petkovic Plain Dealer Reporter Rock stars are notoriously inaccessible. There always seems to be a bodyguard, a bouncer, a posse and a press agent between them and the outside world. With Shane MacGo wan, it's booze and pills. Even when he stares you straight in the face, it seems like he's drifting further and further into an other world. Documentary traces downfall of music legend By Dave Ferman Star-Telegram Pop Music Critic It's believed that most humans have within them the capacity to be very good and very, very bad. And for the past 20-plus years, Shane MacGowan has publicly played out this struggle. On the good side, MacGowan long ago established himself as one of the best Irish songwriters of the past 50 years. Both with and without the legendary Irish trad/punk band the Pogues, MacGowan penned songs such as Streams of Whiskey and A Pair of Brown Eyes that hold their own with just about anything else written in the '70s or '80s. On the bad side, MacGowan is a drunk -- a sad, often incoherent sot whose unpredictability got him kicked out of the notoriously hard-partying Pogues, and whose physical deterioration has reached obvious and horrific proportions... Film captures the troubled life of Irish troubadour, Shane MacGowan Monday, March 17, 2003 By DAVID BAUDER AP Television Writer NEW YORK (AP) Before catching himself, an interview subject briefly slips into the past tense when talking about Irish singer-songwriter Shane MacGowan. “He had a brilliant brain — still has — a few million brain cells later,” he said. And that’s his DAD speaking! Yet it’s a perfect one-sentence encapsulation of the majesty, and sad mystery, of MacGowan. He’s profiled in the film, “If I Should Fall From Grace: The Shane MacGowan Story,” which premieres on the Sundance Channel on St. Patrick’s Day at 9 p.m. 'Grace' documents the fall of Pogues' former frontman By David Milstead, Rocky Mountain News March 17, 2003 Shane MacGowan of the Pogues sang in 1984 that he was "going where streams of whiskey are flowing," and ever since, fans delighted as he tripped about the stage, living his lyrics and the life of the drunken Irishman. Now we see where this has led. Not to the grave, as many expected, but to a sodden life of incoherence, and near irrelevance. Rock 'n' roil Sundance Channel documentary looks at liquor-soaked life of rocker Shane MacGowan Monday March 17, 2003 Dave Walker It's possible to picture, as you watch Sarah Share's documentary about Shane MacGowan, that this is exactly how the footage would've turned out had Jim Morrison allowed a film crew to accompany him around Paris during the last days of his life... Filmmaker looks for the flickering light in Pogues founder By TIMOTHY FINN The Kansas City Star The Sex Pistols were Shane MacGowan's favorite band. They made him want to wave his florid Irish heritage in the face of fellow Londoners. "Johnny Rotten was so bloody obviously Irish, and he made such a noise about it -- all those anti-England records," MacGowan tells director Sarah Share in her documentary "If I Should Fall From Grace With God: The Shane MacGowan Story." The film airs Monday night on the cable TV network the Sundance Channel... 11.03.2003 SHANE MACGOWAN IS BACK!!! THE ST PATRICK'S DAY WEEKEND STARTS HERE!!! The Coolest Man In Ireland Shane MacGowan returns to the DeathDisco decks to DJ at DeathDiscoDublin#16 this Friday March 14! The venue is Voodoo, 39 Arran Quay, Dublin 7 and the DeathDisco party kicks off immediately after Shane's Olympia concert with The Popes. The last time he DJed at DeathDisco - in Belfast - Mr MacGowan led the audience in singing along to Val Doonican's Walk Tall. What a man! FILM POGUE OF DEATH Documentary Offers Portrait of the Artist as a Drowning Poet by Sean Nelson It's true that no sadness is as sad as Irish sadness. And no Irishman was ever sadder to behold than Shane MacGowan, the great minor poet of Paddy rock 'n' roll and former lead singer of the Pogues. If I Should Fall from Grace, a fantastic new documentary, examines MacGowan's self-determined downward spiral with a cold but sensitive eye. The film shows his progression (regression) from Irish expatriate, to troubled kid enlivened by punk's first wave, to vital frontman of the Pogues in the '80s, to what he is today: a hulking, slow-eyed mass of boozefat and incomprehensible spiel, lumbering around the streets of London and Ireland like a living ghost.... Thanks Peter of alt.music.pogues for the hint DVD IF HE SHOULD FALL FROM GRACE... SHANE MacGOWAN is to release a DVD containing a documentary and live footage next month. The DVD, titled 'If I Should Fall From Grace – The Shane MacGowan Story' contains 17 live performances and interviews with the ex-Pogues frontman. The documentary gives fans an insight into MacGowan life, The star has suffered publicly with alcoholism and drug addiction. The DVD includes performances of: - 'Paddy Public Enemy No.1' - 'If I Should Fall From Grace With God' - 'Infatuation' -'Gabrielle' - 'Waxie’s Dargle' - 'Streams of Whiskey' - 'Dirty Old Town' - 'The Irish Rover' - 'Fiesta' - 'Rainy Night In Soho' - 'Fairytale Of New York' - 'White City' - 'Summer In Siam' - 'Victoria' - 'That Woman’s Got Me Drinking' - 'Haunted' - 'Lonesome Highway' 'If I Should Fall From Grace – The Shane MacGowan Story' is released on April 22. 07.03.2003 EUROPEAN UNION FILM FESTIVAL Gene Siskel Film Center 164 N. STATE STREET CHICAGO, IL 60601 312.846-2600 Tickets: $8; $4 for members IF I SHOULD FALL FROM GRACE 2001, Sarah Share, Ireland, 92 min. With Shane MacGowan, The Pogues Sunday, March 9, 5:15 pm; Wednesday, March 12, 8:15 pm; Thursday, March 13, 6:15 pm Anyone who has enjoyed the music of the rough-and-ready iconoclastic Irish band The Pogues will be riveted by this remarkably revealing portrait of former lead singer Shane MacGowan. Director Sarah Share eschews romanticism for a clear-eyed look at a man whose self-destructive streak and wild-boy ways are hauntingly on display in his original songs. Video clips and live concert footage of the Nips, the Pogues, and the Popes would make this a must-see for the music alone. The in-depth narrative of the struggles that forged MacGowan’s art transform it into a gripping story of survival of the spirit against heavy odds. Print courtesy of Pop Twist Entertainment, Inc. In English. 35mm. (BS) This sympathetic, diligently researched documentary by Sarah Share was my first encounter with Irish singer Shane MacGowan, lead singer of the Irish folk-punk band the Pogues. Through voluminous clips from concerts and interviews, you can track the decay and loss of his teeth over the years. The film is oddly enabling of this amphetamine-abusing drunk's ups and downs. Shore overserves unflattering scenes of the singer in stumbling, mumbling rants. If you put up with him, though, you will eventually hear some of his beautiful, heartbreaking ballads. In English (sort of). European Union cinema showcased March 7, 2003 BILL STAMETS Chicago Sun-Times 06.03.2003 LIVEWIRE'S ONE ON ONE Dealing with His Leprechauns Interview with Shane MacGowan March 4, 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Poet. Entertainer. Pub philosopher. Drunk. These are all the full-time professions of the enigmatic Irish singer / songwriter Shane MacGowan. Although not necessarily in that order. While Shane spent most of his youth in England, he is admittedly Irish through and through, making no qualms about his ill-feelings of England... Not sounding too far from Ozzy Osbourne in tone, MacGowan seemed to be on a mental plane somewhere between slightly sober and stammeringly shitfaced, as he stuttered, slurred and added the questioning phrase "yeah?" to the end of nearly every sentence uttered from his lips. That, combined with his distinctive laugh which sounded as if he had violently shaken a can of Guinness and then popped the top into the phone (krrrrsshhh sshhh), made for a very unique chat indeed. (And just in case you're wondering, even though it may have been 3,700 miles away, our interviewer had the decency not to let his guest drink alone). more>> Documentary of a punk legend Former Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan featured for St. Paddy's Day Eric Bush, Vanguard on line edition, Portland State University March 06, 2003 MacGowan, who gained fame, and what seems to be little fortune, as the front man to his band The Pogues, is the subject of a documentary titled "If I Should Fall From Grace: The Shane MacGowan Story." Since MacGowan is virtually the most Irish person ever, although he only lived in Ireland until the age of six, the Sundance Channel has chosen to premiere this film on March 17, that's right, kids, St. Patrick's Day. Aside from the fact that he's Irish, there is another reason that MacGowan is often the king of St. Paddy's Day: The man is a notorious alcoholic. Rumor has it that last time Shane visited Portland, he was so intoxicated that he fell off the stage. Alcoholism, priceless. more>> 25.02.2003 NOISE POP FESTIVAL 25 Feb- 02 Mar. San Francisco 2003 - official site. Noise Pop Film Festival Thursday. 27 Feb 2003 "If I Should Fall From Grace: The Shane MacGowan Story" (Dir. Sarah Share. Ireland 2000, 93 min) 7:30 pm at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. 701 Mission Street Preceded by HURT (Dir. Mark Romanec, USA 2003, 4 min) Johnny Cash sings a song by Trent Reznor Come on, feel the Noise -- Pop fest is ready to roll By Cassandra Braun CONTRA COSTA TIMES Fri, Feb. 21, 2003 For those who live and die by the music proudly dwelling beyond the radar, however, it's the time to clear the night-life slate for Noise Pop. The festival, which kicks off Tuesday <25.02.2003> at Bimbo's with ex-Pavement indie darling Stephen Malkmus and the Jinks, will cram nearly 50 bands into six days and nights. Aside from the showcase of consistently great music, it seems that the festival's foray into film and education has proven an equally successful ingredient. And the fest's newest addition will undoubtedly only add to its appeal. Noise Pop has designated an official drinking headquarters at the Parkside, where fellow rock lovers can commiserate over their lowball tumblers. The film showcase alone could have some rock fans and historians squealing with joy. "If I Should Fall From Grace: The Shane MacGowan Story," which screens Thursday <27.02.2003> at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, captures the former Pogues frontman candidly talking about his past conflict between his ever-dominant drug use and what some consider his musical genius. 17.02.2003 The Government should act on the anti-war message delivered by 90,000 protesters in Dublin on Saturday (15.02.2003). Organisers had originally predicted that 20,000 people would gather in Dublin to support the day of international protest. After Saturday's march – which attracted around four times the numbers expected – Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said the Government had greatly misjudged the depth of anti-war feeling in the Republic. Opposition politicians addressing rallies at the demonstration included Labour's Michael D Higgins, Sinn Fein's Aengus O Snodaigh and Green MEP Patricia McKenna. Entertainment was provided by singers such as Christy Moore, Shane MacGowan and Mary Coughlan. Irish musicians oppose US stopovers Some of Ireland's best-known musicians demanded that the government ban US forces from using Irish airports to transport troops to the Gulf to fight in a possible war on Iraq. Singers Sinead O'Connor, Shane MacGowan and Christy Moore were among 38 stars who signed a letter published in the Irish Times, along with well-known groups including the Dubliners and Clannad. "In the event of war in the Middle East, the Irish people would be implicated in any unjustified civilian losses and humanitarian crisis that would ensue," their letter said. The musicians said the use of Ireland's south-western Shannon Airport as a refuelling stop for US troop transporters undermined Ireland's traditional neutrality and constitutional commitment to the peaceful resolution of international disputes 13.02.2003 AT LONG LAST !!! Report on five DeathDisco dates in Ireland and Scotland at bpfallon.com "four of them brilliant and one of them... well, okay. Shane MacGowan was prevented from DJing in Galway by snowstorms at London airport." + Review of Shane DJing in Belfast + List of music played by DJ Shane + Some great pics Musicians hope war plea hits a chord IRISH musicians are hoping their plea to stop US military aircraft refuelling at Shannon will strike the right chord with the Government. More than 50 top acts have signed an open letter which will be sent to the Taoiseach asking him to end the refuelling stopover at the airport. Shane McGowan and the Dubliners are among those singing from the same hymn sheet in the campaign which is organised by the Irish Artists for Peace. "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." (Matthew 5:9) 06.02.2003 Shane's DJ gig The Pogues legendary former front man, Shane McGowan, was in Belfast's Front Page bar on Saturday for a gig as a DJ. Irish News journalist David Roy was there and described it as a rare performance. David said Shane was late taking the stage and was greeted warmly and enthusiastically by the audience. After about twenty minutes however, a member of the audience picked up a large bottle of vodka and threw it at Shane. The attacker was set upon by the audience but fled. The audience turned on the attacker a second time when he returned. Throughout it all, David said, Shane seemed to take it all in his stride. Talk Back Today. BBC Can't set this story aside: I heard a tale about the Shane visit from a guy no He was in the Front Page yesterday sitting drinking with Shane, who'd arrived in, and who was looking absolutely awful. Shane was drinking a glass full of whisky, smoking and reading Republican News, when the bar owner, John McElhatton Senior, walked in. He took one look at McGowan, and shouted at the barman for serving, let alone admitting a wretch that drunk and unkempt. "For Christ's sake, get him out of here, do you not know we've a big night tonight and we don't want people like him around". sean. Popes' message board. 03.02.2003 Death Disco Belfast. Frist of all when me & me mate arrived we were told it was sold out, but it said ?8.50 pay at the door. there was a shit load of people who did not have tickets and where not on the guest list. i thank fuck was. if u were not on any of them u were not geting in. it had to be one of the ost dissorganised event. it was sold out. He come on stage at around 12:30. wearing a black suit with a white thing around him. he was looking very well i have to say. playing all old irish music, singing along everything was great untill some one chucked a glass at shane. the crowd did not take to what shane was playing.. they want shane to play pogues. just as he had a pogues cd in his hand some fucking wanker chuked a glass at shane, it just missed him.the crowd got the guy and beat the shit out off him. 10 mins latter other wankers decided to reck the stage. and they did. it was very sad to see as shane appered to be totally enjoying himself. singing along, making faces etc.. a big fight started and i left. there were a lot of true shane fans in the Front page, but there were also a number of fucking dickheads who only turned up to start shit. fuck them let shane play what he liked after all he was playing music that he liked. i got to shake his hand. Why there was no boncers near shane i don't know.overall i hope last night did not put shane off coming back to belfast, i would not blame him if it did. fair play to ya. Mitch 31.01.2003 Death Disco Galway Looks like tendency though: Shane MacGowan didn't make it - 'lost in transit' that's the long and the short of it... God save him 29.01.2003 Can't keep secret. Brand new pics of Shane. He's stylish, fascinating and irresistible as always :)) www.shanemacgowan.de Juergen has uploaded 23 pictures showing Shane MacGowan in a bar after the film festival in Wuerzburg, Germany, last weekend. More to follow. 22.01.2003 Shane MacGowan to show up in Toronto Where: Lee's Palace, 529 Bloor W, Toronto, ON When: 9:00 pm Thursday, May 15, 2003 Price: For tickets call (416) 870-8000 21.01.2003 GAB-BOOK has been added. Don't hesitate to resort to the help of it. In case of need... Sebastian sets out to show that artists still have a cross to bear Singer/songwriter Shane McGowan with artist Sebastian Horsley at the opening of his exhibition entitled 'The Butterfly Pinned' at the Lead White Gallery in Dublin 16 Jan 2003. "Singer/songwriter Shane McGowan, who has painted a few covers for The Pogues albums, opened the show and said it was meant for the sinners of Ireland and that it was neither blasphemy nor sensationalist." 20.01.2003 For anybody interested - picture of Shane MacGowan in Irish Independent <17 Jan 2003 > at an art gallery in Dublin. Looking exceedingly, ahem, well fed and a hairstyle that could only be described as a 'bob'. Scrunchy, Shane? Good to see the old mucker looking healthy though. (oh, and a glass of something in his hand with 2 straws - smoothie perhaps?) eoinmaclove. popes' message board AFTERGLOW :)) A few pics of Shane. Old but worth a look. (c.) Susan Young / (c.) Michael Smeets Shaney Mac in La Belle Ville de Montreal. The Mac-daddy in NYC for Saint Pat's SHANE MacGOWAN TO DJ AT DEATHDISCO PARTIES IN GALWAY + BELFAST! Shane MacGowan joins the rock'n'roll circus to DJ at DeathDiscoGalway#1 at Cuba on Thursday January 30 and DeathDiscoBelfast#2 on Saturday February 1 at The Front Page! He will join Alan McGee of Creation/Poptones Records, Dublin legend BP Fallon and New York face Jaime Coon. Doors at 9.30pm. Admission is ?8. ShaneMacGowan DJed for two amazing hours at DeathDiscoDublin#11 back in September 2002. His spellbinding set ranged from reggae to rockabilly, The Sex Pistols [God Save The Queen] to Eddie Floyd [Knock On Wood] and lotsa Led Zeppelin. Plus Shane's memorable duet with Elvis! "Shane DJing at DDD#11 will either be awful or it'll be brilliant" remarked the other Elvis [Costello] at the time. It was brilliant. See Shane and BPF at DDD#11! 17.01.2003 CELTIC CONNECTION - browse pages to find out more about Scotland's premiere Celtic music festival taking place from Wednesday 15 January - Sunday 2 February in venues across Glasgow. With internationally renowned performers, exciting new talent, hot topical debates, workshops and ceilidhs, there is something for everyone at Celtic Connections. Shane MacGowan and The Popes Official Press-release Support: North Cregg Venue: The Old Fruitmarket Start Time: 10pm Interval: 10.50pm Second half: 11.10pm Finish: 12.30am Ticket prices: ?18 Box Office: 0141 353 8000 The importance of Shane in the history of popular music was underlined by the BBC's excellent documentary, The Great Hunger, which paid tribute to his songwriting while trying to make sense of his life. As martinis flowed and MacGowan reflected on times past, fact and fiction intermingled in a strange fashion. According to the programme Shane "was born on the banks of the Shannon in rural Ireland" and was also said to have been "born in Tipperary". Either account might have disqualified him from this study of second- generation Irish, but the fact is that he was actually English-born. The public register confirms that Shane P.L. MacGowan was born in Tonbridge, Kent, on Christmas Day, 1957. "But I'm first-generation Irish," MacGowan insists. "Tipperary is my home." Within months of his birth, his family returned to Tipperary where Shane spent his early childhood. It was here that he was exposed to traditional music. His mother Therese (n?e Cahill) was an accomplished singer and weekend sessions at the house, including set dancing, were commonplace. "I'd be put on a table and told to sing," MacGowan remembered. "My repertoire gradually increased. I did my first gig when I was three." While his contemporaries across the water grew up with pop radio and beat groups, Shane had a strong grounding in Irish folk, with a particular affection for The Dubliners. Who knows what might have happened if MacGowan had remained in rural Ireland but, in 1964, the family relocated to England. It was from this point onwards that Shane began to experience a sense of cultural dislocation. In contrast to his idyllic early childhood, living in London brought problems. Both his parents and his sister Siobhan have admitted that they found it difficult to adjust to mainstream English life and were left feeling unhappy and lonely. Shane found the transition particularly traumatic. "We moved all the time, I never settled down. In my head it was a complete scramble. Completely confused. I didn't know what I was doing there." MacGowan's maladjustment was remarkably similar to the testimonies of Morrissey, Lydon and Rowland, who also seemed trapped between two cultures. In Shane's case, the rift was greater as he had spent his infancy and early childhood in Ireland. An avid reader, he enjoyed Irish literature and subsequently won a scholarship to Westminster School. This largely undocumented part of his life provokes more questions than answers. It is almost inconceivable to imagine MacGowan at one of Britain's most famous and expensive public schools let alone imagine the effect it must have had on his psyche. Did he once speak like Prince Charles? If not, how did he survive the ribbing from teachers and pupils? Was he bullied? Could he still relate to people on his street after spending all day surrounded by toffs? As the questions multiply, the vision of Shane at Westminster becomes even more incredible and disconcerting. "My accent changed," MacGowan admits. "There were a few others like me at Westminster. They let in a bit of rough now and then. I'd already had one huge culture shock coming over here, so I was getting used to culture shock. There were huge anti-Irish feelings at the time." According to MacGowan, he was expelled from this privileged bastion of the British establishment for various drugs dalliances. "The first drugs I took were at Westminster," he stresses. At 17, he was hospitalised in order to kick valium and clean up. It was a horrific experience that left a lasting impression. Thereafter, he drifted into various jobs, a lost soul in Soho. Already his life story was a tale of extraordinary extremes - a rural child relocated to the big city; an Irish working-class boy at a top British public school; a potential Oxbridge scholar whose specialist subject was drink and drugs. Trapped between so many conflicting roles and warring identities, it's doubtful if MacGowan knew who he was during adolescence. By 1976, however, MacGowan had become a minor celebrity on the London punk scene. Although he had yet to form a group, his speed-fuelled audience antics were often more memorable than the performances he witnessed. It now seems incongruous to imagine the Republican Shane swanning around in a Union Jack suit but in wearing the uniform of the oppressor he was simultaneously shaming their flag. In his new role as Shane O'Hooligan he summed up the cultural contradictions of an uprooted Irish sensibility transplanted into a harsh London setting. Significantly, it was the anarchic chaos of punk which provided him with an outlet for his creative energies and it was another Anglo-Irish icon, Johnny Rotten, that most attracted his attention. In the grand DIY punk tradition, MacGowan went on to form his own group, The Nipple Erectors, later The Nips. When they split, he went back to pick-up jobs between periods on the dole and drank more than ever. He might have been forgotten as a footnote in the history of British punk but for his determination to pursue the Irish music that had characterised his childhood. After playing a provocative repertoire of rebel songs in London pubs, Pogue Mahone emerged in 1983. The following year they shortened their name to The Pogues after the BBC realised that their original title was Irish for "kiss my arse". Initially, the group was greeted with suspicion in Ireland, particularly among the more conservative members of the folk community. For the London-Irish, however, they represented a perfect fusion of old and new values - the longing for a lost Ireland combined with a punkish celebration of the present. In short, The Pogues were great craic and their live performances were among the most exciting spectacles of the period. More important still was the revelation of Shane MacGowan as a songwriter of intelligence and distinction. Soon, he was receiving accolades from celebrated balladeers, including Christy Moore and Ronnie Drew, both of whom recorded his material and performed with him. While the music press regaled their readership with lurid tales of Shane's excesses, a solid and exemplary body of work was emerging. MacGowan translated traditional Irish folk for a new generation and revitalised the form in the process. Some of his most powerful songs have dealt with the plight of the Irish immigrant - the doomed rent boy in The Old Main Drag, the down and out fantasist in Fairytale Of New York and the chilling fate of the legally abused in Birmingham Six. MacGowan's own lifestyle has sometimes echoed that of his heroes and distracted from his considerable achievements. After five albums with The Pogues, his enduring hedonism finally prompted a parting of the ways in 1991. Thereafter, he was seen as a prime candidate for rock 'n' roll's next casualty. Many of his live shows with new backing group, The Popes, seemed shambolic but visit any Fleadh and the chances are MacGowan will still receive the biggest ovation of the day. Hardline critics maintain that his best work is past - ignoring some of the great compositions that followed his departure from The Pogues such as The Song With No Name, Aisling and That Woman's Got Me Drinking. As long as he continues to write and record, a high proportion of MacGowan classics lie waiting. Whereas his contemporaneous Anglo-Irish singer-songwriters drew from the well of their Irish heritage, Shane MacGowan has used his country's traditional music as the very lifeblood of his art. The Popes The Popes are the greatest mix of foot stompin', folk rockin', head boppin' Irish rock you will hear this side of Dublin, "Sounding like the Pogues beating The Dubliners to death with a carjack" (Donal O'Sharpe). Shane MacGowan formed The Popes to record his album 'The Snake' in 1994 after leaving The Pogues. From that original line up are Paul (Mad Dog) McGuinness, on vocals and guitars (Paul originally played with The Pogues, his first performance being live on the David Letterman show, plucked from the technical team at a moments notice!) and Tom MacAnimal on Banjo (from London Irish band 'The Storm'). They first toured with Shane playing his new solo material as well as his songs from his time with The Pogues. The Popes line up was completed with Bob Dowling (originally from Kildare, but playing with anyone who was anyone in London) on bass and most recently Andy Ireland on drums, who joined for the 'Crock Of Gold' (Shane MacGowans' album recorded 1997 with The Popes) tour last year. Most recent addition is Andy Nolan (Macmanus's Elvis Costello's brothers band) on accordian. Andy also plays with ex-Pogue Spider Stacey's band. PICK OF THE DAY: Shane MacGowan FIONA SHEPHERD IT HAS become customary to open any appreciation of Shane MacGowan by expressing surprise that frenetic folk rock’s most tottery, gin-soaked personality is somehow able to cheat death and continue to perform (with the occasional need for someone to take his arm and lead him to the microphone), while his healthier compadres meet their maker in sudden and unexpected ways - Kirsty MacColl in a swimming accident a couple of years ago and the Clash’s Joe Strummer from a heart attack after walking his dog only a few weeks ago. Considering MacGowan’s seemingly iron constitution in the face of multiple alcoholic and narcotic abuses, there is additional incentive to celebrate the life of the former Pogues vocalist with the toothless smile - the fact that, along with George Best, he still has a life against the odds. And that is what documentary film If I Should Fall From Grace (which almost shares the title of a Pogues album) is set to do as it premieres on St Patrick’s Day. Director Sarah Share spent eight months following MacGowan around - or rather, waiting for him to get up and then filming what she could, along with interviews with members of his family, his former bandmates, musical associates such as Nick Cave and his partner Victoria Clarke, for whom the description "long-suffering" was invented. Despite, or because of, his unpredictable nature and survival skills, MacGowan is held in great affection by his fans. Provided he has a glass of some broadly alcoholic substance to hand, Shane is an obliging performer, and the Popes a right rollicking band. Shane MacGowan and the Popes, Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, tonight, tel: 0141-353 8000. www.scotsman.com Live Reviews: Shane MacGowan & The Popes FIONA SHEPHERD Shane MacGowan & The Popes ** Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow UNSURPRISINGLY, he kept us hanging on. It was almost midnight before MacGowan shuffled onstage. According to his film biographer Sarah Share, that’s about his usual time for rising. To the fans, it was just the accepted ritual - they drank, they waited, they indulged in terrace-style chants, they drank some more. All that mattered was that he bothered to turn up. The quality of the performance - and it was generally poor - was an afterthought for much of the crowd; partying to some rousing Celt rock stodge, punching the air and knowing that their incomprehensible MC Shane MacGowan was alive and well as could be expected was satisfaction enough. MacGowan himself was fairly sprightly - not in body (he was seated for much of the gig), but in spirit and sometimes in voice. However, the basic guitar/bass/drums line-up of The Popes did no favours to the spry folkier numbers. Dirty Old Town retained some poignancy and Fairytale of New York a certain verity, but these were by no means quality renditions of the highlights of MacGowan’s repertoire. www.scotsman.com FANS' REVIEWS Shane arrived on stage around 11.50 ,and left 1 hr and 15 mins later having played 21 songs (4 where as on "Encore" - including the opening song "If I Should ...." which he dedicated to PETE TOWNSEND !! The "Encore" included Fairytale of NY that he duetted with a female called Erin (If my memory serves me right this was the girl from the reunion gigs.) Shane was in top form , resting on a stool for half the gig and standing / dancing for the other half. He wore his usual suit , had a white scarf throughout and started with sunglasses.He looked and acted fine but Christ is he getting fat (kinda the way Elvis went). The major disappointment was the rest of the band - only drums , Paul on guitar and Bob on bass (The band BADLY need to get back to their original music arrangement with a banjo , accordion , fiddle & tin flute.) Managed to speak to him later in a Hotel and he told me he was "in the recording studio at the moment" and that "hopefully later this year , a new album will be released" I managed to record the first 40 mins (12 songs) on video.If anyone is interested in a copy , please contact me directly. Scott. alt.music.pogues I was at the Glasgow gig as well. I thought Shane didn't look too bad physically compared to some recent pictures of him I've seen (he was even clean shaven - that must be a rarity!) He looked totally wasted from the moment he staggered on stage, though. No surprise there, I guess. Personally I was just relieved he made it to the gig. Last year he apparently missed three planes before they managed to get him to the Glasgow gig. His voice was pretty off at the start, but seemed to improve after the first couple of songs, from when they did The Auld Triangle. Seemed like about 80 per cent of the material was old Pogues classics. Not that anyone there was complaining - you could tell that was why the vast majority of people were there. Off the top of my head, the Pogues era stuff they did was: Auld Triangle, Greenland Whale Fisheries, Poor Paddy, Streams of Whiskey, Sally MacLennane, Dirty Old Town, IISFGWG and Fairytale of New York. Great gig, though. Good atmosphere too. Not surprisingly they sold out of Guinness before the support band had even finished. When will these bar staff learn! Chris. alt.music.pogues well, i was there and it was shit. complete fucking waste of money. shane looked terrible, mcguiness is atotal wanker and the other two looked like they,d rather be somewhere else..don't bother coming back unless it's with the pogues, shane. davey. popes' message board ...Sadly no sign of Tommy at the gig, and as seems the usual these days the band are down to a three piece with no trad instruments in sight. The gig was a late one for Glasgow, Shane didn’t come on until around 12, “rumours” were he was having trouble getting plane from Dublin, but what’s seeing Shane without a delay anyway?. Came on stage dressed in trade mark suit with a white silk (?) scarf round him, the hairs looking longer and he’s looking a bit heavier but generally good. Starts with Fall From Grrace… dedicating it to Pete Townsend, from about here on in he had the crowd going and in his hands, seemed in great form dancing in swinging the mic from his seat. The set list wasn’t to different to what ive seen on the Snapper site, a while back, with the exception of Holloway and Fairytale, and I am sure the tune I didn’t know must have been the song with Dublin in the title (?). Paul and Bob done great jobs on bass and guitar, there was allot to fill in for especially on Fairytale, the trad instruments should be there though, the sound was allot better than I expected it to be. The place was mobbed, sure it sold out, and after last years shit, it deserved to, id say it was for me was up there with The Pogues, though the songs are needing the old arrangements, but Shane was on top form declaring “old blue eyes ” is back after Holloway, god bless al ye, peace an love, PRS. www.shanemacgowan.de guestbook 13.01.2003 Follow the link for information about If I Should Fall from Grace, a new documentary film about Shane MacGowan that will premiere on March 17. The guestbook finally stood me in good stead :)) Thinking about my very own forum... 08.01.2003 Well, boys and girls... Everything (and everybody) has its end and holidays has happily come to the innevitable final. Hurray to all survivors!!! Ingrid drops a hint (at shanemacgowan.de guestbook) about Wurzburg Film Festival : "Jan. 23rd - 26th. They will show the cinema version of "Fall From Grace" directed by Sarah Share either on Friday the 24th or Saturday the 25th, prime time. Sarah Share will also be there. I am just trying to get hold of Shane to convince him to come over because the organisator would really like to have him for the premiere." And asks Jurgen to put the festival information on his website. Hope, she won't take offence if I do it too. So International FilmFest Wurzburg - the official site of the festival The Shane MacGowan Story - a couple of words about the film Capturing the whirling life of Shane MacGowan |
| Pogues fall a little short The Pogues, in Marley Park, did not quite deliver although Shane MacGowan was in sparkling form 11/06/2002 |
| Shane MacGowan Shane lived up to expectations. But what’s truly remarkable is not that he succeeded in entertaining the crowd, but rather that he lived through the night. Luther’s Blues, Madison, May 18, 2002. |
| The only bone I have never broken is my neck Shane MacGowan is lying on his back in a hospital bed, fast asleep, his mouth open. It's the last place you'd expect to find a rock 'n' roll legend... even one with such a colourful past as MacGowan. 18/08/2002 |
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| Sebastian sets out to show that artists still have a cross to bear Singer/songwriter Shane McGowan opened the show ... 16/01/2003 |
| Dealing with His Leprechauns Poet. Entertainer. Pub philosopher. Drunk. These are all the full-time professions of the enigmatic Irish singer / songwriter Shane MacGowan. Although not necessarily in that order. Interview with Shane MacGowan 04/03/2003 |
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