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Been in ill health for a while, thought getting released from hospital might have been a good sign, but sadly passed away today.
Aww shit 🙁
I'm absolutely gobsmacked he made it to 65. He must have been pickled.
I was only playing Rum, Sodomy and the Lash a couple of weeks back to someone who'd never heard it before, to introduce them to the lyrical genius of Shane MacGowan
It doesn't get much better than this and maybe an appropriate tune for today
Sad to say I must be on my way
So buy me beer and whiskey 'cause I'm going far away
That's the Christmas No.1 sorted then.
Sorry to hear that. My brother saw them play live back in the 80s, said MacGowan was so pissed he could barely stand but still put on a great show.
The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn. Back in the mid eightees me and my mates used to follow them around Europe and the UK.
Playing pool with Spider Stacey was memorable. Shane was a bit more aloof/drunk.
There's been a few deaths in the last 24 hours, Dean Sullivan (Jimmy Corkhill from Brooky) and Kissinger both gone as well, Shane was looking a different guy last few years, but life took its toll on him sadly, as he really looked like he was content in life.
I saw them at Manchester Apollo at Christmas 1988 when Fairytale of New York was out. Kirsty MacColl was on stage with them. An absolutely magical show that I'll never forget.
Shane was so pissed that the mic stand that he was using to hold himself up kept collapsing, dumping him on the floor.
A bit lost for words here. One of the greatest songwriters ever.
I’m absolutely gobsmacked he made it to 65.
I said exactly the same thing when I saw the Obit in the Guardian just now.
Sad but not surprised. I feel lucky to have seen them live twice at Brixton academy. Brilliant lyricist, such a shame most people only know him for a Christmas song.
Very , very sad was a big fan bitd and saw them loads, first gig I ever went to just after Red Roses for Me came out, Pogues, MtCH and Billy Bragg at the Mean Fiddler.
I saw them at Reading Festival in 89. I don't know who was more pissed, me or him?
I saw them at Reading Festival in 89. I don’t know who was more pissed, me or him?
If you can actually recall seeing them at Reading in 1989, I would assume he was more pissed than you were.
Brilliant lyricist, such a shame most people only know him for a Christmas song.
Yeah, but what a Xmas song. This gets me every time:
I could have been someone
Well so could anyone
You took my dreams from me
When I first found you
I kept them with me babe
I put them with my own
Can't make it all alone
I've built my dreams around you
Christmas gig at barrowlands 1985, undoubtedly the best gig I've been at, Shane slugging from a bottle of vodka, alternating vocals with spider and Cait, Sick bed of Cuchulain, magic!
Rip
Grim reaper has been busy today: ex labour chancellor Alistair Darling too.
Poor Shane has been on the top 50 Deathlist for years and years. Always loved his stated profession
https://deathlist.net/lists/2023
Getting close to a record year
RIP.
Saw the Pogues live in Glasgow. Great show. Good tunes.
And the best Christmas song ever.
I remember landing in Cork with a couple of mates for a bit of touring, but mostly drinking, we sat in pub not long after landing and picked up local events free paper, and that night Shane McGowan and the Popes playing, I don't think i have seen so many drunk people in one room, but the atmosphere was amazing, he had to he helped on stage, was drinking what looked like pints of Cinzano, and the band had to speed up or slow down as he was all over the place, but great songs and the irish worshipped him.
And still the only xmas song i can stomach hearing on repeat at this time of they year.
gallowayboy
Full Member
Christmas gig at barrowlands 1985, undoubtedly the best gig I’ve been at, Shane slugging from a bottle of vodka, alternating vocals with spider and Cait, Sick bed of Cuchulain, magic!
I can only imagine... that must have been spectacular!
I don't think I became aware of the pogues till around 1989 hearing them on my big cousins record player. I went straight to town and bought If I should fall on cassette, the first music I ever bought. Played that tape to death and memorised every word.
Shane sang of a world completely alien to me in the West Highlands, but it resonated incredibly strongly.
His ability to conjure an image with words was matched by very few. Too bad the drunken paddy who got lucky with a Christmas one hit wonder image is how he'll be remembered by many.
RIP.
Very sad news. I turned on the car radio and this was the first Christmas song I have heard to kick start Christmas.
Sad news, one of the best Christmas songs ever.
He does fulfil the correlation between cosmetic age and lifespan though.
Absolutely gutted. Two of my favourite lyricists dead this year, Sinead and Shane. Saw the Pogues several times late 80s early 90s iincuding the duets with Kirsty. Great times.
I hope this wake is as good as the one he wrote in Body of an American
I saw them playing a student union Christmas Party in Glasgow in the early 80s - as long as Shane could stand, the band played on - it got pretty messy near the end. I spent my student summers working on sailing boats - I only have to hear Irish Rover to take me back.
Listen to all the versions of 'Dirty Old Town' and Shane's stands out a mile. RIP
One of a kind.
Big part of my soundtrack
RIP
Never saw them live sadly. I did see him at Heathrow many years ago, waiting for the same flight to Dublin as me. It was 7am, and he was knocking back double vodkas (plural) 😂
was drinking what looked like pints of Cinzano
I'd say it was likely pints of Martini Rosso - that was certainly his drink of choice the one time I saw him in the flesh. He was propping up the bar in the Boogaloo in Highgate, must have been early 2000's, I believe he was living above the pub at the time.
Sad but not surprised. I feel lucky to have seen them live twice at Brixton academy. Brilliant lyricist, such a shame most people only know him for a Christmas song.
I've been ruminating about this all day. Happy memories of belting out Sally MacLennane with my kids beside me at Brixton.
Just got home and I've got Rum Sodomy and the Lash on full blast and a tear in my eye. Musicians pass all the time and generally I'm fairly sanguine about it, even if I liked their music. I rarely open the RIP threads on here. So it's really taken me by surprise how much this has affected me. I'm a grumpy old git not much given to showing emotion over music.
Shane's lyrics and performances have the unique capacity to make me laugh and cry on repeat. A sad loss.
So drunk to hell I left the place
Sometimes crawling sometimes walking
A hungry sound came across the breeze
So I gave the walls a talking
And I heard the sounds of long ago
From the old canal
And the birds were whistling in the trees
Where the wind was gently laughing
Great song. Saw them just the once, Leeds uni, must've been early 80s. Lively gig. I think I must've lost a shoe or something as I remember we hung about as the crowd dissipated and the floor was covered with dozens and dozens of shoes...
I saw them at Manchester Apollo at Christmas 1988
Think we saw them same year- Birmingham NEC, absolute carnage. Shane has the track list taped to the front of the stage with a bottle of vodka either side. Also had Kirsty Mc (and I think) The Specials for a couple of tracks. Memories have faded a bit.
One of my favourites, when we got into Levellers in early 1990 we went back and belatedly got massively into the Pogues. Only managed to see them once at the old Hummingbird in Brum. Amazing night.
As many have already said, without a doubt one of the greatest songwriters there has ever been. I saw the Pogues many times, always a lively night out. That said the best I ever saw them was without Shane, when they did a tour with Joe Strummer on lead vocals.
I was trying to think of my favourite song of his, but looking back there were so, so many. But one that stands out is a hauntingly beautiful song called The Dunes that Shane wrote, but Ronnie Drew (Dubliners) sang about the Famine. It's on YouTube, I'll be watching later.
And as a wee tribute, and with it also being St Andrew's Day, I'll be drinking both whiskey and whisky tonight.
Sad, sad news, as above, he must have been superhuman to make it this far. Only saw them once, he was pissed as a fart and only did half a set.
We know that we'll be seeing him again...
@sc-xc. I was at that hummingbird gig! Great venue, proper sticky floor n all! Saw so many bands there - Sugercubes, Poppies, Napalm Death!
was a golden age for gigs - plenty of good bands and for cheap too
Never saw him live which is a real shame, right up there with my favourite songwriters....
Rum Sodomy & the Lash…Got it on full chat for the 2nd time…it’s in my top 5 of all time albums. Seen them play in Battersea park in July 85 (free festival put on by the GLC), lost most of my money out of my pocket’s in the melee at the front. Today is a sad day.
@winston it's sadly missed. Amazing the bands that used to come through the local haunts - saw loads from the Chili Peppers (Positive Mental Octopus tour?) to Janes, Poppies, the Army...can't even remember. JB's was my local which spoilt us, and for pure nostalgia's sake I'm off to the Civic next week for Levellers & Neds 😎
“His words have connected Irish people all over the globe to their culture and history, encompassing so many human emotions in the most poetic of ways.”
President Michael D. Higgins.
I am sure he has probably done or said things that aren't stellar, but every time I read something this guy has said to summarise the national mood, he knocks it out the park. Exactly what you want from a ceremonial head of state.
@sc-xc yep loads of greats - and to my eternal regret I sold my ticket to the Nirvana gig at the Hummingbird to buy a crate of beer for a party that weekend!!!!!!!! They were pretty small then and despite my housemate telling me otherwise, I assumed they would be another crappy grunge band like the last three I'd seen.......IDIOT
Saw the Levellers a couple of times recently and they still rock but it ain't the same old anarchy!
^ agreed about TWS, missing the Love from Stourbridge gigs this time of year.
Anyway, from me and the dog, here's to you Shane, and thanks for the music.
Seen them play in Battersea park in July 85 (free festival put on by the GLC), lost most of my money out of my pocket’s in the melee at the front.
Was at that too, The mekons and the three johns were the other highlights iirc.
Saw The Pogues twice, NEC '88 where he pulled half of the set down. Then again at Wolverhampton Civic Hall for the Hells Kitchen tour, where he had a huge fan in front of him, did one song, then took a break/fix.
It was an amazing evening.
RIP big fella
Some nice memories shared here. Woke up with a hangover after a night listening to The Pogues and drinkling whiskey. RIP Shane.
Saw him in Newcastle Riverside in late 90s, with the Popes. it was a Sunday night, and he didn't come on until the bar had closed, maybe 11pm. first 4 or 5 songs, to just clung onto the mic, didn't sing a word, then slowly got into it. One of the best, most chaotic gigs I've ever seen.
Memories of jukeboxes around Newcastle playing songs from their first two albums on Christmas eve and NYE, when I was a very underage drinker.
He was a true poet, and he'll be dearly missed in my household.
I'm also surprised he made retirement age. He led a life of excess and looked haggered 20 years ago.
I was told of his passing by my wife as the Fairytale of New York was playing, probably my favourite Christmas 'pop' song.
RIP Shane.
That reminds me that I've not ridden the Black route at Glentress in a few years, maybe do this over the Christmas period.
Not sure why it was named after Shane.
If you havent checked out Keifer Sutherland being interveiwed about the first time he met Shane then Google it. Very heartwarming short story.