[Music] Shane Macgowan RIP

[Bodian]

Rum, Sodomy & The Lash - one of my favourite ever albums. I shall be playing it loudly this afternoon.

 

[WATFORD zero]

A life well lived. RIP Shane

 

[Happy Exile]

One of my favourite songs of all time, but one he himself didn't like that much. It was pulled out of a bin of discarded lyrics and notation by Nick Cave after a night of drinking, who liking the lyrics insisted it was recorded. A fantastic lyricist and storyteller, I wonder what other gems he threw away?

 

[Blue3]

RIP a very English Irishman a rebel who stayed true to his art I think he was quite fortunate to reach the age he did

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Man I love that song so much. I am a bit bah humbug but it's brilliant.

RIP

All of this.

RIP, Shane.

 

[schmunk]

Know exactly what Christmas number 1 will be. Brilliant song.

Probably "SausageRoll of New York"...

 

[boik]

RIP to a true great.

Also holds the unusual (not unique though - hello Mark E Smith) accolade of being both one of the best AND one of the worst live performers I've ever seen

Only saw the Pogues twice. Both times were complete chaos with the occasionl outburst of decent music.

 

[The Grockle]

My friend met him in a pub in Sutton about 15 years ago and spent the evening with him and his friends. She shared some incredible photos on Facebook as the night unfolded!

Apparently he was given 6 months to live in the early nineties during a dark time in his life so quite some innings considering

RIP

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Know exactly what Christmas number 1 will be. Brilliant song.

Magnificent.

Who'd ever have thought that he'd outlast Kirsty by two decades. RIP both, and thanks for the music.

 

[Trufflehound]

Only saw the Pogues twice. Both times were complete chaos with the occasionl outburst of decent music.

The second of three times that I saw them was at the Brixton Academy on St Patrick's Day 1987. Somehow on that day all the stars briefly aligned: just the right amount of Guinness in the crowd for us to be up for it and adoring; just the right amount of whisk(e)y in Shane for him to be able to remember the lyrics and sing them properly; and the band in just the right frame of mind to play brilliantly throughout...

One for the ages.

The other two times that I saw them: dismal, a complete mess

 

[Bodian]

Magnificent.

Who'd ever have thought that he'd outlast Kirsty by two decades. RIP both, and thanks for the music.

Not sure anyone would have expected that - but then no-one would expect Kirsty MacColl to die the way she did.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

RIP, really sad (not unexpected) news.

As @Trufflehound says above, he was sometimes mesmerisingly brilliant, especially in the early days, and occasionally chaotically awful live, but my memories of The Pogues will be cherished.

I challenge anyone not to tear up when listening to this:

 

[The Grockle]

My friend met him in a pub in Sutton about 15 years ago and spent the evening with him and his friends. She shared some incredible photos on Facebook as the night unfolded!

Apparently he was given 6 months to live in the early nineties during a dark time in his life so quite some innings considering

RIP

 

[sydney]

ahhh feck...!! seems like one pops off every day... RIP big man slainthe

 

[A1X]

Know exactly what Christmas number 1 will be. Brilliant song.

Never been to the summit yet amazingly, has to be the year

 

[Peteinblack]

Awesome work that man.

RIP

One of my favourite songs ever.

 

[The Hermit Kingdom]

The bane of Christmas shop workers everywhere.

R,S and T L a peerless classic album. Lucky enough to see them live at the Brixton Academy way back. A music legend with a lifestyle that in some ways transcended addiction in terms of hygiene and stuff, his lack of caring for his appearance, publicly picking his nose and then smearing bogies on anything close to hand, his dental stuff etc. I’ve known and know addicts and alcoholics, and none have gone down that road, I guess it was his ‘don’t give a f***’ outlook in many ways. Either way, an utterly unique individual/tour de force. RIP.

 

[Stato]

I thought this might be coming with the recent stories of him coming out of hospital. He was an addict and his addiction swallowed his gift, but for a period it also fuelled it. Of course he's remembered every year for the Christmas hit, but if you don't know the rest of his work, you're losing out. For me he wrote poetry like no other songwriter of his generation. He was steeped in history and lived in the places he wrote about. He could paint you a sparkling diamond in a sewer like nobody else. Sure, like Peter Cook they'll be chin stroking tributes written that ask what he could have done without the addiction, but that is a moot point and should never overshadow the gifts that he has left us with.

Here's to you Shane. Will you stick ya head back out and shout we'll have another round?



"Fare the well, gone away, there's nothing left to say
With a slainte Joe and Erin go."

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Not sure anyone would have expected that - but then no-one would expect Kirsty MacColl to die the way she did.

Indeed. That wasn’t really what I meant though. More that, at the time she died, in 2000, nobody would have foreseen Shane clocking up another 20+ years.

 

[Stato]

Awesome work that man.

RIP

Fantastic song, but though he sings it, it's not one of Shane's. Philip Chevron, who sadly went ten years ago.