This past week, one of the most popular vocalists of the punk-rock era passed away. Even if you weren't a fan of The Pogues, you damned well knew about Shane MacGowan. He was a hero and an anti-hero at the same time. He took The Pogues to international acclaim with his common-man songs that he wrote or co-wrote, along with choice traditional Irish, Celtic, and British Isles folks songs. The band panned away from distorted electric guitars and chose traditional acoustic instruments from Ireland, including accordion, tinwhistle, and four-string banjo. Yet, the sound was heavy, due to the attitude that MacGowan gave with his growling voice as well as what he motivated from his bandmates.
MacGowan formed The Pogues in 1982 after performing in a few punk bands, getting lessons on a traditional Irish music sound from his family members. The Pogues was known for its intense and powerful live shows, motivating fans to pay attention to the folk songs of old and the messages that they conveyed. MacGowan was known physically for his underweight figure, large ears, and extremely poor dental work. Yet he was like a demigod on stage, and his followers would not only pay attention to his vocals, but would sing along with choruses like the fans at a rugby or soccer match.
MacGowan also kept his Irish ancestry up to its fullest, especially when it came to alcohol. More times than not, he would appear on stage completely inebriated, and he gave George Jones a run for his money by not showing up to the gig or being too drunk to perform. It became so bad that he was actually kicked out of his own band in 1991 and The Clash's Joe Strummer was asked to take over vocals for a time. His reaction was to form another band called Shane MacGowan and The Popes. He would re-join The Pogues in 2001 and perform with the band until 2014.
MacGowan's addiction was not limited to the drink. He became a heroin addict, and only reformed with the help of Sinead O'Connor, who had him arrested so that he would admit to a judge that he had a problem and sought help. While he was able to kick those habits, injuries from a fall in 2015 had him in a wheelchair for most of his last years. He passed away from pneumonia on November 30 at the age of 65.
MacGowan and The Pogues had a number of songs that, while never hitting big in the US, they became sing-along anthems among the punk and alternative music fans for years. Cover such as Ewan MacColl's "Dirty Old Town," Eric Bogle's "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda," and the traditional "Jesse James" brought out with a harsh attack gave them new life. MacGowan also penned a number of memorable tunes, including "The Old Main Drag," "Lullaby of London," and "If I Should Fall From Grace with God." However, what makes it so sad that he has passed away at this time is that his most memorable composition will be now heard on many radio stations for Christmas. "Fairytale of New York" was co-written with bandmate Jen Finer in 1988, and talks of a drunk sitting in a jail cell and thinking about Christmas with his sometime-love, which is sung as a duet with the late Kirsty MacColl. It is also ironic that MacGowan was born on December 25th.
Indie music fans of my age will always hold Shane MacGowan in our hearts, not only for his songs, but for his devil-may-car attitude that kept him going even in the worst of times. We all hope that he is having a pint of Guinness up there in Heaven.
Chew on it and comment.
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