Yeah, Hell's Ditch is underrated. I think "House of the Gods" and "Sayonara" are top-notch and "Lorca's Novena" right behind them.
RIP Shane MacGowan
- Thread starter Rudy Vey
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Call it Irish, Celtic or Paddy folk-punk, it's been a favorite music genre of mine for more than 30 years, all thanks to The Pogues. I must have 150 CDs & downloads from Irish punk bands as far away as Norway, Germany, Japan and Australia. By the mid 90s, there were at least 2 internet forums solely devoted to it. With the internet, CDs or downloads from many Celtic punk bands around the world were easy to obtain, and forum posts alerted other members to local bands playing in Irish bars, like The Skels in NJ (great band). The forums died out by the late 00s, and most bands are defunct. The only Celtic punk band still active that I know of are The Dreadnoughts in Vancouver. The lead singer, who fronted the defunct Celtic punk band Siobhan, has started an East Coast Dreadnoughts group, as he now divides his time between coasts. I heard that their recent gig in Conn. was quite the show, as the bar owner told them drinks were on the house all night. Keep an eye out if you're in the NYC area and into that craziness.
I subscribe to Nick Cave’s The Red Hand Files, where he replies to letters he receives. I thought I might paste the post from today, which is about Shane….
As we all mourn Shane, would you share your memories of his 60th birthday in Dublin or otherwise.
TOBY, RICHMOND, UK
Shane and Sinéad both in one year. Just such a loss. Nothing else to say.
WILLIAM, GALWAY, IRELAND
Dear Toby and William,
I remember standing side of stage at the concert in Dublin for Shane’s 60th birthday, and feeling kind of agitated and nervous about performing. I was surrounded by all of these artists doing beautiful versions of Shane’s songs and, I don’t know, I guess I was also feeling a bit out of sorts that evening. I saw Sinéad O’Connor standing slightly separate from everyone else, half hidden by the curtain, gazing at the floor, looking fierce and intense. I didn’t really know Sinéad, I’d met her a few times here and there, and maybe chatted briefly with her, but I had always liked her uniqueness, her raging spirit, her disagreeableness, her beautifulness and, of course, her celestial voice. Sinéad looked up and caught my eye, smiled, and walked over and hugged me. I’m not sure why, but I was terribly moved by her gesture. She was so warm and giving and kind in that moment. I was unaware quite how precious a moment it would turn out to be. Before I could say anything to her, I was being ushered on to the stage to sing Shane’s song, ‘Summer in Siam’, with him. I think it was the penultimate song of the show, and it would be the first time that evening that Shane himself would take to the stage to perform. I walked on and sang these most simple and poignant words –
When it's summer in Siam
And the moon is full of rainbows
When it's summer in Siam
Though we go through many changes
When it's summer in Siam
Then all I really know is that I truly am
In the summer in Siam
Shane’s wife, Victoria, then pushed Shane on in a wheelchair and, well, I know I should be talking about the pure unbridled genius of Shane MacGowan and how he was the greatest songwriter of his generation, with the most terrifyingly beautiful of voices — all of which is true — but what struck me at that moment was the extraordinary display of love for this man, so powerful and deep, that poured forth from the audience. It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced, and in that instant it brought to mind the short poem by Raymond Carver —
And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth.
Shane was not revered just for his manifold talents but also loved for himself alone. A beautiful and damaged man, who embodied a kind of purity and innocence and generosity and spiritual intelligence unlike any other.
Sinéad once said of Shane, ‘He is an angel. An actual angel’. Whether or not this is the case, who’s to say? But Shane was blessed with an uncommon spirit of goodness and a deep sense of what is true, which was strangely amplified in his brokenness, his humanness. We can say of him most certainly, ‘he was beloved on the earth,’ and Sinéad too — truly beloved and greatly missed, both.
Love, Nick
As we all mourn Shane, would you share your memories of his 60th birthday in Dublin or otherwise.
TOBY, RICHMOND, UK
Shane and Sinéad both in one year. Just such a loss. Nothing else to say.
WILLIAM, GALWAY, IRELAND
Dear Toby and William,
I remember standing side of stage at the concert in Dublin for Shane’s 60th birthday, and feeling kind of agitated and nervous about performing. I was surrounded by all of these artists doing beautiful versions of Shane’s songs and, I don’t know, I guess I was also feeling a bit out of sorts that evening. I saw Sinéad O’Connor standing slightly separate from everyone else, half hidden by the curtain, gazing at the floor, looking fierce and intense. I didn’t really know Sinéad, I’d met her a few times here and there, and maybe chatted briefly with her, but I had always liked her uniqueness, her raging spirit, her disagreeableness, her beautifulness and, of course, her celestial voice. Sinéad looked up and caught my eye, smiled, and walked over and hugged me. I’m not sure why, but I was terribly moved by her gesture. She was so warm and giving and kind in that moment. I was unaware quite how precious a moment it would turn out to be. Before I could say anything to her, I was being ushered on to the stage to sing Shane’s song, ‘Summer in Siam’, with him. I think it was the penultimate song of the show, and it would be the first time that evening that Shane himself would take to the stage to perform. I walked on and sang these most simple and poignant words –
When it's summer in Siam
And the moon is full of rainbows
When it's summer in Siam
Though we go through many changes
When it's summer in Siam
Then all I really know is that I truly am
In the summer in Siam
Shane’s wife, Victoria, then pushed Shane on in a wheelchair and, well, I know I should be talking about the pure unbridled genius of Shane MacGowan and how he was the greatest songwriter of his generation, with the most terrifyingly beautiful of voices — all of which is true — but what struck me at that moment was the extraordinary display of love for this man, so powerful and deep, that poured forth from the audience. It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced, and in that instant it brought to mind the short poem by Raymond Carver —
And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth.
Shane was not revered just for his manifold talents but also loved for himself alone. A beautiful and damaged man, who embodied a kind of purity and innocence and generosity and spiritual intelligence unlike any other.
Sinéad once said of Shane, ‘He is an angel. An actual angel’. Whether or not this is the case, who’s to say? But Shane was blessed with an uncommon spirit of goodness and a deep sense of what is true, which was strangely amplified in his brokenness, his humanness. We can say of him most certainly, ‘he was beloved on the earth,’ and Sinéad too — truly beloved and greatly missed, both.
Love, Nick
Always loved Sally MacLennane
Amen. The Stones Charlie Watts is living proof that the good die young when it comes to Rock and Roll.
Oh, wait. Keith Moon proves that drummers deserve to die young. (Maybe I'm only still living because my drums are in me barn loft!)
It's always sad when these stars of our youth are called to their Reward. I'm still having a really hard time with Gordon Lightfoot's death. Otherworldly talent.
So perfectly, profoundly stated.
I am an artist by nature that turned my back on it to choose a different route to make my daily bread. Most definitely a mistake.
Artists are mostly freaks, but nearly all of them I have ever known had the purest of hearts. The types that buy you a house and then gladly live on the street.
Thanks for weighing in, njpaddy. It was you I was thinkig of when I wrote <I am sure others on B&B more familiar with Irish punk than I am can correct me> I am not worthy!
Dropkick Murphys not still going? I've seen them support The Pogues quite a few times at Brixton Academy, and seemed pretty punk to me...
---
For any of yous in the US (particularly the south)... I believe Cait O'Riordan and Spider Stacey both now live in New Orleans, and occasionally put together a band and do some gigs of Pogues songs. I'd be half tempted to fly over from the UK just to hear Cait singing I'm a Man You Don't Meet Every Day again.
I’m not going to say I was that much of a Pogues fan, but they were OK and some mates dragged me along to a particularly riotous gig of theirs in Manchester in the mid 80s. It’s a traditional song, not an original, but I always thought their take on Greenland Whale Fisheries was excellent.
This was posted yesterday by Bruce Springsteen on his website. I think what he says at the end is absolutely right….
Over here on E Street, we are heartbroken over the death of Shane MacGowan. Shane was one of my all-time favorite writers. The passion and deep intensity of his music and lyrics is unmatched by all but the very best in the rock and roll canon. I was fortunate to spend a little time with Shane and his lovely wife Victoria the last time we were in Dublin. He was very ill, but still beautifully present in his heart and spirit. His music is timeless and eternal. I don’t know about the rest of us, but they’ll be singing Shane’s songs 100 years from now.
Bruce Springsteen
Over here on E Street, we are heartbroken over the death of Shane MacGowan. Shane was one of my all-time favorite writers. The passion and deep intensity of his music and lyrics is unmatched by all but the very best in the rock and roll canon. I was fortunate to spend a little time with Shane and his lovely wife Victoria the last time we were in Dublin. He was very ill, but still beautifully present in his heart and spirit. His music is timeless and eternal. I don’t know about the rest of us, but they’ll be singing Shane’s songs 100 years from now.
Bruce Springsteen
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- #31
My two favorite Irish groups performing together....
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Legend! | Absolute legend Shane MacGowan ❤️❤️ | By Castleshaw Estate FarmerFacebook
Absolute legend Shane MacGowan ❤️❤️
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Dropkick Murphys usually do a tour around St Patrick's Day, but I haven't kept up with them. I love their Christmas song.
Here's a Shane Christmas song with The Popes.
But before we all get too misty-eyed and sentimental though, it's worth remembering that some of the very best Pogues songs weren't actually written by MacGowan.
The last of these (Misty Morning Albert Bridge written by Jem Finer) is for my money probably tied with Rainy Night in Soho as the most beautiful Pogues lyric.
The last of these (Misty Morning Albert Bridge written by Jem Finer) is for my money probably tied with Rainy Night in Soho as the most beautiful Pogues lyric.
RIP Shane.
Why should this knowledge make me pause even a second before getting misty-eyed and sentimental? Shane was many things, songwriter among them, but singer and performer perhaps above all else. I get more misty-eyed with Shane singing "Thousands are Sailing" than I would with Phil Chevron singing it.
Interestingly, every time I saw the Pogues live (maybe 8 or 10 times) - Chevron sang Thousands. And I think it was more powerful because of that.
Nice to see all of the knowledge of and love for Shane on this forum. A very hip group!
- Thread starter
- #40
He is an article from the Irish Examiner:
www.irishexaminer.com
When the Fairytale of NY was played, John Sheahan, last living of the Dubliners played the tin whistle, he is 84 now.
Johnny Depp was also there.
'That’s some send-off': Hundreds gather in Nenagh for funeral of Shane MacGowan
The songwriter, who found fame as the lead singer of The Pogues, died at the age of 65 last week.
When the Fairytale of NY was played, John Sheahan, last living of the Dubliners played the tin whistle, he is 84 now.
Johnny Depp was also there.
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