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Metro
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
The Pogues reveal the most 'insulting' misconception about Shane MacGowan
Shane MacGowan's bandmates from The Pogues have defended the late singer against an 'insulting' misconception about him. The beloved Irish singer-songwriter died from pneumonia on November 30, 2023, aged 65, after enduring a series of health problems in the months prior. He was also diagnosed with encephalitis, an uncommon but serious condition which causes inflammation of the brain. However, The Pogues' Jem Finer believes MacGowan's struggles with addiction are clouding the Fairytale of New York hitmaker's legacy. 'I think it's quite insulting anyway, 'the drunken artist',' the 69-year-old singer told The Times. 'It's not someone who is perpetually drunk: it is someone who enjoys drinking.' He insisted that MacGowan was not 'always drunk' and was someone who worked 'rigorously and hard' for their music. The song A Pair of Brown Eyes went through different iterations, thanks to the singer's hard work, having started life as a protest against the Falklands War. In 1991, MacGowan left The Pogues mid-way through their tour supporting Dylan, reportedly being dismissed over his substance abuse struggles. He was said to be a regular no-show for gigs, culminating in the exit midway through the Japanese leg of the tour. Jem explained: 'It just became impossible. He didn't want to be doing it any more, and because he didn't want to let anyone down, he wouldn't say that he needed a break, which was reflected in the way he behaved and it was untenable.' He insisted that there was no bad blood between the bandmates, evidenced by the fact that after 10 years away, MacGowan rejoined The Pogues. The group stayed together until 2014 when they split once more, with the iconic frontman again reiterating that they are all still friends — just tired of touring with each other. Despite his loud stage persona, The Pogues shared that MacGowan was secretly quite shy. Even when Fairytale of New York skyrocketed the band — with the late singer as the face of it all — to fame, he remained a little uncomfortable in the spotlight. Spider Stacey told The Times that there was an attention shift away from The Pogues as a whole onto MacGowan himself. 'The fact is, Shane was actually rather shy,' he revealed. 'He was in a punk band before the Pogues, which was not for the faint of heart, but I think he was shy about doing Irish music because on our first tour of Ireland he was very reticent about how people were going to react, which I understand. 'I mean, playing the tin whistle to Irish people … it does come with a certain degree of impostor syndrome.' More Trending MacGowan's death left a sizeable hole in the band's lineup for their UK tour this year, which was filled by guest artists for certain songs. When Metro asked about the possible use of AI to bring back Shane's vocals, similarly to the Beatles' track featuring John Lennon, the Pogues gave a resounding 'no'. 'It's very easy to sit here and go, 'oh no, never,' but, I mean, probably no, never,' replied Spider. 'I think I know where you're going, and the answer, really is no.' James Fearnley and Jem gave equally strong replies of 'Oh no' and 'I don't like that idea.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
Perth Now
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
The Pogues say that Shane MacGowan 'wasn't always drunk' and remember him as a 'hard worker'
The Pogues have insisted that Shane MacGowan "wasn't always drunk". The 'late singer died of pneumonia in November 2023 at the age of 65 after years of struggling with addiction but now his former bandmate Jem Finer has insisted that it is "quite insulting" to reember him for his substance abuse issues. Jem told The Times: "I think it's quite insulting anyway, 'the drunken artist'. It's not someone who is perpetually drunk: it is someone who enjoys drinking. Shane wasn't always drunk. He knew how to work rigorously and hard. A Pair of Brown Eyes went through many different stages. It began life as a protest against the Falklands war." Jem noted that it all became "impossible" for Shane to be a part of the band, and he was fired mid-tour in 1991. He said: "It just became impossible. He didn't want to be doing it any more, and because he didn't want to let anyone down he wouldn't say that he needed a break, which was reflected in the way he behaved and it was untenable. But there wasn't any bad blood. When he joined again [in 2001], we carried on where we left off." Meanwhile, fellow bandmate Spdier Stacey has insisted that Shane was actually "quite shy" even at the height of his fame with the 'Fairytale of New York' hitmakers. He said: "Before, it was 'the Band'. Now Shane was the focus of attention. "And the fact is, Shane was actually rather shy. He was in a punk band before the Pogues, which was not for the faint of heart, but I think he was shy about doing Irish music because on our first tour of Ireland he was very reticent about how people were going to react, which I understand. I mean, playing the tin whistle to Irish people … it does come with a certain degree of impostor syndrome."
Times
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
The Pogues on life after Shane: ‘He wasn't always drunk. He worked hard'
It is hard to imagine the Pogues without Shane MacGowan. The writer of such lachrymose classics as A Pair of Brown Eyes, Sally MacLennane and, with Jem Finer, the seasonal standard Fairytale of New York embodied the spirit of the London-Irish band: the wildness, the booziness, the literary and poetic intent underlying it all. Yet here I am in my office in London Bridge with Finer and Spider Stacy, who founded the Pogues with MacGowan in 1982 and have resolved, in the wake of the singer's death in 2023, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their classic album Rum Sodomy and the Lash with a global tour. Nobody could take the place of MacGowan, so Finer and Stacy have enlisted various singers from a
