this is a great documentary on Shane MacGowan, lead singer and songwriter of the pogues. it's heartbreaking, but also strangely uplifting -- something that took me a second viewing to really understand. you may be able to rent it from netflix. i bought a copy through amazon last year.
Editorial Reviews
As any Pogues fan could've told you, The Shane MacGowan Story was destined to be funny, sad, uplifting, depressing, and utterly irresistible. By the time this engaging documentary was produced in 2000, MacGowan--former Pogues frontman, notorious drinker, and one of the greatest songwriters of his generation--was still the unrepentant alcoholic who caused his former bandmates so much worry. They loved him then and love him still (bandmate Philip Chevron speaks most eloquently of their history), and for all his toothless cackling and constant stupor, MacGowan is seen here as an amiable Irish pub-crawler, coherent in thought if not always in speech, still making music (with his latter-day band, the Popes), and obviously devoted to his wife, Victoria Clarke, an enabling saint whose love for MacGowan is joyfully unconditional. Archival clips, video excerpts, and interviews with MacGowan's friends and family complete this comprehensive chronicle, making it an essential addition to any punk-'n-Pogues library. --Jeff Shannon
Product Description:
This unflinching, music-driven documentary provides the first real insight into the background and career of this legendary Irish artist who, as lead singer and songwriter for the Pogues, became a worldwide punk icon. The film includes contemporary interviews with his family, fellow musicians like Nick Cave, his longtime partner Victoria and direct one-on-one sessions with Shane himself. These are interwoven with performance material stretching back to Shane's earliest work, along with fly-on-the-wall footage from both London and Ireland. Includes performances/videos of the songs: "Paddy Public Enemy No.1", "If I Should Fall From Grace With God", "Infatuation", "Gabrielle", and more.
amazon.com
7 comments:
Some great Pogues info here! My husband is a huge fan - bought a pirate copy of "Rum, Sodomy and the Lash" on one of our first dates. ;) I've been keeping him updated - we both thank you!
yay, christa! and what a great first date memory! i love it. :) i was really surprised that some people hadn't heard pogues music. ahem. jeff. ahem. rob. not sure how that could be missed. the pogues weren't mainstream, but still a group that was around a long time and a big part of music history. certainly not as big as say the clash, but i kind of put them in that category as far as importance. anyhoo, that's why i decided to post more information about them. glad you and your husband enjoyed it!
I'd never heard of them until you started writing about them.
No, I've not led a sheltered life. Jer
I love that cover shot. Guy looks like a raving lunatic. :)
Anne- I emailed Santa and asked him if he would add a Pogues CD for me as a stocking stuffer since I didn't have one.
I got a reply from him today that said, "Of course I will Jeff. I'm surprised you haven't heard of them. ho ho ho" :)
Santa's an okay dude.
Anne, you'll have to add, "Ahem. Kelly" to your list of undereducated musician novices. But Pogues may have been before my generation of music interest?? Maybe I should email the Santa dude too. ;D
they were small (because apparently they weren't big) in the mid-to-late eighties. we didn't have mtv, but i do remember seeing them on late night video shows. maybe SNL too.
jeff: good for mr. claus. :)
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