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Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan (born 25 December 1957) is an Irish musician and singer, born in England, best known as the singer and songwriter of The Pogues.1982–1991: leading The PoguesMacGowan drew upon his Irish heritage when founding The Pogues and changed his early "punk" voice for a more authentic sound with tutoring from his extended family.
Many of his songs are influenced by Irish nationalism, Irish history, the experiences of the Irish in London and the United States, and London life in general.
These influences are documented in the biography, Rake at the Gates of Hell: Shane MacGowan in Context.
MacGowan has often cited the 19th-century Irish poet James Clarence Mangan and playwright Brendan Behan as influences.Between 1985 and 1987, he co-wrote what is perhaps his best-known song, "Fairytale of New York", which he performed with Kirsty MacColl.
In the coming years MacGowan and The Pogues released several albums.In 1997, MacGowan appeared on Lou Reed's "Perfect Day", covered by numerous artists in aid of Children in Need.
It was the UK's number one single for three weeks, in two separate spells.
Selling over a million copies, the record contributed £2,125,000 to the charity's highest fundraising total in six years.1992–2005: a new band, Shane MacGowan and The PopesAfter The Pogues threw MacGowan out for unprofessional behaviour, he formed a new band, Shane MacGowan and The Popes, recording two studio albums, a live album, three tracks on The Popes "Outlaw Heaven" (2010) and a live DVD, and touring internationally.From December 2003 up to May 2005, Shane MacGowan & The Popes toured extensively in UK/Ireland/Europe.In 2010, MacGowan offered a piece of unusual art to the ISPCC (Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) to auction off to support their services to children.
It ended up fetching €1,602 for the charity.2001–2009: rejoining or joining The Pogues againThe Pogues and MacGowan reformed for a sell-out tour in 2001 and each year from 2004 to 2009 for further tours, including headline slots at Guilfest in England and the Azkena Rock Festival in Basque Country.In May 2005, MacGowan rejoined the Pogues permanently.In 2005, The Pogues re-released "Fairytale of New York" to raise funds for the Justice For Kirsty Campaign and Crisis At Christmas.
The single was the best-selling festive-themed single of 2005, reaching number 2 in the UK Charts.In 2006, he was voted 50th in the NME Rock Heroes List.
He has been seen many times with The Libertines and Babyshambles singer Pete Doherty.
MacGowan has joined Babyshambles on stage.
Other famous friends include Johnny Depp, who starred in the video for "That Woman's Got Me Drinking", and Joe Strummer, who referred to MacGowan as "one of the best writers of the century" in an interview featured on the videogram release "Live at the Town And Country Club" from 1988.
Strummer occasionally joined MacGowan and The Pogues on stage (and briefly replaced MacGowan as lead singer after his sacking from the band).His sister is Siobhan MacGowan, a journalist, writer and songwriter, who released her album Chariot in 1998, and published a children's novel, Etain's Dream.
In early March 2007, MacGowan announced plans to marry his longtime girlfriend, Victoria Mary Clarke.MacGowan is the subject of several books and paintings.
In 2000 Tim Bradford used the title Is Shane MacGowan Still Alive? for a humorous book about Ireland and Irish culture.
Shaman Shane - The Wounded Healer by Stephan Martin brands Shane as a latter-day London-Irish spirit-raiser and exorcist.
This commentary is found in the book Myth of Return - The Paintings of Brian Whelan and Collected Commentaries.
London Irish artist Brian Whelan paints Shane (for example Boy From The County Hell), his works are featured on Shane's official website, and is also the illustrator of The Popes "Outlaw Heaven" CD.2010–present: a new band, Shane MacGowan and The Shane GangIn 2010, MacGowan played impromptu shows in Dublin with a new five-piece backing band named The Shane Gang, including In Tua Nua rhythm section Paul Byrne (drums) and Jack Dublin (bass), with manager Joey Cashman on whistle.
In November 2010, this line up fled from Ireland to the Spanish island of Lanzarote to record a new album.When not touring with The Pogues, MacGowan plays with his new band, Shane MacGowan and The Shane Gang.
The band currently features John Daly (guitar), Joey Cashman (whistle), John "Sarge" O'Hara (keys), Jack Dublin (bass) and Paul Byrne (drums).Substance abuseIn 2001, Sinéad O'Connor reported him to the police in London for drug possession — in what she said was an attempt to discourage him from using heroin.
At first furious, MacGowan later expressed gratitude towards O'Connor and claimed that the incident helped him kick his heroin habit.Speaking on BBC Four's Folk Britannia television programme in early 2006, Robyn Hitchcock recalled: "I remember going to the Hope and Anchor [a punk venue in London\].
The Pogues were all on stage and ready, it was a full house, but they hadn't started yet.
Then this character shambled in through the door and shambled downstairs.
I thought, 'Jesus, you're not letting that guy in are you?'.
Then he walked on stage.
That guy was Shane MacGowan."MacGowan has suffered physically from years of binge drinking.
He often performs while drunk and has been impaired in interviews.
In 2004 on the BBC TV political magazine programme This Week he gave incoherent and slurred answers to questions from Janet Street-Porter about the public smoking ban in Ireland.TV ShowsIn 2008 he appeared in an episode of Fair City which was shown on 28 December 2008.
In 2009, he starred in the RTÉ reality show Victoria and Shane Grow Their Own, as he and Victoria Mary Clarke endeavoured to grow their own food in their own garden.Selected discographyThe Nips/Nipple ErectorsBops, Babes, Booze & Bovver (2003 Archived Compilation)The Pogues singles"Poguetry in Motion E.P." (#29 UK)"The Irish Rover" (featuring The Dubliners) (#8 UK)"Fairytale of New York" (featuring Kirsty MacColl) - #2 UK; Reissued in 1991 (#24 UK), 2005 (#3 UK) and 2007 (#4 UK)"Fiesta" (#24 UK)Solo singles"What a Wonderful World" (with Nick Cave, #69 UK)"The Church of the Holy Spook" (with The Popes, #74 UK)"That Woman's Got Me Drinking" (#34 UK)"Haunted" (with Sinéad O'Connor, #30 UK)"My Way" (#29 UK)"I Put a Spell on You" (with Nick Cave, Bobby Gillespie, Chrissie Hynde, Mick Jones with actor Johnny Depp, Glen Matlock, Paloma Faith and Eliza Doolittle)Guest appearances"Perfect Day" (Children in Need single, #1 UK)"The Wild Rover" (with Sinéad O'Connor) - Soldat Louis, album Auprès de ma bande, 1993"The Wild Rover" and "Good Rats" (with Dropkick Murphys)"Ride On" and "Spancill Hill" (with Cruachan)"What a Wonderful World" (with Nick Cave, 1992)"God Help Me" (with The Jesus and Mary Chain, Stoned & Dethroned, 1994)"Suite sudarmoricaine", "Tri Martolod", "The Foggy Dew" (Foggy Dew) (with Alan Stivell, Again, 1994)"Death Is Not the End" (on Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds Murder Ballads LP, 1996)"Waiting 'Round to Die" (on The Mighty Stef's 100 Midnights, 2009)"Four Leaf Lover Boy" and "Full of Sh*t" (on Galia Arad's Ooh La Baby, 2010)"Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth" (on The Priests' Noel, 2010)Red Roses for Me (with The Pogues, October 1984)Rum Sodomy & the Lash (with The Pogues, August 1985)If I Should Fall from Grace with God (with The Pogues, January 1988)Peace and Love (with The Pogues, 1989)Hell's Ditch (with The Pogues, 1990)The Snake (with Shane MacGowan and the Popes, June 1995)The Crock of Gold (with Shane MacGowan and the Popes, October 1997)Across the Broad Atlantic: Live on Paddy's Day - New York and Dublin (with Shane MacGowan and the Popes, February 2002)The Pogues in Paris: 30th Anniversary concert at the Olympia (with The Pogues, November 2012)