Shane MacGowan died last week. He was the main singer, songwriter, and creative force behind the Pogues, and given his reckless abandon towards his own health, it’s a miracle he made it to the age of 65. I put together a playlist for The New York Times compiling ten of his greatest tracks, with and without the Pogues, telling the story of his musical life strapping a punk-rock engine onto Celtic traditional music. It was a strange day—I never met the man, and although I loved his music I never thought of myself as a super-fan—but at various moments, I found myself wracked by high-speed grief. I hope you spend some time listening to his music and raising a glass in his honor.

posted 4 December 2023 in Articles and tagged obituaries, Shane MacGowan. no comments yet