Is/Was Shane McGowan masquerading as a drunk/druggie?

creeper1

I have a feeling that maybe he is/was putting on a show. I would feel terrible if he died or something soon but don’t alcoholics usually succumb reasonably quickly such as George Best?

Also his song writing has been said to exhibit something akin to high intellectual ability which is something he does not portray.

I don’t really care whether or not he is battling the bottle. Just curious if anyone else has their suspicions.

jharr100

creeper1 wrote: »

I have a feeling that maybe he is/was putting on a show. I would feel terrible if he died or something soon but don’t alcoholics usually succumb reasonably quickly such as George Best?

Also his song writing has been said to exhibit something akin to high intellectual ability which is something he does not portray.

I don’t really care whether or not he is battling the bottle. Just curious if anyone else has their suspicions.

It's all an act .. same as Keith Richards

con747

Yes, you hit the nail on the head with this thread.

There's an awful amount of people around him enabling him and taking advantage..

tdf7187

No, it's not an act.

Hangdogroad

This belongs in the conspiracy theory thread. Gemma couldn't come up with a better one.

Realt Dearg Sec

creeper1 wrote: »

Also his song writing has been said to exhibit something akin to high intellectual ability which is something he does not portray.

Brendan behan, flann o brien, and Patrick kavanagh all wrote some of the greatest literature in Irish history, and were all falling down, incoherent mumbling drunks that couldn't darken the door of most pubs in Dublin. Being a brilliant writer and being a walking catastrophe are not mutually exclusive. Mcgowan lived that life, it's real. Met him one time in a teppanyaki restaurant in rathmines and he was downing shots like they were water. He was also incredibly charismatic and charming. He's one of the great songwriters of his generation, and an absolute hedonist, with all that comes with it.

ceadaoin.

I dont think its an act. Hes not exactly the picture of health but not everyone dies quickly from drinking. Seems to be a genetic lottery. Some people can drink and/or smoke daily for most of their lives and live to a ripe old age.

Peregrinus

creeper1 wrote: »

I have a feeling that maybe he is/was putting on a show. I would feel terrible if he died or something soon but don’t alcoholics usually succumb reasonably quickly such as George Best?

This would presumably be a different George Best from the well-known footballer, who died at the age of 59 after nearly three decades of publicly-acknowledged alcoholism?

suicide_circus

I was in his company for a couple of shandys in a private club maybe 10 or 12 years ago. It's no act.

dashcamdanny

NOt an act the night I met him before a gig in the Olympia years ago. He was full as a lord back stage.

JasonStatham

creeper1 wrote: »

I have a feeling that maybe he is/was putting on a show. I would feel terrible if he died or something soon but don’t alcoholics usually succumb reasonably quickly such as George Best?

Also his song writing has been said to exhibit something akin to high intellectual ability which is something he does not portray.

I don’t really care whether or not he is battling the bottle. Just curious if anyone else has their suspicions.

Do you know if he's insures his remaining teeth?

Smee_Again

suicide_circus wrote: »

I was in his company for a couple of shandys in a private club maybe 10 or 12 years ago. It's no act.

I stocked his room before a performance years ago and cleaned up afterwards, he went through an unbelievable amount of booze.

Howard Beale

People are insanely jealous of Shane. Multi millionaire, wrote amazing songs and has brought joy to millions. Helps he doesn't seem to give a shyte

If he wants to drink and drug himself up now he's entitled to.

Only God knows how he can get away with it!

Realt Dearg Sec

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

Brendan behan, flann o brien, and Patrick kavanagh all wrote some of the greatest literature in Irish history, and were all falling down, incoherent mumbling drunks that couldn't darken the door of most pubs in Dublin. Being a brilliant writer and being a walking catastrophe are not mutually exclusive. Mcgowan lived that life, it's real.

I'm sure he did live that life but it's also probably the reason he hasn't released an album in 20 years, and hasn't released a truly good one since the Snake in the early 90's.

Guy:Incognito

creeper1 wrote: »

I have a feeling that maybe he is/was putting on a show. I would feel terrible if he died or something soon but don’t alcoholics usually succumb reasonably quickly such as George Best?

McGowan is 62. George Best died at 59. It's not like he was 35 or something

Richard Hillman

There is a chronic alcoholic that hangs around where I live. The chap has been drunk for at least 25 years and a member of the travelling community, who notoriously have a low life expectancy. Nobody has a clue about how he is still alive. The human body can be a miracle at times.

Invidious

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Shane McGowan has written anything of note in the last 30 years.

Timberrrrrrrr

He used to be a regular in Eamon Dorans back in the day, used to find a quiet corner for himself downstairs and start drinking, many a time he would still be there at 5 or 6 in the morning still going strong.

piplip87

My old neighbor, a new age traveller hippy type used to brag about McGowan been a friend of hers, until he played the local Halloween festival here and called round to see her after the gig. I only spent about a half hour in his company.

I can confirm it is not an act.

gmisk

Invidious wrote: »

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Shane McGowan has written anything of note in the last 30 years.

Of note or of quality?
..neither have the rolling stones or fleetwood mac ...what's your point?

Banana Republic 1

I met him once in the residence bar in jury’s ballsbridge. He spat on his hand before shaking mine I was 18, long before covid

Rhys Essien

creeper1 wrote: »

Also his song writing has been said to exhibit something akin to high intellectual ability which is something he does not portray.

You do realise he won a scholarship to Westminster school.

HBC08

I dont think its an act but....
I went to see Shane and the Popes at a hotel in the middle of nowhere in Mayo in 94,I was 15/16.
The hotel had a fire a couple of weeks before the gig was due to happen and was badly fired damaged,amazingly the show still happened.
They set up planks on empty beer crates as a bar,it was as gloriously mental as you might expect. The crowd were fairly wild and the whole burnt out hotel thing was adding to the rowdiness and giddiness.
Just before he was due on stage I went to go to the jacks and got a bit lost, ended up in a corridor and right there in front of me was Shane and some sort of security lad.Shane was going mad and giving out to him about how lax the set up was and that anybody could jump up on the stage etc.
I shuffled off back the way I came after eventually locating the jacks.About 3 mins after that he appears on stage slurring his words and hardly able to stand up.
I think we know it's not an act but maybe he plays up to it a bit.
It was a mad auld night though and great craic!

dd973

He's hardly been prolific since the last Pogues albums, the last couple of which were inferior to the mid 80's ones, then there's the cut of him, 62 going on 90.

Thelonious Monk

Howard Beale wrote: »

People are insanely jealous of Shane. Multi millionaire, wrote amazing songs and has brought joy to millions. Helps he doesn't seem to give a shyte

If he wants to drink and drug himself up now he's entitled to.

Only God knows how he can get away with it!

I don't know anyone who would be in the least bit jealous of him. Being constantly hungover and looking like you're about the die for the past 50 years or so, nein danke.

Frankie Machine

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

I don't know anyone who would be in the least bit jealous of him. Being constantly hungover and looking like you're about the die for the past 50 years or so, nein danke.

I think very many people are 'jealous' of him for the ultimate reasons - he's never worked a day in his life, and can afford to not give a f what anyone thinks of him, or his appearance.

More power to him.

Conversations 3

Yes, he has a lot of problems

Stone Deaf 4evr

In the words of the man himself,
'bleeaargggejswadsshgggadnbfjlkdsgfdskjhdlklghashhdwoihhshf;lk'

Frankie Machine

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

In the words of the man himself,
'bleeaargggejswadsshgggadnbfjlkdsgfdskjhdlklghashhdwoihhshf;lk'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzJ5rtJhzTg

Dyr

creeper1 wrote: »

I have a feeling that maybe he is/was putting on a show. I would feel terrible if he died or something soon but don’t alcoholics usually succumb reasonably quickly such as George Best?

Also his song writing has been said to exhibit something akin to high intellectual ability which is something he does not portray.

I don’t really care whether or not he is battling the bottle. Just curious if anyone else has their suspicions.

He used to be cute enough to gam on a bit onstage while remembering every word, but its not an act, know a few people who'd know him well enough and he was a total dipso. Wound up on a night out a few times with one of McGowans old drinking buddies and he drank us all under the table

James Brown

creeper1 wrote: »

I have a feeling that maybe he is/was putting on a show. I would feel terrible if he died or something soon but don’t alcoholics usually succumb reasonably quickly such as George Best?

Also his song writing has been said to exhibit something akin to high intellectual ability which is something he does not portray.

I don’t really care whether or not he is battling the bottle. Just curious if anyone else has their suspicions.

I know for a fact he drinks a huge amount. He'll have two or three drinks, (schnapps etc.) each round.
Can't say if he can turn it off or not, but he defo drinks a lot.

Boggles

Is current affairs the new dumping ground for what every batshít nonsense pops into someones mind?

Realt Dearg Sec

Change The Tune wrote: »

Guy's a fking joke. 'But muh romantic drunken poet!!!!' No he's just a sad old piss head. Deal with it.

He'll never achieve what you have.

Rothko

It's an act but he's a method actor.

Invidious

gmisk wrote: »

Of note or of quality?
..neither have the rolling stones or fleetwood mac ...what's your point?

The Stones' Blue and Lonesome (2016) got great reviews. And they're significantly older than MacGowan, who was four years old when the Rolling Stones formed.

My point is that MacGowan was a spent creative force by his early 30s, largely because of the effect that alcohol has had on his life. Those who romanticize his alcoholism, saying that it goes hand-in-hand with his creativity, ignore the fact that he hasn't created much worth talking about in decades.

Realt Dearg Sec

Invidious wrote: »

The Rolling Stones' Blue and Lonesome (2016) got great reviews. And they're significantly older than MacGowan, who was four years old when the Rolling Stones formed.

My point is that MacGowan was a spent creative force by his early 30s, largely because of the effect that alcohol has had on his life. Those who romanticize his alcoholism, saying that it goes hand-in-hand with his creativity, ignore the fact that he hasn't created much worth talking about in decades.

But he wouldn't have created the things he has created without alcohol either.

marieholmfan

Rhys Essien wrote: »

You do realise he won a scholarship to Westminster school.

Did he? I thought his father (a successful dentist) paid the fees.

Invidious

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

But he wouldn't have created the things he has created without alcohol either.

How do you know that?

Realt Dearg Sec

Invidious wrote: »

How do you know that?

Because they're overwhelmingly about drinking culture. No teetotaller could ever write streams of whiskey.

Realt Dearg Sec

Invidious wrote: »

How do you know that?

I mean you could ask the same question amor your assertion that alcohol is the reason his output declined later. How do you know that's the reason? What evidence is there that he would be banging out the tunes if he stuck to ginger ale?

Boggles

marieholmfan wrote: »

Did he? I thought his father (a successful dentist) paid the fees.

Hardly? :pac:

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

creeper1 wrote: »

I have a feeling that maybe he is/was putting on a show. I would feel terrible if he died or something soon but don’t alcoholics usually succumb reasonably quickly such as George Best?

Also his song writing has been said to exhibit something akin to high intellectual ability which is something he does not portray.

I don’t really care whether or not he is battling the bottle. Just curious if anyone else has their suspicions.

Not all. There’s one alcoholic in my family. Only one but he’s a rager. He’s in his 70s. His health has been affected in only really the last five years.

tipptom

piplip87 wrote: »

My old neighbor, a new age traveller hippy type used to brag about McGowan been a friend of hers, until he played the local Halloween festival here and called round to see her after the gig. I only spent about a half hour in his company.

I can confirm it is not an act.

Ah jaysys,thought you were going to have a great story of said hippy been marched up to McGowan and he say something incoherent like" Fuk off hippy,never seen you before in my life"!!!

Still confused on if it was idle bragging or not.

Effects

JasonStatham wrote: »

Do you know if he's insures his remaining teeth?

He got a whole new set a few years ago. Even has one of them in Gold.

Invidious

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

I mean you could ask the same question amor your assertion that alcohol is the reason his output declined later. How do you know that's the reason? What evidence is there that he would be banging out the tunes if he stuck to ginger ale?

Relatively few successful songwriters produce little of note after their early 30s. Bob Dylan just released an acclaimed album of new original material at age 79.

It's self-evident that MacGowan's destructive drinking has seriously affected his career. The man for years has struggled to string two coherent sentences together let alone write songs.

Effects

Invidious wrote: »

It's self-evident that MacGowan's self-destructive drinking has seriously affected his career. The man for years has struggled to string two coherent sentences together let alone write songs.

It doesn't really seem to bother him much though.

Amazingfun

This thread is hilarious, and yet tragic too---two elements that often accompany alcoholism in lived experience.

Like a few here I also had the good fortune of a fun night of drinking with him (after a Pogues gig), lol, many many moons ago now---and its no act. Was no act for me either as I am sober a long time now

I think he still looks quite ill in most of the vids/photos I've seen of him, and probably (as anyone who has lived with/dated/loved an alcoholic will know too well) what you experience in public is a far cry from what it's like to be close with anyone who suffers from it. He's also not unique in having a partner who seems to have undying loyalty to him, and is likely another factor in why he's been able to keep going. The AA text even includes a line referring to this, it's that common:

How my wife kept her faith and courage during all those years, I'll never know, but she did. If she had not, I know I would have been dead a long time ago. For some reason, we alcoholics seem to have the gift of picking out the world's finest women. Why they should be subjected to the tortures we inflicted upon them, I cannot explain.

-https://anonpress.org/manu/drbob.htm

Joe_ Public

Invidious wrote: »

Relatively few successful songwriters produce little of note after their early 30s. Bob Dylan just released an acclaimed album of new original material at age 79.

It's self-evident that MacGowan's destructive drinking has seriously affected his career. The man for years has struggled to string two coherent sentences together let alone write songs.

Little of note after their early 30s? Can't go along with that tbh. Off top of head, Ry Cooder and Leonard Cohen did or have done some of their best work late on. I like Neil Diamonds late work too and while of variable quality, i think the likes of Van Morrison, Tom Waits and Neil Young are still well able to produce it. Why shouldn't age and wisdom bring even more material to an ageing artist? Love Dylan's latest too, very playful and deep, echoing Cohen's last works. As for shane, have no idea, obviously has his own reasons and entirely up to him.

Rhys Essien

marieholmfan wrote: »

Did he? I thought his father (a successful dentist) paid the fees.

This is on his Wikipedia page :


MacGowan earned a literature scholarship and was accepted into Westminster School.[3] He was found in possession of drugs and was expelled in his second year.[4]

Invidious

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Little of note after their early 30s? Can't go along with that tbh. Off top of head, Ry Cooder and Leonard Cohen did or have done some of their best work late on. I like Neil Diamonds late work too and while of variable quality, i think the likes of Van Morrison, Tom Waits and Neil Young are still well able to produce it. Why shouldn't age and wisdom bring even more material to an ageing artist? Love Dylan's latest too, very playful and deep, echoing Cohen's last works. As for shane, have no idea, obviously has his own reasons and entirely up to him.

You're picking me up wrongly, I think. Many writers, poets, and songwriters have had lengthy and distinguished careers. You name a few examples above, and there are many others.

Shane MacGowan was a creative force in his twenties, but drink and drugs got the better of both his songwriting talents and his ability to perform. These days, I'd say he'd struggle to write a shopping list, let alone quality song lyrics.