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Child Item

Why did shane McGowan have no teeth ?

FixdePitchmark

Massive amounts of nostalgia and romantasicim around Shane McGowan at present.

But to ask a few obvious questions

1) Did anyone actually establish in all his interviews why he became an alcoholic?
2) Having no teeth in the years after 1970 makes no sense , why had he no teeth ?
3) Why did people enable his behaviour so much ?

basically in modern times would he be a #tag.

Worse, the women around him ?

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blade1

Neames wrote: »

Haunted by the ghost?

Is there an echo in here?

BDI

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Shane McGowan is a filthy talentless drunk who got lucky with one particular song that happened to catch on.

Having very few teeth is the least of his problems.

He's almost held up as some sort of religious figure whom we all must worship.

He wouldn't look amiss on a corner of O'Connell Street at 4am.

Rum sodomy and the lash is one of the greatest albums of all time. Fairytale of New York wasn’t even on it. Rainy night in soho is one of the greatest songs of all time from that album , you probably haven’t heard it.

Alcoholism seems to have been bred into him from his childhood and he was encouraged to drink as an infant. He spent his summers in Ireland while his parents worked in the uk and his grandfather was a firm believer that children should only be allowed 3 or 4 bottles of Guinness a day.
He looks and has the health of a man 20 years older than he is and is not even at retirement age yet. How people think he is a medical miracle is beyond me.
His wife wrote a book about his life and it’s fairly good. I read it a couple of decades ago and still remember parts of it.

If somebody were to call him talentless I would assume they were ignorant to his work or ignorant to music. Maybe I’d assume they were just in a bad humour and wanted to say something mean.

riclad

When you are a singer in the 80,s ,drinking or taking drugs, going to the dentist is not a top priority.
i think now in music ,appearance is more important,
punk music does not exist anymore .
It was a different time.
Heroin is not good for your health .
pop stars nowadays might use cannabis ,no on wants to admit taking hard drugs ,its not cool anymore .
Americans would mock british people for having bad teeth.

Jimmy Garlic

Doesn't his missus that wheels him around practically do all his talking for him now? Probably manages all his finances too. I think she admits to never having sex with him, yet she married him, hmmm.

corner of hells

BDI wrote: »

Rum sodomy and the lash is one of the greatest albums of all time. Fairytale of New York wasn’t even on it. Rainy night in soho is one of the greatest songs of all time from that album , you probably haven’t heard it.

Alcoholism seems to have been bred into him from his childhood and he was encouraged to drink as an infant. He spent his summers in Ireland while his parents worked in the uk and his grandfather was a firm believer that children should only be allowed 3 or 4 bottles of Guinness a day.
He looks and has the health of a man 20 years older than he is and is not even at retirement age yet. How people think he is a medical miracle is beyond me.
His wife wrote a book about his life and it’s fairly good. I read it a couple of decades ago and still remember parts of it.

If somebody were to call him talentless I would assume they were ignorant to his work or ignorant to music. Maybe I’d assume they were just in a bad humour and wanted to say something mean.

Good taste BDI , nothing like blasting out a bit of Poguetry.

FixdePitchmark

Yes probably is a nasty thread for this time of year .

But just find a bit of double standards in media dealing with him. And we sort of revelled in his drunkenness, he was still being pushed on tv etc..

It is kind of sad too , as he seems to be rolled around as a freak show and some people seems to be exploiting that.

love some of his music , thanks Shane.

Rainy Night in Soho , end of all argument.

Jimmy Garlic

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Yes probably is a nasty thread for this time of year .

But just find a bit of double standards in media dealing with him. And we sort of revelled in his drunkenness, he was still being pushed on tv etc..

It is kind of sad too , as he seems to be rolled around as a freak show and some people seems to be exploiting that.

love some of his music , thanks Shane.

Rainy Night in Soho , end of all argument.

The late late special last year was pretty sad to watch. He couldn't even talk. Doubt he even know where he was, seemed heavily medicated. Pretty wrong to be doing that to somebody in a vulnerable position.

[Deleted User]

BDI wrote: »

Rum sodomy and the lash is one of the greatest albums of all time. Fairytale of New York wasn’t even on it. Rainy night in soho is one of the greatest songs of all time from that album , you probably haven’t heard it.

That's your opinion.

"Rainy Night in Soho" attracts 2 million views on YouTube and it was part of an album called Poguetry in Motion that reached a peak of #29 in the UK Top 40.

Hardly a candidate for "one of the greatest songs of all time". Judging from the above statistics, more people are siding with my perspective.

You may personally like the song, and that's fine, but I don't consider it to be anything close to musical genius at all. If anything, it's pretty average.

BDI

[Deleted User] wrote: »

That's your opinion.

"Rainy Night in Soho" attracts 2 million views on YouTube and it was part of an album called Poguetry in Motion that reached a peak of #29 in the UK Top 40.

Hardly a candidate for "one of the greatest songs of all time". Judging from the above statistics, more people are siding with my perspective.

You may personally like the song, and that's fine, but I don't consider it to be anything close to musical genius at all. If anything, it's pretty average.

Yeah YouTube hits good stuff. Gangham style is the best song ever

Was poguetry in motion a greatest hits album.

I will not discuss music with you any further.

blade1

I prefer his rendition of "and the band played Waltzing Matilda" over his own stuff.

tuxy

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

It is kind of sad too , as he seems to be rolled around as a freak show and some people seems to be exploiting that.

It's been like that for a very long time, the wheelchair just makes it easier for them.

andekwarhola

Masala wrote: »

And pulling a looker like Victoria is priceless.

Did he pull another woman called Victoria that he's kept secret?

ceadaoin.

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Well that’s not true because years ago he got them replaced

Yeah I remember reading that both him and his wife got their teeth done. But like do you think he actually brushes his teeth now? Doubt it. He'd still need to brush and floss regularly to maintain his new teeth. His gums must be in some state, and so he could still lose the implants too if he doesn't take care of them.

Hangdogroad

[Deleted User] wrote: »

That's your opinion.

"Rainy Night in Soho" attracts 2 million views on YouTube and it was part of an album called Poguetry in Motion that reached a peak of #29 in the UK Top 40.

Hardly a candidate for "one of the greatest songs of all time". Judging from the above statistics, more people are siding with my perspective.

You may personally like the song, and that's fine, but I don't consider it to be anything close to musical genius at all. If anything, it's pretty average.

So by your logic Gangham Style or whatever the hell it was called must have been the greatest song ever written.

Joe Kaine

Heroin

skooterblue2

Jimmy Garlic wrote: »

Doesn't his missus that wheels him around practically do all his talking for him now? Probably manages all his finances too. I think she admits to never having sex with him, yet she married him, hmmm.

They were together years before they were married. My wifes uncle used to be their limo driver. He said he has driven many celebrities but none as nice or generous as Shane McGowan and Victoria Mary Clarke and she looks after him so well despite everything.

skooterblue2

Joe Kaine wrote: »

Heroin

Remember Sinead O Connor called the police on him for doing heroin? Then again she has called the police on loads of people for extraordinary things.

paul71

Deleted User wrote: »

That's your opinion.

"Rainy Night in Soho" attracts 2 million views on YouTube and it was part of an album called Poguetry in Motion that reached a peak of #29 in the UK Top 40.

Hardly a candidate for "one of the greatest songs of all time". Judging from the above statistics, more people are siding with my perspective.

You may personally like the song, and that's fine, but I don't consider it to be anything close to musical genius at all. If anything, it's pretty average.

Then off you trot and watch some Simon Cowell TV karaoke.

SEPT 23 1989

Give me a toothless Shane McGowan over the neon white tooth gym freak talentless wasters playing music on their laptops that supposedly top the charts today

sk8erboii

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Give me a toothless Shane McGowan over the neon white tooth gym freak talentless wasters playing music on their laptops that supposedly top the charts today

Freaks attract freak I guess. People want to see healthy and vibrant people perform onstage, not brain damaged junkies.

SEPT 23 1989

sk8erboii wrote: »

Freaks attract freak I guess. People want to see healthy and vibrant people perform onstage, not brain damaged junkies.

Sure they do

Well then you would want to erase 90% of all music pre1996 then

Cause we all love those clean living bands don’t we?

sk8erboii

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Sure they do

Well then you would want to erase 90% of all music pre1996 then

Cause we all love those clean living bands don’t we?

Mate you realize pre 1996 bands performing today are all living clean? Ozzy osborne, rolling stones, the who, motley crue are all teetotaling vegetarians.

Turns out theres nothing to romanticize about drug and alcohol abuse.

sk8erboii

Too many out of touch senior citizens here on boards.ie. All your favorite bands from the 80s are old men now with fitbits and yoga classes. Mick Jagger does Zumba. Stop romanticizing alcoholism and drug abuse. Its out of touch and pathetic.

paul71

sk8erboii wrote: »

Too many out of touch senior citizens here on boards.ie. All your favorite bands from the 80s are old men now with fitbits and yoga classes. Mick Jagger does Zumba. Stop romanticizing alcoholism and drug abuse. Its out of touch and pathetic.

No too many people making judgements on talent based on irrelevancies. McGowan is an Alcoholic, there is nothing redeeming or noble in that. Its an awful condition but it has nothing to do with his talent as a song writer or singer.

TwoMonthsOff

Smoking heroin tends to do that to your teeth.

Sardonicat

sk8erboii wrote: »

Too many out of touch senior citizens here on boards.ie. All your favorite bands from the 80s are old men now with fitbits and yoga classes. Mick Jagger does Zumba. Stop romanticizing alcoholism and drug abuse. Its out of touch and pathetic.

No one is doing that. I didn't watch the LL special on Shane McGowan cos I don't like people in that state. But I won't deny his immense talent as a lyricist. It's possible to be really talented and be an addict/asshole/unstable /boring drip. They are not mutually exclusive . Acknowledging his talent is not the same as glorifying his problems. I know an Englisg lecturer in poetry who puts Shane alongside Kavanagh as one of our greatest poets. He was an alcoholic too. And a bit of an asshole. I still am grateful I was introduced to his poetry, though.

SEPT 23 1989

sk8erboii wrote: »

Too many out of touch senior citizens here on boards.ie. All your favorite bands from the 80s are old men now with fitbits and yoga classes. Mick Jagger does Zumba. Stop romanticizing alcoholism and drug abuse. Its out of touch and pathetic.

Do you think music has improved since alcoholism and drug addiction declined?

You do know that when you are given the gift of actual talent the gift of self destruction is placed immediately into your other hand

paul71

sk8erboii wrote: »

Too many out of touch senior citizens here on boards.ie. All your favorite bands from the 80s are old men now with fitbits and yoga classes. Mick Jagger does Zumba. Stop romanticizing alcoholism and drug abuse. Its out of touch and pathetic.

Come on challenge yourself and read the last lines of the old main drag.

And I wished I could escape from the old main drag
And now I'm lying here I've had too much booze
I've been shat on and spat on and raped and abused
I know that I am dying and I wish I could beg
For some money to take me from the old main drag

Is Shane romanticising alcoholism and drug abuse, or is he a gifted wordsmith and alcoholic sounding a siren call of warning to people not to fall into the traps of his own experiences.

ceadaoin.

Hang on are we supposed to think that today's music performers arent mostly on drugs too? Because they definitely are.

Sardonicat

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Do you think music has improved since alcoholism and drug addiction declined?

You do know that when you are given the gift of actual talent the gift of self destruction is placed immediately into your other hand

That seems to be the case for many, doesn't it?