Shane MacGowan, the principal singer and songwriter for the Pogues, first became famous in London as “Shane O’Hooligan”: After his ear got bitten in the scrum of a 1976 concert, his photo was featured in the NME weekly music paper with the headline “Cannibalism at Clash Gig.”MacGowan, who died on Thursday, was a punk enthusiast (with a fanzine called “Bondage”) without much certainty on how to contribute to the scene beyond bleeding all over it.
Before the Pogues, MacGowan toyed with playing Cretan music, with making rock seasoned with industrial noise, even with starting an imperial-Rome act where band members would wear togas and gladiator outfits.
Although MacGowan spent most of his youth in England, his parents were Irish: Once he settled on mixing punk rock with traditional Celtic music, he found his natural idiom.
Persons:
Shane MacGowan, Shane O’Hooligan ”, ” MacGowan, MacGowan
Organizations:
Pogues
Locations:
London, Rome, England