This article originally appeared in the October 1995 issue of SPIN. In memory of Shane MacGowan, who died on Nov. 30, 2023, we’re republishing it here.
At Filthy McNastys, an Irish pub In London, the sign over the bar says, “OH, LORD MAKE ME PURE, BUT NOT JUST YET.” Gold records by the Pogues hang next to photos of JFK, Elvis Presley, and Popes John XXIII and Paul VI. There, in the flickering candlelight, dwells an icon who deserves similar enshrinement—but for the rather surprising fact that he’s still alive.
Shane MacGowan, the notoriously unhinged former Pogues singer, now miraculously back in glory as leader of the Popes,
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