So so sad😢another truth heralder gone. His truth through music not unlike Sinead OConner. Alcohol tempered lifes intensity and stupidity. Life is hard and cruel hence we lose some brilliant people
Reading this, I felt like I was standing alongside you at the bar at the Dogs Bollix and I could smell the Guinness! Beautiful tribute to another great talent sadly lost.
I am somewhat familiar with the Pogues . Two terrific songs today .Shane MacGowan was a clever ,from the gut lyricist. Especially achieving the challenge of .a non-perky Christmas song. In 1997 you were thinking Shane was not looking well. His resilience kicked in-he lasted for another 26 years. I thought of Sinead OConnor today when hearing about Shane. I always admired her talent, and her resolve to be her own person. A friend of Shanes an both gone this year. One of the blimmin awful things about getting old is the people you lose from your life, from your imago of people that you admire, enjoy and appreciate. Good on you for changing your relationship with alchohol Nick. I have a 51yr old son, currently living in my virtually self contained downstairs , who drinks in a way that I can see his health is being impacted, and is problematic to be around.
Thank you Nick, Pogues have long been my favourite and I was lucky enough to see them in Christchurch (1988?), RIP doesn’t quite fit for Shane - doubt that he would go quietly into the night…
How sad but so lovely that you chose Shane singing a song written by Kirstie McCall's father Ewan . Her voice was the perfect foil to Shane's gravelly growl on Fairy Tale. RIP Shane .
Beautifully and evocatively written Nick. And yes NY Fairy Tale is absolutely best Christmas song ever ❤️
So so sad😢another truth heralder gone. His truth through music not unlike Sinead OConner. Alcohol tempered lifes intensity and stupidity. Life is hard and cruel hence we lose some brilliant people
Condolences. This is what people mean when they refer to the soundtrack of their life, I guess. Van is part of mine, for sure.
Reading this, I felt like I was standing alongside you at the bar at the Dogs Bollix and I could smell the Guinness! Beautiful tribute to another great talent sadly lost.
Best Christmas song ever. I will be playing it.
Lovely post Nick thank you for starting my day with your happy memories. The Pogues and Van in one post is a pretty unbeatable combo.
Love that song!
Thank you!
I am somewhat familiar with the Pogues . Two terrific songs today .Shane MacGowan was a clever ,from the gut lyricist. Especially achieving the challenge of .a non-perky Christmas song. In 1997 you were thinking Shane was not looking well. His resilience kicked in-he lasted for another 26 years. I thought of Sinead OConnor today when hearing about Shane. I always admired her talent, and her resolve to be her own person. A friend of Shanes an both gone this year. One of the blimmin awful things about getting old is the people you lose from your life, from your imago of people that you admire, enjoy and appreciate. Good on you for changing your relationship with alchohol Nick. I have a 51yr old son, currently living in my virtually self contained downstairs , who drinks in a way that I can see his health is being impacted, and is problematic to be around.
Thank you Nick, Pogues have long been my favourite and I was lucky enough to see them in Christchurch (1988?), RIP doesn’t quite fit for Shane - doubt that he would go quietly into the night…
Oh I love your stories! Almost like being there lol RIP Shane. My little grandson loves dancing to the Pogues
Great tribute to his talents Nic. Pogues have a great following amongst my friends.
How sad but so lovely that you chose Shane singing a song written by Kirstie McCall's father Ewan . Her voice was the perfect foil to Shane's gravelly growl on Fairy Tale. RIP Shane .
Beautifully written Nick. Wonderful songs. I may have shed a tear.
Thanks Nick. RIP Shane.😪😪😪
I'm astonished he made 65 to be honest. Those teeth must have caused so many other problems.
The other death - Kissinger's - I read Rolling Stone's "obit" which took my breath away.
Thanks for the lovely letter, Nick.
Robert Reich wrote a piece on Kissinger last night which is worth a (grim) read:
https://open.substack.com/pub/robertreich/p/henry-kissinger-1923-2023
Well, I read it anyway. The Ackerman one in Rolling Stone went into tonnes more detail, of which the Chilean debacle was just one item.
What an evil, self-serving bunch some of those Yanks were/are.
I don't know that even more information about Kissinger's perfidy is what I need today. But thanks all the same!
'Count the days
Slowly drifting by...'
Lovely, thanks, Nick.