This is a question that only Shane can answer. It is strongly suspected that the answer changes daily.
Why are his teeth so bad?
Many legends exist that claim to explain away his poor teeth. They are:
- Beat up by police
- Fell off of bicycle
- Sugar in booze rotted 'em away
- Never brushed his teeth.
- Who in UK/Ireland has good teeth?
- Joe Strummer kicked them out when a young Shane rushed the stage at an early Clash concert.
- Yummy, yummy crack pipes.
Note: At least two of the rumors above were started within the answer to this question.
Also note: These are rumors and speculation on the part of fans, press, and glib comments by Shane, nothing more. Each and every one of them should be considered pure fiction.
- Beat up by police
- Fell off of bicycle
- Sugar in booze rotted 'em away
- Never brushed his teeth.
- Who in UK/Ireland has good teeth?
- Joe Strummer kicked them out when a young Shane rushed the stage at an early Clash concert.
- Yummy, yummy crack pipes.
Note: At least two of the rumors above were started within the answer to this question.
Also note: These are rumors and speculation on the part of fans, press, and glib comments by Shane, nothing more. Each and every one of them should be considered pure fiction.
Is Shane coming to (COUNTRY) any time soon? Do Shane & The Popes have a tour schedule available?
Shane tours with the Pogues now. Keep checking the frontpage for details about upcoming tours. Apart from that, Shane occasionally guests with other performers, such as Sharon Shannon. Keep checking this forum and the "News" section on the frontpage for further information.
Is it true that Sinead O'Connor turned Shane over to the police for heroin use?
Yes. At the time Shane threatened to sue her for defamation of character/slander. He has since stated that her action likely saved his life.
Is it true that Sinead O'Connor named her son "Shane," after Shane MacGowan?
She has named her new child "Shane." While there is much speculation about why, Ms. O'Connor has not made any affirmative or negative comment.
Did Shane really eat a Beach Boys vinyl record?
"Eat" is likely an exageration, but that's how the legend goes. Victoria Clarke wrote about this incident here.
What is Shane's official site address? Is that the same as his fan club's address?
Shane's fan club, The Friends of Shane, is recognized by Shane as official and is located at http://www.shanemacgowan.com . The Friends of Shane is managed by Ingrid Knetsch, Michael Madden, Juergen Schmitz, and Michael Benchoff.
Why did Shane leave the Pogues? Was he sacked?
There has been a great deal of "he said/she said" regarding who left whom and why. Only recently has an accurate picture begun to emerge.
The band in general was very exhausted from constant touring, sometimes being on the road for 300+ days at a time. During the Japan leg of the "Hell's Ditch" tour Shane began to become increasingly unreliable, sometimes missing shows entirely, sometimes being too intoxicated to be able to perform. Eventually the band decided that they could no longer work this way, and Darryl Hunt was given the dubious task of asking Shane to leave.
The band in general was very exhausted from constant touring, sometimes being on the road for 300+ days at a time. During the Japan leg of the "Hell's Ditch" tour Shane began to become increasingly unreliable, sometimes missing shows entirely, sometimes being too intoxicated to be able to perform. Eventually the band decided that they could no longer work this way, and Darryl Hunt was given the dubious task of asking Shane to leave.
Is there a new Shane CD forthcoming?
There has been a rumor of an album called "20th Century Paddy" for several years. Thus far there has been no more evidence than the rumor.
In which films has Shane appeared?
Shane has appeared in several films. He has appeared in Alex Cox's "Straight to Hell," Peter Richardson's "Eat the Rich," "A Man You Don't Meet Every Day" (Shane & The Popes appear as the bar band in the back of a scene), and in the upcoming film "The Libertine." More detail on Shane's film appearances can be found here.
