About Shane MacGowan And The Popes
After being dismissed from The Pogues in 1991 due to having being deemed unreliable as a result of his heavy drinking, Shane MacGowan gathered together a new ensemble of musicians drawn from the extended Pogues family and Irish roots music circles to support his next recordings and live performances. This lineup including Paul “Mad Dog” McGuinness on guitar, formed the core of Shane MacGowan and The Popes.
The band’s first studio album, The Snake, was released in October 1994 on ZTT Records. It marked MacGowan’s first major project after The Pogues, showcasing his gritty songwriting alongside the Popes’ energetic fusion of folk and rock.
The record included contributions from guest musicians such as actor and musician Johnny Depp, who directed and appeared in the video for the single “That Woman’s Got Me Drinking,” and featured collaborations with Sinéad O’Connor (“Haunted”) and Maire Brennan of Clannad (“You’re The One”). The album received critical acclaim for its passionate songwriting and stylistic variety. It reached No. 37 on the UK Albums Chart, and the band supported it with tours including dates in North America, helping establish their presence beyond Ireland and Britain.
In 1997, Shane MacGowan and The Popes released their second studio album, The Crock of Gold. The record continued in the Celtic punk/rock vein, blending raucous and reflective moods, though it generally received more mixed reviews than its predecessor. Named for a novel by Irish writer James Stephens, the album was the last full studio project MacGowan recorded before returning briefly to The Pogues in 2001 for reunion tours.
The Popes played their final show with MacGowan on St. Patrick's Day, 2005. After Shane left, The Popes continued as a band with Paul McGuinness reforming a new line-up of the band after the death of banjo player Tommy McManamon in 2006.
Video
Shane MacGowan and the Popes - Whisky Nancy (on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, 1995)
Shane MacGowan and The Popes - Aisling (on Jools Holland - Hootenanny, 1995)
Shane MacGowan & The Popes - Mother Mo Chroi (on The Late Late Show, 2002)
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