Shane MacGowan and the Pogues Perform at Brixton Academy (1988)

"There were six men in Birmingham, in Guildford, there's four,
That were picked up and tortured and framed by the law,
And the filth got promotion, but they're still doing time
For being Irish in the wrong place and at the wrong time..."
On 20 December 1988, ITN filmed the Pogues as they performed their song, Streets of Sorrow / Birmingham Six, at Brixton Academy. The track, written by the band's multi-instrumentalist Terry Woods and primary songwriter and frontman, Shane MacGowan, had recently been banned by the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), in line with a Home Office directive banning the broadcasting of individuals supportive of terrorist groups in Northern Ireland. In fact, the song told the story of the Birmingham Six, a group of Irish men who were wrongfully imprisoned following a IRA bomb attack in Birmingham. In 1991, the British high court found the Birmingham Six to have been wrongfully convicted, and ordered their immediate release. The ban on the song was lifted soon after.
Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan has died aged 65, following a long period of ill-health. Born in Kent to Irish parents, MacGowan spent much of his childhood in Tipperary. His poetic fusion of traditional and modern themes and forms, together with his raw, howling delivery, saw him recognised as one of the most distinctive performers and celebrated songwriters in his lifetime. In 2018, at a concert gala to mark his 60th birthday in Dublin, MacGowan was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award by Irish President Michael D. Higgins. The same year, MacGowan was honoured with the Ivor Novello Inspiration Award for songwriting.
#ShaneMacGowan #ThePogues #Pogues #BirminghamSix #Irish #IrishMusic #Folk #Punk
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[@zachoneill6570]

Never seen this before! We shall miss you Mr Macgowan! You were a true character and a brilliant poet

[@CH-1962.]

❤ Rest in Peace dear Shane McGowan ❤

[@marksinthehouse1968]

RIP Shane being from an Irish family so proud hope you meet up with Kirsty and bent out “fairy tale of New York “ to our lord I’m sure he would love it ❤😢

[@gleannmhuire]

Ridiculous concept 😂

[@ChubbyChecker182]

RIP The Great Shane McGowan 💚xx

[@helenjenner370]

I’ve never understood. Bless the man he’s passed-all respect to him… I can’t heat magic All respect Just not my box 🙏💕

[@cpt-420]

i was there and the next year ,rip Shane Macgowan

[@pamelaulrich3928]

I was there. It was my first concert after arriving in London.

[@marymoore4606]

Rip to the beautiful person songwriter and poet love Mary xxoo

[@alicemiller2380]

Wish I was in that bar in Heaven when Shane arrives 😢

[@MorePlausible]

R.I.P. Shane

[@Pookiekinns]

I was at this gig. Thanks so much for publishing this. It'd be great if you had some more footage.

[@ITNArchive]

We wish there was more to share, sadly this is all that was filmed. We recently found the original tape of unedited footage, or "rushes", stashed away in storage where it had been sitting since the date of recording. We digitised the tape urgently so we could share it with you here. 💚

[@clonmanytidytowns]

Thanks for these means alot

[@cpt-420]

do you remember joe strummer lurking on side stage incase shane didnt make it thru the gig ? lol

[@fr.mcgreer8349]

@@ITNArchive Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[@LiamHughes-sy7zl]

Who here agrees that song now will b a chirstmas number 1 I bet u all 💯 it will

[@LeonieDoyle]

❤❤❤❤❤❤😢❤❤😂RIP. ILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU

[@liam1204]

Great stuff @ITN ARCHIVE. Any chance you can upload more of the gig please 😊?

[@ITNArchive]

Sadly this is all the footage of the gig that was recorded! We recently found the original tape of unedited footage, known as rushes, hidden away in storage where it had been sitting since the date of recording. We digitised the footage urgently so we could share it with you here. 💚

[@josephkaye8154]

Goodnight big man, God speed.

[@Aoocci791]

any clue on what is he saying?

[@wandaborowy9400]

This man was gross.

[@DUDLEY2000]

Easy to criticise the dead.

[@wandaborowy9400]

@@DUDLEY2000 I also said it when he still alive.

[@aerialpyropewpew]

@@wandaborowy9400 😂

[@finscall1068]

What causes you to make such a judgement
We feel badly that your so miserable