The story of the Irish troublemaker and the longest standing punk rock icon.
As he turns sixty, the frontman of The Pogues—the notorious troublemaker, who married punk rock with traditional Irish music—Shane MacGowan looks back at his eventful life: from his difficult childhood to the days of his youth in London, and from the first success with his band to the long marathon of self-destruction that ended in psychiatric institutions and lost teeth. The chronicler of the British punk rock Julien Temple, known for his documentaries on the Sex Pistols, Joe Strummer, and the Glastonbury Festival, has assembled MacGowan's memories into a bold film collage. Temple has seen a few rebels with guitars in his life. Instead of an epic rock doc, he has crafted an honest portrait of MacGowan: as funny as he is wild and shocking. Despite having been told by the doctors that he had months to live in the 1980s, MacGowan still walks the Earth, makes jokes, and likes his drink. His recent anniversary brought Johnny Depp (the film's co-producer), Bono, Nick Cave, Sinéad O'Connor, and Ireland's president together on one stage. Crock of Gold has captured his uncompromising flamboyant persona as well as The Pogues songs, conveying the spirit of Irish weddings and funerals.
Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan
Director: Julien Temple
USA, UK, 2020, 124 min. 18+