Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan

This is one of the best documentaries about a musical artist that I have ever seen. An absolute must watch, regardless of whether you are a fan of Shane McGowan and The Pogues.

"Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan" came on suddenly on ARTE after Shane MacGowan's passing.

Reading the name Julien Temple made the reviewer very happy, since we are a big fan of his work. The film features some of the Pogues & Shane's timeless extraordinary music. But the artist himself says a couple of times that he might not agree to all the footage and at times even wonders, if the cameras were rolling. Having had the honor of hanging out with Shane in the early days I feel bad for him about the editing of the film. Some shots seem too long and some footage I rather would have not seen, since it seems very intimate. Also not a great fan of some of the cartoons. Shane's music and the Pogues & Popes make up for it, so turn it way up and maybe just take a listen to the lovely tunes. I very much do like the archival footage & background info. Well done!

A 2020 documentary about the late, great lead singer of the Pogues. Following historical footage & performances w/the band interspersed w/interviews w/MacGowan on the eve of his 60th birthday (conducted by friends like Johnny Depp, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams & Primal Scream's lead singer Bobby Gillespie) celebration. Taking the punk aesthetic & melding it w/traditional Irish music gave legitimacy to MacGowan's aim to present his music to the public & they'd respond w/rapturous praise. However in his desire to float that ideal, MacGowan would engage in perhaps living the life (the constant smoke & drink) which possibly played a factor into his unfortunate early passing (his dilapidated physical appearance being wheeled around in a chair & his slow, slur of speech sometimes are hard to watch) 3 years later feels like the world lost a poetic soul way too soon but no matter how you feel about his behavior, the film is still chock a block (crock a block?) filled w/great music & insight.

A great documentary! Not to be missed ! Bravo ! A masterpiece.

A sublime and transcendent experience for fans missing the glorious Celtic romps of the Pogues in their prime. Director Temple wildly enhances the underwhelming interviews with a mostly ruined, but still fascinating, Shane MacGowan with psychedelic animation, heavenly black and white Irish pastoral scenes, and an engaging trove of archival footage that includes Shane dancing in the front row of a Sex Pistols' show. Gets to the very heart of Shane and connects all the essential dots ultimately revealing a brave and free spirit who was ripped away as a child into the devastating whirlwinds of his era yet managed somehow to ride them all out.