Biography
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Years Active
1992 – 1998 (6 years)
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Members
- Andy Ireland
- Bob Dowling
- Danny Heatley
- John Myers
- Kieran Kiely
Shane MacGowan and The Popes is a band originally led by Shane MacGowan (died 2023), formerly of The Pogues that play a blend of rock, and Irish folk. The band split in 2005 when The Popes recorded and gigged on their own until 2006. At the end of 2006, guitarist Paul "Mad Dog" McGuinness reformed the band with a new lineup. The band has been on an extended hiatus since 2013.
The band's line up has changed through the years; current members include: Andy Ireland (drums), Paul "Mad Dog" McGuinness (guitar, vocals), and Bob "Lucky" Dowling (bass). Past members have included Mick O'Connell (accordion), Kieran "Mo" O' Hagan (Acoustic guitar, vocals), John Myers (fiddle, tin whistle), Danny Heatley (aka Danny Pope) (drums), Seamus "Rapey" Murphy (accordion), Berni "The Undertaker" France (bass), Ulick McGhee (oboe), Colm O'Maonlai (whistle), Kieran Kiely (accordion, whistle) and Leeson O'Keeffe (Electric guitar, banjo, vocals). Longtime band member Tom "McAnimal" McManamon (banjo) died on 15 December 2006.Scottish violinist laura Mcghee played with the popes at the Barrowlands and went down a storm when she played fairytale in new york with shane who said of the dundee lass i would love to see her get more air time on Scottish radio as she is big in America.
Following his departure from The Pogues in 1991, MacGowan returned in 1994 with this new band, whose debut album "The Snake" was critically acclaimed and showed that MacGowan's creative juices were very much still flowing. A second album, "The Crock Of Gold", was released in 1997 and was, for the most part, more traditionally oriented. Two albums surfaced in 2002 - the compilation "The Rare Oul' Stuff" and the superlative live set "Across The Broad Atlantic". There was also an outstanding live DVD ("Live At Montreux") released in 2004, which shows the band performing at their creative peak (and includes a number of Pogues songs - a feature of Popes concerts throughout MacGowan's tenure as frontman).
The reunion of The Pogues (complete with MacGowan) in 2004 led to MacGowan leaving The Popes behind to concentrate on playing live with his original bandmates. The Popes continue to perform without MacGowan, albeit sporadically. The band has been on hiatus since 2013.
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