“Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan” to Screen at RIFF

On closing night of the Rome International Film Festival, Sunday, November 14 at 6:30 p.m., RIFF will screen “Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan” (2020) at the Historic DeSoto Theatre and will host, for the first time in the U.S., an exhibition of Shane MacGowan’s art at the Kingfisher Art Co. in downtown Rome, Ga. 

Audiences are welcome to feast on the raw and unfiltered energy of Irish punk band, The Pogues, frontman Shane MacGowan, as “Crock of Gold” takes viewers on a journey through the manifestation of MacGowan’s passion, rebellion, and prose as he navigated a rough childhood, the late-seventies punk scene, and global fame with The Pogues. 

MacGowan’s wife, Irish journalist, writer and producer, Victoria Mary Clarke, will be in attendance. Clarke said she was inspired to make the documentary after her husband's 60th birthday concert in Dublin, Ireland, which featured Johnny Depp and Bono of U2. 

The film was produced by Johnny Depp and Stephen Deuters; directed by Julien Temple. 

As the film’s title suggests, a few rounds will be had as MacGowan chats with friend and producer Johnny Depp; Irish political figurehead Gerry Adams; Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie; as well as Clarke.

Clarke said that Temple was the obvious choice for director. “He had known Shane since he was an 18 year old punk in London. In fact, Julien had filmed the very first ever interview with Shane, which is in the film.”

With a critically acclaimed catalogue of songs and an Ivors Inspiration Award under his belt, MacGowan has been referred to as one of the greatest songwriters of all time. 

Following the screening, all-access pass holders are welcome to the after-party where they will witness, for the first time in the U.S., an exhibition of MacGowan’s fierce, unscrupulous art, at the Kingfisher Art Co. Prints of MacGowan’s art will be for sale. 

Depp wrote in the foreword for MacGowan’s book of art that the works reveal “Shane’s propensity for the wild, for the absurd, for the political, for the beautiful, all funnelled and threaded through the needle of his pen.”