According to stereogum, Nick Cave, lead singer for the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, wrote a eulogy for fellow musician and friend, Shane MacGowan, who passed away last month at the age of 65. The touching eulogy was recently published by The Guardian. The eulogy depicts the endearing friendship he and MacGowan shared. He recounts their first meeting which occurred  in 1989, when music paper NME, had grouped the men for what Cave called a “summit reading.” 

Cave continued saying he, “was excited because I was a fan, completely in awe of Shane’s songwriting.” But the meeting did come at an interesting time for Cave, as he states this meeting took place on his, “first day out of rehab, and it probably wasn’t the greatest idea to spend the day with two people who were not known for their moderation.” Cave described the encounter as “pure mayhem,” but both men grew closer as time went on.

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MacGowan was the lead vocalist and main songwriter for the Celtic punk band, The Pogues. The band has a list of notable songs including, “FairyTale of New York,” “Dirty Old Town,” and “A Rainy Night in Soho,” which Cave performed at MacGowan’s funeral. Cave continues to compliment MacGowan’s talents as a songwriter saying, ‘“He wrote a bunch of truly great songs. That’s a hell of a lot more than most songwriters manage.” 

In the eulogy, Cave goes on to say,“At the end of the day, though, it is his genius we should remember,” a goal that Cave has stayed true to. Shortly after MacGowan’s death, Cave paid a tribute to his friend in which he shared his appreciation for MacGowan as a musician and as a friend.

To read more about Nick Cave click here, mxdwn, and here, mxdwn. 

Photo Credits: Raymond Flotat