Watch Nick Cave perform ‘A Rainy Night In Soho’ at Shane MacGowan’s funeral
Thousands of mourners and some of music and film’s most notable names have gathered in Tipperary to say goodbye to Shane MacGowan. In a service featuring several performances of The Pogues’ hits, Nick Cave was amongst the lineup to perform a moving rendition of ‘A Rainy Night In Soho’.
In a tribute shared earlier this week, Cave called MacGowan “a true friend and the greatest songwriter of his generation”. On the day of his death, Cave mourned the loss of his friend and peer, deeming it “a very sad day” amongst the hoard of other heartfelt messages flooding in from musicians, writers and artists alike for The Pogues singer.
During an interview with Intelligence Squared, he added that MacGowan was “just an extraordinary person,” describing him as “incredibly kind”, “generous”, and “pure”.
Cave’s connection to MacGowan had been a personal one. Meeting back in the 1980s, when Cave’s career was just taking off thanks to his band The Birthday Party, he can’t quite recall the first time. In a piece celebrating MacGowan’s 60th birthday in 2018, Cave said, “God knows when I exactly first met Shane. He’ll remember.” He added, “Shane has an astonishing memory. We spent a lot of time together. Many nights over the years. I think we were the only two people that could put up with each other.”
They went on to be fast friends, sharing a mutual respect for one another’s music; that admiration was shown when NME brought the pair together along with Mark E. Smith for a chaotic roundtable conversation. “It seems to me that in your songs, Nick, you’re doing a Jung style trip of examining your shadow, all the dark things you don’t want to be,” MacGowan said of Cave’s work.
“You’re exploring the world through the subconscious. I’ve done that on occasions for various reasons, whether it be illness or self abuse, or whatever. Once things start to look grotesque I don’t write them or sing them. I couldn’t write them the way you do, I couldn’t – making nightmares into living daylight,” MacGowan continued.
In response, Cave said simply, “I think you do a pretty good job of it in some of your songs.”
The friends collaborated in 1992 on a cover of Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a Wonderful World’ as well as a duet on one of Nick Cave’s songs, ‘Lucy’. They performed together on numerous occasions.
After passing away on November 30th, MacGowan’s funeral was held on December 8th. Celebrating his life, music and cultural impact, there were several performances from MacGowan’s former The Pogues bandmates, Glen Hansard and Lisa O’Neill, Caít O’Riordan, and more. As Nick Cave took to the piano to honour his friend, there was applause from the mourners.
Playing a stunning rendition of the 1985 hit ‘A Rainy Night In Soho’, Cave begins solo on the grand piano before being accompanied by a full Irish band. A beautiful and moving cover to honour a hugely influential artist, Cave pays a real tribute to MacGowan’s talent.
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