For the love of love of Shane Macgowan

Direct from their sensational 2024 Edinburgh Fringe sell-out run!

John McLaughlin (hit songwriter/producer/singer of Johnny Mac & The Faithful) performs songs of his friend and genius Shane MacGowan (The Pogues and The Popes).  Johnny and his 7-piece band blast through the classic songs of the great man whilst McLaughlin shares fond memories of their times writing and recording together and of course going to the pub!

This homage is a celebration of the life and works of one of the greatest artists of all time and is endorsed by Shane’s wife, Victoria Mary Clarke.  So, let’s all raise a glass to Shane MacGowan! 

“Shane loved working and spending time with John and would always smile fondly when John’s name came up in conversation. He said one of his proudest moments was shared with John at Celtic Football Stadium performing in front of 62,000 fans.”

Victoria Mary Clarke (Wife of the late Shane MacGowan)

“For the Love of Shane MacGowan vividly evoked the great man’s soul and his voice, clearly showing the love those behind the tribute had for him. I felt privileged to have attended.” 

Miriam Trujillo (Binge Fringe Mag - 5* review)

“Johnny Mac & the Faithful bring such joy and happiness to the crowds! They are the best opening act I have ever had. I love them so much I got them to play at my Christmas party in my house!!”

Sir Rod Stewart

“For the love of Shane MacGowan! – John McLaughlin is first and foremost a music fan. So when he wrote and recorded songs with Shane MacGowan it was the ultimate labour of love. I know his heart will be filled with pride as he pays a personal tribute to his friend – in words and music – and celebrates the incredible achievements of the lead singer of The Pogues.”

Billy Sloan (BBC Radio)

The Wailers

The Wailers are a rare breed of musicians who have earned their place in the annals of music history. Their culture-defining music, embodying the spirit of the 70s reggae movement, has left an indelible mark on the industry.

Experience the magic of their timeless classics and incredible cuts from Bob Marley’s vast repertoire in a set that is truly unforgettable. Under the guidance of Aston Barrett Jr, son of the legendary “Familyman”, The Wailers continue to preserve the legacy of their iconic sound.

In 2020, The Wailers made a comeback with their new album, “One World,” produced by Emilio Estefan. The first single, “One World, One Prayer”, is a powerful anthem for unity, love, and inclusivity, and features a blend of Jamaican reggae and urban Latin music. The track includes international sensation Farruko, Jamaican icon Shaggy, and members of the Marley family, including Cedella and Skip Marley.

The Wailers’ long-awaited album, “One World”, earned a 2021 Grammy® nomination for Best Reggae Album, marking the band’s first recording in 25 years.

In 2017, Aston Barrett Jr. received a Grammy certificate as co-producer with Damian Marley for the track The Struggle Discontinues, featured in the Album “Stony Hill” which won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album.

Aston Barrett Jr. is a co-owner of BAD Lions Productions, LLC. who operates a studio in Pompano Beach, Florida. He can be heard playing guitar, drums, bass, and organ for Stephen Marley, Junior Reed, Julian Marley, Kwame Bediaco, Aka Beka, Jessee Royale, Reggae Force, and many more. His sponsors include Rupert Neve (whose pro audio gear is heard on every album he has played on and every live Wailers show), as well as Fender, Mannabasso, Black Lion Audio, and Pigtronics.

Goethes Erben

Goethes Erben are regarded as one of the style-defining bands of the gothic scene in the 90's. The formation around and with frontman Oswald Henke has been active since 1989 and has constantly and consistently developed further since then. Henke describes his artistic work as "German-language music theatre". An apt description for such a multifaceted project, in which the lyrics (more spoken than sung) always have a very special significance. A total of nine studio albums have been released to date, with the tenth album, "X", to follow in 2023. But Goethes Erben is not "just" music: several musical theatre pieces (including "Rückkehr ins Niemandsland" and "Menschenstille") have premiered over the years and have been recorded for posterity.

James Walsh (Starsailor)

James first found success as the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist with multi platinum band Starsailor with whom he still tours and releases the occasional album. 'Everything Will Be Ok' is James's 4th official solo album following 'Turning Point','Tiger On The Bridge' & 'Small Illusions' He's also used his songwriting skills with artists as diverse as Professor Green and Melanie C

Rudeboy plays Urban Dance Squad ft. DJ DNA

After the break-up in 2006 Silver Surfinger Rudeboy, the MC of Urban Dance Squad will finally perform again with a complete Urban Dance Squad set that will include a mixture from all the 5 records UDS ever made. Not only Rudeboy will join this party but also DJ DNA, the original DJ, master of turntables.

Urban Dance Squad was a Dutch rap rock band formed after what was originally intended as a one-time jam-session at a festival in Utrecht on December 20, 1986. The band consisted of a guitarist, bassist, drummer, rapper, and DJ. Their music is described as a blend of genres including funk, soul, heavy metal, hip hop, reggae, jazz and ska. Urban Dance Squad was one of the most successful Dutch bands of the nineties, releasing five studio albums and toured extensively especally in France, Germany and the US.

Urban Dance Squad first got together in 1986, at a jam session in De Vrije Vloer, a club in Utrecht, a jam which resulted in the first Dutch rock band with a rapper (they borrowed the name from Parliament-Funkadelic's Urban Dancefloor Guerillas); a song, "Struggle for Jive"; and the blending of white and black music in the Netherlands, at the same time that Fishbone, Living Colour, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers were doing the same in the United States. The band recorded its first album, Mental Floss for the Globe, in Brussels in 1989 (produced by Jean-Marie Aerts, of TC Matic), and came to instant success. It won an Edison Award, and the single "Deeper Shade of Soul" was a hit in Europe, and in the United States, where it charted at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. Two more singles were released from the album, and Urban Dance Squad toured the US in 1991, opening for Living Colour--The Pittsburgh Press described their music as "refried Zeppelin riffs and neo-Hendrix guitar solos complete with sound effects and old soul records to produce an exceedingly loud, densely packed, dissonant garage-rock stew."

In the middle of the band's career, to capitalize on the success of grunge and alternative rock, Urban Dance Squad released ersona Non Grata in January 1994. All of the tracks feature heavy use of distortion and guitar. The singles "No Honestly" and "Candy Strip Experience." were released, the latter single being released as a radio edit that cuts most of the pre-song noise.

Artantica saw release in 1999, and was a return to the band's hip-hop roots, and received critical acclaim. Urban Dance Squad disbanded the following year, though they did perform together again as late as 2006.

Silver Surfinger Rudeboy
After Urban Dance Squad disbanded in 2000 Rudeboy joined Junkie XL for 2 records and did a lot of touring with them. After Junkie XL Rudeboy made records with The League Of XO Gentlemen (Smiling At The Claptrap Circuses, 2003) and Club Of High Eyebrows (Older Now, 2007) and The Phantom Four & The Arguido (Sounds From the Obscure 2012)

The Psychedelic Furs (UK)

If you sit and talk to many of the alternative rock artists dominating today’s music, you’ll find that many of them pay homage to the The Psychedelic Furs. Led by front man and songwriter Richard Butler, the Furs won over fans and critics alike by combining poetic lyrics, innovative rhythms and melodies driven by an aggressive, punk desperation. Through it all, the band scored major hits with "Love My Way," "Pretty In Pink," "Heaven," "The Ghost In You," and “Heartbreak Beat” in all releasing seven studio albums and spawning several compilations, a boxed set, and a live concert DVD.

The Psychedelic Furs came together in England's emerging punk scene in 1977 initially consisting of Richard Butler (vocals), Tim Butler (bass guitar), Paul Wilson (drums), Duncan Kilburn (saxophone), and Roger Morris (guitars). By 1979, this line up had expanded to a sextet with Vince Ely replacing Wilson on drums and John Ashton being added on guitar.

The Furs debut, a self-titled album from 1980 was produced by Steve Lillywhite. The LP quickly established the band at radio in Europe and was a top 20 hit in the UK. The album also found success in Germany, Italy, France, Spain, New Zealand and Australia.

The Furs found success in the U.S. with their next release, 1981's Talk Talk Talk, which saw the band making its debut on the US album charts. In New Zealand, meanwhile, the band became immensely popular, as Talk Talk Talk reached the top ten in the charts, the first in a string of Furs' albums to chart in the New Zealand Top 10.

In the UK, the album spun off two charting singles, "Dumb Waiters" and the original version of "Pretty in Pink". The latter song served as inspiration for the 1986 John Hughes film of the same name, and was re-recorded for the film’s platinum-selling soundtrack.

In 1982, the Furs, now a four-piece with the departures of Morris and Kilburn, recorded Forever Now, with producer Todd Rundgren in Woodstock, New York. This album included "Love My Way", which became yet another UK and US chart hit.

Ely left the band after Forever Now, although he would return for the 1988 single "All That Money Wants" and the 1989 album Book of Days.

The Furs' 1984 release Mirror Moves was produced by Keith Forsey, and featured the songs "The Ghost in You" and "Heaven". Both charted in throughout the world, and "Heaven" became the band's highest charting UK hit at the time.

By the mid-80s, the band had become a staple on both U.S. college and modern rock radio stations. Simultaneously, they were experiencing consistent mainstream success, placing several singles in the pop charts on both sides of the Atlantic.

In 1986, the band recorded a sax-infused version of "Pretty in Pink" for the soundtrack of the film of the same name. Released as a single, it became their biggest hit to that time in the U.S., and their biggest-ever UK hit.

"Midnight to Midnight", was their biggest Top 40 album success to date, but also a more overtly commercial effort than the Furs had ever recorded before. The album also featured the single "Heartbreak Beat", which became the Psychedelic Furs biggest hit yet on the U.S. Top 40. The album also featured drummer Paul Garisto and sax player Mars Williams, both of whom continue to tour with the band.

In the wake of Midnight To Midnight, the Furs subsequently returned to a rawer sound with "All That Money Wants", a 1988 track especially recorded for a best-of compilation album "All Of This And Nothing". 1989's Book of Days and 1991's World Outside also saw a return to the earlier Furs' style.

The Furs' steady chart success continued with three #1 hits on the newly-established U.S. Modern Rock chart between 1988 and 1991. "All That Money Wants" was a #1 hit in 1988, while "House" topped the chart in 1990, and "Until She Comes" was #1 in 1991.

The band went on extended hiatus in the early 1990s, with the Butler brothers going on to create the band “Love Spit Love” along with guitarist Richard Fortus and drummer Frank Ferrer. Love Spit Love released two albums and enjoyed some chart success as well.

After spending most of the decade apart, the Butlers and Ashton reignited The Psychedelic Furs in 2001, and released a live album Beautiful Chaos: Greatest Hits Live, which also featured a new studio recording, "Alive (For Once In My Lifetime)." A DVD version of the performance included live versions of "Alive" and three other previously unreleased songs: "Anodyne (Better Days)," "Cigarette" and "Wrong Train."

Since then, lead singer Richard Butler has released an eponymous solo album produced by Jon Carin, and has hinted at the possibility of a new Psychedelic Furs album.

These days, the band continues to tour around the world. The current Psychedelic Furs touring lineup remains Richard Butler (vocals), Tim Butler (bass), Rich Good (guitar), Mars Williams (saxophone), Amanda Kramer (keyboards), and Paul Garisto (drums).

The Church (AUS)

A ringing 12-string guitar introduction. A dreamlike lyric that seems to hold the cosmos in its hands. It’s still the most recognisable, covered and widely beloved song in the catalogue of a band that’s released a remarkable 26 albums.

And it’s 30 years old this year.

The song is Under The Milky Way, from The Church’s most successful album, the undisputed classic Starfish.

In 2018, the Australian paisley underground pioneers are enjoying a year of unique celebrations, which started with a sold-out appearance at the Meltdown Festival in London on the personal invitation of curator, The Cure’s Robert Smith, on 15 June.

Followed by a string of dates in the UK – including a sold-out fan convention in Shepherds Bush which saw the band perform their second album The Blurred Crusade in its entirety for the first time in that country – The Church arrive in the US on 30 September for a month’s worth of shows, with a return early in 2019 planned to complete the US circuit.

Starfish 30th Anniversary Tour USA 2018- 2019

For these shows, Starfish will likewise be performed in its entirety, along with a selection of other gems from the band’s career, which now spans an incredible 38 years.

The band will return briefly to the UK in late October as very special guests of Fields of the Nephilim, a band whose music displays similar spectral soundscapes and whose leader, Carl McCoy, remains a big fan of the band.

From there a flight home to a fast selling Starfish 30th Anniversary National Tour of homeland theaters in Australia awaits to conclude the year.

Starfish remains best known for its iconic singles Under The Milky Way and Reptile. But like all classic albums, it’s a journey – and it starts with Destination, the six-minute epic that opens the album. In between it takes you to all point of the compass: North, South, East and West.

The sound of Starfish is open and uncluttered. That was a change for the band after the dense orchestrations of the previous album, Heyday. All 10 songs are individually memorable, yet speak to one other, making for an entirely cohesive, satisfying listening experience.

From there, the list of hits, band and fan favourites is long. Myrhh, which leader Steve Kilbey described in his memoir Something Quite Peculiar as the definitive Church song. Ripple, from the masterful Priest=Aura. Almost anything from 1982’s The Blurred Crusade.

Expect songs from Hologram of Baal, itself celebrating its 20th anniversary. And, of course, there’s The Unguarded Moment, the single that launched the band onto world stages on its release on its release in 1981.

But this is not just a nostalgia trip. The Church have been revitalised since 2014 with the addition of guitarist Ian Haug, formerly of another iconic Australian band, Powderfinger. Haug’s first outing with the band was on the acclaimed Further/Deeper, which yielded a new dynamic set-closer, the infinitely pyschedelic and earth shaking Miami.

Last year’s Man Woman Life Death Infinity strengthened the bond, cementing Haug’s place with long-time fans, as well as with the rest of the band: singer, bass player and songwriter Kilbey, fellow guitarist Peter Koppes and longtime drummer Tim Powles. “Ian is a big part of the band now,” Koppes says. “He’s a consummate, intuitive musician with fantastic tones.”

Koppes goes on to sum up the band. “Music is like inner space and we’re astronauts,” he says. It’s a spellbinding thing, it’s hypnotising. That’s why people like it. It takes them into another world and we’re here to open those doors.”

The Church’s strange journey remains an endless sea of possibilities. In 2018, it’s time for the band to celebrate one of their crowning glories, but always with an eye to the future. Further. Deeper. The Church truly are a rock band for the ages.