Entertainment
Shane MacGowan, Lead Singer Of The Pogues And A Laureate Of Booze And Beauty, Dies At Age 65
LONDON, England – Shane MacGowan, The Pogues’ boisterous, rabble-rousing singer and lead composer who combined traditional Irish music with the intensity and spirit of punk, died Thursday, according to his family. He was 65.
MacGowan’s songwriting and persona established him as an iconic figure in contemporary Irish culture, and some of his compositions have become classics, most notably the bittersweet Christmas ballad “Fairytale of New York,” of which Irish President Michael D. Higgins stated that it “will be listened to every Christmas for the next century or more.”
“It is with deepest sorrow and heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of our most beautiful, darling, and dearly beloved Shane MacGowan,” his wife Victoria Clarke, sister Siobhan, and father Maurice said in a statement.
According to the statement, the musician died peacefully with his family by his side.
After being diagnosed with viral encephalitis in late 2022, the musician was hospitalized in Dublin for several months. He was released last week, just in time for his forthcoming birthday on Christmas Day.
The Pogues fused Irish folk and rock ‘n’ roll into a unique, irresistible blend, though MacGowan became known for his slurred performances as much as his passionate compositions.
Shane MacGowan, Lead Singer Of The Pogues And A Laureate Of Booze And Beauty, Dies At Age 65
His lyrics mixed scabrous and romantic elements, ranging from carousing anthems to pictures of life in the gutter to sweet love songs. “Fairytale of New York,” The Pogues’ most famous song, is a tale about down-on-their-luck immigrant lovers that begins with the rather unfestive words: “It was Christmas Eve, babe, in the drunk tank.” The duet between MacGowan’s scratchy voice and the silky tones of the late Kirsty MacColl is by far the most popular Pogues song in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Nick Cave, a singer-songwriter, described Shane MacGowan as “a true friend and the greatest songwriter of his generation.”
The Irish president, Michael D. Higgins, stated that “his songs capture within them, as Shane would put it, the measure of our dreams.”
“His words have connected Irish people all over the globe to their culture and history, encompassing so many human emotions in the most poetic of ways,” added Higgins.
According to Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, MacGowan’s compositions “beautifully captured the Irish experience, especially the experience of being Irish abroad.”
According to Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald, “nobody told the Irish story like Shane — stories of emigration, heartache, dislocation, redemption, love, and joy.”
MacGowan was born on Christmas Day 1957 in England to Irish parents and spent his childhood in rural Ireland before returning to London. Ireland remained the everlasting focus of his imagination and longing. He grew up listening to Irish music from family and neighbors and rock, Motown, reggae, and jazz.
He was expelled from London’s renowned Westminster School and spent time in a psychiatric facility following a breakdown in his teens.
MacGowan welcomed the punk scene that erupted in the United Kingdom in the mid-1970s. He played in a band called the Nipple Erectors as Shane O’Hooligan before forming The Pogues with musicians including Jem Finer and Spider Stacey.
Shane MacGowan, Lead Singer Of The Pogues And A Laureate Of Booze And Beauty, Dies At Age 65
The Pogues blended punk’s ferocious energy with traditional Irish tunes and instruments such as banjo, tin whistle, and accordion.
“It never occurred to me that you could play Irish music to a rock audience,” MacGowan said in his 2001 biography “A Drink with Shane MacGowan,” co-written with Clarke. “And then it clicked. Start an Irish band in London that plays Irish music with a rock and roll beat. The original plan was to simply blast out classic songs, but then I started writing.”
“Red Roses for Me,” the band’s first album, was released in 1984 and contained boisterous interpretations of Irish folk tunes among originals such as “Boys from County Hell,” “Dark Streets of London,” and “Streams of Whisky.”
The band gained a loyal following and accolades from music journalists and fellow performers ranging from Bono to Bob Dylan while performing in pubs and clubs throughout London and beyond.
The songs on the following two albums, “Rum, Sodomy and the Lash” (1985) and “If I Should Fall from Grace with God” (1988), by MacGowan, ranged from raucous rousers like the latter album’s title track to ballads like “A Pair of Brown Eyes” and “The Broad Majestic Shannon.”
The band also published an EP in 1986 called “Poguetry in Motion,” which included two of MacGowan’s best tunes, “A Rainy Night in Soho” and “The Body of an American.” The latter was featured frequently in the early-2000s TV show “The Wire,” when it was performed at the funerals of Baltimore police officers.
“I wanted to make pure music that could be from any time, to make time irrelevant, to make generations and decades irrelevant,” he wrote in his autobiographical book.
The Pogues momentarily ruled the world, with sold-out tours and appearances on American television, but the band’s output and appearances became more unpredictable, owing in part to MacGowan’s troubles with drink and narcotics. He was fired by the other band members in 1991 after a spate of no-shows, notably while The Pogues were opening for Dylan. Before disbanding, the band momentarily replaced MacGowan with Clash frontman Joe Strummer.
Shane MacGowan, Lead Singer Of The Pogues And A Laureate Of Booze And Beauty, Dies At Age 65
MacGowan joined a new band, Shane MacGowan and the Popes, and released two albums: “The Snake” in 1995 and “The Crock Of Gold” in 1997. Despite his well-documented drinking problems and performances that frequently included slurred lyrics and at least one stage collapse, he reconnected with The Pogues in 2001 for a series of concerts and tours.
MacGowan struggled with health issues for years and relied on a wheelchair after breaking his pelvis a decade ago. He was well-known for his damaged, decaying teeth until he received a full set of implants in 2015 from a dental specialist who referred to the treatment as “the Everest of dentistry.”
On his 60th birthday, MacGowan got a lifetime achievement award from Ireland’s president. A celebratory concert featuring Bono, Nick Cave, Sinead O’Connor, and Johnny Depp took place at Dublin’s National Concert Hall to mark the occasion.
In an Instagram post, Clarke said, “There’s no way to describe the loss that I am feeling and the longing for just one more of his smiles that lit up my world.”
“I am blessed beyond words to have met him and to have loved him and to have been so endlessly and unconditionally loved by him and to have had so many years of life and love and joy and fun and laughter and so many adventures,” she wrote in an email.
SOURCE – (AP)
Entertainment
How To Watch And Stream The 76th Annual Emmy Awards
Los Angeles — If it appears that the Emmys have only recently occurred, you are correct.
The 76th Emmy Awards will be held on Sunday, approximately nine months after the previous celebration of the best in television. Last year’s Hollywood strikes pushed the show’s 75th edition back to January, when “Succession” and “The Bear” prevailed.
“The Bear” will play a significant role in this weekend’s show, but the “Succession” celebration was for the show’s final season, paving the way for a new drama series winner.
Enter “Shogun.” The FX series about feudal Japan enters the show with 14 prizes following the Creative Arts ceremony last weekend. It now holds the record for the most wins in a single season, and that lead is expected to grow.
Here’s everything you need to know about Sunday’s Awards, including how to watch and stream the red carpet and ceremony, as well as who has been nominated.
What time do the Emmys start?
The show starts at 8 p.m. Eastern and is broadcast live on ABC, which is available via antenna or cable and satellite providers.
What if I want to watch the Emmys?
The Emmys may be seen live on live TV streaming platforms that feature ABC, such as Hulu+ Live TV, YouTube TV, and FuboTV.
For those who do not have the service, the show will be available on Hulu on Monday.
So, who has already won an Emmy?
Lots of people from “Shogun,” including actor Néstor Carbonell. Maya Rudolph was also honoured for her performance on “Big Mouth,” and Jamie Lee Curtis got her first Emmy for her guest appearance on “The Bear.”
The Creative Arts Emmys recognise many of the craftspeople that make shows possible, leaving the top awards for Sunday’s ceremony, presented by brothers Eugene and Dan Levy.
If I’m not in the United States, how can I watch the Emmys?
The Emmys can be watched in hundreds of countries. The Television Academy website provides a useful list of broadcasters and, in certain cases, broadcasting times.
“Live from E!” will premiere its red carpet broadcast at 6 p.m. Eastern on the cable network E!. The coverage will be hosted by Laverne Cox, the first transgender person to receive a nomination, comedian Heather McMahan, and Keltie Knight from E! News.
People magazine and Entertainment Weekly will also broadcast a live red carpet show on their websites and YouTube, beginning at 6 p.m.
Who is nominated for an Emmy?
“Shogun” has the most nominations, with 25, while “The Bear” has 23, including best comedy series and Best Actor in a Comedy Series for Jeremy Allen White, both of which it won at January’s strike-delayed presentation. Ayo Edebiri, who won best supporting actress in January, is nominated for best comedy actress this year.
“The Crown” with 19 nominations and “Hacks” with 16 each return to the Emmys after their respective years away. Elizabeth Debicki is nominated for best supporting actress in a drama for her role as Princess Diana, and Imelda Staunton for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II.
Jodie Foster, a two-time Academy Award winner, is expected to receive her first Emmy for outstanding actress in a limited or anthology series or television film for her part in “True Detective: Night Country.”
Robert Downey Jr., the reigning Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner, might also win his first Emmy. He’s nominated for best supporting actor in a limited series for his five different parts in “The Sympathiser.”
SOURCE | AP
Entertainment
ESPN And Other Channels Return To DirecTV With A New Disney Deal After A Nearly 2-Week Blackout
DirecTV stated Saturday that it has reached an agreement with Walt Disney Co. to restore ESPN and ABC-owned stations to its service following a nearly two-week dispute that had blacked out the networks for millions of consumers in the United States.
The standoff ended just in time for sports lovers to see ESPN’s college football schedule on DirecTV. It will also assure that ABC’s Emmy Awards telecast on Sunday night is available in more big locations where DirecTV subscribers pay for the service.
ESPN And Other Channels Return To DirecTV With A New Disney Deal After A Nearly 2-Week Blackout
Since September 1, ABC has been unavailable on DirecTV in various locations where the channel is owned by Disney. They were located in the San Francisco Bay Area, Fresno, California, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, and Raleigh, North Carolina.
During Labour Day weekend, DirecTV’s 11 million subscribers were abruptly cut off from ESPN, ABC-owned stations, and other Disney-owned channels such as FX and National Geographic due to a dispute over carriage rates and programming flexibility.
Some viewers were watching the fourth round of the United States Open tennis event when ESPN went dark, while others were preparing to watch a college football game between LSU and Southern California.
The standoff also prevented DirecTV from broadcasting the NFL’s Monday Night Football opener.
The financial terms of Disney’s new arrangement with DirecTV were not disclosed as part of Saturday’s announcement. According to the partnership announcement, DirecTV would pay Disney based on “market-based” pricing.
The agreement also allows DirecTV to sell Disney’s video streaming services both a la carte and in its own bundled bundles. DirecTV acquired the ability to incorporate ESPN’s upcoming direct-to-consumer streaming service at an additional cost to its subscribers once it launches.
ESPN And Other Channels Return To DirecTV With A New Disney Deal After A Nearly 2-Week Blackout
The agreement occurred a few days after escalating tensions prompted DirecTV to file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission, accusing Disney of bad-faith negotiations.
This is the second year in a row that Disney’s wrangling for programming rights has caused its networks to go dark on a pay-TV provider. Last year, Disney pulled its channels from Spectrum, the second largest cable-TV provider in the United States, for 12 days before settling the disagreement shortly before ESPN’s Monday Night Football start.
SOURCE | AP
Entertainment
Annapurna Interactive’s Entire Staff has Resigned from the Company.
(VOR News) – Annapurna’s entire interactive team has resigned from their positions as a result of disagreements within the firm regarding the direction that the company ought to go in the future.
These disagreements have been caused by internal conflicts. As a consequence of this, development partners are currently contemplating the impact that this will have on the projects that they are simultaneously working on during this time period.
It has been stated by Bloomberg that the resignations occurred as a result of conversations that took place between Megan Ellison, the creator of Annapurna, and Nathan Gary.
The president of Annapurna Interactive is the person in charge of the company.
These conversations took place when the two individuals were working together. If these negotiations had been successful in securing an agreement on a contract that would have resulted in the gaming sector being established as a distinct entity, then the gaming industry would have been divided into its own company.
As mentioned in the report, Ellison cancelled the negotiations, which resulted in Gary, division co-heads Deborah Mars and Nathan Vella, and the remaining members of the team departing the company.
The outcome of the negotiations was as follows: this was the result of the conclusion of the negotiations. Following the conclusion of further deliberations pertaining to the topic, the organisation made the statement that is shown below to Bloomberg.
“The Annapurna Interactive team, which consisted of twenty-five individuals, has collectively resigned from their positions,” according to the official announcement.
Given that this was one of the most challenging decisions we have ever been asked to make, we did not choose this particular course of action without giving it a great deal of thought and deliberation. This is because we were required to make this option.
As reported by Annapurna, the company has appointed Hector Sanchez, a former executive at Epic Games, to serve as the new president of interactive and new media.
Sanchez was appointed to this position by the company. Sanchez was given this job by the firm, which appointed him to it. It just so happened that the announcement that the company had formed a collaboration with Remedy coincided with the release of this information. Sanchez is likely to succeed Gary in that position.
Sanchez will take over as head of Annapurna Interactive from Gary.
Gary will be succeeded by Sanchez. Gary’s current responsibilities will be taken over by Sanchez in the near future.
Neither Jason Schreier, a writer for Bloomberg, nor Thomas Puha, a reporter for Remedy, claimed that the resignations did not result in any revisions to the arrangement that Remedy had with Annapurna. Both of these individuals are employed by Remedy.
In their respective statements, both of these persons indicated that the deal had not changed. These two individuals were referring to the statement that came before yours when they made their comments.
In addition, Ellison issued a statement in which he vowed to the other gaming partners that the company would honour the pledges that it had made to them. In order to accomplish this, he gave them assurance that the corporation would meet all of its commitments.
One of the statements that Ellison made during his presentation was as follows: “During this transition, our top priority is to continue to support our other partners in the publishing and development industries.” “We acknowledge and appreciate their contributions.”
We are dedicated to not only our current range of games but also to increasing our influence in the interactive realm as we actively seek chances to adopt a more cohesive strategy to linear and interactive storytelling across the domains of cinema and TV, gaming, and theatre.
With regard to the question of whether Gary and his coworkers will go their separate ways or establish their own company, there is presently no information that can be provided because there is no information accessible. This is because there is no information that is currently available.
SOURCE: Gamespot
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