Queens Of The Stone Age pay tribute to “poet” Shane MacGowan at Dublin gig

Queens Of The Stone Age frontman Josh Homme has paid tribute to Shane MacGowan during the band’s recent show in Dublin.

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The moment took place last night (November 22), when the American rock band were playing in Dublin as part of their ongoing ‘The End Is Nero’ world tour. Taking to the stage at the 3Arena in the Irish city, Josh Homme dedicated one of his most famous tracks to the iconic Pogues frontman.

“He’s an absolute fucking poet. Everyone think wonderful thoughts about Shane MacGowan,” he told the crowd midway through the set (via Extra.ie). “When we the poets are gone, you’re left with a bunch of c***s. I think some poet said that one time.”

He continued, saying: “This song’s for Shane MacGowan. It’s called ‘I Sat By The Ocean’,” before launching into the hit from their 2013 album ‘…Like Clockwork’.

The dedication of the song to The Pogues’ frontman comes after the singer was admitted to the hospital around Christmas last year. This came after he contracted a serious infection of viral encephalitis – a swelling on the brain.

Later, it emerged that the Pogues singer was recovering in hospital over the summer, after being admitted to intensive care for an unspecified health issue. He has remained in hospital since June.

On November 14, his wife, Victoria Mary Clarke, shared an update on her husband’s condition, posting a photograph of him and writing: “Love and prayers for everyone who is struggling right now. Hang in there!”

She also disclosed that MacGowan’s bandmates in The Pogues, including Spider Stacy and Terry Woods, had visited him in the hospital recently.

In a previous update on Instagram, she shared a photo of her sharing a kiss with her husband while in the hospital, along with a lengthy caption addressing her “terrifying fears of loss”.

Yesterday (November 22) however, it was reported that MacGowan had been released from the hospital and would be returning home.

As for Queens Of The Stone Age, Josh Homme confirmed that he is now “all clear” from cancer, and opened up about the “heartache” he’s experienced over the past 18 months.