Richard Balls
@RichardBalls
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Author of music books. A Furious Devotion: The Life of Shane MacGowan out now via @OmnibusPress . NCFC fan, record collector and occasional film extra.
Norwich
Joined January 2010
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My fully updated paperback edition of A Furious Devotion: The Life of Shane MacGowan is published today.
It's a white-knuckle ride through the vortex of punk and wild days of The Pogues to his final years and extraordinary send-off.
BUY YOURS NOW
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Shane MacGowan is about so much more than Fairytale of New York. Try these:
A Pair of Brown Eyes
The Broad Majestic Shannon
Rainy Night In Soho
Lullaby of London
Sally MacLennane
Song With No Name
Summer In Siam
Sickbed of Cuchullain
Haunted
#ShaneMacGowan
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244
3K
Remembering Kirsty MacColl, who passed away 23 years ago today.
She had a wonderful voice that suited different styles of music and always made you feel she was 'one of us'.
And without her, Fairytale of New York wouldn't have been the piece of Christmas magic it is.
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177
2K
Shane received the send-off he deserved yesterday. It was an unforgettable service, both moving and uplifting in equal measure, and there were some stirring renditions of the timeless songs he bestowed on us.
Safe travels, Shane.
#ShaneMacGowanfuneral
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1K
Tomorrow will be a very sad day when we bid our final goodbyes to
@ShaneMacGowan
.
But his legacy stands tall as the Empire State and broad as his beloved River Shannon. His poignant, timeless songs will go on being discovered and loved by generations to come ❤️
#ShaneMacGowan
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118
1K
Remembering Kirsty MacColl, who died on this day 21 years ago. She had a distinctive, characterful voice that was made for pop, and a gift for writing songs to which every one of us could relate. 'But they don’t know about us/And they’ve never heard of love'
#KirstyMacColl
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Beyond saddened at the news that
@ShaneMacGowan
has passed away.
One of the most powerful songwriters of his generation, he was also one of the kindest, most compassionate of men. I will treasure my time with him.
Sending love to his family and friends xx 💔
#shanemacgowan
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891
Ian Robins Dury died on this day in 2000. He was a genius who hotwired funk energy, punk attitude and music hall to produce some of the most original songs of all time. I miss him to this day
#IanDury
#Blockheads
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I will be raising a glass today to
@shanemacgowan
on what would have been his birthday.
Sending love and strength to
@Victoriamary
and
@EtainsDream
as they continue to grieve their loss.
#shanemacgowan
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It's publication day! A long journey but A Furious Devotion, my definitive biography of Shane MacGowan, is out in shops and online. Buy your copy here
@OmnibusPress
#biography
#shanemacgowan
#books
#Ireland
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512
I love this photo of
@ShaneMacGowan
dancing with his sister
@EtainsDream
at the Fleadh Mor at Tramore Racecourse (4-7-93). I remember it vividly as it was one of the first shows by Shane's new band The Popes and the first time I heard them.
Photo: Tony Gavin
#shanemacgowan
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I'm delighted that I can now share the front cover of my biography of Shane MacGowan with you. The book will be released in October by
@OmnibusPress
#books
#WorldBookDay2021
#music
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My biography of Shane MacGowan, written with the cooperation of
@ShaneMacGowan
@Victoriamary
@EtainsDream
and his father Maurice, will be published on 7 October by
@OmnibusPress
. Pre-order you copy here
#shanemacgowan
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You can read all about the extraordinary life and career of Shane MacGowan in my extensive biography A Furious Devotion, written with his cooperation.
Available in large paperback here
#ShaneMcGowan
#books
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My latest book will be published by
@OmnibusPress
in 2021, entitled A Furious Devotion: The Life of Shane MacGowan (date tbc). It has been written with the co-operation of Shane, his wife and family and is built on interviews and contributions from 64 people
#shanemacgowan
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It was 42 years ago today that Stiff Records released Ian's Dury's glorious debut single Sex & Drugs & Rock 'n' Roll and the phrase entered the English language. Razzle In My Pocket was on the flip
#punk
#IanDury
#StiffRecords
#vinyl
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330
I'll be on
@GMB
tomorrow to talk about Fairytale of New York ahead of the announcement of the Christmas Number 1.
Sales close at 23.59 tonight, so let's get the best Christmas song ever to the top of the UK chart for Shane.
#ShaneMacGowan
#Christmas
#FairytaleofNewYork
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Proud to have written an extensive tribute to
@ShaneMacGowan
for
@Independent
ahead of what would have been his 66th birthday.
#shanemacgowan
#thepogues
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16
307
On this day in 1977, The Jam's debut album In The City was released on
@polydorrecords
. It reached number 20 in the UK chart
#vinyl
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On this day in 1976, the most maverick, imaginative, irreverent and fun label ever announced its arrival with this brilliant single. You can read about the extraordinary story of Stiff Records in this book, if you can BUY 1 somewhere
#Stiff
#punk
#musicbook
#vinyl
#records
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40
275
I'm so shocked to read that Karl Wallinger from The Waterboys and World Party has died at just 66.
I saw World Party supporting I jJustice in 1986 and was instantly hooked by Wallinger's inventive brand of pop. He has sure left us with some songs. RIP
5
13
262
Another
@TheUndertones_
anniversary. It was on this day in 1979 that this beauty was released, with a childhood picture of
@Feargal_Sharkey
on the cover. Jimmy Jimmy reached No 16 in the UK Top 40, so it did
#vinyl
#records
#newwave
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24
254
Happy 78th birthday to Ron Mael, the incredible songwriter behind
@sparksofficial
. One of my favourite musicians of all time.
#Sparks
5
28
243
The death of Terry Hall has left me feeling numb. When I was at school discovering music, he sang about things that mattered. And because of that, he mattered. More than most. We've been robbed of one of music's most sensitive souls and biggest consciences 💔
#TerryHallRIP
10
10
229
Did you know this 1959 photo of Sammy Davis Jnr gazing out of a Manhattan window was altered and made to look like Spider Stacy from The Pogues for the sleeve of Fairytale of New York?
Here's hoping it becomes the Christmas Number 1 this Friday in tribute to Shane MacGowan.
5
29
229
On this day in 1977, one of the most exciting records ever made was released by Stiff Records. The iconic cover featured Ian Dury and his son
@baxterdury
outside Axford Clothing, 306 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London. We will never see his like again
#punk
#IanDury
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One of the finest albums of the albums of the Eighties,
@poguesofficial
Rum, Sodomy & The Lash. At times, it kicks like a mule; at others it almost brings you to tears. A Pair Of Brown Eyes may just be Shane's finest hour
#AlbumDayUk
#vinylrecords
#NationalAlbumDay
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Brilliant hearing
@BBC6Music
marking the forthcoming 20th anniversary of Ian Dury's death. I went to his funeral and it's hard to believe we've been without him for two decades. Young and old and gone
#IanDury
@The_Blockheads
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This is The Commons at Carney, Co Tipperary, where Shane MacGowan loved to spend holidays with his mother's family.
The spirituality he carried through his life took hold here, as did his passion for Irish culture and music. It was his greatest inspiration.
#shanemacgowan
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7
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Sending warmest wishes for a speedy recovery to
@ShaneMacGowan
. Sorry to hear he has been in hospital again, but pleased to hear he is making progress.
#shanemacgowan
4
28
209
On this day in 1979,
@the_skids
release Into The Valley with TV Stars on the B-side. Easily one of my favourite singles of all time
#punk
#70s
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195
Webber's legacy will be one of the poorest squads we have had for years, a trainwreck behind the scenes, and a massive disconnect with fans who deserve more.
His immaturity of character and arrogance has caused unnecessary tension and division, and he needs to go now
#ncfc
21
26
198
Today would have been Lee Brilleaux's 68th birthday. He was the embodiment of the music Dr Feelgood played: swaggering, energetic and as English as a cup of tea. A brilliant harmonica player, he was a force of nature in a group that foretold the urgency of punk.
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So sad to hear of the passing of Dave Greenfield from COVID-19. His keyboards were integral to The Stranglers' urgent sound and set them apart from so many of the guitar-led punk and new wave bands. RIP
#punk
6
27
181
Remembering The Governor, Ian Dury, today on the 21st anniversary of his passing. Young and old and gone
#IanDury
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29
180
On this day in 1977, John Peel broadcast a session recorded by The Jam. Tracks were: In The City, Art School, I've Changed My Address and Modern World. Three days earlier the band had released their debut album In The City on
@polydorrecords
. Top session!
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'A Furious Devotion: The Life of Shane MacGowan' is now available for pre-order on Amazon. My extensive biography of the legend himself is being published by
@OmnibusPress
in October
#shanemacgowan
#book
#biography
10
40
171
On this day in 1981, Ghost Town by The Specials was released on 2 Tone Records. Almost 40 years on, Jerry Dammers' lyrics couldn't have more resonance, and the same goes for Lynval Golding's plea for racial harmony in Why?
#racism
#BlackLivesMattters
5
39
172
Remembering the late, great Ian Dury today, 23 years gone.
He was an utterly unique songwriter, magnificent on stage and a force of nature off it. There'll never be another like him.
"Don't do nothing that is cut-price. You know what that'll make you be."
#iandury
8
23
173
On this day in 1979, The Skids' second album Days In Europa was released. The addition of keyboards to Jobson's crusading vocals and Adamson's emotive guitar gave it a more futuristic feel than its predecessor. New wave rarely sounded as sophisticated or triumphant
#vinyl
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Stiff Records was way ahead of its time when it came to marketing its acts, which is why the majors were left scratching their heads in bemusement. This advert for a tour by The Damned + The Adverts in May/June 1977 was textbook Stiff!
#punk
7
27
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I have just submitted the first draft of my extensive Shane MacGowan biography, the culmination of more than two years' hard graft. Really looking forward to
@OmnibusPress
publishing it later this year
#ShanemacGowan
#Pogues
#Irishmusic
#Ireland
13
20
161
Raising a glass to
@ShaneMacGowan
on St Patrick's Day as Dirty Old Town plays in an Irish pub. Thinking of
@Victoriamary
and
@EtainsDream
and all his family and friends.
#shanemacgowan
#StPatricksDay
#PaddysDay
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5
161
And here it is! The fully updated paperback edition of A Furious Devotion: The Life of Shane MacGowan, which is being published on 4 April.
Pre-order here
#shanemacgowan
#thepogues
#biography
#book
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24
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Thank you to everyone who has asked about my biography of Shane MacGowan. It will be published by
@OmnibusPress
in 2021, so keep a watch here for regular updates. It is an extensive, in-depth look at his life, written with his cooperation
#shanemacgowan
8
24
150
I just finished watching
@CrockofGoldFilm
. Anyone who has ever been touched by the songs of Shane MacGowan should watch it. Actually, anyone who loves music that comes from the soul should watch this
#crockofgold
#ShaneMacGowan
8
21
146
Currently watching the BBC crime drama Traces and es really chuffed to spot
@JaneyGodley
. A woman of many talents. Love her!
#Traces
7
10
149
Forty one years ago, this brilliant record was in the chart. It fused Ian Dury's extraordinary and witty lyrics with funk and one of the most infectious bass riffs of all time. A stonewall classic.
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Hard to believe Kirsty MacColl is 20 years gone today. She had a beautiful voice and wrote some sublime songs (listen to They Don't Know if you've not heard it). I saw her supporting Ian Dury at his final show at the London Palladium less than a year before she died. So sad. RIP
5
13
143
RIP Marc Zermati, who passed away yesterday. He was an instigator in the mid to late seventies, establishing the Skydog label in Paris and organising the first ever European punk festival in Mont-de-Marsan in 1976
#punk
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135
I will be posting regular updates here about my extensive biography of Shane MacGowan, for which I have his cooperation. It will be published next year by
@OmnibusPress
. So many people have contributed so far and I owe them my sincere thanks
#Pogues
#ShaneMacGowan
#Ireland
8
31
136
Remembering the late Kirsty MacColl who died on this day 22 years ago. She had a beautiful and diverse voice which suited so many styles, from country to pop and Latin American. Her death at 41 was such a tragedy and a huge loss to music.
#kirstymaccoll
0
25
135
Released on this day in 1978, Picture This by
@BlondieOfficial
. And here is the gorgeous yellow vinyl version I picked up recently 💗
#vinyl
#blondie
4
6
131
Shane MacGowan played his part in getting The Jam signed. It was Shane who told Polydor's A&R Man Chris Parry to check them out when they supported Bearded Lady at The Marquee in January 1977. What a tip!
#shanemacgowan
#Pogues
#TheJam
#PaulWeller
#punk
#Irishmusic
1
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131
I found
@StanAndOllie
moving, poingnant, funny and respectful. Setting the story at a time when they were down on their luck made them seem so human and fallible. And Steve Coogan and John C.Reilly just nail them. Pic is of the boys outside their hotel in
#Norwich
#LaurelAndHardy
4
16
126
On this day in 1979, The Skids recorded a John Peel session which aired on 7 May. Tracks were: Withdrawal Symptoms, War Poets, Masquerade and Hymns From A Haunted Ballroom. For my money one of the most original bands to emerge in the late 1970s
#punk
17
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134
Photographer Andrew Catlin has so brilliantly captured Shane MacGowan over the years and I'm thrilled to have one of them on the cover of my forthcoming authorised biography. Publication date 7 October
#books
#musicbook
#shanemacgowan
#pogues
#irishmusic
#Ireland
#Pogues
6
18
129
Mick Ronson was born on this day in 1946 in Kingston Upon Hull. An exceptionally talented instrumentalist and arranger, he played with Bob Dylan, Roger McGuinn and Ian Hunter, as well as providing, in Bowie's words, the "perfect foil" for his Ziggy creation. Taken too young.
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This summer will mark the 20th anniversary of this biography of Ian Dury, my first book. So proud that it is still available
#books
#Biography
@OmnibusPress
14
14
127
A treasured possession which
@ShaneMacGowan
signed the first time I met him. Sally MacLennane was probably the song that really got me into The Pogues. I remember them playing it live on Whistle Test, and I went out and bought it. A brilliant single.
#shanemacgowan
#thepogues
6
1
126
Look what came in the post today. Fab cover and some wonderful tributes to Shane. A nice keepsake for fans. Thanks
@hotpress
#shanemacgowan
#ThePogues
4
9
126
Last calller on
#canarycall
hit the nail on the head. We are too soft as a club and it goes right to the top. Zoe Ward shouldn't be on the board when her husband is sporting director. DS and MWJ have given too much power to this couple and we are paying the price
#ncfc
7
5
125
Shane MacGowan has a lot of kindness in his heart and has shown true compassion to homeless people. So it's baffling to see some of the comments about his rendition of Raglan Road on the
@thelatelateshow
. He is real, unvarnished. That's why he's such a gem
#shanemacgowan
10
7
120
Norwich now have a goal difference of -56 while Brentford's - a side we finished 10 points higher than last season - is -8. Oh, and they are 13th. Totally unacceptable. Webber must go
#ncfc
12
8
119
Forty years ago today, XTC released their third and breakthrough album Drums And Wires - a masterclass in intelligent pop. Making Plans For Nigel, Chain Of Command, When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty and, my own favourite, Ten Feet Tall
#XTC
@xtcfans
#albumsyoumusthear
9
15
116
Brentford win again and are now 9 points clear of the bottom three. Why? They have a goal scorer who has weighed in with 5 goals in two games and they spent money with a view to staying up. Our priority was recording a profit on our transfer dealings. No ambition
#ncfc
28
4
119
Shirley Manson from
@garbage
says she was addicted to live music after seeing
@poguesofficial
in Edinburgh!
@BBC6Music
@matteveritt
#Pogues
4
11
115
Remembering Kirsty MacColl who died on this day in 2000. I saw her supporting Ian Dury at his last ever show earlier that year at London Palladium. Such a loss.
3
27
119
This is one of the deadliest punk/new wave collections ever, I reckon. Patti Smith, Dead Boys, Ramones, Runaways, The Damned...An exhilarating listen more than 40 years later. If you find a copy, grab it
#punk
#newwave
#vinylcollector
24
11
109
Evidence that by 1997 we were being rinsed £15.99 for a CD. Blimey!
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4
114
'No one said you must be good as gold/It's what you haven't done that matters when you're old'. Twenty years ago today, we lost Ian Dury, one of the most gifted wordsmiths to ever grace the pop scene and a true original. Immensely proud to have written his story
#IanDury
5
27
109
Update on my biog of Shane MacGowan. Editing continues and photographs are now being assembled, ahead of final selections. Shane's family + friends have gone through their picture albums and dug out some real gems! Publication est September
@OmnibusPress
#Pogues
#ShaneMacGowan
13
12
111
I have been happily spreading this on my toast in the mornings. Note to self: put glasses on when making breakfast
#dogs
10
13
106
I'm increasingly impressed with Grant Hanley. He might not get the plaudits, but he's a no-nonsense defender who gives 100 per cent, gets his foot and head in where it matters and doesn't lose focus
#ncfc
16
3
104
Very sad to hear of the death of former Norwich North MP Ian Gibson. As a journalist and Norwich fan, I got to know him well and always admired his honesty and his deep passion for the city. He had a sharp mind and a Scottish wit to match. Norwich has lot a great friend.
10
14
110
On this day in 1977, Elvis Costello's second single Alison was issued on Stiff Records as BUY 14. One of the finest songs to fall from what would be a prolific pen, it didn't trouble the UK chart. However, it appeared on his debut album released that summer, which would
#vinyl
12
19
106
It is independent shops like
@bookhive
that give Norwich such a vibrant and alternative feel. Loads of places have a Waterstones, but only Norwich has a Book Hive. Support your local bookshops
#IndependentBookshopWeek
#Norwich
2
17
107
On this day in 1979, Kirsty MacColl's self-penned song They Don't Know was released by Stiff Records. Inconceivably, it didn't even trouble the UK's Top 75, and it was left to Tracey Ullman to turn it into a hit for the label in 1983
#vinyl
11
14
104
On this day in 1979, John Peel played a session by The Ruts, after revealing he had gone for a curry with the band earlier that evening
#punk
@therutsdc
14
16
106
The Undertones recorded an In Concert for Radio 1 at the Paris Theatre in London, which was broadcast on this day in 1980. Introduced by long-time champion John Peel
#gigs
7
14
104
Speaking as one of the 'whingers', I had a season ticket for 24 years and have invested a huge amount of money in the club over that time and long before that.
Delia needs to recognise that those who dare to voice their dissent are no less of an asset to the club
#ncfc
15
0
108
Publication of my biography of Shane MacGowan has been moved to 2021 due to the pandemic. Thanks for all the interest there's been so far and as soon as I have a launch date I will share it with you (Pic: Paul Ronan)
#musicbook
#ShaneMacGowan
#Pogues
@OmnibusPress
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