“Before Amy Winehouse, there was Shane MacGowan, another, earlier figure who captivated Britannia at first with irreverent songwriting brilliance, then train-wreck levels of unbridled consumption.”  - Variety

In Crock of Gold, documentarian Julien Temple turns his attention to a contemporary - the legendary singer-songwriter Shane MacGowan. The film includes interviews, combined with archive and present-day footage to tell the life story of this unique talent, and former front man of the Pogues. MacGowan’s life is one defined by depression, drug dependency and misbehaviour  including - claims MacGowan - a spell as a rent boy at Piccadilly Circus. Then in the mid-70s as the Punk Rock scene exploded - MacGowan found a place to fit in. He cut his musical teeth with punk band the Nips, but eventually found the perfect outlet for his musical and verbal skills with the formation of the legendary punk band the Pogues.

“Temple’s film is certainly in the upper echelon of recent rock docs, as might be indicated by the special jury prize it received at the San Sebastian Film Festival, that gathering’s second-highest honor.” - Chris Willman, Variety

“The film’s prime achievement is to illuminate MacGowan as an Irish-born artist inspired by political history and cultural experience. And once those great Pogues songs are at last heard in all their glory, you understand the claims made for MacGowan as a modern bard - and grieve for the brevity of his brilliant, breakneck career.” - Jonathan Romney, Screen Daily

“Julien Temple has delivered the tribute to Shane McGowan, the frontman of the legendary Irish band The Pogues, which he deserves.” - Kaleem Aftab, Cineuropa