The music world is in mourning today, as news of the death of Shane MacGowan has been announced.
The singer-songwriter and The Pogues frontman passed away at the age of 65, due to poor health. He had been admitted to hospital after being diagnosed with encephalitis.
In his career, Shane journeyed to Southampton on more than one occasion in order to perform with his band.
In early 1986, The Gaumont underwent a major renovation and by the following February it had been transformed into the Mayflower Theatre.
To celebrate its grand opening, a spectacular and fun production of Peter Pan was put on to provide entertainment for all.
Shortly after the grand opening, a concert from The Pogues took place on March 15, 1987, and was a memorable night for many. This show was to be a game-changer for the venue and set the stage for its future.
The crowd had been warned against dancing in the aisles, but they soon found a new way to express themselves; by jumping up and down on the seats. Unfortunately, this caused many of them to become broken off their hinges.
This forced organisers to think twice about booking any music acts that could potentially lead to excited fans dancing and causing damage.
It can be said that Shane MacGowan's visit in 1987 is still felt in Southampton to this very day.
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