Dropkick Murphys Cover The Pogues' The Body Of An American For Upcoming Shane MacGowan Tribute Album
Friday, 19 June 2026
Written by Jon Stickler
Photo: @Chezphoto / Riley Vecchione
Dropkick Murphys have released a new version of The Body Of An American.
Originally written by Shane MacGowan for The Pogues, the revamp stays faithful to the spirit of the original while adding the Boston band's trademark Celtic punk energy. Fontman Ken Casey said:
"Dropkick Murphys are honored to be a part of this Shane tribute. Shane had a tremendous impact on the members of the band, individually and on the band as a whole. Shane's lyrics had such a dark, sometimes twisted, street level reality to them that it was more punk than a lot of punk."
The release serves as the latest preview of the upcoming star-studded Shane MacGowan tribute album, '20th Century Paddy - The Songs of Shane MacGowan', due out November 13 via Victoria Mary Clarke and Rubyworks.
Casey continued: "It's so cool to participate in this amazing tribute album, alongside such a diverse lineup of musicians like Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Hozier, and so many more all inspired by Shane MacGowan. 'The Body of an American' is a Dropkick all time favorite and we’ve played it live throughout the years so to get to record it for this tribute was a dream come true."
Other artists and bands set to appear on the record include Tom Waits, Primal Scream, The Libertines, Hozier, Jessie Buckley, and The Pogues themselves, among others.
In April, Johnny Depp and Imelda May teamed up for a new version of the late MacGowan and Sinéad O'Connor's 1995 duet, Haunted, while Bruce Springsteen released a cover of A Rainy Night In Soho in March.
Shane MacGowan died in 2023 at the age of 65 following a diagnosis of Encephalitis. The Pogues, meanwhile, are continuing to play live and have shows lined up across Europe and the UK for The Pogues Play The Hits Tour this winter.
Dropkick Murphys released their latest studio album, 'For The People', in 2025, though in March they collaborated with fellow Boston band Haywire on the split EP 'New England Forever'. They'll play headline shows in Dublin, Liverpool and Edinburgh next week, followed by a London show supporting The Offspring at Crystal Palace Park on June 28, and dates across Europe throughout the remainder of the summer. Later in the year, they'll team up with Chicago punks Rise Against for a co-headline tour of Australia and New Zealand in November and December. Tickets are on sale now.
Dropkick Murphys Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows
Thu June 25 2026 - DUBLIN Fairview Park
Fri June 26 2026 - LIVERPOOL O2 Academy Liverpool
Sat June 27 2026 - EDINBURGH Corn Exchange
Sat November 21 2026 - CHRISTCHURCH Wolfbrook Arena
Tue November 24 2026 - AUCKLAND Spark Arena
Thu November 26 2026 - MELBOURNE John Cain Arena
Sat November 28 2026 - WEST GOSFORD Entertainment Grounds
Sun November 29 2026 - BRISBANE Riverstage
Tue December 01 2026 - SYDNEY Opera House Forecourt
Fri December 04 2026 - PERTH Red Hill Auditorium
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
.jpg)
