United Kingdom, May 1 -- The Pogues have insisted that Shane MacGowan "wasn't always drunk".

The 'late singer died of pneumonia in November 2023 at the age of 65 after years of struggling with addiction but now his former bandmate Jem Finer has insisted that it is "quite insulting" to reember him for his substance abuse issues.

Jem told The Times: "I think it's quite insulting anyway, 'the drunken artist'. It's not someone who is perpetually drunk: it is someone who enjoys drinking. Shane wasn't always drunk. He knew how to work rigorously and hard. A Pair of Brown Eyes went through many different stages. It began life as a protest against the Falklands war."

Jem noted that it all became "impossible" for Shane to be a part of the band,...