Music, football and a Milton upbringing!

In a brand new column, which he describes as a ‘stramash in the goalmouth of Rock ‘n’ Roll,’ the celebrated songwriter, producer and manager, JOHN McLAUGHLIN, shares with us his insights into the music and entertainment world.

HELLO everyone! I’m John Ignatius McLaughlin—aka Johnny Mac from my band Johnny Mac and The Faithful. Welcome to my new column! Firstly, let me tell you a wee bit about myself. I was born and bred in the Milton, a scheme in North Glasgow that is a tad rough around the edges, but has a brilliant energy that helped me and my cousins start our first punk rock bands, Psychiatric Unit and The Pedestrians! And, of course, it gave our beloved Celtic the cheeky and gifted Frank McAvennie.

We were brought proud of our Irish roots, with both sets of my grandparents hailing from Ireland—the McCanns and the McLaughlins—and my dear old dad’s name is Ignatius! The love of Ireland was inbuilt, although I’m also very proud of my Scottishness too, which makes me an all-round Celt. I’m so thankful for my upbringing, looking back, blessed to have great parents, five sisters and a brother, many cousins and friends who all encouraged me along the long road in music. I hope to bring you some chinwags about my main loves in life—alongside my lovely missus and weans—music and football.

Over the past 37 years, I’ve worked in the music industry as a writer, producer, and manager, and now I’m on the frontline as a singer and performer with my own band, Johnny Mac and The Faithful.

I also have a live show dedicated to my late pal, the Irish legend Shane MacGowan from The Pogues, called For the Love of Shane MacGowan, which has been a massive success, playing the songs of the great man and telling stories of my times writing and producing with him. We’re currently touring in Europe and have another run at the Edinburgh Fringe at the Voodoo Rooms in August this year, after our sell-out nine-show run last year. We are also opening for the Saw Doctors at the Summer Nights in Queens Park July 27—another one of my favourite bands.

Journey

My journey started back in the streets of the Milton, where our house was filled with traditional Irish music and protest songs. My dad, Ignatius, was a music fanatic, and our old record player was always spinning records from the likes of the Clancy Brothers, Frank Sinatra, Neil Diamond, and Ireland’s own Dana, to name a few. Those moments sparked my love for music—especially Irish music—and set me on a path I’m still walking today.

When I was 16, I got my first real taste of music’s power at the Glasgow Apollo, where I saw punk rock bands like The Clash, The Stranglers, The Damned, and The Skids. Those gigs were a bolt of lightning, giving me the belief to go down a path in music. That punk spirit carried me into a 37-year career in the music industry.

In my early 20s, I set my sights on London and made it as a songwriter and producer. I’ve written for acts like Westlife, Busted, 5ive, Blue, and Sandi Thom, with hits like Westlife’s Queen of My Heart, Busted’s What I Go To School For, and 5ive’s When The Lights Go Out.

My career took an unexpected turn when I stepped into the spotlight with Johnny Mac and The Faithful. It all started when global rock star Rod Stewart—both of us massive Celtic fans—heard my track, Best Days of Our Life for the Lisbon Lions. He loved that song. But he also heard some background music I had written for Celtic TV which fell in love with and he then wrote the words to which became Julia on his 2018 Number 1 album Blood Red Roses.

Over pints and guitars, Rod and I became best friends, bonded by Celtic and Irish music. He encouraged me to start a band and come support him on stadium and arena tours with my new band, Johnny Mac and The Faithful—even though I hadn’t performed live in years since my punk rock days. So, I got a great band together and off we went to open for Rod Stewart! Can you imagine how bonkers that is? I was shaking like an MFI wardrobe for the first few shows! Opening for Rod’s UK and Ireland stadium tours was surreal—40,000-strong crowds, sharing dressing rooms with Rod and his band and having right old knees-up shindigs after the shows with the stuff dreams are made of. I can’t thank Rod enough for his guidance and belief in me to start a new gig as a singer at the tender age of 53—boy band age 42!

And our debut album, Midnight Glasgow Rodeo, has not one but two duets with Rod on it which is just nuts in itself. I could not believe how well the album was received and I’m still scratching my head at how it all happened. That’s the power of good old rock ‘n’ roll! I’m thankful for it every day.

For the love of Shane...

That same love for music brought me to Shane MacGowan (above), a true legend and dear friend. For a Celtic tribute album, Shane joined me in Glasgow, recording after a proper four-day pub crawl. We then sang at Celtic Park at half-time a song I wrote with my compadre Gordie Goudy (Simple Minds/Echo and the Bunnymen guitar player) called Best Days of Our Life. We will never forget that day and when I introduced Shane on the mic to the 60,000 Celtic fans, they went tonto for him. He was visibly moved by that reception and told me it was one of the greatest days of his life. I love and miss Shane. He was a genius, a lovable rogue and as you can imagine a great day and night out or four! Those moments—along with our late-night songwriting sessions—are treasures I’ll always hold dear. My tribute show, For the Love of Shane MacGowan, is a joy and honour to do and to play his magical, thunderous and heartbreaking songs is inspiring. I love every minute of it.

I’m so thankful to Shane and the old songs and for my grandparents, uncles and aunties I was brought up with, who brought the raw energy of powerful and beautiful Irish music—its stories, defiance, and joy—into my life. It still drives everything I do. Whether it’s the traditional sounds of the Clancy Brothers or the bold new voices of The Mary Wallopers and Kneecap, that Celtic soul runs deep in me.

Music and football are two sides of the same coin—passion, heart, rebellion and history and a wee bit of madness. I’ve been lucky to live a life surrounded by these things all my life from the Milton to the biggest stages in the world. I hope to bring you guys some interviews and insight from a cross section of artists, musicians, writers, promoters, to the weird and wonderful characters from all walks of the industry and get their chat on their loves of music and football and always their feeling on all things Celtic. So I’ll speak to you all next time. Sláinte!