Johnny Depp promises to play guitar on ‘genius punk poet’ Shane’s MacGowan’s new album

The actor has also penned the foreword to Shane’s new art book, The Eternal Buzz and the Crock of Gold, which is published next month. In it, Depp described Shane as his “great friend” and a “creative genius”. 

“Shane’s propensity for the wild, for the absurd, for the political, for the beautiful” is “all funnelled through the needle of his pen” and “his work will always be full of poetry — a bit like the great man himself,” he wrote.

While in Ireland, the actor spoke to MacGowan about the stress he felt during his public court battle with Amber Heard.

Speaking to the Sunday Independent this weekend, The Pogues singer said he closely followed the six-week libel trial. 

“I watched most of the trial because Johnny is a really good friend of ours — and I’ve always believed him.

“I just know that he’s not that kind of guy, and not the person she said he is. Johnny is like me, he would never hit a woman. I think Amber was malicious.”

Shane’s wife Victoria Mary Clarke has flown to Glasgow to watch Depp perform this weekend. She said she is delighted with what the verdict means “to the millions of men all over the world who have been afraid or maybe embarrassed about coming forward and admitting that they have been abused by women”.

Clarke said Depp told the couple he has been “under a tremendous amount of strain for a very long time”.

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He also confided he was concerned about the impact the trial on his children Lily Rose (23) and Jack (20).

On Depp’s future prospects in love, Clarke was optimistic.

“Johnny is a romantic guy, so he’ll probably fall in love again.”