What does it sound like?: Yes have had a hard time recently; difficulties when they wanted to tour and Jon was ill, bad feeling around the execution of the Rock n'Roll Hall of … [Read More...]
The Afterword
Musings on the byways of popular culture
Nights In
A Night In With Matt Berninger: Serpentine Prison
What does it sound like?: Hang on, let me set the scene... Like many here, I am sort of keen on the National, if with a creeping sense of their gradually creeping up their own … [Read More...]
Ian Dury – Hit Me
What does it sound like?: This is by no means the first Ian Dury compilation on the block, but this new three cd set has at least been put together in conjunction with his … [Read More...]
Fish – Weltschmerz
What does it sound like?: This is the final studio album by Fish, as he gradually slips into a well earned retirement from the music business. There will still hopefully be some … [Read More...]
Nights Out
Chester Folk Festival Online!
Venue: Nowhere, yet everywhere Date: 29/05/2020 Nights Out? Are you serious? In the tradition of Russian election results, this is part announcement and part review in that we … [Read More...]
Womad NZ -was this the last music festival of the year?
Venue: New Plymouth Botanical Gardens, North Island, New Zealand Date: 13/03/2020 New Zealand is the first country of size to herald in the new year.This year it may have been … [Read More...]
Pat Metheny , Auckland Town Hall
Venue: Auckland Town Hall, New Zealand Date: 10/03/2020 I've never been a fan of Pat Metheny. In fact, I have never been a fan of jazz guitar though there are notable exceptions. … [Read More...]
Stewart Lee on tour 2020
Venue: Oxford Playhouse Date: 24/02/2020 This was the first time I have seen Stewart Lee live despite being a long time fan of his previous work on TV and on stage. The show … [Read More...]
Films
Ronnie Wood – Somebody Up There Likes Me
Year: 2020 Director: Mike Figgis Is there a more cheery, affable figure in the world of rock than Ronnie Wood? This film would certainly suggest not, lauded by friends, family … [Read More...]
Bill and Ted Face the Music
Year: 2020 Director: Dean Parisot *Mild Spoilers ahead* Anyone who rejoices in youth, optimism and companionship will feel a warm glow when they remember the triumphant final … [Read More...]
Tenet *MILD SPOILERS*
Year: 2020 Director: Christopher Nolan * Mild Spoilers * If you are like me and you like to see a new Christopher Nolan film totally cold without knowing anything about it, then … [Read More...]
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer
Year: 1970 Director: Kevin Billington I remember wanting to see this when it came out only for it never to show up at my local Odeon on its 1970 release (those were the days!) … [Read More...]
Reads
Troubled Blood
Author:Robert Galbraith This is now the fifth novel in the Strike series by Robert Galbraith, aka JK Rowling, and it’s a real whopper, clocking in at just shy of one thousand … [Read More...]
Girl To City (audiobook/podcast)
Author:Amy Rigby As a book, this is now a year old but the self produced audio version was released in podcast form weekly over the summer.... and it's enthralling. I'm aware Amy … [Read More...]
Jeeves and The Leap of Faith
Author:Ben Schott This is Ben Schott’s second authorised homage to the inimitable pair of Jeeves and Wooster, following on from 2018’s Jeeves and The King of Clubs. Here we find … [Read More...]
On Track – Thin Lizzy/The Clash
Author:Graeme Stroud/Nick Assirati The next two books in this series cover Thin Lizzy and The Clash, and they follow the usual format of examining their albums track by track … [Read More...]
Games
Game help!
Platform:XBox, PC/Mac Age Rating:3+ Year of Release:2019 Review:I'm in need of a new game or two. This year I have played - 1 PUBG - I like it generally but I feel that I'm up … [Read More...]
Nier 2: Automata
Platform:Playstation Age Rating:16+ Year of Release:1949 Review:This batshit crazy Japanese manga-esque RPG explore-and-destroyer has been a game that’s broken through into the … [Read More...]
Noticeboard
Petesy Burns, punk legend – a Go Fund Me campaign by Colin H
Petesy Burns – Outcast, legend, bucket of positive energy, source of earthy wisdom and 70s punk spirit, Motown aficionado and writer of songs, powerhouse drummer, coiled-spring … [Read More...]
ATM: reduced box sets and deluxe editions
Some real bargains from a German supplier of musical comestibles. Save £££ and not give your dosh to the tax-dodgers. I draw particular attention to the Rubettes complete for … [Read More...]
“Manchester: A Personal Music History”
10/10/2020 At 5:00 p.m. today (UK time): "Join Martin, as he takes us through a personal history of Manchester music, digging deep into his own collection to tell us about and … [Read More...]
Live Performance in Parliament Square Tomorrow, To Highlight Support Needed For Freelance Musicians
06/10/2020 At 12 noon a performance of part of Gustav Holst's "Mars" will take place. 20% of the piece will be played, by freelance musicians conducted by David Hill. This … [Read More...]
FOCUS – 50 Years Anthology 1970-76
Focus – 50 Years: Anthology 1970-1976 Dutch progrock band Focus has been a household name worldwide for 50 years with hits such as “Hocus Pocus”, “House Of The King”, “Sylvia”, … [Read More...]
JJ and J – A Tribute to J.J. Cale
I've been listening to a lot of JJ Cale recently, who seems to suit my mood, and started writing songs which, if not like him (no one is like him) caught some of his mood. So I … [Read More...]
