What does it sound like?: Having endured their annus horribilis in 1967, The Rolling Stones consolidated in 1968, regrouped and hit on the formula that would fuel their imperial … [Read More...]
Musings on the byways of popular culture
Nights In
Jean-Michel Jarre – Equinoxe Infinity
What does it sound like?: Jean-Michel Jarre - yet another artist who I lost touch with as the years went by. I had Oxygene, Magnetic Fields, Equinoxe and even Concert in China, … [Read More...]
The Police – Every Move You Make: The Studio Recordings
What does it sound like?: From the press release: " ‘Every Move You Make: The Studio Recordings’ is a six vinyl LP box set which brings together The Police’s entire recorded … [Read More...]
Jethro Tull – This Was (50th Anniversary Edition)
What does it sound like?: It’s the turn of Tull’s 1968 debut album to get a 50th anniversary makeover, again performed in exemplary fashion by Steven Wilson. I have to say this … [Read More...]
Nights Out
Bob Dylan – Mondo Scripto
Venue: The Halcyon Gallery, 144-146 New Bond Street, London Date: 10/11/2018 This show will probably be old news to the more on-the-ball Bob-cats among us, but I confess I might … [Read More...]
Natacha Atlas
Venue: St. George's, Bristol Date: 08/11/2018 Last night I had a religious experience. It happened as I was sitting in the cosy surrounds of St. George’s in Bristol, my favourite … [Read More...]
A Night Out with Gryphon
Venue: The Robin 2, Bilston Date: 06/11/2018 I absolutely loved Midnight Mushrumps, me, rushing out to purchase it after hearing snippets on R4: first band to appear on all 4 BBC … [Read More...]
An Evening with Fleetwood Mac
Venue: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, ON Date: 03/11/2018 A chilly evening in the Ottawa suburb of Kanata, which is also where I currently reside. My first time seeing any version … [Read More...]
Films
Bohemian Rhapsody
Year: 2018 Director: Bryan Singer/Dexter Fletcher Remember the line in Wayne’s World that goes "Everybody in the world has Frampton Comes Alive. If you lived in the suburbs you … [Read More...]
Steven Wilson – “Home Invasion”
Year: 2018 Director: James Russell, Andy Derbyshire To the Everyman in Kings Cross for the premiere of Steven Wilson's film "Home Invasion", filmed at the Albert Hall earlier … [Read More...]
A Star Is Born
Year: 2001 Director: Bradley Cooper I can’t believe that a significant proportion of our membership has not been or thought about going to see this blockbuster, even if prodded … [Read More...]
Eden
Year: 1961 Director: Mia Hanson-Love Films about clubbing. If great films about making music are in short supply, great films about clubbing are even shorter. John Simm gurning … [Read More...]
Reads
The 10 Commandments
Author:Q I suspect many of us were at one time or another devotees of Q. Launched in 1986, for a good time it was the best music monthly around, and I was certainly one of the … [Read More...]
The Flame
Author:Leonard Cohen Leonard Cohen’s death in November 2016 brought the curtain down ob a career spanning five decades. This posthumously published collection, compiled in the … [Read More...]
Nothing Is Real
Author:David Hepworth The third in the current run of books by David Hepworth is not really a sequel as such to the previous two. Rather than focussing on a specific year, as in … [Read More...]
Elevation
Author:Stephen King I'm always happy to read a new one by Stephen King, although this, in comparison to some of his huge doorstop type tomes, is a slim volume, a novella, rather … [Read More...]
Games
Destiny 2
Platform:Playstation Age Rating:16+ Year of Release:2017 Review:In 22 Jump Street - possibly apart from Aliens and T2 the best ever sequel - Ice Cube greets the returning cops … [Read More...]
Frankie Goes To Hollywood: The Game
Platform:C64 Age Rating:3+ Year of Release:1985 Review:It's hard to explain how flipping massive FGTH were in 1983-5 and how much they milked that cash cow. I still recall that … [Read More...]
Noticeboard
Barmcake magazine
Hello. I thought readers might be interested in Barmcake, a magazine partly inspired by Word. Barmcake offers northern entertainment for the middle-aged and the latest issue (No. … [Read More...]
“Surbiton – are you ready?!” Sarah McQuaid rocks Britain
The always excellent Sarah McQuaid is currently touring Britain. A string of dates over the next three weeks or so, with Surbiton tomorrow. Highly … [Read More...]
‘Smash the System’ – Colin H’s futile gesture to clean up Northern Irish politics
Debuting online this Wednesday, November 7, at 9.30am - the video for 'Smash the System' by Colin Harper's Bourgeois Fury featuring Petesy Burns. A double A-side with 'Steppin' … [Read More...]
Bert Jansch: Around the world in 80 plays
Bert Jansch: Around the world in 80 plays A worldwide journey for Bert Jansch To launch on Bert’s 75 birthday, 3 November 2018 Supporting the Bert Jansch Foundation (BJF) Bert … [Read More...]
King Crimson Tickets x 2
03/11/2018 I have two spare tickets for KING CRIMSON in London on Saturday 3rd that I can’t use. I’m now going to The a Friday gig. Face value (£90 each) or best lower offer. … [Read More...]
Re-Play Papworth: Sunday afternoon vinyl playbacks
25/11/2018 My friends have taken over my local cafe. I've somehow persuaded Criterion Audio in Cambridge to lend me £10k worth of hi-fi. I'm going to put on vinyl playback … [Read More...]
