A second-hand tale, but hopefully worth throwing out there. The Beatles played Earlestown Town Hall on Nov 30th, 1962. At this stage they’d only released Love Me Do, which had reached no. 17 in the UK charts. […]

Whatever the reason is, it can’t be a shortage of cash in the Sting coffers. Do you remember one of his accountants nicked 6 million quid from him, and he didn’t notice? His massive Tuscan villa and his $65 mil […]

As odd as it sounds, I don’t listen to 6music precisely because they play the sort of stuff I like. I don’t want to hear my favourite stuff too much: the thrill goes, and you really can listen to too much music. […]

I’ve always thought Brand New Day sounds like the Addams Family theme tune…

He’s written some top songs, our Sting, but he just has a face like he’s constantly chatting up your girlfriend.

Good review, cheers.

Yes, I bought this when it came out, and no: I haven’t played it for ages. This Year’s Love is a cracker, though, and Babylon’s still a great radio song.

Mind you, I genuinely can’t think of many albums I’ve […]

I’ve always been fond of Syd Barrett’s Bob Dylan Blues, principally because he’s taking the piss rather than worshipping:

Roam from town to town
Guess I get people down
But I don’t care too much about […]

Jim Bowen: made me chuckle, that one, young Celebration!

Lissom for me. I read it in a theatre review, where the actress was described as ‘the lissom leading lady’. It’s ‘(of a person or their body) thin, supple and graceful.’ So the exact opposite of me, then.

Isn’t it a Beatles’ song that was a double A-side and on an EP? I could be very wrong.

Neil Innes agrees – especially as he’s now listed as co-author of Whatever.

Andy McCluskey from OMD was on the north west news this morning, as there’s a retrospective of their work on display. He said it was surreal. I remember thinking it wasn’t.

Oh, and Tim Dowling’s column in the Weekend Guardian. A series of utterly banal observations, such as:

‘My wife has just asked me to take the rubbish out. Odd: it isn’t a Thursday. I ask her what her motiv […]

I’m still visibly upset from my experience in a pub in Chester, earlier this year, when the young shaver behind the bar served my pint with a cheery, “Cheers, m’dudey!” I thought he’d temporarily slipped into spea […]

BBC Breakfast show ‘banter’. It’s so forced, you could make a soup out of it. I’ve had to turn it off at times, as recent ‘banter’ has included the sports’ reporter mocking Charlie for being old, and one of the […]

By golly: you’re right, young Fishface! I haven’t dared listen for years. I wonder who out of Stock, Aitkin or Waterman was the axeman there (I’m guessing not Waterman)?

Who can forget Jason ‘Too Many Broken Hearts’ Donovan up a mountain with his electric guitar (an instrument not even on the record), which wasn’t plugged in? Not me: not even after years of therapy.

Cider is a tough one to recover from. In my frivolous youth, I am became tired and emotional from many different alcoholic drinks, but cider is the one I’ve never touched since. I think it’s because it tastes a […]

Thanks for the opinions so far. I have always associated this site with non-ranty and nuanced opinion, and I am genuinely interested in what you all think.
I do agree that a single Brexit-related thread might be […]

Obviously one of the best vocalists ever. Mak is totally right, though: his voice changed badly after surgery.