The Specials – Hammersmith Palais – July or August 1979 – the week Gangsters got into the charts. I was 15 and visiting my sister in London in the summer holidays. The energy was amazing – the whole audience […]

Oh Shit – Buzzcocks. Greatest B-side to the greatest A-side of all time.

The Clash – The Clash.
Throughout 1977 I recorded various songs onto my mono tape recorder ambiently (ie using the built in condenser mic) from John Peel and even Radio Luxembourg – Remote Control, I’m so bored […]

Saw them in spring 1985 in Oxford. Did’t know what to expect having only heard a couple of singles. I was used to seeing alternative bands (these were pre ‘indie’ days) play in the back room of pubs to a handful […]

thanks for the tips duco.
it appears that ms liptrot is mostly blogging about her travels with her baby in her camper van https://twitter.com/amy_may
but this article appeared in the guardian recently which […]

Published last year “The Outrun” by Amy Liptrot is my book of the year. The best thing I have read in ages, in fact. Can’t quite put my finger on what made it so good but the contrast between her life in the […]

Another vote for Joy Division.

My gig going got going in the late 70’s/early 80’s and while not a great time to be a young person due to the bastard Tory war on the working class, recession, youth unemployment, […]

Thanks, Gary for your kind and helpful comments. As an introvert and a bit of a natural nihilist I have previously suffered from depression which I have successfully kept at bay for the last few years by a […]

As a veteran of approximately twenty Glastonbury festivals since 1981 as a punter, fence jumper and worker and generally a fan of dodgy on the edge events ie Stonehenge Free Festivals, Mutoid Waste parties I found […]

PS – Reading back my listening choices above I’m struck by the journey I’ve had from my 14 year old punk rocker self (albeit already a Bowie, Stones and Kraftwerk fan) and I would never have guessed that these […]

I find I tend to gorge on a certain artiste of whom I own the entire collection and tend to play their stuff almost exclusively for a week or two focusing on an individual albums for a few plays before moving on. […]

Hi, glad you throught the thread I started was great. I have read both Sounes and Mick Wall. Sounes I enjoyed. The thing about him is he is an investigative reporter so great on private life etc (I believe he […]

watching

No TV as TV is under dust sheets as in the middle of decorating living room. Half watched the BBC 4 McGee/Ryder indie programme at my girlfiriends house and we also watched a rented DVD (from Bristol’s […]

Peter Mandelson? Had to resign twice as government minister for various indiscretions and ended up two terms later as Business Secretary and essentially Gordon Brown’s number 2 in the dog days of GB’s premiership.

Okay people, you are doing well and I think I have my rock biog reading sorted for the next few months if not the next year.. Will probably now also go with Rod Stewart and Mickey Bradley based on […]

Thanks for all this. Keep them coming. I think I’ll definitely go with the Cosey Fanni Tutti and Robert Wyatt books. I skimmed through Welsh for Zen at my local library and earmarked it for later and then it […]

I, too, find the 1980’s albums a bit bland, mid paced and samey but I would say that in the 90’s he hit a winning run with Days Like This, The Healing Game and especially Back on Top. The 93 live album A Night in […]