I put my back out gently clearing my throat. Two weeks of walking like I’d shat myself, and no sympathy to boot.

A Little Bit of Everything by Dawes. Every time.

I came over from Belgium to see that gig. In those pre-internet, pre-mobile times my friend and I travelled up to Wembley Stadium none the wiser, only to find it deserted. No signs, nothing. It took an Evening […]

The (American) singer in our Americana band was delighted to hear there’d be a Country flavoured festival, subsidised by the local council. Talking to one of the organisers, they promised a varied bill featuring n […]

Ryan Adams in about 2003. He broke his wrist skateboarding. I took the refund and haven’t bothered trying to see him since.

It’s beautiful up there but everywhere shuts early – at least it did when I was there about 15 years ago. Don’t expect food after 9pm anywhere except the chippy on the seafront.

Reformed bands* who I would pay a fortnight’s holiday-worth to see play for two hours in a large arena or stadium: . . . Nope, can’t think of one. Not Jellyfish. Not the classic lineup of the Black Crowes. Not […]

Maybe she could have tried experimenting and recorded an album with consonants in?

While they probably didn’t get the money they were due from Silvertone for the first album (hence the protracted legal business) they did, famously, get an advance of about £5M from Geffen to make the second. Th […]

Sure, and of course I take the OP in the manner in which it was addressed, but wanted to give props to Gerry who, in the real world, I do not see as being in the top 1,000 lazy musicians. My top musical slugabeds? […]

Gerry Love can do what he likes. He wrote some of the most glorious, uplifting guitar pop put to record. He was forced to leave TFC because he didn’t want to tour internationally, and who knows? Health might be s […]

Pretty good at playing and repairing guitar-shaped instruments. Give me a piece of paper and I can draw cartoon animals, rockets, cars etc with a Sharpie for small children to colour in. This has come in […]

Definitely could be in there, yes, and Grand Prix would be the one for me.

Power Pop: Big Star – #1 Record The Posies – Frosting in the Beater Jellyfish – Bellybutton The Shazam – Godspeed The Shazam Velvet Crush – Teenage Symphonies to God Fountains of Wayne – S/T Matthew Sweet […]

I do. Present from the in-laws about ten years ago. Works really well, and has a pleasing Liverpudlian voice (when no-one else is about):

Got to see Robbie playing covers in a pub with the great Peter Bruntnell a few weeks ago. RM was effortless in his craft, going from Albert Lee twang to pedal steel-alike with slide, string benders and a volume […]

“Sorry mate, your playing’s great but the voice is well croaky and you can’t hit those high notes, can you? Next!”

Read an interview in a guitar mag some years back about a Beatles show in the West End where the bloke playing Paul, a right hander, had taught himself to play left handed. He’s now in a tribute band. That level o […]

Growing up with a peripatetic family, I discovered music through my parents’ small box of tapes. Much I thought rubbish at 6 (and I was right on most of them), but 20 Golden Greats on their giant headphones blew m […]

A lot of it, especially if you have to cross the Atlantic, is to do with economics. Many of my favourite US acts have gone on record that they just can’t afford to bring a band and all of the gear, extra hotel r […]