Louder Than Words music and literature festival Friday 10th to Sunday 12th November 2017 As Billy Joel once said “Ohhhhhh… it doesn’t matter what they say in the papers ’cause it’s always been the same old scene; [...Read More]
Jamais vu – Mark E. Smith and The Fall
‘How am I doing?’ Thanks for asking. I suppose that I’m going through the stages of grief. I’ve reluctantly let go of denial but can’t quite reach acceptance. I already miss the next newFall track that I will now never hear. [...Read More]
I wish it could be Blizzmas everyday
Review of the the Blizzmas Ball with Evil Blizzard, Ruts DC and Ludovico at 53 Degrees Preston on 16.12.17 Let’s get this out of the way. If you can’t enjoy an Evil Blizzard gig then you know that you are [...Read More]
Only Die Once – Andreas S Jensen
“You only die once” according to the intro to this single from Andreas S Jensen, Dub Pistol’s guitarist and singer’s solo debut album. I’m no Buddhist but I do do a bit of stand-up on the side and so I’m [...Read More]
Adwaith’s double A-side single Femme / Lipstick Coch
“The thought of unequal pay gives me butterflies but all you care about is the gap between my thighs” The best compliment I can pay this couplet is that it could be a typically adroit dissection of the heart-of-the-matter [...Read More]
New Fall Album Emerges
That’s it, this is my last review of The Fall (what do you mean ‘I don’t care’?). I mean, I’ve only got the one but I’m sure that it is possible to choose between your children. Or at [...Read More]
Transformer delivers high voltage rock and roll
If those that can, do and those that know, teach; then those that criticise probably can’t do either. That’s why I get conflicted about the whole reviewing thing. I mean; so what if I do or don’t like a [...Read More]
Nothing blithe about Depeche Mode’s Spirit
Depeche Mode? ‘No thanks. I mean its New Romantic, isn’t it?’ All synthesizer and drum machine. As Saxon were telling me back in 1981, it was ‘denim and leather’ that ‘brought us all together’ not blouses and leather. My musically-myopic [...Read More]
Set The Boy Free
‘Show me the boy and I’ll show you the man’ – Johnny Marr’s autobiography Set The Boy Free “January, sick and tired you’ve been hanging on me.” No, not a Johnny Marr tune but the opening line from Pilot’s 1975 [...Read More]
The Fall – ‘making music great’ (again)
Fibbers, York on Saturday 19th November 2016 “With The Fall you can never be absolutely certain what you’re gonna get…sometimes it may not be what you want— but— they’re The Fall and that’s all you need” John Peel from the [...Read More]