Ah, it’s mid summer. A time of hazy, sunny evenings. As the organisers of Wimbledon erect their “Sale! Punnet of Strawberry’s: only £50” signs (complete with grocer’s comma) it’s the time of year that allows me to drag out the… Read More ›
Although we might all have a stab at naming Elton John’s best albums, in these times of Spotify, there sometimes needs to be a reason why a particular record should be bought on vinyl. Happily in Elton’s case there are… Read More ›
It was the climax of the Stone Free Festival at the O2 Arena, and the 20,000 seater was less than a third full. Perhaps a reflection of the bill which veered from Supertramp to Megadeth but stuck to a “classic… Read More ›
In which we discover how Bernie Taupin’s mum brought Reg and Bernie together by cleaning her front room, how the cost of storing vinyl in Chelsea is ruinously expensive, why Elton has only the second-worst real life name of any pop star, and why you shouldn’t kick a piano stool at work.
The Vinyl Revival (TM) continues apace, sucking up the cash of Millennials faster than a pop up craft-beer-and-smashed-avocado stall at a box park. With new LPs often costing £20 or more, vinyl-loving Millennials are reportedly struggling to save for a… Read More ›
You have to feel a little sorry for Pink Floyd fans. Not too much, obviously. They are more likely than you are to have a final salary pension, a second home, a car that starts on a cold day, a… Read More ›
Record Store Day seems to be a day of doing things you wouldn’t normally do. You rise earlier than you would for work. (Motivation may have something to do with this…) You happily stand in a queue outside a record… Read More ›
Good news for Bowie vinyl fans with the reissue of classic eighties compilation ChangesTwo. Although original copies of this album are as common as your average Jeremy Kyle Show participant (and also I suspect like your average Jeremy Kyle Show… Read More ›
Arcade Fire have overcome many obstacles in their path over the years. Grabbing the attention of the world through their indie-released debut LP Funeral; delivering credible follow ups to one of the decade’s most critically acclaimed albums, and then dealing… Read More ›
Geoff MacCormack was just seven years old and was wearing the brown uniform of Burnt Ash Primary school when he first met David Jones. They went to cub scouts together and were in the choir together. It transpired neither the… Read More ›
Stuart Murdoch walked out intrepidly into the crowd last night during “Dear Catastrophe Waitress”. It’s a Belle and Sebastian crowd, so it’s a friendly, unthreatening and relaxed crowd, more likely to offer him a Tunnock’s Wafer than trouble. But then… Read More ›
In a week that saw the demise of the NME’s print edition after sixty-odd years, it is reassuring that some traditions remain. The country is still run by incompetents, it’s impossible to find a telecoms provider whose call centre isn’t… Read More ›
Brian Eno was waiting for the tube at Maida Vale. A train stopped, leaving Brian equidistant between two carriages. He didn’t know it, but his destiny awaited. Enter one carriage, and he would become a pop star, an innovator of… Read More ›
It has been quite a journey since Gaz Coombs began his rock career as the teenage lead singer of…. The Jennifers. Signed to Nude Records in 1991 – the contract signed by his mum as he was too young –… Read More ›
It’s genuinely a highlight of the musical year, if only for the thrill of the unexpected, but if we learn nothing else at The Brits each time, it’s just how difficult being a TV presenter is. At least, the three… Read More ›
