With a thousand music and performing arts festivals reportedly taking place in the U.K. every year you would be forgiven if the annual bash at Chalkwell Park, within touching distance of Southend-on-Sea, had passed you by. But this omission would… Read More ›
The Festival season. While Spanish music fans fret about how to stay hydrated in Barcelona and Portuguese music fans research online reviews of sun hat stores in Lisbon, British music fans research which pop up tents are least likely to… Read More ›
A mile and a half from the Kentish coast and five miles from Southend in Essex lies the wreck of SS Richard Montgomery, an American Liberty ship built during World War II. The ship ran adrift onto sandbanks while carrying… Read More ›
It’s in Essex, it’s about the size of the kid’s field at Glastonbury, and it only costs £15 to get in (take that, austerity Britain!) but this weekend 16,500 festival goers experienced a mellow, friendly atmosphere and saw some great… Read More ›
Ah, the British summer. As elusive as a politician’s answer. In days of yore, at the slightest sniff of a sunny weekend, the Great British Public would, in a futile attempt to keep the kids quiet for five minutes, hop… Read More ›
It is fifty years since Brian Wilson famously set the young Paul McCartney’s hair on end with the release of Pet Sounds. It was a remarkable, almost impossible achievement – the musical equivalent of you or me writing a maths… Read More ›
On a day when that august (and indeed August) celebration of the best albums of the year, the Mercury Prize nominations list, was released, a small part of Southend-on-Sea was showing what a bit of DIY spirit and grit and… Read More ›
The best concept album ever? There’s no contest. *plays the theme tune to Hong Kong Phooey* Is it “The Wall”? No. is it “Tommy”? No. Is it “Operation: Mindcrime” by the mild mannered Queensryche? “….Could be…” I realise that… Read More ›
It has been quite a year so far for Johnny Marr. Just as he was getting over racking up a half century of birthdays, in April Marr found himself in a New York post office performing his new soundtrack to… Read More ›
As summer approaches, thoughts turn to the summer season. Whilst for the landed gentry this means the quiet civility of Ascot, Henley and The Hurlingham Club, for the rest of us it can only mean the sheer joy of mud,… Read More ›
It was something of a homecoming for Alison Moyet last night as the Billericay-born and Basildon-schooled vocalist played nearby Southend to promote her 2013 album The Minutes. The last time I saw Moyet she briefly joined another Essex dweller Wilko… Read More ›
What a show! Go-Go dancers, angry anti-establishment songs and a ton of energy coming from the stage. No, it’s not The Beastie Boys‘ first tour again, it’s…Elvis Costello and The Imposters. Believe it: Elvis Costello brought his Spectacular Spinning Songbook… Read More ›
With a number one debut album to his name, Jake Bugg‘s success has been quite something to behold, especially as it has come at a time in his life when a boy of his age should be outside kicking a… Read More ›
Following my earlier Horrors post, here are a couple more photos of Wednesday night’s gig at Chinnerys in Southend, including a couple of support band The Black Belles. The Black Belles are signed to Jack White‘s label Third Man Records… Read More ›
Seeing The Horrors play live at their home town of Southend was a special moment. Chris Martin’s campaign against tinnitus had a setback last night as Southend on Sea got to welcome home The Horrors at a special gig at… Read More ›
Every record tells a story 