Another weekend and another gig. Me, Neil, and Hammy — on the road again. Early pick-up, and away we went for a dose of nostalgia in the gardens of a stately home via a KFC for lunch. After a three-hour drive (Neil) and a stop off at Reading services for the aforementioned chicken dinner we arrived at Englefield… Read More »
Who else spent countless teenage hours crafting the perfect mix tape? For me, it was an artform — part playlist, part diary, part showing off. There were rules: C90s only. No repeated artists. Every fade-in and outro meticulously timed. Each tape had to include one track nobody else knew — music snobbery in its raw, adolescent form. Mix… Read More »
As always, there was confusion over the topic. It was “Female Led” – not necessarily solo stars, just as long as the main focus of the record was a woman. But again, Jimmy and Bryn got it arse about face and thought it meant solo females only. If it had been, I’d have brought Tapestry by Carole King… Read More »
There was a time when Channel 4 did drama properly. Before Bake Off and Come-Dine-with-Whatever took over the schedule and the nation’s soul, you had these weird little one-series gems tucked away at ten o’clock, midweek — the kind of slot only students, insomniacs, and the terminally single were still watching. One of those was And the Beat… Read More »
I’ll be honest — I’d never seen an episode of Scott & Bailey until three weeks ago. Not one. Didn’t know the plots, didn’t know who got bumped off, and couldn’t have told you the difference between Janet and Rachel if you’d offered me a pint. Fast-forward to now, and I’ve binged the lot. All five series. No… Read More »
There’s a certain kind of British television moment — raw, unflinching, and emotionally loaded — that stays with you.Sometimes it’s the writing. Sometimes it’s the acting. But always, it’s because it felt real. Here are my TOP FIVE scenes from British TV that will stay with me forever. Agree or disagree? Add your choices to the comments. Click… Read More »
Just For One Day – A West End Musical with Global Echoes After a late-night debrief of the PULP gig over pizza and post-midnight beers, we took the morning slow. A late breakfast set us up nicely before we tubed it to Camden for a leisurely walk through one of our favourite London neighbourhoods. We climbed Primrose Hill,… Read More »
O₂ Arena, North Greenwich – Friday 13 June 2025The O₂ Arena hosted a night of Britpop resurgence as PULP rolled into London for the first of two sold-out shows. Fresh from a surprise No. 1 on the day with More (their first album in 24 years), Jarvis Cocker and co. proved their creative mojo is far from spent… Read More »
The Holy Trinity of Modern Music: Wilson, Dylan & McCartney Most of my ideas surface during a hot Radox bath. This one was no different. Somewhere between the rising steam and the scent of eucalyptus it hit me: if there’s a top table of musical genius, three seats are non-negotiable — Brian Wilson, Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney.… Read More »
Bramall Lane, the historic home of Sheffield United F.C., played host to an evening of Britpop nostalgia and working-class poetry as Paul Heaton returned for a special hometown-flavoured performance. With support from Lightning Seeds and Shed Seven, the event pulled in a lively crowd for a Bank Holiday Sunday night of singalongs and solid northern sentiment. This marked… Read More »