Author Archives: writewyattuk

About writewyattuk

This is the online home of author, writer and editor Malcolm Wyatt, who has books on The Jam, Slade and The Clash under his belt and many more writing projects on the go, as well as regularly uploading feature-interviews and reviews right here. These days he's living his best life with his better half in West Cornwall after their three decades together in Lancashire, this Surrey born and bred scribe initially heading north after five years of 500-mile round-trips on the back of a Turkish holiday romance in 1989. Extremely proud of his two grown-up daughters, he's also a foster carer and a dog lover, spending any spare time outside all that catching up with other family and friends, supporting Woking FC, planning adventures and travels, further discovering his adopted county, and seeing as much of this big old world as time allows. He can be contacted at thedayiwasthere@gmail.com and various social media online portals, mostly involving that @writewyattuk handle.

The Levellers, for folk’s sake – the Mark Chadwick interview

Posted on February 1, 2018 by writewyattuk

Three decades ago, a conversation in a pub in a busy South coast resort led to the newly-introduced Mark Chadwick and Jeremy Cunningham discovering they had plenty in common, not least their political world-view and taste in music. As guitarist … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Comedy & Theatre, Music | Tagged A Weapon Called the Word, Abbey Road Studios, Beautiful Days, Brighton, Glastonbury Festival, Jeremy Cunningham, Joe Strummer, John Leckie, Led Zeppelin, Levellers, Levelling the Land, Mark Chadwick, Metway, The Clash, The Men They Couldn't Hang, We the Collective, Zeitgeist | 1 Comment

From the sound of sirens to Larks in Transit – back in touch with Bill Bailey

Posted on January 25, 2018 by writewyattuk

As I was thinking of questions for Bill Bailey the morning he called, I heard a proper ‘nee-nah’ pass the front of my house. And for once I thought not of Eric Morecambe’s classic ‘They’ll never sell ice cream travelling … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Comedy & Theatre, Music | Tagged Bataclan, Bewilderness, Bill Bailey, Black Books, Cosmic Jam, Dylan Moran, Eric Morecambe, hygge, Larks in Transit, Limboland, Preston Guild Hall, Sonisphere, Tamsin Greig, The Ridgeway, Travels with my Dog | 1 Comment

Eggland expects – The Lovely Eggs interview

Posted on January 18, 2018 by writewyattuk

If you’re passing through Lancaster late at night, wondering where that glorious racket’s coming from, it could be Holly Ross (vocals/guitar, ex-Angelica) and David Blackwell working on new songs at their place, while their four-year-old lad sleeps through. Don’t get … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Comedy & Theatre, Music | Tagged Angelica, Casey Redmond, Dave Fridmann, David Blackwell, Gruff Rhys, Holly Ross, John Peel, John Shuttleworth, Lancaster, Manchester, Marc Riley, Morecambe, Phill Jupitus, Porky the Poet, Sounds from the Other City, Steve Lamacq, The Lovely Eggs, The Yorkshire House | 5 Comments

Skankin’ and rockin’ to a Skabilly beat – the Roddy ‘Radiation’ Byers interview

Posted on January 11, 2018 by writewyattuk

While no one could reasonably argue against the notion that Jerry Dammers was the architect and conceptual mastermind behind The Specials and the 2 Tone movement, his bandmates Roddy ‘Radiation’ Byers and Lynval Golding played a big part in establishing … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged Amy Winehouse, Bernie Rhodes, Bodysnatchers, Concrete Jungle, Coventry, Dave Wakeling, Go-Go's, Hey Little Rich Girl;, Horace Panter, Jerry Dammers, John Bradbury, Lynval Golding, Neville Staple, Pete Waterman, Rat Race, Rick Rogers, Rico, Roddy Radiation, ska, Skabilly Rebels, Specials, The Beat, The Clash, The Selecter | 3 Comments

July to December 2017 – the writewyattuk review: the second six months

Posted on December 29, 2017 by writewyattuk

Former Status Quo ‘frantic four’ drummer John Coghlan on the key moments that will always stay with him: “Those six weeks at Butlin’s were an eye-opener, doing it – in a sense – professionally, getting to play to people and … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Comedy & Theatre, Music | Tagged 10cc, Andrew Roachford, Belinda Carlisle, Billy Bragg, Blancmange, Brian Cox, Cabbage, Clean Bandit, Don Powell, Ellie Rowsell, Eric Stewart, Francis Rossi, Go-Go's, Grace Chatto, Graham Gouldman, Haircut 100, Hannah Peel, Happy Mondays, Howard Hewett, Ian Snowball, Jason Byrne, Joe Martin, John Coghlan, John Lydon, Josie Long, Manchester, Mary Casio, Michael Jackson, Mickey Bradley, Neil Arthur, Nick Heyward, Ozzy Osbourne, paul weller, Pauline Black, Pete Waterman, Peter Hook, Phill Jupitus, Richard Houghton, Richie Malone, Rick Parfitt, Robin Ince, Roland Gift, Rowetta, Sex Pistols, Shalamar, Sharon Osbourne, Slade, Status Quo, Steve White, The Bootleg Beatles, The Clash, The Selecter, The Specials, The Stone Roses, The Undertones, The Who, Tito Jackson, Tom Robinson, Wolf Alice | Leave a comment

January to June 2017 – the writewyattuk review: the first six months …

Posted on December 22, 2017 by writewyattuk

Blue Aeroplanes frontman Gerard Langley on the band’s early days: “When we started out, we got out of Bristol as much as we could, but would often be third on the bill, playing without a soundcheck. We thought we’d just run … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Comedy & Theatre, Music | Tagged Abba, Alex Neilson, alt-J, Andy Bell, Benny Andersson, Blondie, Blue Aeroplanes, Brendan Cole, Brian Epstein, Bruce Foxton, Captain Beefheart, Carl Magnus Palm, Chris Stein, Del Amitri, Den Davis, Denny Walley, Doug Perkins and the Spectaculars, Dunfermline, Erasure, Frank Zappa, From The Jam, Gerard Langley, Gus Unger-Hamilton, Howard Jones, Ian Hunter, J Willgoose Esq, James Taylor, James Taylor Quartet, John McNally, John Peel, Jose Jacobs, Justin Currie, Katrina and the Waves, Katrina Leskanich, Leo Sayer, Lloyd Cole, Manic Street Preachers, Michael Buble, Mott the Hoople, Neil Sheasby, Orange Juice, paul weller, Public Service Broadcasting, Richard Jobson, Ron Mael, Ron Sexsmith, Rose McDowall, Runshaw College, Russell Hastings, Simon Barber, Sparks, Stone Foundation, Strawberry Switchblade, Strictly Come Dancing, The Chesterfields, The Clash, The Jam, The Searchers, The Skids, Trembling Bells, Vince Clarke | Leave a comment

Takin’ Me Bak ‘Ome – talking Slade with Don Powell

Posted on December 15, 2017 by writewyattuk

Christmas was way into the distance when I tracked Don Powell down in Denmark, but the legendary drummer – on a rare break from the live circuit – soon brought the subject up. As I properly introduced myself and mentioned … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged Bilston, Chas Chandler, Dave Hill, Denmark, Don Powell, Graham Swinnerton, Jim lea, Merry Xmas Everybody, Noddy Holder, Ozzy Osbourne, Silkeborg, Slade, Slade in Flame, The Beatles, the Vendors, wolverhampton | 6 Comments

A man of Substance – the Peter Hook interview

Posted on December 14, 2017 by writewyattuk

‘I’m here now … sorry,’ read my text message, and after a couple of days struggling to locate Peter Hook, it seemed I finally had my chance. We’d missed each other a few times, but seeing as it was … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged Anton Corbijn, Bernard Sumner, Buzzcocks, David Potts, Electric Circus, Freebass, Hacienda, Hacienda Classical, Half Man half Biscuit, Ian Curtis, Joy Division, Lesser Free Trade Hall, Manchester, Michael Winterbottom, Monaco, Peter Hook, Peter Hook and the Light, Revenge, Rezillos, Rowetta, Salford, Sex Pistols, Substance, The Clash, The Undertones, Tony Wilson, University of Central Lancashire | 5 Comments

Following in the Fab Four’s footsteps – The Bootleg Beatles feature

Posted on December 7, 2017 by writewyattuk

Granted, it’s not necessarily the best way to start a conversation, telling an interviewee who plays in a tribute band that I’ve always felt there are so many great groups out there that it’s pointless featuring such acts. But while … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Comedy & Theatre, Music | Tagged Beatlemania, Bjorn Again, George Harrison, George Martin, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Royal Albert Hall, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Sgt. Pepper, The Beatles, The Bootleg Beatles, The Rutles, tribute bands | 1 Comment

Notes From a Cornish Shed – Another Shedload by Pete Cross – a writewyattuk review

Posted on December 1, 2017 by writewyattuk

Trepiddle’s Finest is back, and it’s like he’s never been away. Perhaps that’s because he hasn’t, but that’s not the point. Pete Cross has a new collection of scribblings out, and now it’s December I’ll throw in my first festive … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure & Travel, Books Films, TV & Radio, Comedy & Theatre | Tagged Backalong, Cornwall, Cornwall Today, doc Martin, Notes From A Cornish Shed, Pete Cross, Poldark | Leave a comment