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.

Calum Gilligan, Zoë Bestel, Caitlin Gilligan – Barnoldswick Music & Arts Centre

Posted on November 4, 2023 by writewyattuk

It says something that on my first visit to the Lancashire music venue perhaps furthest from the coast that we were treated to plenty of stirring songs from the sea. But even the part of my opening paragraph citing the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged Barnoldswick, Caitlin Gilligan, Calum Gilligan, Cornwall, folk, Footsteps on the Broken Road, Galloway, Liverpool, Nick Drake, Scotland, Utopia, Woman of the Hills, Zoe Bestel | Leave a comment

The Undertones / Neville Staple Band – Manchester Academy 2

Posted on October 22, 2023 by writewyattuk

You may well know how it is – weekend traffic on a second trip into Manchester in four nights taking its toll. For Haircut One Hundred on Wednesday, we let the train take the strain, but there’s always that worry … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Football, Music, Uncategorized | Tagged Billy Doherty, Bobby Charlton, Damian O'Neill, Derry, John O'Neill, Manchester, Manchester Academy, Mickey Bradley, Neville Staple, Paul McLoone, Sugary Staple, The Fun Boy Three, The Specials, The Undertones, Tony Husband | 2 Comments

Haircut One Hundred / Barbara – Manchester O2 Ritz

Posted on October 19, 2023 by writewyattuk

‘Then you suddenly smiled, you took me by surprise.’ There were miles of smiles on the sprung dancefloor of the Ritz on Whitworth Street West, Manchester, when Haircut One Hundred came to town on Wednesday night, these early ‘80s pop-funk … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged Andy Treacey, As It Was, Barbara, Blair Cunningham, Blue Hat for a Blue Day, Dave horden, Fantastic Day, Favourite Shirts, Gareth Lumbers, Graham Jones, Haircut One Hundred, Harry Styles, Les Nemes, Love Plus One, Manchester, Manchester Ritz, Nick Heyward, Pelican West, Sam Ewens, Sian Monaghan | Leave a comment

Pies, Peas, Performances and Paul – in conversation with Paul Cookson, the poet touched by the band of Nod

Posted on October 11, 2023 by writewyattuk

Paul Cookson was at home in Nottinghamshire when I called his number on the lead-up to the publication of Wild! Wild! Wild! A People’s History of Slade, taking a breather between back-to-back school visits and social engagements, planning his next … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Comedy & Theatre, Football, Music | Tagged Back Home, Brooks Williams, Dave Hill, Don Powell, Edge Hill University, Everton, Hellfire Preachers, Henry Priestman, Jim lea, lancashire, Les Glover, Miles Hunt, National Football Museum, Noddy Holder, Nottinghamshire, Occasional Flames, Paul Cookson, Penwortham, Pies Peas and Performances, Retford, Slade, slady, Stan Cullimore, The Amber List, Top of the Pops, walmer Bridge, Walsall Town Hall, Wild! Wild! Wild! A People’s History of Slade | Leave a comment

Keeping the Noize alive – the Slady feature/interview

Posted on October 10, 2023 by writewyattuk

The majority of this interview came together as I threw myself deeper and deeper into writing, researching and editing Wild! Wild! Wild! A People’s History of Slade. And while this scribe rarely warms to covers and tribute bands (although there … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged Andrew Hackett, Camden, Danie Cox, Dave Hill, Dave Kemp, David Woodcock, Don Powell, Dublin Castle, Gobby holder, Jem Lea, Jim lea, London, Noddy Holder, Rock 'n' Roll Book Club, Slade, slady, The Featherz, Wendy solomon, Wild! Wild! Wild! A People’s History of Slade | 3 Comments

So hard to beat – back in touch with Billy Doherty, celebrating 45 years of overseas Undertones adventures

Posted on October 4, 2023 by writewyattuk

The Undertones are on the road again, 45 years after their first shows outside Ireland on the back of iconic debut EP, ‘Teenage Kicks’, with the second of three weekend jaunts this month coming up. An initial three-dayer last weekend … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged Ainsley Dunbar, Belfast, Billy Doherty, Charlie Watts, Chrissie Hynde., Ciaran McLaughlin, Damian O'Neill, Denis Desmond, Derry, Don Powell, Fay Fife, Feargal Sharkey, Good Vibrations, jim Hill, John O'Neill, John Peel, Kevin Sharkey, Mickey Bradley, Neal Wilkinson, Neville Staple, NHS, Noddy Holder, Paul McLoone, Rolling Stones, Sire, Slade, Sweet, Teenage Kicks, Terri Hooley, The Rezillos, The Saw Doctors, The Undertones, Tom Robinson | 2 Comments

A welcome return to Vinny Peculiar’s Counterculture Club – in praise of How I Learned to Love the Freaks

Posted on September 28, 2023 by writewyattuk

‘Say goodbye to the summer of love…’ There’s an autumnal chill in the air right now, but while the summer’s gone, I’m yet to tire of an album that’s provided a key part of my soundtrack these past couple of … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music, Uncategorized | Tagged Alan Wilkes, Dave Draper, Death of the Counterculture, Flower Power, Hippy Kids, How I Learned to Love the Freaks, Leah Wilkes, Manchester, Parlour Flames, Rob Steadman, Summer of Love, The Smiths, Vinny Peculiar, Worcestershire | Leave a comment

Keeley, Def Robot, Vincent Christ – Aatma, Manchester

Posted on September 24, 2023 by writewyattuk

Talk about nights that will stick long in the memory. My memory anyway. I’m pretty sure a few of the clientele present saw their photo streams the next day and wondered what the hell that was all about. But the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged Aatma, Alan Maguire, Def Robot, Dimple Discs, Floating Above Everything Else, Inga Maria Hauser, Johnny Marr, Keeley, Manchester, Marty Canavan, Spiritualised, Tom Fenner, Vincent Christ | 1 Comment

And the beat goes on – in praise of Life’s a Gamble: Penetration, the Invisible Girls and Other Stories by Pauline Murray

Posted on September 22, 2023 by writewyattuk

Catching up with Pauline Murray at Action Records in Preston, Lancashire, last week, she seemed somewhat surprised about the positive reaction to her autobiography, and genuinely chuffed that I thought it any good. Played down reactions and not going out … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music, Uncategorized | Tagged Action Records, Buzzcocks, Coming Up For Air, County Durham, Ferryhill, Gaye Back, Helen McCookerybook, Invisible Girls, John Lydon, Martin Hannett, Moving Targets, Newcastle, Omnibus Press, Patti Smith, Pauline Murray, Penetration, Polestar Studios, Resolution, Robert Blamire, Sex Pistols, The Clash, Tony Wilson, Toxteth, Waterhouses | 2 Comments

Swansea Sound / Special Friend / Oh Hippo – The Talleyrand, Levenshulme, Manchester

Posted on September 17, 2023 by writewyattuk

Did I mention that I missed Swansea Sound’s live debut – two years ago last month – by barely half an hour? How I turned up at The Continental in Preston one August bank holiday weekend afternoon to spot them … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music, Uncategorized | Tagged Amelia Fletcher, Bob Collins, Buzzcocks, Erica Ashleson, Guillaume Siracusa, Hue williams, Ian Button, Levenshulme, Oh Hippo, Paris, Rob Pursey, Robert Forster, Skep Wax, Special Friend, Swansea Sound, The Pooh Sticks, The Talleyrand, Twentieth Century | Leave a comment