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.

Dodgy / David John Jaggs – Ribchester Village Hall

Posted on August 10, 2015 by writewyattuk

There haven’t been a right lot of opportunities to stay out for the summer in my adopted Lancashire of late, but it all clicked right last Friday evening. It was as if Hollow Horse Events’ Carl Barrow had specially laid … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Andy Miller, David Jaggs, Dodgy, Free Peace Sweet, Good Enough, Hold Up To The Light, Homegrown, Mathew Priest, Nigel Clark, Pretty Vacant, Raggamuffins, Ribchester, Stand Upright in a Cool Place, Staying Out For The Summer, Stuart Thoy, Velvet Underground | Leave a comment

Glad to be back – the Tom Robinson interview

Posted on August 6, 2015 by writewyattuk

You’d be forgiven for thinking Tom Robinson’s direct participation in the music business was way behind him. But it turns out that’s not the case. Regular listeners to BBC Radio 6 Music know Tom well, and those of us a … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged BBC Radio 6 Music, Billy Bragg, Colin Firth, Fresh on the Net, Gerry Diver, Glad To Be Gay, Grey Cortina, John Peel, Lee Forsyth Griffiths, Nitin Sawney, Only the Now, Ray Davies, Sir Ian McKellen, Tom Robinson, TV Smith, War Baby | 5 Comments

Milltown Brothers – Long Road (Stanley Records) – a writewyattuk review

Posted on August 3, 2015 by writewyattuk

A staggering 24 years after their debut album, Slinky, put Milltown Brothers on the map, this somewhat-elusive Lancashire outfit are back and on winning form. A lot’s changed since their first spell of (admittedly moderate) fame, hits like Apple Green, … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Barney Williams, Granada, James Fraser, lancashire, Long Road, Matt Nelson, Milltown Brothers, Nian Brindle, Oswaldtwistle, REM, Simon Nelson, Slinky, The Byrds | Leave a comment

Holding Dodgy to the Light – the Mathew Priest interview

Posted on July 30, 2015 by writewyattuk

It’s been four years since festival favourites Dodgy returned to the fold, and 15 years since their double-platinum selling third album, Free Peace Sweet saw them at the peak of their commercial success. But don’t for one moment think their best days … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Andy Miller, Dodgy, Free Peace Sweet, Good Enough, Hold Up To The Light, Homegrown, Malverns, Mathew Priest, Nigel Clark, Pershore, Ribchester, Salisbury, Stand Upright in a Cool Place, Staying Out For The Summer, Worcestershire | 4 Comments

Buzzcocks Going Steady – the Steve Diggle interview

Posted on July 24, 2015 by writewyattuk

To get the right tone for a feature, I love to find a little footage or play a song that best sets a scene. And with this week’s interviewee, I was spoiled for choice. Would it be rare footage of … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged Blackpool Rebellion, Buzzcocks, Chris Remmington, Cities in the Park, Danny Farrant, Factory Records, Howard Devoto, John Maher, Lesser Free Trade Hall, Manchester Academy, Pete Shelley, Sex Pistols, Steve Diggle, Steve Garvey | 5 Comments

Calling out around the world – the Martha Reeves interview

Posted on July 13, 2015 by writewyattuk

It was 10.30am local time in Detroit, Michigan, when I got through to soul legend Martha Reeves, and she still had a little packing to organise before heading to the UK. Within a couple of days she’d be thrilling crowds … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged Beat-Herder, Dancing in the Street, Detroit, Dusty Springfield, George Harrison, Heat Wave, Holland Dozier Holland, Jimmy Mack, Liverpool, Martha and the Vandellas, Martha reeves, Marvin Gaye, Motown, Northern Soul, Nowhere To Run, Stevie Wonder | 3 Comments

Status Quo – Symphony at the Tower, Hoghton

Posted on July 5, 2015 by writewyattuk

The forecasts hinted we might be in for a downpour at Hoghton Tower on Friday night, and the clouds were looming as we waited for the main act. But by the time the mighty Quo were belting out 1976 hit … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Andy Bown, Blackburn, Caroline, Clitheroe, Down Down, Francis Rossi, Good Foxy, Hoghton Tower, John 'Rhino' Edwards, Leon Cave, Live Aid, New York Tourists, Paper Plane, Rick Parfitt, Rocking all Over the World, St Catherine's Hospice, Status Quo | 2 Comments

Rollin’ Home with the Quo – the Francis Rossi interview

Posted on July 2, 2015 by writewyattuk

When you phone a rock’n’roll legend, you don’t expect him to answer within two rings and launch straight into a breezy rendition of a classic from Singin’ in the Rain. “Good morning, good morning!” What’s more, that vast Status Quo … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged Andy Bown, Aqoustic, Bill Bryson, Bob Geldof, Crosby, Forest Hill, Francis Rossi, Hoghton Tower, John 'Rhino' Edwards, Leon Cave, Live Aid, Lucy Kay, oil pulling, Purley, Rick Parfitt, St Catherine's Hospice, Star Trek, Status Quo, The Stranglers | 4 Comments

Cool as Wonderland – in conversation with Wolf Alice

Posted on July 2, 2015 by writewyattuk

I’ve admitted before that this blog is occasionally guilty of donning Captain Sensible style New Rose-tinted specs, looking back wistfully on the good old days (whatever the subject matter). But while inspired by so much great music from ‘way back’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Ellie Rowsell, Fluffy, Glastonbury, Joel Amey, Joff Oddie, Mike Crossey, My Love Is Cool, Swim Deep, Take Your Mama, Theo Ellis, Wolf Alice | 2 Comments

Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra – Blackpool Empress Ballroom

Posted on June 26, 2015 by writewyattuk

If a building really carries social history within its walls, there can be few greater examples in Lancashire than Blackpool’s Empress Ballroom. The ornate decoration throughout the Winter Gardens tells its own stories, and there’s no disguising the magic of … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged Big Band, Blackpool, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Empress Ballroom, Fats Waller, Gilson Lavis, Jools Holland, Louis Armstrong, Louise Marshall, Mabel Ray, Marc Almond, Mark Flanagan, Ruby Turner, Rumer | 2 Comments