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.

A truly independent spirit – the Badly Drawn Boy interview

Posted on July 18, 2014 by writewyattuk

Ahead of appearances at the Beat-Herder Festival in Lancashire’s Ribble Valley and Portmeirion’s Festival No.6 in North Wales, writewyattuk tackled Damon Gough – aka Badly Drawn Boy – on everything from Beck to Boney M and Bruce Springsteen. Before I … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged About a Boy, Badly Drawn Boy, Beat-Herder, Beck, Boney M, Bruce Springsteen, Chorlton, Damon Gough, Hour of the Bewilderbeast, lancashire, Nick Hornby, No.6 Festival | 2 Comments

Highways, Islands and Magic Moments – the Jo Bartlett interview

Posted on July 14, 2014 by writewyattuk

Now and again a song tugs the heart-strings, and for me it’s more likely to be because of an under-stated beauty rather than a claw-hammer approach. A case in point is Highway Found, the title track of Jo Bartlett’s latest … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Bluetrain, Buzz Club, C86, Chestnut Radio, Dan Treacy, Danny Hagan, Go! Service, Green Man Festival, It's Jo and Danny, Jo Bartlett, Kodiak Island, Lund Quartet, Pinkunoizu, That Petrol Emotion, Third Rail, Yellow Moon Band | 9 Comments

Timperley Sunsets and New York Mornings – In Conversation with Jon Ronson

Posted on July 14, 2014 by writewyattuk

Jon Ronson is a busy man, this Cardiff-born, New York-based writer, film-maker and broadcaster clearly juggling lots of big deadlines. But he was nothing less than charming and entertaining when we caught up via a web link from NYC this … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged Domhnall Gleeson, Ewan McGregor, Frank Sidebottom, George Clooney, Jon Ronson, Maeve Higgins, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Man From Delmonte, Mark Radcliffe, Michael Fassbender, The Men Who Stare At Goats, The Psychopath Test, Them: Adventures with Extremists | Leave a comment

Deadwood Dog determined to party on the Preston front

Posted on July 11, 2014 by writewyattuk

Nine months after launching their debut album, United Colours of Bigotry, Deadwood Dog are on something of a high. The Preston seven-piece visit 53 Degrees this Saturday, July 12, returning to a treasured University of Central Lancashire venue facing closure … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged 53 Degrees, bouzouki, Daevid Goral Barker, Dan Donnelly, Deadwood Dog, Evil Blizzard, Joy Division, Mick Stokes, Preston, The Warehouse, Wonder Stuff | 1 Comment

The Stranglers – Preston 53 Degrees

Posted on July 7, 2014 by writewyattuk

In the same way that the best football teams are built around a spine of experienced players, The Stranglers have never lost sight of their creative strengths. Clearly, they had to adapt big time to Hugh Cornwell’s departure in 1990, … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged 53 Degrees, Baz Warne, Dave Greenfield, Duchess, Giants, Hugh Cornwell, Jean-Jacques Burnel, Jet Black, Jim McAuley, No More Heroes, Preston, The Raven, The Stranglers | 1 Comment

Ruby celebrations showcase Stranglers’ survival instincts – the Jean-Jacques Burnel interview

Posted on July 4, 2014 by writewyattuk

Warning: this interview includes JJ Burnel’s own brand of industrial language in places, possibly explaining the derivation of the phrase, ‘excuse my French’. A note on The Stranglers’ website from Jean-Jacques Burnel reads: “On this, the occasion of our Ruby … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Baz Warne, Blondie, Bob Willis, Dave Greenfield, Dr Feelgood, Giants, godalming, guildford, Hugh Cornwell, Jean-Jacques Burnel, Jet Black, Paul Roberts, Rock Goes To College, Royal Grammar School, The Stranglers, Wilko Johnson | 13 Comments

Gary Numan / Roman Remains – Preston 53 Degrees

Posted on July 2, 2014 by writewyattuk

So there we were, seven dates into Gary Numan’s ‘intimate’ club tour, and another venue was feeling the love for this prime mover in electronica. And here was proof – if it were needed – that age has not sullied … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged 53 Degrees, Are Friends Electric?, Dead Son Rising, Gary Numan, Liela Moss, Preston, Replicas, Roman Remains, Splinter, The Pleasure Principle | 3 Comments

War Girls – helping make 1914-18 more relevant to today’s generation

Posted on June 27, 2014 by writewyattuk

Last week I caught up with the screen adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s Private Peaceful, in a year when it seems you’re never too far away from one tale of Great War woe or other. The film’s definitely worth watching, commendably … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio | Tagged Adele Geras, Andersen Press, Anne Fine, Berlie Doherty, Charlie Sheppard, Fulwood Barracks, John Gillmore, Mary Hooper, Matt Whyman, Melvin Burgess, Rowena House, Sally Nicholls, Theresa Breslin, War Girls | Leave a comment

Electric dreams still stirring emotions – the Gary Numan interview

Posted on June 27, 2014 by writewyattuk

It must have been on London’s Capital Radio when I first heard Tubeway Army, 35 years ago this month. I was only 11 at the time, yet already knew the charts inside out. But this was something else. With my transistor … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged Are Friends Electric?, Capital Radio, David Bowie, electronica, Gary Numan, Replicas, Splinter, synthpop, The Pleasure Principle, Top of the Pops, Tubeway Army | 5 Comments

Full frontal nerdity – out and about with the insatiably sci-curious Steve Mould

Posted on June 20, 2014 by writewyattuk

Can science and maths really be deemed cool or funny? And when do geeks and nerds become cult TV and touring successes? Gateshead-born small screen science experiment guy Steve Mould might just know the answers to those and many more … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Comedy & Theatre | Tagged 53 Degrees, Brian Cox, Dara O Briain, Festival of the Spoken Nerd, Gravity Fields, Helen Arney, Johnny Ball, Latitude Festival, Matt Parker, Preston, Steve Mould | Leave a comment