Category Archives: Books Films, TV & Radio

Farewell to The Dubious Brothers: reacquainting myself with Monty (part one)

Listen up. I realise it’s late notice if you didn’t already know, but this Saturday, November 14th, marks the end of an era, with the final show by The Dubious Brothers. I’ll take part of the blame – not for … Continue reading

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Rise and Shine – the return of Hugh Cornwell

A quarter of a century after he left The Stranglers, Hugh Cornwell remains a regular on the live circuit – still in love with his back-catalogue, and still ticking off life ambitions. In the scheme of things, he’s been outside … Continue reading

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Beyond the Boosh – the Noel Fielding interview

Memorably once described by Jimmy Carr as looking like ‘Rod Stewart has made love to a raven’, that there Noel Fielding’s back out on the road this month. Hot on the heels of a successful first couple of legs of … Continue reading

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Punchlines, headlines, good times and hard lines – the Dave Spikey interview

I go a few years back with Dave Spikey, first meeting this ever-entertaining Lancastrian when he dropped in at my old workplace, the Chorley Guardian, with fellow comedian Peter Kay in early 2000. At that point the pair had already … Continue reading

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Back to The Icicle Works – the Ian McNabb interview

  I don’t pretend to be the greatest aficionado on the life and times of Ian McNabb, the esteemed Liverpudlian singer-songwriter and leader of The Icicle Works. But I know a fair bit about the Merseybeast’s story, not least his considerable … Continue reading

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Time to Breathe Again, in the company of Midge Ure

If you were to condense the history of popular music from the mid-’70s to the turn of the ’90s into a few pages, Midge Ure would still get a pretty impressive showing. Not just in the footnotes either, despite being … Continue reading

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Living it up in Limboland – the Bill Bailey interview

Apparently, Bill Bailey’s current tour involves tales of the comic finding himself in a halfway place, railing against a world that doesn’t match up to expectations, while contemplating the true nature of happiness. He’ll no doubt touch on his countless … Continue reading

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Heaven 17, plus 35 – the Martyn Ware interview

It was 35 years ago that Martyn Ware left The Human League, what began as a creative non-band project soon evolving into Heaven 17. Big times followed for both Sheffield outfits, and while Heaven 17’s ground-breaking debut LP Penthouse and … Continue reading

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Celebrating Little Victories – the Alan Davies interview

Following the success of his 55-date Little Victories UK tour in 2014, and having already added extra dates this year, Alan Davies is set for a final 15-date autumn leg. That includes a date at Preston Guild Hall in early … Continue reading

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Squeeze – Cradle to the Grave – a writewyattuk review

Squeeze are back, some 17 years after the rather disappointing Domino, with a brand new set of songs. And they’re everything I might have hoped for. In the same sense that I wish The Beatles’ Let It Be hadn’t followed Abbey Road … Continue reading

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