Tag Archives: Birmingham

Let me tell you about Sweden (and Denmark, Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester …) – catching up with Hugh Cornwell

Early May sees the return of former Stranglers frontman Hugh Cornwell to the road for three more UK headline dates, celebrating last October’s acclaimed Moments of Madness LP. Following a 23-date nationwide tour late last year, he has shows in … Continue reading

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Moving Inside Out with The Mighty Lemon Drops – the David Newton interview

A look at my (mostly trusty) list of live shows attended reminds me it was 37 years ago this week (November 17th, 1985) that I first chanced upon The Mighty Lemon Drops, supporting That Petrol Emotion at The Agincourt in … Continue reading

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What we still do on our holidays – talking Fairport Convention, Cropredy, and much more with Dave Pegg

Legendary bass player Dave Pegg marked his latest big birthday in style recently, turning 75 with lots of good friends at Dudley Town Hall, a date that also marked 53 years’ involvement with British folk-rock legends Fairport Convention. “It was … Continue reading

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Learning new things with the passing of time – revisiting Never Loved Elvis and The Wonder Stuff with Miles Hunt

You can’t measure a band’s success on chart positions alone, but three decades ago The Wonder Stuff were still on the crest of a mighty wave that had been building since the release of their 1988 debut LP, The Eight-Legged … Continue reading

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The Continuing Adventures of the Desperate Quartet – in conversation with Robert Lloyd

Spring is in the air, and with it the distant promise of a return to live music across the UK. But you’ll forgive Robert Lloyd for being a little guarded about the prospects right now. The legendary Nightingales frontman lit … Continue reading

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Slade’s ultimate rockin’ survivor – back in touch with Don Powell

It was a grey and overcast day in Silkeborg, but Don Powell wasn’t overly bothered about that. “It’s just grey skies here, a bit overcast, but whatever. We’ve been pretty lucky here really, and after spending quite a bit of … Continue reading

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Introducing The Amber List – in conversation with Mick Shepherd

In the 1980s, several independent bands based around Lancashire played a part in an emerging regional scene that ultimately brought wider success for a few North West acts. Of course, not every act involved would end up on the front … Continue reading

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Present company accepted – having words with UB40’s Jimmy Brown

You probably know about the legal dispute rocking reggae behemoths UB40, two factions of the band at odds with each other over the use of the name. But while all that rumbles on, the show goes on for the five remaining … Continue reading

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Getting up close and personal with Toyah

Regular readers of this blog won’t be surprised that this scribe is an avid viewer of BBC 4’s Top of the Pops re-runs, a point I soon confess to my latest interviewee, Toyah Willcox. “Oh, God bless those!” The more … Continue reading

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The Astounding Broccoli Boy by Frank Cottrell Boyce – a writewyattuk review

Frank Cottrell Boyce has a lot to live up to when it comes to publication time, not least considering the quality of his first three children’s novels, Millions, Framed and Cosmic. I also enjoyed the Merseyside author’s re-imaginings of Ian … Continue reading

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