Tag Archives: John Cooper Clarke

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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Right on track with The Goa Express – in conversation with James Douglas Clarke

Rising indie guitar band The Goa Express are the sort of outfit that give me hope for the future of live music. The Manchester-based Burnley and Todmorden five-piece’s most recent single, ‘Everybody in the UK’, their ‘call-to-arms for togetherness in … Continue reading

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A Manchester love affair on record – the C.P. Lee interview

It wouldn’t be right to call C.P. Lee an unsung hero of the North West music scene. He’s sung a fair bit in his time and those who truly know the Manchester scene know full well who he is. So … Continue reading

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Open return to Guildford – Hugh Cornwell, back on the line

With a new LP out and an accompanying tour next month, Hugh Cornwell is commuting between his Somerset home and a few old Surrey haunts at present, getting his band truly match-fit. And it turns out that the former Stranglers … Continue reading

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Regarde le chou: getting a taste for Cabbage with Joe Martin

Performance poet turned guitarist/singer Joe Martin was between a band rehearsal and a couple of train rides that would take him over the North Yorkshire border when I called him. But when I let on that a version of our interview … Continue reading

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Matteo’s Modern world – in conversation with writer Matteo Sedazzari

Matteo Sedazzari was part-way through his latest social networking drive when we spoke, spreading the word about debut novel A Crafty Cigarette – Tales of a Teenage Mod while getting to grips with the ever-changing world of new media. “I like … Continue reading

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Taking the low road to success – the Thea Gilmore interview

It’s been a long time coming, but Thea Gilmore is finally getting true recognition, with her fan-base ever-growing and each album outselling the last – 17 years after her debut. She has admirers in high places too – Joan Baez … 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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Squeeze / John Cooper Clarke – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

Dr John Cooper Clarke was already halfway down Beasley Street by the time I rocked up at the Liverpool Phil on Monday night. The legendary wordsmith is as much a stand-up comic these days, his one-liners and winning anecdotes soon … Continue reading

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Squeeze into a new era – the Chris Difford interview

Catching up with Chris Difford’s blog earlier this week, I realised how close we were to a new Squeeze album, the band’s first since 1998, the result of a project also serving as the soundtrack to a new BBC comedy … Continue reading

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