He. Is. Not. Appreciated.

Great Fall line-up: Mark E. Smith, Brix E. Smith, Craig Scanlon, Steve Hanley, Simon Wolstencroft, Marcia Schofield. Brilliant opening track to a brilliant album. Introduced by Tony Wilson.

Time to call in pest control

I’m sure Irish News Of The World readers are a discerning bunch but surely even the most apathetic of them have their limits. The new ad for the paper is little short of astonishing, even in a country which has experienced its fair share of shocks lately. ‘Typical’ rheumy-eyed NOTW readers open their fridge and […]

Bona, darling

Moz reissue isn’t such a Drag Some might say: “Oh, not another Morrissey reissue.” And they would have a point. This past decade has seen a ridiculous quantity of Moz re-releases, not all of them good quality, ensuring that one of the most loyal fanbases in popular music forks out time and again for material […]

Tony Curtis 1925-2010

Very sad to hear of the death of one of my childhood heroes, Tony Curtis, at the age of 85. A handsome, rugged and stylish man, he was a surprisingly versatile actor in his younger days. He received an Oscar nomination for his performance as John ‘Joker’ Jackson in 1959’s The Defiant Ones, starring alongside Sidney […]

Ham roll with the changes?

How did I miss this? Have Ham Sandwich have done a ‘Sugababes’ and changed their entire line-up? This photo beside the review of their new album White Fox in this morning’s Metro Herald is the first I’ve heard of it. Either that, or it’s the first published result of a wacky new Hot Press photoshoot, where Podge and […]

No mo’ Haribo woe

Much to the delight of my children, I recently stumbled upon the existence of vegetarian Haribo. They’re rather good too, coming in a mix of Strawberry shape/flavour, Cola Bottles and Lemon Starfish. Jellies have always been a source of woe for my veggie kids; they love the bright colours and aromas but they also have […]

Gothic

O would some Power the gift to give us To see ourselves as others see us! It would from many a blunder free us, And foolish notion: What airs in dress and gait would leave us, And even devotion! Robert Burns

Arthur and the nights around the pub table

A doffed hat and little bow to Irish Times’ reader Michael McEvaney, who had this excellent letter published in today’s paper: Madam, – Happy Arthur’s Day, our annual celebration of Guinness’s stranglehold on the Irish brewing industry for the past 50 years or more, a stranglehold that means Ireland is the only beer-drinking country in […]

Conspicuous Consumers: Sue Lawley

You know how record shop staff are: bored, indifferent, clockwatching, hate dealing with enquiries or, indeed, any member of the general public. Well, having celebrities stroll into your shop is easily the highlight of any day/week/ month/ year. Incredibly famous people have to go to the shops too! And so it was one day in late 1994 when I was […]

It’s still all pious in the sky

Judge not… The Pope’s visit to Scotland brought my general confusion about my religious beliefs to the surface again. What do I believe? It’s always been a succession of tolerance and intolerance for religion, and nothing I can do or think seems to flatten it out. I’m like Spooky Mulder, I Want To Believe. But […]