Seconds out...round one....
Doodler. Co-writing a book on Steven Wells.
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Seconds out...round one....
I think i read in an interview that David Gavurin from the Sundays was David Baddiel's mate from school.
Jim Bob: The Return! 'Automatic' and 'Stick' reviewed » We Are Cult wearecult.rocks/jim-bob-the-...
And here are Archie Bell and The Drells performing Tighten up in 1968
For ep 29 of my music textcast #FirstLastAnything, ace writer, quizzer and theatre reviewer Shanine Salmon (@braintree711.bsky.social) joined me to talk about Michael Jackson compilations, French pop giants Phoenix, nepotism, quizzing and AI-generated music. firstlastanything.co.uk/2025/08/31/f...
The Gorge.
So apparently John Lennon lyrics never included any coded messages. Ummmm. #bullshit
Land of Green Ginger or the Spongers (probably not lesser lnown though]
Well that was entertaining for a Sunday. Work tomorrow.
Why did no one ever tell me at WAC when i wrote for it that "wresting was on the agenda"??? Spoilsports.
With ITV entering the third week of its big strike today in 1979 everyone was forced to watch the BBC and a good few of them let Points Of View know what they thought about that.
Weather report. Apparently there's blustery hot air incoming from the west again.
Does anyone know what the French for Tete-a-tete is?
wow. Wonder if he was down there to do a review/article or was just going to see Aki's band.
Another music paper page/ bedroom poster from my collection. Forty years ago this month! Godspeed to Chrissy Boy!
Cheapo vinyl find of the day. TV soap fans will recognise Vince Earl AKA Ron Dixon from Brookside. This LP has the extremely rare accolade of not being listed on Discogs. No clips on YouTube either, but oh, that cover.
All my old NMEs had been thrown out ages ago but i'm co writing a book on Swells (Steven Wells) so i've been buying loads on ebay. could spend a week reading each of them (i'll have to read them faster than that.)
thought it might be a chore because i'm reviewing them but the twin Jim Bob albums sound great. I'll be honest forgot i interviewed Jim Bob previously. i knew i spoke to him but thought we were just chatting (i'm kidding) wearecult.rocks/interview-ji...
#FallFriday "We're always portrayed as scruffy and things like that, but fashion-wise we're always about three years ahead of everybody." The Fall on Snub TV in 1990 youtu.be/mbdNNF-W-uI
writing this book is hard but at the same time not so hard. Because of the subject everyone wants to talk and everyone has got great stories.Also everyone is sort of "great idea. he deserves it." genuine thanks to everyone who has been honest and open. Hopefully we do a decent job
The fierce new paperback cover of Base Notes has just landed courtesy of @whiterabbitbks.bsky.social -- and is now available to preorder at your local independent bookshop. If you squint, you’ll see ‘Clive Loves Dawn’ written on the number plate… store.whiterabbitbooks.co.uk/products/bas...
Lovely book.
Hope Stu Hennigan is ok. Love reading his posts on here and looking forward to the books.
Gorgeous Jill MacDonald illustration from The Puffin Book of Magic
This reminded me of your "You know what they say in Yorkshire about laughing..." story.
music.youtube.com/watch?v=YxIN...
Isn't it great when a classic 90's band reforms & releases tracks as strong as this one? (see also Pulp)
Defiance, desire and devastation: Patti Smith’s 20 greatest songs – ranked!
Grimsby Town now hold the right to have Blundell Park referred to as The Theatre of Breams from now on.
My friend went to Krankenhaus this weekend and came back raving about seeing the film King Rocker. I designed this last year but did nothing with it. That’s fine, but I wanted to put it out there again to show my appreciation for having Vindaloo records in my early teens. Bostin’.
If you missed our BBC radio documentary, "EMF: The Unbelievable Journey," you can stream it here now: www.bbc.com/audio/play/m...
Without waterproofs? Oof!!
Read all about us. I love this article about how we met by the husband @mjowen174.bsky.social ❤️
Rain at last!
Everything the Wright Brothers ever did went above and beyond RS
I see our troll has been trolling the excellent @realgonerocks.bsky.social just about every morning nowadays. He's become more of a fan as he's got older.
The Billy Connolly Big Banana Feet film is BBC4 right now. BC aside it’s great to just watch some 1970s happening.
Definitely. Was rereading "The Throbbing Gristle Primer" after you mentioned it yesterday. Some lines made me laugh out loud again.
Call me old-fashioned but music criticism should be funnier and more entertaining.
Support @thequietus.com www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
Really enjoyed doing this Q&A about my reading habits, including why I don’t believe in the concept of guilty pleasures, Derek Jarman, separating the art from the artist re. Roald Dahl & why Patrick O’Brian is the writer I will go back to again and again
The award scoopers’ fourth album fails to live up to its bombastic lead single. Review of The Clearing by Wolf Alice for @thequietus.com thequietus.com/quietus-revi...
We have a feature film script for Snodgrass if anyone wants to help us make it.
I know it's considered a top ten movie but i'd never seen Tokyo Story until today (i'm educating myself) Watery eyes.
Great review. bsky.app/profile/real...
New at REAL GONE: The Black Keys - No Rain, No Flowers (review) www.realgonerocks.com/2025/08/the-... #MusicSky
Wow. Found the Steven Wells tribute film that Roger Sargent did.
In forty years as a writer, I've never met a musician with a story as astonishing as Des Lee's. In 1975, The Miami Showband - 'the Irish Beatles' - were ambushed by a fake army checkpoint. Three members were murdered. I've interviewed Des for @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/music/2025/a...
If i buy any more old NMEs off ebay i'll have to form a band called Silverfish.
What's Italian for "Eat your words Carra?"
Bought a load of NMEs on ebay for research and found this. @quantick.bsky.social
The long-out-of-print Roy Wood: The Move, ELO & Wizzard On Track is now physically available to buy (with a new ISBN: 9781789525021) through our Print on Demand system! You can find this version to buy on Amazon! #roywood #electriclightorchestra #wizzard #themove #70srock #bluesrock #glamrock
Flashback to the day The Beatles passed their A-Levels.
Behold, the first playlist for my new book, #IntoTheGroove, out in exactly 7 wks on 2 October. A 40-track starter pack for the 80s, four tracks per year, some of it well-known, some of it less so. A much longer version - probably 200 tracks - to follow soon. www.tunemymusic.com/share/GhdASn...
Me and Dave were guests on the brilliant @bangpodcast.bsky.social this afternoon, waxing lyrical about Cold War songs by Nik Kershaw, Kim Wilde, Sting, Elton John, and the mighty Fishbone! We had a great time, and the episode is out on Monday. Until then, enjoy a montage of classic 80s nuclear pop!
Were any ex NME people reading this anywhere in the vicinity when Terence Trent D'Arby allegedly went to the NME offices looking for Swells and to "have a word". Think it was about 1988. It was apparently after he wrote "if he's a boxer my d*cks a kipper".
Not bad. Still a lot to do.
Territorial Passings
Still find it great that Steven Wells's best friend at school in Bradford became the musical director for the Spice Girls and Britney Spears. Brilliant.
Whoever posted that picture of Ian Brown with the clickbait tag "can you recognise this now unrecognisable greying 90s rock singer" ...it's Ian Brown. I'm quite good at recognising celebrities due to them being celebrities.
What did we do in a previous life to deserve this?
Our lovely friend Ray Brooks has left us for the cinema in the sky. His talents knew 'The Knack,' was always a 'Big Deal' and he will be forever the voice of 'Mr Benn.' Rest in peace dear friend.
A reminder that the UK’s single sex spaces are officially: - Screwfix - BFI Space 1999 retrospective - Waterstones Max Hastings signing queue - Oasis VIP enclosure - An Evening With Hannah Fry, King’s Place - Crich Tramway Museum - Hawksmoor steakhouses
Thanks all who recommended this 1973 BBC doc on the Bishops Rock Lighthouse & the men stationed there. Beautifully shot, elegantly unwinding, the characters of the keepers coming across in such a subtle way (as ever, why can’t we have telly like this any more?) youtu.be/bc9qxyf_suI?...
youtu.be/Tf4WB01odYY?...
I bid successfully for about 20 random NMEs last week on ebay (it's research goddammit!) F*ck knows where i"m going to put them.
Official promo for my new book, #IntoTheGroove, out in the UK in 55 days on 2 October. A month-by-month guide to the 80s in music, with some fascinating diversions. Published by @eandtbooks.bsky.social, and available to pre-order from all these places: eandtbooks.com/books/into-t...
I didn't enjoy having a hangover though haha.
Just been reminded about WAC and what an uninhibited joy it was to write for. TBF though i used to write my stuff on a Sunday suffering from a hangover "I Am Weekender' BFI Blu-ray » We Are Cult wearecult.rocks/i-am-weekend...
Think i've got your email Justin so i'll arrange something in the next two weeks with you. I'll email you tomorrow. Can i have a copy of the book? I'll buy it but just wanted know if i can get an advanced copy. Anyway i'll email you.
Ask @whenisbirths.bsky.social to do an interview for WAC (hint hint).
I've seen this on Bluesky and had to try it myself. The image below was the response to the prompt: "Show me a diagram of the US presidents since Herbert Hoover, with their names and years in office under their photos" Bravo, OpenAI, bravo.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPFX...
Chip Shop Pop - The Sound of Denmark Street 1970-1975 is saturated with energy and joy. Compiled by @bobpetesarah.bsky.social's @rockingbob.bsky.social. On @acerecords.bsky.social. I’ve looked at it today for @theartsdesk.bsky.social: www.theartsdesk.com/new-music/mu...
XS Noize Podcast #239: @rockingbob.bsky.social on @bobpetesarah.bsky.social's Final Album “International” and 30 Years of Music www.xsnoize.com/bob-stanley-...
Hey @followers! It's Thursday...and the Singles Bar is open! New and recent tracks are supplied by Morgan Wade, The Herron Brothers, Adult Leisure, Mother Vulture and more... www.realgonerocks.com/2025/08/the-... #MusicSky
It's launch day for David Quantick's latest book, an anthology of short stories. The fastest comedy writer I've ever known. Hey, maybe this will have been written so quickly it'll be SHIT! It won't though, will it? It'll be brilliant. Fuck him. Buy this. ❤️ www.waterstones.com/book/9781738...
Whack this in your virtual basket while you’re at it. £1 discount on this site, currently. A bargain for the best book on Paul McCartney that Bob Stanley’s ever read! 😉 #booksky uk.bookshop.org/p/books/off-...
40 YEARS AGO TODAY: First Tuesday's reporting team head to Huddersfield where they find "that anti-music punk rock" is not dead, it just grew mohicans and lived at home with understanding parents. www.youtube.com/watc...
Brilliant. Forgot that Bleasdale originally wrote Scully for the radio.
Always love chatting with Jonny Trunk, especially about Vision On, Galt Toys and weird 1970s schools albums. Fresh on the Haunted Generation website, here's the 'Under The Influence' feature we did for @electronicsound.bsky.social... hauntedgeneration.co.uk/2025/08/05/e...
Rum, Sodomy And The Lash is 40 today. Here's the piece I wrote when it came out. Not a bad bit of work, but nothing compared to the record itself, a work of art whose lustre and meaning grow with the passing years. It is a stone classic, nothing less.
Utter rhubarb.
Looking forward to my Fascist Yoga events in Glasgow & Edinburgh in a few days. Burning House Books is sold out, still a few tickets for free event at Argonaut Books in Edinburgh, link here: argonautbooks.co.uk/product/7th-...
old article now but as it would be Pete's birthday... i don't know if it comes across in the article but Will explaining what Pete's influence was like is quite emotional towards the end of this. wearecult.rocks/bunnyman-wil...
Erics 1979 always missed never forgotten. Happy Birthday Taff X
Cuckoo clocks blimey i remember them. If you intergrate with a hat it can only go one of two ways.
Happy Heavenly Birthday to our lead singer and keyboard player Fran O’Toole. #MiamiShowband #ForeverYoung
Was watching the Billy Connolly 1975 documentary on BFI where he plays Belfast. He storms the gig but a journalist mentions before the gig (because he may talk about religion and politics) do you have any concerns and remember what happened to the Miami Showband. Horrific story.fifty years ago.
proper Edna Wellthorpe.
Thanks to @rememberlop.bsky.social for this
@quantick.bsky.social
Good pamphlet that. I've got a copy. Fascinating stuff.
Here's a review of that pamphlet about Leeds Other Paper - by Bob Franklin in Free Press (CPBF) from July/Aug 1994.
"Hello. Yes we get that X was vaguely connected to the Beatles. Now shut up please."
Haha no i haven't Tony. Thanks for this.
Few, if any, better 1, 2, 3 albums 🙏
📚🎤 A week tomorrow. Come along. It's FREE! @chrisshaweditor.bsky.social in-conversation with @quantick.bsky.social
Definitely.