Here are my top recommended albums of 2015 in no particular order. 1 Richard Hawley Hollow Meadows A confident collection of beautiful tracks, Hawley’s voice at its most sublimely expressive. My favourite track is the non-ballad Which Way shall I go?, sexy with a touch of menace. Hawley’s performance at The Roundhouse a few weeks’ ago was one…
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I’m reposting a piece from 2012, an account of the floods in Hebden Bridge and the surrounding villages, written by local long-term resident and creator of many community events, Tessa Gordziejko. The Trades, Hebden Bridge’s venue for so many great music nights, was given a boost by Patti Smith who did a gig there and…
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Not content with presenting us with a mere weekend of music, this year promoter Howard Monk and the team behind The End Festival, set in Crouch End, extended the event over 11 days. Heady and ambitious stuff. There’s no point pretending it’s all gone like clockwork but that’s not what The End is all about.…
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The End Festival is at the half-way mark, and so far it’s been an enjoyable, if slightly chaotic, experience, with a daily roster of bands appearing at venues around Crouch End. Opening night at Earl Haig featured Icelandic outfit YLJA (they are appearing twice more over the festival’s duration) and are notable for their crystalline…
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A multi-media exhibition which examines a painful part of history, with a soundscape by Steve Lewinson. I talk to the show’s curator, Professor Lynda Nead, about the symbiotic relationship between art and sound.
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Festival Number 6 feels as if it has fully got into its stride. It offers a dizzying array of intelligently-curated events, from bands and DJs to comedy, nighttime processions, workshops and talks, plus something this festival has come to excel in – interviews and intimate performances by a handful of the main-stage artists.
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Do you have a business that you think would go down well at festivals? I asked four such entrepreneurial types, with ventures in T‑shirts, vintage tents, gourmet coffee and holistic massage – about their experiences as festival traders. Is it a combination of fun and profit, and are you guaranteed enough time out to catch a favourite band? One…
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Prior to Blue Zoo’s upcoming gig at Nambucca 15th May 2015, I interviewed their front man Andy O.
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Festival planners are busy putting together their lineups for 2015 – and these are just a few of my personally tried-and-tested events. When it comes to festival size, I’m not one for marathon walks from tent to stage (nothing like a trip back to basecamp for an afternoon snooze and a cup of tea) so there’s no mention of…
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REPOSTING FROM 2015! Heavenly Records are celebrating their 25th anniversary by taking over the Trades Club for the weekend with a packed programme of shows. In order to cram it all in, they’re adding matinee performances as well as the usual evening ones. It feels slightly odd and indulgent to leave the snow, busy shops and cafes…
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