Thursday 24 September 2026 Shepherd's Bush Empire, London Here we are, at the gorgeous old lump of Arts & Crafts that is the Shepherd's Bush Empire. It is something of a double celebration, with The Afghan Whigs touring behind their latest album, Soft Control (record number 10) - and forty years in the business (although Greg Dulli does admit they split up for more than ten of those)! This is a bit of a weird one for me too. I am familiar with bits and pieces of their work, b

I know you are all very excited, but I continue with my mission to bring you new music! Here we are again with ten tunes released over the last month or so - as ever there are some acts you may never have heard of, and a few that you will... 1. Johnny Marr: It's Time Photo: C Brandon / Getty Here's more rockin' times from the Smiths veteran and bona fide guitar hero, Johnny Marr. This one is the third effort from solo album number six, The Age Of Everything. The verse cranks

Here we are at part three of this deep, deep dive into the wonderful world of Neil Finn. We have looked at those early days with New Zealand art-pop royalty, Split Enz, the end of that and the first phase of his own band, Crowded House. So, here we are, as he leaves the band world behind for a solo adventure…. And don't forget to check in on Part 1 and Part 2. Going Solo: As the Crowded House adventure was drawing to a close and a new solo chapter was about to dawn, he even f

Yes, in the last few weeks southern England has finally seen something we were beginning to think we would never see again. After more than seven weeks (52 days) without any measurable amount, the tail end of August finally brought us some rain! So, to celebrate, here are ten top tracks from across the years that are all about the rain. As always, hopefully something in here for everyone. Enjoy.... 1. Creedence Clearwater Revival: Who Will Stop The Rain I don't think we're qu

To be more precise, the book is called, The Islander: My Life In Music And Beyond - and this was a great library find (so make sure you keep using your local one, as you never know what you will discover). This time it is a musical book review from the other side of the business. Chris Blackwell is an oddity, one of life's eccentrics, you could say. He was definitely one of the silver spoon brigade but in such a laid back way, he was able to twist and turn his life until he f

Chalk, Brighton Wednesday 2 September 2026 What happens when a respected actor and a veteran Chicago musician take on the mantle of giving the world access to the back catalogue of one of the most beloved bands of the last forty years (and more than a decade after they split)? First, some back story... Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy have been collaborating on these niche cover / tribute shows for quite a few years now. It started with one-off shows in Chicago covering the