LTW Newsletter 91

Hail Warriors,

The cast iron skies of spring are upon us and the tease of summer flirts with our senses! The trees have suddenly gone green and the days are longer but it’s still winter coats and hats up here as we hike into town for a dose of the rock and the roll!

My Oasis book, that I have been writing, has been handed in and is now in edit and getting ready for its May release so there is a bit more time available without those fifteen hour days of endless typing! I even managed to get out and go to a few events like the excellent Hastings Fat Tuesday festival and a musician's gathering in 

Manchester put together by the ever excellent people from Unconvention…great to see there was still some life out there! 

This week also saw a trip to the spaceship looking new venue in Manchester - Aviva, for the launch of Manchester International festival and its broad church of posh arts events that bring a lot of life to the city over the summer. There is always something in there if you look through the bill which we printed out here…

The same venue saw the long awaited homecoming show from local heroes Doves who were playing without key member Jimmy. The band pulled it off despite everyone missing the main man but it was a great show as our reporter explains.

We were sorry to lose the great Brian James from the Damned this week. The ever humble guitar player was perhaps one of the very first people to create punk rock when, back in 1975, he jammed with Mick Jones, Tony James and Rat Scabies in their Praed Street lock up. The other three musicians were in their mid seventies flared keks finery whilst Brian was short hair and drainpipes and explained that the music of the future would sound like the way he looked. He was right of course and never got the credit but what a legacy of music he left behind.

Speaking of Mick Jones, the Clash legend got his collection of pop artefacts out again for the Rock n Roll Public Library and it has been a resounding success with an extended run now until March 22nd and well worth a visit.

Another great punk rock guitarist John McKay from Siouxsie and the Banshees has returned to the fray with a new band and an album of outtakes and demos of which some of which would have been on the Banshees third album if he hadn't famously quit the band at the beginning of the Join Hands tour. In his first interview since his return after decades he explained everything to me. 

DIY Manchester trio [slab] release their debut album Taut produced by Simon ‘Ding’ Archer and it’s a lesson in cinematic moody music that soars with a shoegaze punk bite. Wayne AF Carey reviews… 

There is a big revival in Irish trad music but with a 21st century take. Irish language and music are having a massive moment. Many acts are splicing new forms with old traditions while singing as Gaeilge.  

The city of the culture this year puts its spotlight on Bradford and the fine northern city has a great bill of delights for the visitor. The only thing that’s missing and it does leave a big gaping hole is the involvement of Joolz and New Model Army whose house was the mainstay of alternative culture in the city, but stay tuned as Joolz in classic DIY style is putting a remedy to that…

Ever inventive soundscape crew Mogwai have been out on tour and have been as mesmerising as ever.

The problem with interviews is that an off-the-cuff comment can end up haunting you and even defining you for ever. Decades ago Nick Cave made a quip about the Red Hot Chili Peppers that has followed both him and the band around ever since. He finally decided to explain it and also his friendship with the band’s Flea