2026 – Hit The North

Goodbye Keir

They’re Back! Sniffany and the Nits Return

Rejoice, fans of snotty punky eccentricity, for the mighty Sniffany & The Nits are back. Forget Charli XCX, it’s gonna be a punky brat summer. I love the galloping tempo and snarky vocals. It’s a bit old school, a bit forward-facing, and altogether wonderful. It’s always exciting to see what they do. https://sniffanyandthenits.bandcamp.com

New Old Release: The Cramps- TV Set

Henry Rollins and Ian Mackaye have, as lifelong fans of The Cramps, managed to unearth some lost gems from the band’s back catalogue and are releasing them through the band’s Vengeance Records. It’s a dream come true, and a real passion project for the pair. All hail the mighty Cramps, gone, but now resurrected. Huzzah!Continue reading “New Old Release: The Cramps- TV Set”

Social Media Is The Latest Scapegoat

Sir Keir Starmer has followed Australia and today implemented a blanket ban on social media for anyone under the age of sixteen. A group of parents who had lost their children spearheaded the campaign. Whilst I obviously feel for the families who lost their children, social media is not the issue- there are many problemsContinue reading “Social Media Is The Latest Scapegoat”

The Ultimate Puppet Show: White Rabbit, Red Rabbit

Nassim Soleimanpour’s peerless, hugely acclaimed 2010 show White Rabbit, Red Rabbit, could be the ultimate puppet show, in spite of no marionettes on the stage. Instead, one single performer- either a well-regarded actor or comedian- stands alone on a bare stage with a table and script, penned by Soleimanpour.There are no distractions like complex scenographyContinue reading “The Ultimate Puppet Show: White Rabbit, Red Rabbit”

David Hockney Was Art, David Hockney Is Art

David Hockney , who died yesterday at the age of 88, was proof positive that you didn’t have to come from Paris or London to be an Innovator in the art world. Born in Bradford , he made art with a photographer’s eye for detail, but a painter’s delicate, experimental touch. His famous approach toContinue reading “David Hockney Was Art, David Hockney Is Art”

Mark E Smith : His Part In My Downfall

The audition had been bloody. Smith had various band members by the lapels, shaking them like human piñatas, waiting for ideas to just fall out. Smith kept screaming, for reasons best known to himself, “Peters and Lee!” A new musical detour for us to consider, no doubt. There had been dark mutterings in the ranksContinue reading “Mark E Smith : His Part In My Downfall”

Vintage Film Review: Funny Face

Before ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ , another film looked at an intelligent young lady willing to sell her soul to capitalism: Funny Face. Despite its feel -good posturing, there lies a deeply problematic film. Stanley Donen was considered a Hollywood great, a director of great elan with the wit to back it up. This film,Continue reading “Vintage Film Review: Funny Face”

Film Review : Billy Idol Should Be Dead

When I was a kid, Billy Idol epitomised the naughty boy we all fancied. He was always a bit cheeky, but we knew that. What we didn’t know was that he was also a heroin addict. Jonas Akerlund’s documentary about the former William Broad, who grew up in Bromley and reinvented himself as “punk” singerContinue reading “Film Review : Billy Idol Should Be Dead”

TV Review: Falling Part 2

I’m prepared to contradict my initial impression. It’s been a couple of weeks since my last confession. ‘Falling’ is getting better since its first two episodes. Now, we’re getting into the ethics of the series, the meat, a heavy juxtaposition of forbidden love and devout faith, it’s a slow -burning, rather good series, actually. JasonContinue reading “TV Review: Falling Part 2”