Category Archives: 2026

The Rise of Sofia Isella

We all like Billie Eilish, but more recently Sofia Isella has taken her soft vocals and avant-pop to the next level. She’s gone stratospheric, a young Mexican-American poet making dark pop that references many facets of the culture wars, and I for one am grateful. Her debut, ‘I Am Camera’, is creepy pop. Take thisContinue reading “The Rise of Sofia Isella”

The Royal Mile During the Fringe

Was there ever a better analogy for social stratification than the Royal Mile during the Edinburgh Fringe? A teeming mass, a melee of desperation and showing off, it displays the disparity between the classes in all of its garish, wanton glory. Almost Ballardian in scale,the crowd even works as a guide to life itself. FirstlyContinue reading “The Royal Mile During the Fringe”

Lost In Music: Pulp- Mile End

As Trainspotting turned 30 this year, I choose Pulp. This is Jarvis at his bleakest and most acerbic, This Is Hardcore aside. This deceptively rinky dinky sounding song appeared at the end of the soundtrack, taking in lyrics about poverty, terrible housing, paedophiles and casual violence. “I guess you have to go right down/ BeforeContinue reading “Lost In Music: Pulp- Mile End”

Roll Up! Roll Up! It’s Fringe Time

Roll up! Roll Up! It’s Edinburgh Fringe time. Quick, hide the addicts and the homeless. Slap on your rouge and your lipstick and get in that doorway, bitch. Entice them in. Shake yer moneymaker. Show them yer wares. A tartan tart in tat, that’s what you are. By god, it’s pure radge but we willContinue reading “Roll Up! Roll Up! It’s Fringe Time”

Some Edinburgh Fringe 2026 Predictions

****! A title will have a swear word and the accompanying poster will have a suitably provocative image, which will be catnip/rage bait to Quentin Letts. Gilded Balloon,7.30 pm 68 Guns Despite featuring music by The Alarm, this gory new musical, written by David Ireland, focuses on The Troubles. Traverse Theatre almost wet themselves withContinue reading “Some Edinburgh Fringe 2026 Predictions”

Do Give Up The Day Job?

When it comes to being a triple threat, many people excel. They’re all-rounders, who can turn their hands to everything. Then.. there are some of the greatest actors in the world, who fancied having a go at becoming singers. Take these three. Admittedly, Bette Davis knew she couldn’t sing, but the others, hmmm. Nonetheless, theseContinue reading “Do Give Up The Day Job?”

Baby Voices

Beth Ditto- who should be praised for having such an eclectic playlist on 6Music – hit a bum note this morning when playing Candy by Ravyn Lenae. It gives me the ick. I don’t mind idiosyncratic voices, obviously. I like Bjork, although her pixie nonsense was often pretty annoying in the nineties. Alison Shaw, ClaireContinue reading “Baby Voices”

“I’ve had a great night… This wasn’t one of them!”

All too often , art critics are dismissed as being malcontents like The Muppets’ Statler and Waldorf, curmudgeonly, jaded old men who find no joy or pleasure in anything. But that’s both unfair and unhelpful. When poring over the music press as a teen, I knew this was what I wanted to do. Some epiphanyContinue reading ““I’ve had a great night… This wasn’t one of them!””

TV Review:The Vampire Lestat: Interview With the Vampire

Sam Reid stars as a derivative glam rocker… Except he’s the immortal bloodsucker Lestat in this Anne Rice- inspired follow-up to ‘Interview With the Vampire’. How to modernise him for Gen Z? By making him an insufferable, preening edgelord, part Ewan McGregor in ‘Velvet Goldmine’, part undead Michael Hutchence, and inserting endless jump-cuts and heapsContinue reading “TV Review:The Vampire Lestat: Interview With the Vampire”