I call them “Lammo bands” (with no disrespect to Steve Lamacq whatsoever, he’s a nice fella) . You know them, the wholesome side of indie. More Jonas Brothers than Joan As Police Woman, more Marcus Mumford than Mark E Smith, they are ubiquitous. They really are. They’re indie with the edges sanded off, nice folksContinue reading “The Mumfordisation of Indie”
Category Archives: Society
Overlooked Classics: Alice In The Cities
We all love Paris,Texas and Wings of Desire. Ask any film aficionado about European cinema and nine times out of ten, Wim Wenders will pop up as an auteur of choice. But as fond as I am of these two classic films, there’s another one which preceded these that’s also wonderful: Alice In The Cities.Continue reading “Overlooked Classics: Alice In The Cities”
Just Step Sideways: Conspirators of Pleasure
Jan Svankmajer had always dabbled in the perverse in his short films, but his third feature film, Conspirators of Pleasure from 1996 goes full tilt. It’s hilarious, pointed and downright unnerving, even by his own surreal standards. All of the main preoccupations are present and correct here: bizarre puppetry; food, ritual and the act ofContinue reading “Just Step Sideways: Conspirators of Pleasure”
Watch With Mother?
I recently reviewed a gorgeous show at Tramway for Fjord Review, a lovely dance website I’ve been writing for since 2015. The show carried a trigger warning, which is fine by me. People have different sensitivities, and if you have kids, some material could be inappropriate or even offensive. Now, I’m not a pearl clutcherContinue reading “Watch With Mother?”
Edinburgh Festival Preview: Americana- A Murder Ballad
This show, premiering at this year’s Edinburgh Festival, couldn’t have captured the zeitgeist more, as headlines about yet more mass shootings and the new firearms law in New York remain fresh in our minds . Written by leading Scottish playwright Morna Young and featuring music composed by Davey Anderson, the production from Pepperdine Scotland isContinue reading “Edinburgh Festival Preview: Americana- A Murder Ballad”
The Ghost of The GTOs
Strange, isn’t it, that there are no male equivalents in the lexicon for the word ‘groupie’, even now? Perhaps groupies aren’t a thing anymore, or simply a more covert concern. Maybe it’s more likely there are more female artists making headway now- and about time,too. The GTOs fascinate me, simply because they’re a time capsuleContinue reading “The Ghost of The GTOs”
Overlooked Classics: Wisconsin Death Trip
James Marsh’s masterful Wisconsin Death Trip is not like most documentaries. Based on the 1973 book of monochrome photographs by Michael Lesy, it focuses on a decade of bizarre events in and around Black River Falls, Wisconsin in the late 19th century. There’s suicide ; teenage elopement, religious lunacy, errant eccentric opera singers, window smashing,Continue reading “Overlooked Classics: Wisconsin Death Trip”
The Enduring Appeal of Wings Of Desire
A lovelorn, sad-eyed angel, Damiel, played by Bruno Ganz, longs to be mortal. Marian (Solveig Dommartin) a trapeze artist in a small circus could be the answer. Wim Wenders’ masterpiece owes a little to Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life as it’s almost an inversion of the story, but it owes more to the rebuilding ofContinue reading “The Enduring Appeal of Wings Of Desire”
Just Step Sideways: Gazelle Twin and NYX- Deep England
Gazelle Twin and NYX are fascinating artists in their own right. Together, they’re like matches and an effigy of Boris Johnson. Deep England is the flipside of welcoming Britain: the jingoistic, Union Jack waving, bigoted side where otherness isn’t just anathema – it’s enough to get you chased out of town. A companion piece toContinue reading “Just Step Sideways: Gazelle Twin and NYX- Deep England”
Lost In Music: Aphex Twin- Come To Daddy
In these terrible days of Boris and his cronies’ collective hubris, we need an anthem to guide us into the light- a song which, heads raised aloft like Boudicca, we sing to raise spirits and gladden hearts. It’s what Dame Vera stood for and by jingo, it’s what we need right now. Bollocks we do.Continue reading “Lost In Music: Aphex Twin- Come To Daddy”
Hit The North 