‘Do you fancy a drink/ I know a place called The Brink/ Do you wanna go there?’ sings John Bramwell, his right foot elevated on an empty Becks crate, as is his way. One of his finer lyrics, with that subtle play on words, it makes for one of the most tender tracks in the […]
Amidst the misery, bitterness and tiring calls for the return of Saint KP that have typified the response to another dismal England World Cup showing, my mind wandered to the last time English Cricket genuinely made me smile or laugh. Without doubt, it was the grainy photos that emerged from the Pandora’s box bar in […]
Form: For South Africa, typically imposing. Dispatched West Indies with consummate ease in a recent 4-1 series victory, though the mess that their opponents find themselves in mean that is not perhaps the best guide. Nevertheless, they will arrive with supreme confidence and so they should. Sounds familiar, though, doesn’t it? India, on the other […]
Form: Very much a mixed bag. Some superb, unexpected wins against Sri Lanka and India in recent months have occurred alongside some archetypal drubbings. Nevertheless, there is cautious optimism from both inside the England camp and out, that this current squad is as talented as any that have headed to a World Cup. Strengths: Although […]
The Decemberists’ frontman, Colin Meloy, begins the band’s seventh full length record in an almost apologetic fashion, pleading with his fans to let him escape the literary folk bubble inside which they exist: “We know you threw your arms around us in the hopes we wouldn’t change/But we had to change some.” It is a […]
Sharon Van Etten arrived in Glasgow for her show at the iconic Art School on the back of a year which has seen her burgeoning career gather considerable momentum. Are We There, her flawless 4th full length record, was released to widespread critical acclaim in May. It’s music with a more spacious sound, less urgent […]
Tackles flew in left, right and centre, regardless of the path or position of the ball. Two managers and one very angry assistant of considerable notoriety cajoled, roared and pushed their team through a battle of severe mental and physical exertion. Celtic Park tremored with fervour and full blooded approval. Amongst the delight at such […]
Northern Soul took 17 years to finally come to fruition, and it seems so right that it has only come to be thanks to an enormous outburst of people power, with fans up and down the country using OurScreen to bring about increased showings. The story of Northern Soul the film, both on screen and off, is the story of a refusal to let black soul music and its unique place in Northern (and indeed, British) culture die. Constantine kept the faith through thick and thin, and thank the heavens she did.