Posts Tagged England
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June 13, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The 1001 Albums Challenge # 67: Ian Dury – “New Boots and Panties!!”
We were in Australia a few years ago now – a decade or so – and the waitress comes over with the giant pepper-grinder and asks if anyone wants some cracked pepper on their meal. My father-in-law pipes right up, “Hit. Me. With. Your. Rhythm. Stick!” Shit, we laughed. I have no idea when I […]Archive
June 9, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
James Rhodes: Fire On All Sides
Fire On All Sides James Rhodes Quercus James Rhodes, the classical pianist with rock’n’roll swagger, is a prodigy-level player that’s not there to please the purists but is – in his love of the music and his ability as conduit for it – far closer to being a purist than any of the snobs he […]Archive
March 22, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Sweetman Podcast: Episode 108 – James Buttery
Welcome to episode 108 of Sweetman Podcast with support from our sponsors – T Leaf T, Yeastie Boys and Le Petite Chocolat. Here’s a chat with a guy called James Buttery. He’s a record collector. He’s the co-host of a brand new podcast called The Good, The Bad & The LP. He’s also the host of a YouTube channel where he […]Archive
March 13, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Revisiting Live at Knebworth (1990)
The grounds of Knebworth House have played host to some huge rock concerts over the years. This British venue was where the re-formed Deep Purple first played in 1985. A year later it was where Queen played its final live show (with Freddie Mercury). In 1979 it was the scene for two Led Zeppelin shows, the band’s return to the UK stage after […]Archive
March 12, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
NZ Festival Writers & Readers: Francis Spufford & Elizabeth Knox Talk About God
Francis Spufford & Elizabeth Knox Talk About God Circa One, Circa Theatre Saturday, March 10 This Writers & Readers session featured a conversation about God between long-time correspondents Francis Spufford (UK) and Elizabeth Knox (NZ). It was, if you’ll pardon the pun, a spirited conversation. It was lively, funny and often irritating. For a start, […]Archive
February 1, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: Enoch Fucking Powell
“All quotation is out of context”. You know who said that? Enoch Powell. Enoch Fucking Powell. He’s right. (Well, he was very right, as it happened). And it feels good to take this from him. (And then not so good, as well). That would make him happy, I guess. Just as the current state of […]Archive
January 29, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 196 Ska
I think it was the killer basslines that hooked me in and the attitude as much as anything. When I first moved to Wellington in 1980 I guess I was still writing folk songs. Louise and I had found work at the Art Centre and I felt under pressure to write. That first Specials album […]Archive
January 25, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Gig Review: The Selecter & The Beat (January 25; Wgtn)
The Selecter & The Beat Opera House Thursday, January 25 Two tones of 2-tone bands on the one bill and it seems The Beat and The Selecter take it in turns to headline; Pauline Black bounds onto the stage, her energy palpable instantly. It’s The Selecter’s turn to start the night, it’s hot and the […]Archive
January 24, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The Selecter: Daylight
The Selecter Daylight DMF Music The Selecter will always be remembered for its part in the UK ska/reggae/punk explosion across the late 1970s/early 1980s, its debut remains a classic. And there is much to praise about this band – now multi-generational (in band make-up and audience) as well as multicultural and featuring a strong female […]Archive
November 6, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
The 1001 Albums Challenge # 17: The Yardbirds – “The Yardbirds” (aka ‘Roger The Engineer’)
I bought a 20 Smash Hits-type compilation of The Yardbirds for $2 on cassette tape (to clarify – this was when I was about 13 and I bough tapes regularly and they were $14-20 usually). Sometimes I’d get a $10 bargain tape or for $5-$10, but $2 was the cheapest – ever. That seems comical […]Archive
October 17, 2017 by Simon Sweetman