Posts Tagged The Spinoff
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April 15, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Santa: The Threat is Real
A Facebook friend posts that she’s angry and upset, some punk-ass little kid has killed the magic of Christmas for her child. Told him, presumably, that Santa is not real. Another day and another Facebook friend is boasting of their child’s pragmatism: “How does Santa deliver presents to every child in the world?” the kid […]Archive
April 12, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Miscarriages Made My Marriage Stronger
I phoned a mate last week to ask a cheeky favour and in catching up I asked how things had been. “Better now”, he started. I gulped. I had pretty much guessed what was coming next. “We had a rough month last month”. Another pause. “We had a miscarriage…and you know all about that right?” I nodded to […]Archive
April 11, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
The Hardest I’ve Ever Not Worked
People tell you not to read the comments – but you can really learn a lot about yourself. For example: Did you know that I used to earn enough to pay my mortgage by trolling music fans on Stuff? Neither did I. That was definitely news to me. I must have been stuck in that dreary day-job […]Archive
April 1, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
That Time Robbie Williams Shared A Lovely Picture to Only Summon Hate
I attended a Robbie Williams concert. That alone should have just been the bizarre thing – as a music fan with a hunger to write I’ve stooped fairly low previously. I once interviewed Shaznay of The All Saints. I attended a Wing “concert” in a tiny function room in a budget hotel. They served tea and coffee […]Archive
March 28, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Crawling Through The River of Shit That Is The B4 School Test: A Funny/Painful Memory
First, let me say that obviously the B4 School Check is a good idea. It aims to identify any health, social, developmental and behavioural issues that could affect a child’s ability to get the most from school – it checks hearing and basic play/coordination as well as basic awareness of colours, numbers and thinking and […]Archive
February 5, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Sweetman Podcast: Episode 154 – Peter Wells
Welcome to episode 154 of Sweetman Podcast with support from our sponsors – T Leaf T, Yeastie Boys and La Petite Chocolat. Now – as you probably know, as well as the usual platforms (this site, soundcloud, iTunes/Apple) you can now get to Sweetman Podcast on Spotify – follow it there and have it saved in your Spotify library. Here I have a conversation with Peter Wells.Archive
September 9, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
No Holiday: On The Decision Around Having “Another”
This piece first appeared on The Spinoff and is also included as one of the pieces in the book “Is It Bedtime Yet?” by Emily Writes & Friends I always wanted a daughter named Billie. Simple really. As soon as I heard Billie Holiday’s voice I was sold. Her voice, that sound, and the idea of her […]Archive
April 24, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Brett Anderson: Coal Black Mornings
Coal Black Mornings Brett Anderson Little, Brown [This review originally appeared at The Spinoff] We are drawn, so often, to music memoirs for the clichés of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll. The very best ones, however, ignore these tenets. Think Patti Smith’s Just Kids or Bob Dylan’s Chronicles. They also exist for both the mouth-breathing, moisty-palmed […]Archive
July 13, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
Sweetman Podcast: Episode 72 – Holly Walker
Welcome to episode 72 of Sweetman Podcast with support from our sponsors – T Leaf T, Yeastie Boys and Le Petite Chocolat. This conversation is me chatting with former Greens MP, book reviewer, mother, blogger, occasional podcaster and the author of The Whole Intimate Mess (a mini memoir), Holly Walker. You can keep up to […]Archive
December 23, 2015 by Simon Sweetman
The Worst Thing To Happen To Music This Year
A couple of weeks ago I left you with a list of the biggest stinkers of 2015 – and I’ve looked back through that list, they are all duds (or were duds to my ears anyway) but there isn’t an album there that stands out as the single worst thing I heard this year. I […]Archive
October 18, 2015 by Simon Sweetman