“Spotify’s opaque algorithm rewards conformity to rigid metrics, including song length, and the prominence of chorus and hooks, and actively punishes any kind of experimentation … this method of recommendation is harmful because of the drag it will have on pop.” – John Doran of The Quietus

BASIC LEE

The tour of the current stand-up show will be finished next month.

Dates here

March 2024

Friday 1st March 2024 – Royal & Derngate, Northampton – TICKETS
Saturday 2nd March 2024 – The Beacon, Bristol – TICKETS
Sunday 3rd March 2024 – Theatre Royal, Plymouth – TICKETS
Monday 4th March 2024 – Hall For Cornwall, Truro – TICKETS
Wednesday 6th March 2024 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS
Thursday 7th March 2024 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS
Friday 8th March 2024 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS
Saturday 9th March 2024 – Storyhouse, Chester – TICKETS
Tuesday 12th March 2024 – Playhouse, Nottingham – TICKETS
Wednesday 13th March 2024 – Playhouse, Nottingham – TICKETS
Thursday 14th March 2024 – Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield – TICKETS
Friday 15th March 2024 – Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield – TICKETS
Saturday 16th March 2024 – Hippodrome, Darlington – TICKETS
Sunday 17th March 2024 – King’s Theatre, Glasgow – TICKETS
Thursday 21st March 2024 – King’s Theatre, Portsmouth – TICKETS
Friday 22nd March 2024 – Chelmsford Theatre, Chelmsford – TICKETS
Saturday 23rd March 2024 – Chelmsford Theatre, Chelmsford – TICKETS
Sunday 24th March 2024 – Theatre Royal, Norwich – TICKETS
Wednesday 27th March 2024 – Northcott Theatre, Exeter – TICKETS
Thursday 28th March 2024 – Northcott Theatre, Exeter – TICKETS

April 2024

Monday 15th April 2024 – Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge – TICKETS
Tuesday 16th April 2024 – Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge – TICKETS
Thursday 18th April 2024 – St. George’s Hall, Bradford – TICKETS
Monday 22nd April 2024 – The Lowry, Salford – TICKETS
Tuesday 23rd April 2024 – The Lowry, Salford – TICKETS
Thursday 25th April 2024 – The Alban Arena, St. Albans – TICKETS

2) KING ROCKER

 King Rocker, the Nightingales rockumentary I made with Michael Cumming, is now available to stream globally.

“One of my all-time favourite rock docs” MARK KERMODE, BBC

“It’s warm, it’s funny, it’s fascinating” Radcliffe and Maconie, BBC6 Music

“The film is ace, the band is ace, Rob is a remarkable man” Marc Riley, BBC6 Music

“A beautiful and fucking hilarious and moving film” Shaun Keavney, BBC6 Music

To celebrate 3 years since the acclaimed film King Rocker premiered on Sky Arts and Robin Ince noticed that “the whole  country is watching King Rocker” we will be making the film available internationally on that exact same day. From February 6th everyone, anywhere, will be able to watch.  Comedian Stewart Lee and director Michael Cumming (Brass Eye, Toast Of London) investigate a missing piece of punk history. Robert Lloyd, best known for fronting cult Birmingham band’s The Prefects and The Nightingales, has survived under the  radar survived under the radar for over four decades. But how, if at all, does Robert want to be remembered? The anti-rockumentary ‘King Rocker’ weaves the story of Birmingham’s undervalued underdog autodidact into that of the city’s forgotten public sculpture of King Kong, eschewing the celebrity interview and archive-raid approach for a free-associating bricolage of Indian food, bewildered chefs, vegetable gardening, prescription medicines, pop stardom and pop art.  Featuring Frank Skinner, Nigel Slater, Robin Askwith, Samira Ahmed, John Peel, Gina Birch, Marc Riley, Danny Fields, John Taylor, Paul Morley, Fuzzbox, Kevin Eldon, Nish Kumar, Bridget Christie, Andrew O’Neill, Sean Walsh, Paul Putner, Steve Beresford, and  more. ‘King Rocker’ is now available to pre-order. From February 6th you can stream and download globally.

Film trailer URL: https://youtu.be/Zy-ZeKkgXas

Stream URL: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/kingrockerfilm

THERE ARE ALSO LIVE SCREENINGS AND DIRECTOR’S CUT EVENTS WITH DIRECTOR MICHAEL “Toast” CUMMING HERE…

14th Mar 2024 King Rocker – Director’s Cut Screening + Live Q&A Wolverhampton, Arena Theatre TICKETS

27th Apr 2024 King Rocker – Director’s Cut Screening + Live Q&A Kendal, Brewery Cinema TICKETS

3) RIP STEVE BROWN – JUST GIVING

In the last few years we have lost a lot of people that were significant figures on the comedy scene when I started at the back end of the eighties, some known and many unknown, and it seems like I am at a funeral every few months now, where I see the same brave crowd putting on the same brave faces. But the loss of the comedian and musician Steve Brown, who died suddenly in February, has affected me significantly, I think because he was just someone who seemed like he would always be there, and someone who was always great at saying the right thing at the right time in a funny way.

On the Saturday night he texted me to say he wasn’t well and couldn’t come to my Bath show, the next day he was hospitalised, and it was all over in a few days.  Steve’s last texts were about a vinyl copy of the second Comus album he had seen on a market stall which he was keen to give me, as he knew I would appreciate it, a strange little detail that will linger as Steve really knew his way around all different areas of music. He was a lovely man and a huge talent and will be massively missed. Your Mum will know him as Alan Partridge’s unflappable Glen Ponder but his fingerprints are all over the funniest music of the last four decades – the musical I Can’t Sing being an especial highlight – and he was also a respected, resourceful and innovative producer in the music industry proper, steering the raw talents of Rumer to stardom, for example.

Steve was also an early pioneer of the Mass Leaving Of Avalon Management Movement, that saw the company lose many of its top talents in the noughties. Steve’s tenacious and often hilarious questioning of apparent irregularities was an inspiration to a whole generation of escapees seeking better lives outside the agency, and lots of us had many great nights out laughing about the madness of the business side of comedy with Steve, who had become something of an expert on it. He could always find the funny in the most frustrating situations, a talent he shares with his gifted son the comedian Alfie Brown, while Lenny Brown, the bass player, got the musical genes.  

Steve had a burning sense of right and wrong, and he and his wife Deborah hoped the Ukrainian family below could be secure in their future, and his family have set up the following Just Giving appeal for them in Steve’s memory. Please read and reflect.

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/natalia-yunna-lisa

“Deborah and Steve met Natalia and Yunna in Bath, a chance meeting after they sought refugee status in the UK. They were living in dire accommodation due to their host family mistreating them.  Steve and Deb invited them to live with them in their home after only knowing them for about one hour. They stayed until they decided to go to Germany to be with their other daughter who was studying there.  That daughter is now in the UK studying at Bristol University and being sponsored under the Homes for Ukranians scheme with Deborah’s sister. Natalia and Yunna now wish to come back to the UK to be together as a family, and once again time is running out with their living accommodation due to sale of their studio flat and they are now on borrowed time. Steve’s dearest wish was to enable them to lead a better life than the one they are currently living and to that end we are finding accommodation for them in London, with Deb’s brother but ultimately want them to be a able to make independent decisions for themselves and their future, and money helps.  With this fund they can pay a deposit on a flat, pay for transportation, get English language lessons, and Natalia (the mother) can update her qualifications of psychology and economics and ultimately, decide where and how to live. Steve’s dearest wish was that they could be safe and cared for.”

4) THE GIANT SYNDICATE 27^TH APRIL EARTH HACKNEY LONDON

From 1pm – 10pm In the month of my 56^th birthday, and Fire records’ 40^th, I introduce various combinations of Dream Syndicate, Giant Sand and Kristen Hirsch at my local live music emporium. Teenage me can’t believe it. https://www.ticketweb.uk/event/the-giant-syndicate-earth-tickets/13278203

5) STOP THE TORIES

Carol Vordeman wants us all to work together to stop the Tories, and here’s how https://stopthetories.vote

6) ASSAULT ON THE ARTS

https://www.change.org/p/save-arts-humanities-and-social-sciences-subjects-at-the-university-of-kent

7) I ARROGANTLY RECOMMEND SOME HAPPENINGS

SIMON MUNNERY – JERUSALEM. The struggle continues for The Peter Cook of his generation. MARCH 1^st London Leics Sq Theatre, 7^th Bristol Comedy Box, 8^th Brighton Old Market, 16^th Oxford North Wal1, 17^th Cambridge Junction, APRIL 3^rd Swindon Arts, 10^th Norwich Arts, 11^th S’hampton Attic, 16^th N’castle Stand, 17^th E’burgh Stand, 18^th Glasgow Stand, 20^th Bath Rondo, 21^st Colchester Arts, 25^th B’ham Glee, MAY 19^th Salford Lowry, 29^th Leeds Brudenell, 20^th York Theatre 41

JERRY SADOWITZ The struggle continues for the Jerry Sadowitz of his generation.  MARCH 1^st Troon Concert Hall, 2^nd Stirling Albert Halls, 3^rd Hamilton Town House, 5^th-6^th Aberdeen Tivoli, 7^th Dundee Whitehall, 8^th Dunfermline Alhambra, 9^th Greenock Beacon, 14^th Sheffield City Hall, 15^th M’cr Academy, 16^th Cambridge Junction, 18^th Nottingham Theatre Royal, 19^th-20^th Leeds Wardrobe, 21st London Forum, 23^rd Liverpool Academy, 26^th Brighton Komedia, 27^th Portsmouth New Theatre, 28^th Dudley Town Hall, APRIL 3^rd Exeter Corn Exchange, 4^th-5^th Bristol Hen & Chicken, 6^th Worcester Huntingdon Hall

BOHMAN BROTHERS The struggle continues for The Mike And Bernie Winters of noise. Rare appearance from the surreal sound artists MARCH 1^st Brighton Bee’s Mouth

FASCINATING AIDA 40^TH ANNIVERSARY The struggle continues for the fantastic foul mouthed female Flanders and Swans of the singalonga-center-left, who are celebrating their 40^th anniversary and get funnier the longer they go on.  And they do go on! MARCH 1^st Scarborough Spa, 2^nd Chesterfield Winding Wheel, 5^th Halifax Victoria, 6^th New Brighton Floral Pavilion, 7^th Wrexham William Aston Hall, 11^th Aberdeen Music Hall, 12^th Perth Concert Hall, 13^th – 14^th Glasgow Kings, 15^th Dunfermline Alhambra, 20^th Bournemouth Pavilion, 21^st Weston-super-mare Playhouse, 22^nd Dunstable Grove, 23^rd Portsmouth Kings, 26^th-27^th Bury St Edmunds Apex, 28^th Dorking Halls https://www.fascinatingaida.co.uk/tour-dates/

BO NINGEN Japanoiseniks MARCH 1^st Earth Hackney

PATRICE MOOR – THE PRESENCE OF ABSENCE Contemporary figurative surrealism St John’s College Oxford FEB 16^th – MARCH 8^th https://patricemoor.co.uk

MARTIN NEWELL/CLEANERS FROM VENUS Unexpected return from ‘80s English psyche-pop legend suddenly beloved by the young FEB 25^th Brightlingsea Winterfest, MARCH 3^rd Colchester Minories, 23^rd Bristol Ritual Union Festival, 30^th Leeds Belgrave, APRIL 11^th London Stoke Newington St Mattias, 13^th Glasgow CCA, 20^th Southend Tea & Oranges

CRYPT W PROFESSOR ALICE ROBERTS Live ancient action with the Alice Bag of archaeology. MARCH 3^rd London Blackheath Halls, 4^th Guildford G Live, 5^th C’nam Town Hall, 6^th Portsmouth Guildhall, 7^th N’hampton Derngate, 9^th Oundle Stahl, 10^th Wycombe Swan

ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN The psychedelic scallies play the greatest hits of their first incarnation. March 2^nd Norwich Nick Rayns LCR UEA, 3^rd Brighton Dome, 5^th Bournemouth Academy, 6^th Bristol Beacon, 8^th London Roundhouse, 10^th Cardiff University, 13^th Nottingham Rock City, 16^th/17^th M’cr Albert Hall, 19^th Sheffield City Hall, 20^th Glasgow Barrowlands, 22^nd Leeds Academy, 23^rd Newcastle City Hall, 25^th/26^th Liverpool Empire

STIFF LITTLE FINGERS Raucous NI punk survivors, w Sex Pistol Glen Matlock in support.  March 11^th Nottingham Rock City, 12^th B’ham Academy, 13^th Bristol Academy, 15^th Newcastle City Hall, 16^th/17^th Glasgot Barrowlands, 21^st Leeds Academy, 22^nd M’cr Academy, 23^rd Camden Roundhouse

ALFIE BROWN Brilliant pure stand-up MARCH 12^th Sheffield Leadmill, OCT 13^TH Lincoln Engine Shed, NOV 7^th Nottingham Canal House

GALILEO SEVEN Light the lava lamps and loon! MARCH 15^th London Camden Forge, 18^th Hastings Fratcave, 25^th Margate Olby’s Mod Weekender.

JOHN ROBB Spoken word tour by the James Boswell of post-punk. MARCH 22 SELBY Town Hall, 23 CHORLEY Theatre, 27 KENDAL Brewery Arts, 28 SALE Waterside, 29 HALIFAX Square Chapel APRIL 10 SHEFFIELD Leadmill, 11 POCKLINGTON Arts Centre, 12 BUXTON Pavilion Arts, 18 WORCESTER Huntingdon Hall, 19 BRISTOL Folk House, 20 SOUTHAMPTON The Attic, 21 CAMBRIDGE Junction, 22 SUDBURY Quay Theatre, 23 COLCHESTER Arts Centre, 24 NORWICH Arts Centre, 26 CHESTER Storyhouse Garret, 27 LIVERPOOL Philharmonic Music Room, 28 LEEDS The Old Woollen, MAY 01 BRIGHTON Komedia, 03 WOOLWICH Works, 04 LONDON 21 Soho, 09 EDINBURGH Voodoo Rooms

ALISON COTTON Acid-folk drone mystic MARCH 23rd Gregynog Hall Newtown,  28th Glad Cafe Glasgow, 29th March The Lubber Fiend Newcastle, 30^th Bishop’s House Sheffield, 31^st Rise York, APRIL 5^th St Pancras Old Church London 

FALLEN LEAVES The Gentlemen Adventurers of sharp-dressed mod-punk MARCH 23^rd London Hope & Anchor, JUNE 8^th London Dublin Castle, JULY 20^th Kingston Fighting Cocks, SEPT 14^th London Dublin Castle, NOV 2^nd London Hope & Anchor

ALASDAIR BECKETT-KING The hilarious multi-media surrealist takes his Nevermore show to your town MARCH 27^th B’ham Old Rep, 29^th Glasgow Oran Mor, 30^th Belfast Limelight, APRIL 2^nd Colchester Arts, 5^th Cambr Junction, 6^th Canterbury Gulbienkin, 10^th Nottingham Just The Tonic, 12^th S’hampton Attic, 13^th Salisbury Arts, 17^th Basingstoke Anvil, 19^th Leeds City Varieties, 20th L’pool Hot Water, 21^st M’cr Home, 24^th Bristol Redgrave, 25^th Shrewsbury Walker, 27^th N’castle Stand, MAY 1^st Norwich Playhouse, 2^nd Brighton Komedia, 3^rd Bury St Edmunds, 7^th Swindon Arts, 8^th Cardiff Glee, 9^th Exeter Phoenix, 10^th Taunton Tacchi-Morris, 16^th & 24^th London Leicester Sq Theatre

THIS IS MEMORIAL DEVICE More dates for a brilliant adaptation, by Graham Eatough, of David Keenan’s life-affirming fiction. MARCH 28^th – 30^th Glasgow Tron, APRIL 3^rd – 6^th E’burgh Traverse, 23^RD – May 11^TH London Riverside

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY INDIE ROCK FESTIVAL MARCH 29^th High Wycombe Venue. https://www.datathistle.com/event/2293582-iwd-fest/ With Popguns, Desperate Journalist, Miki Berenyi of Lush, Debbie Googe of MBV, Charley Stone (of everything) & The Actual Band, Debbie Smith + more.

JOLIE HOLLAND  Alt-country chanteuse returns MARCH 30^TH Leek Foxlowe, 31^st London Bush Hall, APRIL 1^st Cambridge Portland Arms, 2^nd Birmingham Kitchen Garden, 3rd Belfast Black Box, 4^th Edinburgh Summerhall, 6^th M’cr St Michael’s, 7^th Brighton Komedia

HAWKWIND This current Hawkwind iteration channels their classic ‘70s space rock sound unashamedly, with keyboardist Thighpaulsandra of Coil, Cope and Spiritualised clearly living out a childhood dream. April 4^th M’cr Academy, 5^th Newcastle City Hall, 6^th Edinburgh Academy, 7^th Glasgow Academy

HOUSE OF ALL M’cr Fall-related supergroup tour APRIL 2^nd Sheffield Leadmill, 3^rd Glasgow Stereo, 8^th London Dome, 9^th Brighton Hope & Ruin, 20^th M’cr Gorilla, 25^th Portsmouth Wedgewood, 16^th Bedford Esquires

KEVIN MCALEER.  The most I have ever laughed is at this reclusive Irish comedy genius, making a rare greatest hits return, apparently for the last time. APRIL 11^th Dublin Vicar Street, 21^st Belfast Mandela Hall.

ROSIE HOLT – THAT’S POLITAINMENT Woke satirist on the road. APRIL 11^th Didcot Cornerstone, 12^th Newbury Corn X, 13^th Winchester Theatre Royal, 18th-19^th London Leics Sq Theatre, 20^th Swindon Royal, 21^st Bristol Redgrave, 24^th Poole Lighthouse, 25^th Bridgwater McMillan, 26^th Cardiff Sherman, 27^th Norwich Playhouse, 28^th N’hampton Derngate, MAY 1^st Bradford Kings, 2^nd Maidenhead Norden Farm, 3^rd Tunbridge Wells Trinity, 4^th Bury St Edmunds Royal, 5^th Colchester Arts, 9^th Birmingham MAC, 10^th Farnham Maltings, 12^th Leeds City Varieties, 22^nd Lyme Regis Marine, 23^rd Brighton Komedia, 24^th Milton Keynes Stables, 25^th L’pool Playhouse, 26^th Salford Lowry, 31^st Chipping Norton Theatre.

JASMINE MINKS Victory lap for Glasgow’s C86 era mod-ish janglers APRIL 19^th Bristol Thunderbolt, 20^th London Waiting Room

ELIZA CARTHY The first lady of folk and reigning Queen of The Faeries in full flight APRIL 20^th Oxford North Wall, 26^th Bristol Folk House, 27^th Sheffield Greystones, MAY 10^th Cambridge Stoney’s Field, JUNE 19^th Gateshead Glasshouse

GIANT SAND The great improvising Americana Arizona legends unexpected return to active service. APRIL 22^nd Newcastle Cluny, 23rs Glasgow Broadcast, 24^th M’cr Yes, 27^th London Hackney Earth w Dream Syndicate, Kristen Hirsch, Islet, Stewart Lee and more.

PETER CASE/SID GRIFFIN British dates from American power-pop progenitor turned Grammy-awarded grizzled folk-bluesman, with Long Ryders leader Sid Griffin in support. A must. APRIL 23^rd Chester St Mary’s, 24^th Birmingham Kitchen Garden, 26^th Edinburgh Bannermans, 27^th Glasgow Glad Café, 28^th Leeds Northern Guitars, 29^th Bristol Hen & Chicken, MAY 1^st London Leytonstone Social, 2^nd Dublin Upstairs At Wheelans, 3^rd Belfast Cathedral Quarter, 4^th Kilkenny Roots Festival

FLAT & THE CURVES – GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT TOUR. The prosecco hen night from hell housed in a surprisingly savage musical comedy form by these witty, obscene, often clownishly grotesque, and also unnecessarily musically gifted, four best girlfriends you never had. I love Flat & The Curves and I don’t know why! The Nolans of Filth! APRIL 26^th Scarborough SJT, JUNE 4^th Kings Lynn Corn Exchange, 5^th Maidstone Hazlitt, 6^th Rickmansworth Watersmeet, 7^th Wellingborough Castle Theatre, 8^th Coventry Albany, 9^th Hereford, 10^th East Grinstead Chequer Mead, 12^th Harpended Eric Morecambe Centre, 13^th Mansfield Palace, 14^th Stockport Plaza, 15^th Rotherham Civic, 16^th Leeds City Varieties, 18^th Middleton Arena, 20^th Redditch Palace, 21^st Bishop’s Stortford South Mill Arts, 22^nd Bury St Edmunds Theatre Royal, 23^rd Newport Riverfront, 26^th St Helen’s Theatre Royal, 29^th Lowestoft Marina JULY 3^rd Aberdeen Tivoli, 4^th Dundee Gardyne, 5^th Dunfemlin Alhambra, 6^th Livingston Howden Park, 10^th South Shields Custom House, 11^th Lancaster Grand, 14^th Camberley Theatre, 16^th Taunton Brewhouse, 18^th Winchester Theatre RoyaL, 19^TH Tewkesbury Roses, 20^th Stevenage Gordon Craig, 21^st Tamworth Assembly Rooms

NIGHTINGALES Off the beaten track small town dates for Birmingham post-punk heroes of belated King Rocker film fame May 2^nd Kendal Glisky, 3^rd Telford Firefly, 4^th Halifax Square Chapel, 5^th Milton Keynes Crawford Arms, 6^th Ramsgate Music Hall, 8^th W’chester Railway, 9^th Newport Le Pub, 10^th Warrington Irish, 11^th Dunoon Burgh Hall

THE HANDSOME FAMILY Literary Lynchian Alt-Country duo MAY 3^rd Dublin Liberty Hall, 7^th Glasgow St Luke’s, 10^th M’cr Stoller Hall, 12^th Leeds Irish, 14^th Norwich Arts, 16^th Cardiff Gate, 18^th Salisbury Winchester Gate, 21^st London Union Chapel, 23^rd Folkestone Quarterhouse

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE Punishing Japanese acid-jam veterans. MAY 9^th Brighton Hope & Ruin, 10^th London Dingwalls, 12^th Dublin Workman’s, 16^th Dundee Church, 17^th N’castle Lubber Fiend, 20^th Chelmsford Hot Box, 22^nd Cambridge Portland Arms

THE BEVIS FROND Psych legends Lexington, London May 18^th

THE LOVELY EGGS Art-punk duo MAY 23^rd Glasgow St Luke’s, 24^th Edinburgh Belle Angele, 25^th N’castle Grove, 26^th Leeds Brudenell, 27^th Birmingham Xoyo, 28^th Bristol Thekla, 29^th Brighton Chalk, 30^th London Earth, 31^st Nottingham Rescue Rooms JUNE 1^st M’cr New Century

THE PRISONERS Psychedelic Medway mods return MAY 24^th London Camden Roundhouse

ROBERT FORSTER Former Go-Between all grown up into silver fox troubadour MAY 24^th/25^th London Omeara

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM Black metal with an eco-bent MAY 28^th Limerick Dolans, 29^th Dublin Opium, 30^th Bristol Fleece, 31^st London Earth, JUNE 1^st Glasgow Garage/Scarborough Fortress

RAIN PARADE LA’s 80s psychedelic revivalists revived JUNE 14^th Bristol Strange Brew, 15^th Leeds Brudenell, 16^th M’;cr Night & Day, 18^th Nottingham Metronome, 19^th London 229

DETROIT COBRAS Garage punk party time JULY ^2nd Bristol Lost Horizon, 3^RD M’cr Rebellion, 4^th Glasgow Oran Mor, 5^th Leeds Brudenell, 6^th London Camden Forge

THE SADIES Surf-twanged country-Canadiana JULY 3^rd Oxford Bullingdon, 4^th Leeds Brudenell, 5^th Eaton Farm Park Woodbridge, 6^th London 100 Club

LLOYD COLE  Solo tour by the godfather of arch introspective indie  SEPT 4^th Limerick Lime Tree, 6^th Ballycotton Sea Church, 8^th Bexhill on Sea De La Ware Pavillion, 9^th Exeter Corn Exchange, 10^th Bath Komedia, 13^th Guildford G Live, 14^th Bury St Edmonds Apex, 16^th B’ham Town Hall, 18^th Shrewsbury Severn, 19^th Lytham St Anne’s Lowther Pavillion, 21^st Hamilton Town House, 22^nd Greenock Beacon, 24^th Whitley Bay Playhouse, 25^th Ilkley King’s Hall, 26^th Sheffield City Hall

NATALIE HAYNES’ DIVINE MIGHT  The Florence Desmond of Greek and Roman mythology live SEPT 9^th

MARK RADCLIFFE AND MARC RILEY LIVE SEPT 26^th Shepherd’s Bush Empire London NOV 3^rd Shrewsbury Severn, 5^th Crewe Lyceum, 10^th Warrington Parr Hall.

TIRZAH GARWOOD: Beyond Ravilious, Dulwich Picture Gallery London, 19 November 2024–26 May 2025. The first major exhibition devoted to the artist and designer Tirzah Garwood (1908–1951) since 1952. Best known until now as the wife of Eric Ravilious and as the author of the autobiography Long Live Great Bardfield, Garwood excelled as a fine artist and printmaker. Her diverse and enchanting works are gems of the mid-20th century.

THE DAMNED Black Album/Strawberries line-up, with hard-wristed Holy Grail headhunter Rat Scabies back on drums. DEC 4^th Newcastle NX, 5^th Glasgow Barrowlands, 6^th M’c Academy, 8^th Leeds Academy, 9^th Nottingham Rock City, 10^th W’hampton Halls, 12^th Bristol Beacon, 13^th S’hampton Guuildhall, 14^th Eastbourne Winter Gardens, 16^th Cambs Corn X, 18^th London Roundhose

8) IN OUR LAMENTATIONS 2024

Tony Oxley (Sheffield’s Sunny Murray, 1938)
John M Burns (His modesty blazed, 1939)
John Pilger (News terrier, 1939)
David Soul (The covered man, an inspiration 1943)
Annie Nightingale (Gateway drug, 1940)
Pitchfork (Signal to noise, 1996)
Mary Weiss (She led the pack, 1948)
Chris Karrer (Archangel’s Thunderbirdman, 1947)
Iasos (Greek space muso, 1947)
Phil Niblock (NY art noise, 1933)
Pluto Shervington (Ram Goat Liver Eater, 1950)
Tisa Farrow (Zombies ripped her flesh, 1951)
Norman Jewison (Rollerball Superstar, 1926)
Neil Kulkarni (Era-enhancing music critic, 1972)
Wayne Kramer (He kicked out the jams motherfucker, 1945)
Steve Brown (He left Avalon and taught the world to sing, 1954)
Christopher Priest (Dorset future-ist, 1943)
Aston “Family Man” Barrett (dub bass headcase, 1946)
Ian Lavender (Don’t tell him, Pike, 1946)
Damon Suzuki (Krautrock witness cuddled me & Noel Fielding, 1950)
John Rotheroe (Shire Book Seer, 1935)
Steve Wright (massive old-skool pro made it look easy, 1954)
Ewen Macintosh (Office secondary superstar, 1973)
Alan Tomlinson (Jazz trombonist, dry northern wit, beatnik, 1947)

I review Alan Tomlinson in the forthcoming Idler. “The jazz trombonist Alan Tomlinson was born in 1947 and died in February this year. Three live releases, all from the mid-noughties, crept out on the Scatter Archive’s bandcamp in the month before his death. I worked with Tomlinson as the spoken word stooge in Steve Beresford’s and Tania Chen’s intermittent John Cage shows. Alan, a potential conservatoire virtuoso who chose instead to be a contrary subversive, combined an innate feel for the outermost possibilities of his instrument with the dry wit of the old school Northern working class autodidact outsider artist. A poker-faced clown persona made his impressively physical relationship with his trombone at once both balletic and burlesque. The solo set At The Red Rose, recorded in 2006 and 2007 at the irreplaceable and now demolished Finsbury Park jazz and comedy venue, is a great entry point. Normally po-faced Wire readers submit to titters of hilarity and gasps of amazement as Tomlinson simultaneously mocks, mutates, loves and liberates his loyal instrument, breathing life through it and into it, and making it live, like a mischievous goblin god. Baggage and Boating  with Steve Beresford and Steve Noble, and At Ryan’s Bar with Rhodri Davies and Roger Turner are also newly available.”