Notes On Daydream Nation

During September 2018, I was invited to participate in Classic Album Sunday’s upcoming celebration of Sonic Youth’s ‘Daydream Nation’. This was to take place in the form of a full album playback and talk by myself and other guests at Portsmouth’s excellent Pie & Vinyl record shop. Having been given

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Weapons Of Choice #1- 1968 SG Jr.

If you nip up to Foyles on the Charing Cross Road and have a peruse of their impressive music department you can find a whole load of coffee table books dedicated to photographs of rare and valuable guitars. These will feature high quality reproductions of images of classic guitars with

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Up For The Downstroke

Note- This profile of Johnny Ramone was originally commissioned by Guitar & Bass magazine and was printed in the July 2010 issue. It is republished here in its entirety, without the unintentional cut made by the sub-editor that ruined the final paragraph. The story of the Ramones is the story

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‘deth Metal

An opinion piece from 2010. I think the reference to ‘emotional hardcore’ in the final paragraph was probably past its sell by date even back then. I wasn’t the target market for Emo, so how was I supposed to know? Cor…shredding became unfashionable for a long time didn’t it? Now

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No More Fun, RIP Ron Asheton

Originally published 6th January 2009. Sad days again. It would appear that Ron Asheton, guitarist with the Stooges has been found dead at his home in Michigan. Cause of death has been reported as a heart attack. I’m truly saddened by this because I love the Stooges. I have loved

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10 Things You Don’t See At Gigs Anymore

This was one of the first small pieces I wrote for Guitar & Bass Magazine back in May 2008. In the subsequent years, curly leads have become de rigueur among certain stoner rock bands and Roland have reintroduced the JC120. I even found myself standing in a cloud of dry

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