Following a six year hiatus, Kula Shaker returned this year with their sixth album, 1st Congregational Church Of Eternal Love And Free Hugs, which is probably their best to date and fuelled excitement amongst fans […]
2022 is a year of poignant anniversaries for the Rolling Stones. This Hyde Park gig, their second of 2022, occurred exactly 53 years after the Rolling Stones founder and guitarist Brian Jones died, and July […]
When Tom Jones kicked off the 2022 Live at Chelsea festival at the Grade, I listed Royal Hospital Chelsea, the weather couldn’t have been more idyllic for the series of open-air concerts in the courtyard. […]
As late as 2018, when Porcupine Tree frontman and founder Steven Wilson was asked about the band’s chances of reunion, he responded, “Honestly, I would say zero… I’m proud of the catalogue; it’s there, it […]
When Tom Jones opened the first of 2022 Live at Chelsea in the open-air courtyard concerts, he had perfect weather where all eyes could be on the stage instead of up in the sky out […]
In 2019 XS Noize was invited to Meltdown, the world’s longest-running artist-curated festival. A series of live events, including Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Johnny Marr and Mystery Jets, was curated by Nile Rogers. Grace Jones […]
The Grade I listed Royal Hospital Chelsea has now been the home of the Chelsea Pensioners for 330 years. The hospital receives funding from a grant-in-aid from the government; it needs to make up annual […]
From the introduction, the listener transports to the fictional 1st Congregational Church Of Eternal Love And Free Hugs, supposedly set in Little Sodbury, 14 miles from Bath, where Kula Shaker frontman Crispian Mills used to […]
The four-piece pub rock and punk rock band Amyl and the Sniffers not only came all the way from Melbourne, Australia, they also brought New South Wales band Pist Idiots along as the opening support […]
Liam Gallagher is a huge Manchester City fan who uses the Manchester City chant at gigs. He has now borrowed Soccer Saturday presenter Jeff Stelling’s catchphrase “C’Mon You Know” for the title of his new […]
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Travis’ third album, The Invisible Band, this LP was remastered by Emily Lazar and reissued at the end of 2021 in two limited-edition formats. Described by lead guitarist/banjo player […]
The media coverage of Anvil over their forty-plus years in the music industry has been a poisoned chalice for the Canadian trio. On the one hand, they have been parodied as pioneers whose songs, including […]
Changing your name for legal reasons can be a nightmare for bands, but it can lead to brainstorming innovative ideas that would not have otherwise emerged. Whilst not the first artist to do so, Alt-J, […]
Consistency, work ethic, teamwork, innovation and the ability to evolve musically by defying trends have made Radiohead an international success story. After all, how many bands that found their footing in the early nineties still […]
From writing a song about a “Funny Little Frog”, the Glaswegian septet have been known for their entertaining live antics. At the 2015 Bonnaroo Music Festival the band invited actors John Hamm and Zach Galifianakis […]
Neil Hannon came on stage dressed in a plain suit, a matching plain tie and a white shirt. Now 51-years-old, he barely looked a day older than when he posed with similar attire for the […]
There are several milestones including being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and winning copious awards (including a BRIT) which define the success of an artist. Leonard Cohen not only achieved these, […]
It’s seven o’clock in the evening and the doors to the Brixton Academy have just opened and the queues are longer than a snake on the Nokia 3310 game that’s about to meet its maker. […]
How did Bowling for Soup come up with the title Pop Drunk Snot Bread for their latest eleventh LP? The Texas-based quartet wanted to base the title around the “Pop Punk’s Not Dead” theme. When […]
Twenty years ago, when Bowling for Soup entered the top ten single charts with “Girl, All The Bad Guys Want”, the British public fell in love with them and vice versa. There was immense sadness […]