My Life With Rock N' Roll People
You’ve probably heard the name Spizz since he’s been around for years, decades even. Six, to be precise, dating back to the early post-punk scene of the late ’70s. In those days he and his ramshackle bunch of chums went under the brand of Spizzoil, making a name for themselves touring with Siouxsie and the Banshees. This coincided with the new…
Chris Pope flanked by guitarist Sandy Michie and Kenny Cooper on drums As geopolitical chatter about World War III rises to a crescendo, one news organisation recently came out with a right old howler: how Russian aggression was leading to increased UK defence spending which would inevitably impact upon… The British Way Of Life. The lesser appreciated social commentator/cult rocker Chris…
Chris Pope & The Chords UK Cast your mind back to the late '80s and it was a strange period. Rock was rubbing shoulders with indie, new country, dance, hip hop and a major back catalogue scene based around old records being reissued on CD. At the time I was editing a magazine and would receive all manner of advance cassettes,…
Joop van Bilsen / Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Funny what happens when you decide to do a tidy-up. That large box I kept tripping over was supposed to be full of 90s compilations, mostly repeating each other’s tracks, a hangover from the days when record companies were making their next round of easy money with greatest hits CDs of…
You may remember Beatle John Lennon’s wry but seething definition of life. That “it’s what happens to us while we are making other plans”. Well since the late ‘80s Del Amitri have become a very popular band although most music fans will mainly be familiar with hits like 'Nothing Ever Happens' and 'Kiss This Thing Goodbye' and, at a stretch, their…
Record Mirror Editorial Meeting with Stewart Copeland, 1980 So here we are, a quarter of the way through the current century and even though music and the way it’s delivered has changed and keeps changing, one thing remains the same: a charismatic front man or woman at the centre of the machine. In my last book, My Life with Rock…
A fine review from the King of Indie…
The launch party for My Life With Rock N’ Roll People by Mike Nicholls took place at The Sun & Thirteen Cantons in Soho, London to a full house and a lively convivial atmosphere. Guests included Alf Martin, former editor of Record Mirror; Allan Jones, former editor of Melody Maker and Uncut; Chris Welch, journalist and ace drummer; Maggi Ronson, opera…
Event at Owl Bookshop in Kentish Town, 6th February, 6.30pm
