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 N’ Roll People, published by Ghostwriter Books, I wrote about the 100 shiniest stars I had interviewed during my career as a rock journalist writing for Record Mirror, the tabloids, Hello!, The Times, Evening Standard, Penthouse and The Sunday Times. It included everyone from Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney and Neil Young to Joe Strummer, John Lyndon and Kate Bush.

By the time it was published, some of them had written their own personal memoirs so, apart from hosting events of my own, entertaining audiences with anecdotes about my life with rock n’ roll people such as these, I went to their events too and asked some questions which I hadn’t been able to before. The results appeared on my Facebook pages and included those heroes of the glam and punk era who never stopped making music: Richard Jobson (The Skids), Chris Pope (The Chords UK), Phil Manzanera (Roxy Music), Martyn Ware (Human League, Heaven 17) and John Cooper Clarke, the esteemed bard of Salford, where I grew up, and more poet than musician.

As I pointed out in the introduction to My Life with Rock N’ Roll People, these characters must be poets, philosophers and business people as well as musicians if they are to survive the parasites of the industry, including over-zealous fans inevitably drawn towards them.

Since then, everyone wants to be a philosopher and even our god and god of our fathers, Bob Dylan, alongside his often brilliant paintings, published a book called The Philosophy of Modern Song. In it, he suggests music transcends time by living within it. Couldn’t have put it better myself!

This blog will be a continuation of my life with rock n’ roll people in the days and months to come and a celebration of the importance of music in my life. I hope you’ll join me on Monday morning for my weekly post which will cover everything from gigs, reviews, interviews, opinions and whatever philosophical thoughts spring to mind.

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