Dear Mr Shennan sir (ooh. Sounded like Basil Brush), Hello to you. My name is Alex and I am 28 years old. About five years ago now, with my ever advancing age (mid 40 year old in a twentysomething's body. Just saying), I made the glorious leap to listening to BBC Radio 2, the station … Continue reading An open letter to Bob Shennan, controller of BBC Radio 2 re: Ore Oduba.
I've spoken many a time on this here blog before about my formative experiences with being introduced to music. And with the return this week of All Saints, the sassier, streetwise and grittier alternative to many of their 90s and 00s pop contemporaries, now seems like a good time to breach this very subject again. … Continue reading They’re moving, they’re coming: my thoughts on the glorious return of All Saints
The year is 1945. VE Day marks the end of World War II, actor Martin Shaw and singer songwriter legend Van Morrison are both born. And in May of that year, on exactly this week, the first in a new series of books for children called 'The Railway Series', charting the lives of a team … Continue reading ‘The Railway Series’ at 70: still crossing the points to new generations
As has been mentioned before several times on this here blog, there are certain popstars or books or TV shows for which it is impossible for me to try and form any coherent stream of thought on other than that of a giddy, excitable fanboy, whilst showing all the love and loyalty of a particularly … Continue reading #CrazyStupidGig – Olly Murs (@ollyofficial) – Never Been Better Tour (O2 Arena, London, 4th/7th May 2015)
The biennial Red Nose Day for Comic Relief, one of my favourite charity telethons is back again for its 30th year this year, on Friday 13th March. It's long been a cause I've supported and donated to - and also in its Sport Relief guise on odd numbered years, as it has always, at its … Continue reading Red Nose Day is back!
The post pop group solo career is a tricky, some might say unforgiving mistress to navigate. For every success story - Beyoncé, Robbie or Justin selling out stadiums and shifting albums by the bucketload, there's a thousand Abz, Lisa Scott-Lees or Appletons starring in Z-list reality shows and being dropped like hot potatoes from their … Continue reading Beating again: the rebirth of Marvin Humes
Merry Christmas to you all! Hope you're all having a great time so far and are eating, drinking and sharing with loved ones aplenty. (Here come the emojis 😄 🎄 🎁 🎀 ❄ 🎅 🐧) 2014 has been a busy and exciting year for me, and usually, those who've read my Facebook for the last … Continue reading Alex’s End of Year Prizes 2014
More so in light of the controversy surrounding Russell Brand this week, we seem to have a annoyingly odd habit in this country of knocking our finest talents down when it suits us. Particularly when they so much as dare to connect with something beyond the supposed smoke and mirrors world of wealth and celebrity … Continue reading Richard Curtis: making a fully fledged bastard of a point since 1991 (or thereabouts).
Regular readers among you may know two things about me by now: 1) that when I'm an uber-fan of a particular artist, it's hard for me, when discussing my love for that artist, to form any coherent stream of logic other than that of a slightly gawky 12 year old fanboy. And 2) the eagle … Continue reading S Club 7 are back! And here’s why I’ll always be thankful to them…
Anyone who knows me - be it from reading this blog, seeing me on a day to day basis or perhaps following me on Twitter - will know that, for the last few years, I have been and still am a huge fan of fellow Essex boy, Olly Murs. Ever since his first ever X … Continue reading On his return to music, why Olly Murs is British pop’s best male.
The Niche Reference 