Our documentary on the wonderful Poly Styrene from X-Ray Spex has been released! We had a fabulous preview watching party and panel event on March 4th, the day before the film hits cinemas. The panel featured directors Celeste Bell and Paul Sng, designer Pam Hogg, Art & Music Books co-editor David Sheppard, with yours truly hosting. You can watch it here.
The film is available to watch via cinemas nationwide as listed on Modern Films from 5th March
https://www.modernfilms.com/polystyrene
On Sky Arts March 6th 9pm.
Super proud to reveal that the historic occult book publisher Llewellyn Worldwide has signed up my next non-fiction book, 'Witchful Thinking' (appropriately my 13th book project) which will be out the second half of 2021. A bold step out of the broom closet! Stay tuned...
My first book, 'Typical Girls? The Story Of The Slits' (2009) is available again via Omnibus Press, and I've recently added an 'afterword' and some other goodies too. Order here.
Great fun to be on Word In Your Ear's lockdown extravaganza Word In Your Attic for a bit of show and tell. Dr & The Medics, Minder and Marquee Moon feature. Expect a great deal of waxing about Detective Sergeant Chisholm, one of the great TV characters of all time.
I loved hosting an online q&a for Doc 'n Roll with director Graham Bendel about his new music film 'Upstairs Planet: The Cleaners From Venus and the Universe of Martin Newell'. Watch it again here!
Truly lovely to host the Q&A for Ron Mann's beautiful music doc 'Carmine Street Guitars' for Curzon Living Room, featuring Ron himself, Rick Kelly and Cindy Hulej from the shop itself and the mighty Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Group) who even sang me a little 'thank you' song at the end (OMG). We had so much fun. Click here to view.
Jolly nice of No More Workhorse's Killian Laher to invite me for a chat about my year. Feat a 'special dedication' to Donald Trump .... take a gander! (Last year's here - compare and contrast!)
The lovely people at Female First asked me what I'd like my readers to know about me. And I ruddy well told them. Take a read!
Just found this long-lost interview conducted by the lovely people at the Florence + The Machine Fan Club (PL). I have a quick chat about writing 'Florence + The Machine: An Almighty Sound' (Omnibus Press). Have a look.
BAFTA-winning director Norman Stone’s 2008 film ‘Florence Nightingale’ is on, feat class act Laura Fraser as Flo, Roy Hudd (RIP), Andrew Harrison & YES, ME, playing Queen Vic. T'was a thrill to be in this production, not least because I’d already moved into writing & this would be the last thing I did in that respect, thanks to makeup artist Ann Fenton remembering me from a shoot & recommending me for an audition. Thank you Ann! Behold the trailer.
Thrilled to be a guest on Postcard From The Past's excellent podcast alongside the marvellous Andy Miller (Backlisted, Tilting At Windmills). The episode is called 'I've Got A Haunted Postcard Of Keith Moon' (I do) and here it is. Download them all, subscribe! You'll be glad you did.
My Lee Brilleaux book has just been featured by Shortlist as a 'great rock biography'. Thanks to Robyn Law at Blackwell's! I also joined the dashing Mark Ellen and David Hepworth for a Brilleaux / 1971 Word In Your Ear sesh at The Islington on April 12th - check out the Word podcast here.
Thanks Big Issue North for inviting me to write an 'Off The Shelf' column (it's about girls and gigs!), and to Bryony Hegarty at Louder Than War for this lovely review of 'Shine On, Marquee Moon'.
Thanks to The Muse UK for featuring me as their latest 'In Conversation With...' personage. Here's a link. I get a bit ferocious. And here's a nice interview with Penny Black Music!
Thanks to Nick Hutchings at Velvet Sheep for inviting me to contribute a 'Song For Ewe' - take a gander/a listen!
I had a great time being a guest once more on the esteemed Bigmouth culture podcast, hosted by Andrew Harrison and Siân Pattenden, alongside crime writer William Shaw. We had a hoot discussing Rosamund Pike movie 'I Care A Lot', the new album from The Anchoress, the new Zappa documentary directed by Alex Winter and much more. Listen here!
My magical Soho Radio show 'Rock 'n' Roll Witch' (formerly 'The Witching Hour') is gliding through the radio skies on its bejewelled broomstick to a brand new daytime slot! Mondays, monthly 12-2pm. Tune in for witchy musings, magical cultural picks, celestial guests & mellow rock 'n' roll. I'll also be part of Soho Radio's annual International Women's Day programming on March 8th - tune 8-9pm to hear my IWD special! For all shows, check out the archives here.
I had a lovely chat with #NewnhamNews Newnham College, Cambridge. Newnhamites (and non-Newnhamites) can find out about my background as an author & my role as the new Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow at the historically radical and rebellious Newnham College and Selwyn College Cambridge. Includes a couple of my favourite golden writing rules as well as a mention of The Slits, Soho Radio, lipstick and my teapot. If that's not enough to hook you in, I don't know what is. Read here.
Thanks to Duncan Seaman for featuring my Slits book / Ari Up session with Roisin Dwyer at LTW as a 'highlight' of the weekend - much appreciated and I'm in excellent company, alongside Bob Geldof, Daryl Easlea, Lucy O'Brien, Rhoda Dakar, Don Powell, Dave Ball and many more. Read here!
Honoured to take the 'Celebrity Gloominess' spot on artist Sadie Hennessy's final 'Gloomy Sunday' radio show. I share my favourite gloomy song (well, one of them) which may or may not be Mary Chain-related. Have a listen!
Proud to have contributed the introduction to this special Aurora Metro Books publication, '50 Women In The Blues' (big thanks to Sister Cookie, Ed Mitchell and Deitra Farr) feat. the photography of Jennifer Noble. What a subject! The blues is a woman <3 https://www.aurorametro.com/product/50-women-in-the-blues/
STOP PRESS, MAY 2020: THANKS TO THE JAMC tor publishing the first chapter of my biography of the band 'Barbed Wire Kisses: The Jesus and Mary Chain Story' on their official website.
Thrilled to hear that 'Shine On, Marquee Moon' has been included in the NME's 'Things We Like - Objects Of Desire' list! Should YOU desire it, click here.
Amazed to hear my debut novel 'Shine On, Marquee Moon' was shortlisted for the Virginia Prize. 'Shine On, Marquee Moon' is out now (Matador). Order the paperback or buy an audiobook here!
My biography of Stevie Nicks - 'Visions, Dreams & Rumours - is out now in paperback via Omnibus! Check out the ace Bigmouth podcast, which features a chat about the tome. The b-format edition of 'Lee Brilleaux - Rock 'n' Roll Gentleman', meanwhile, was released with a Warners box-set this summer, sleeve-notes by yours truly.
Much fun hosting this with Helen McCookeryBook, Gina Birch (Raincoats), Tessa Pollitt (Slits) & Jane Woodgate (Mo-Dettes) at British Library. Post-Q&A the merry throng - myself included (on cardboard box) - performed 'Oh Bondage, Up Yours'. Poly Styrene RIP. I'm also thrilled to have recently recorded drums on a song of Helen's, watch this space!
The fab folk at Swiss music site Rockette conducted a Q&A with me based on their findings on my Instagram! Check it out here.