Pennyblackmusic: June 2022
Interviews
Feeder
Nick Dent-Robinson speaks to Grant Nicholas from bestselling rock act Feeder at a gig in Oxford about their new album ‘Torpedo’.
Simon Love
Freya Beer
Rob Pursey
Kimberly Bright chats with Simon Love about the themes and inspirations behind his new solo album 'Love, Sex and Death Etc.', who is forbidden to listen to it, and the best parts of Peter Jackson's 'Get Back' Beatles documentary.
Alternative rock musician and rising talent Freya Beer talks to Andrew Twambley about her new single 'Love Child' and her debut album 'Beast'.
Rob Pursey from Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, The Catenary Wires and Swansea Sound, talks about his and Amelia Fletcher's new label Skep Wax, and its new compilation 'Under the Bridge' which features acts who were signed to the influential indie label Sarah Records as they are now.
St Christopher
Beth Arzy
Rupert Wates
Roy Moller
Dixie Ernill catches up with Glenn Melia, mainstay of cult York indie outfit St Christopher for a chat about the band’s recent return to the fray with new LP ‘Of Angels and Kings’ and their appearance on the Skep Wax compilation, 'Under the Bridge'
John Clarkson speaks to Beth Arzy about her involvement with LA indiepop band Aberdeen with influential label Sarah Records, and her present bands The Luxembourg Signal and Jetstream Pony’s contributions to new Sarah-inspired compilation ‘Under the Bridge’.
US-based but London-born folk artist tkes to Julie Cruikshank about his new solo album, 'For the People'.
John Clarkson speaks to Edinburgh-born singer-songwriter Roy Moller about the reissue of his 2014 album, ‘My Week Beats Your Year’, which is about the influence on him of Lou Reed, and his forthcoming new album ‘Be My Baby’,which is about his discovery that his birth parents were Canadian and that his mother flew from Toronto to Edinburgh to give birth to and put him up for adoption.
Rick Wakeman
Felix Cavaliere
Simon Bromide
Lida Husik
Andrew Twambley talks to ex-Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman about touring with his long-term project The English Rock Ensemble, how he nearly became one of the Spiders from Mars and his friendship with David Bowie.
American singer-songwriter-organist Felix Cavaliere, who founded The Rascals in the 1960s, shares his deep knowledge of the music industry, talks about his memoir and more.
South London-based singer-songwriter and Bromide frontman Simon Berridge speaks to John Clarkson about his debut solo album, 'Following the Moon', which he has released as Simon Bromide.
Washington DC-raised singer-songwriter Lida Husik speaks to John Clarkson about her 1997 fifth album 'Fly Stereophonic', which is being released on vinyl for the first time for Record Store Day.
Sea Power
Paul Draper
Wolfgang Flur
Dire Straits Legacy
Sea Power guitarist Martin Noble talks to Mark Rowland about the band’s new album ‘Everything Was Forever’ and the challenges of finishing an album in lockdown.
Denzil Watson speaks to former Mansun frontman Paul Draper about his satirical second solo album 'Cult Leader Tactics' which was completed during lockdown.
Former member and percussionist of electronic legends Kraftwerk, Wolfgang Flür is set to release his new LP ‘Magazine 1’. Andrew Twambley chatted with him about the making of the album and how its impressive list of collaborators came about.
Keyboardist Alan Clark speaks to John Clarkson about covers project Dire Straits Legacy, their forthcoming show at the 02 Indigo in London and his years in Dire Straits.
Visitor Comments
Editorial
Birdie - Interview
Cathal Coughlan - Interview
Josie Bello - Resilience
Dave Edmunds - Live at Rockpalast Loreley 1983
Cliff Richard - Not Fade Away
Cliff Richard - Not Fade Away
Cliff Richard - Not Fade Away
Rick Wakeman - Interview
Roger Chapman - Interview
World Party - Interview
Half Man Half Biscuit - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Cathal Coughlan - Interview
Josie Bello - Resilience
Dave Edmunds - Live at Rockpalast Loreley 1983
Cliff Richard - Not Fade Away
Cliff Richard - Not Fade Away
Cliff Richard - Not Fade Away
Rick Wakeman - Interview
Roger Chapman - Interview
World Party - Interview
Half Man Half Biscuit - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Hello and welcome to the June 2022 edition of the magazine. After a two-and-a-half year absence, we are putting on two Bands Nights later this year. The first of these will take place at our regular London venue of The Waters Rats on September 10th. It will be co- headlined by cinematic pop act Heist who after an absence of eighteen years are making their return to the London stage at our gig, and Idiot Son, who having played our Bands Nights five times before, have announced that this most likely to be their farewell show. Also on the bill are rising indie/alt. rock outfit The Volunteer ....more
Profiles
We preview the next Pennyblackmusic Bands Night which will take place with Heist, Idiot Son, The Volunteered and Simon Bromide at The Water Rats in London on the 10th September 2022.
Stuart Moxham
Music Festivals
Tommy Gunnarsson
John van der Kiste
We preview our forthcoming Edinburgh Bands Night which will feature Young Marble Giants' Stuart Moxham, The Cathode Ray and New Leaf's Jeremy Thoms and singer-songwriter Roy Moller.
Nick Dent-Robinson highlights some of the best music festivals of 2022.
Pennyblack’s own Tommy Gunnarsson takes on The Smiths and Morrissey’s entire back catalogue. in his first book Fiona Hutchings rolls up her sleeves and dives in.
Will a book about twelve months in music work or will there be too much waffle? Fiona Hutchings finds out.
Live Reviews

Miles Kane
Marie Hazelwood takes photographs of and Harry Sherriff reviews Miles Kane at Roadmender in Northampton.
Miles Kane
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Roadmender, Northampton, 16/5/2022
Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets - Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 4/5/2022
Suzanne Vega - Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, 1/5/2022
Stranglers - Rock City, Nottingham, 23/3/2022
Rhiannon Scutt - (With El Heneghan and Lovell). Greystones, Sheffield, 22/4/2022
Divine Comedy - Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 26/4/2022
Robyn Hitchcock - Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, 21/4/2022
Janis Ian - Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, 14/5.2002
Virgin Radio Big Thank You Tour - Arena. Manchester, 26/4/2022
James McMurtry - Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, 22/4/2022
After The Flood - Capstone Theatre, Liverpool, 18/3/2022
Peter Doherty and Frederic Lo - Cavern Club, Liverpool, 27/3/2022
Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets - Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 4/5/2022
Suzanne Vega - Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, 1/5/2022
Stranglers - Rock City, Nottingham, 23/3/2022
Rhiannon Scutt - (With El Heneghan and Lovell). Greystones, Sheffield, 22/4/2022
Divine Comedy - Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 26/4/2022
Robyn Hitchcock - Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, 21/4/2022
Janis Ian - Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, 14/5.2002
Virgin Radio Big Thank You Tour - Arena. Manchester, 26/4/2022
James McMurtry - Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, 22/4/2022
After The Flood - Capstone Theatre, Liverpool, 18/3/2022
Peter Doherty and Frederic Lo - Cavern Club, Liverpool, 27/3/2022
Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets
Suzanne Vega
Stranglers
With photos by Andrew Twambley, John Clarkson enjoys a compelling show from Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets of the music of the early Pink Floyd at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh.
Lisa Torem enjoys Suzanne Vega's much-awaited set at Chicago's Old Town School. which includes hits and selections from her one-woman show about novelist Carson McCullers.
Following the loss of founder member, keyboardist Dave Greenfield and Covid related rescheduling, punk legends The Stranglers make a blazing return to the stage in Nottingham. Denzil Watson reviews.
Most Viewed (articles)
Current Edition
Beth Arzy - InterviewSimon Love - Interview
Rob Pursey - Interview
Stranglers - Rock City, Nottingham, 23/3/2022
Roy Moller - Interview
Tommy Gunnarsson - A Life in Music
St Christopher - Interview
Heist/Idiot Son - (With The Volunteered and Simon Bromide), The Water Rats, London, 10/9/2022
Rupert Wates - Interview
New Leaf - The Year of the Ox
Previous Editions
Cathal Coughlan - InterviewWorld Party - Interview
Sam Brown - Interview 2008
Microdisney - The Clock Comes Down the Stairs
And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Interview with Conrad Keely
Pete Brown - Interview
Trudie Myerscough-Harris - Interview
Jimmy Nail - Interview
Charlotte Hatherley - Interview
Altai Rockets - Interview
Favourite Albums
Keith Richards
Lemonheads
New Leaf
Nick Dent-Robinson reflects on Keith Richards' 1992 debut solo a;bum 'Main Offender', which has just been re-released in a thirtieth anniversary edition.
Tommy Gunnarsson finds essential listening a 30th anniversary reissue of iconic US indie rocksters The Lemonheads’ fourth album 'It's a Shame about Ray', which includes a bonus disc of B sides and demos.
John Clarkson ref;lects on Edinburgh-based band New Leaf's fourth album 'The Year of the Ox', which recorded originally in 2001, has finally seen release twenty years later.in an updated version.
Features
In her series, 'A Life in Music', in which she speaks to Pennyblackmusic staff about how music has affected and influenced them, Cila Warncke talks to our Swedish writer Tommy Gunnarsson.
Nick Dent-Robinson examines why in the current musical landscape bands have become something of the past.
Deep Purple
Evidently Spencertown
Ukraine
Radiohead
In our column 'The Image That Made Me Weep', in which our writers write about the impact of a particular photo or image on them, Dastardly writes about how the sleeve of a Deep Purple 'Greatest Hits' album made him fall in love with the Fender Stratocaster guitar.
In his regular 'Evidently Spencertown' poetry column Spencer Robertshaw writes of Pennyblackmusic's latest recruit, his new dog Norman.
In his 'Bandcamp Explorer' column Mark Rowland examines some of the best music that is currently available on Bandcamp from the Ukraine.
In her 'Raging Pages' book column series, Lisa Torem reflects on Willam Allen's 'Radiohead On Track: Every Album, Every Song', which, published at the end of last year, is one of the latest books from the excellent Sonicbond Publishing.
Photography
Andrew Twambley takes of photographs British post-punk band The Psychedelic Furs at a gig at the Academy 2 in Manchester.
Philamonjaro photographs LA punk legends Bad Religion at at Republicca in Valencia, Spain.
Andrew Twambley takes photographs of Gary Numan at a show at the Albert Hall in Manchester.
Killing Joke
Steve Harley
Pauline Murray
Andrew Twambley photographs post-punk/industrial act Killing Joke at a show at the Albert Hall in Manchester.
Andrew Twambley takes photographs of legendary singer-songwriter Steve Harley with his Acoustic Band at the Waterside in Sale.
Andrew Twambley takes photographs of Penetration vocalist Pauline Murray with her side project The Invisible Girls at the Academy 2 in Manchester.
Most Viewed (reviews)
Current Edition
Dave Stewart - Ebony McQueenVarious - Heroes & Villains – The Sound Of Los Angeles 1965-1968,
Josie Bello - Resilience
Smile - A Light for Attracting Attention
Sam Brace - Fever and Bones
Gabi Garbutt and the Illuminations - Cockerel
Simon Love - Love, Sex and Death Etc
Girls At Our Best! - Pleasure
Norah Jones - Come Away With Me: 20th Anniversary Edition
Soft Cell - Happiness Not Included
Reviews
Gabi Garbutt and the Illuminations
Low Drift
Smile
Girls At Our Best!
Emotively powerful and thought-challenging yet uplifting second album from poetic London-based singer-songwriter Gabi Garbutt and her band The Illuminations
Pastoral yet potent folk rock on extraordinary debut album from Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire trio The Low Drift
High quality debut album from The Smile, The new side-project for Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood
Classic post punk/indie pop on new three-disc deluxe edition of Girls at Our Best!'s 1981 only album
Peter Doherty and Frederic Lo
Soft Cell
Simon Love
Various
Intimate and understated new album from The Libertines' Peter Doherty which h has recorded in collaboration with French musician Frederic Lo
Excellent fifth album from groundbreaking 80's synth duo Soft Cell
Simon Love’s first album in four years is pop magnificence that takes on all the major topics of life
Extensive and well-presented compilation of Birmingham indie and post-punk bands between 1978 and 1982
Paul Iwan
Sigrid
Various
Dave Stewart
Compelling and forceful second album from talented Liverpudlian singer-songwriter Paul Iwan
Thoughtful and experimental electronica on second album from chart-storming Norwegian singer-songwriter Sigrid
Excellent three-disc retrospective, which fifty years after the original release of the iconic 'Nuggets' album, compiles together music from the LA scene of 1965-68, and the garage/psychedelic/pop sounds of California
Versatile and semi-autobiographical new album from former Eurythmics member Dave Stewart
Bonnie Raitt
Norah Jones
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway
Powerful and reflective combination of original compositions and covers on first album in six years from California-based singer Bonnie Raitt
Fantastic 20th anniversary reissue of Norah Jones' sublime surprise hit debut album. 'Come Away With Me'
Excellent acoustic album from Joan Jett which features new versions of her best-known songs in a more intimate setting
Eclectic bluegrass and country rock on third album from singer-songwriter Molly Tuttle
Father John Misty
Josie Bello
Sam Brace
Benedicte Maurseth
Heartwarming and immaculate fifth album from Father John Misty, the moniker of Seattle singer-songwriter Josh Tillman
Thoughtful and sensitive mix of folk, rock and country on confident third album from American singer-songwriter Josie Bello
Strong 1990s alternative rock-influenced debut solo album from folk punk band Skinny Lister's guitarist Sam Brace
Magical new album by Benedicte Maurseth which. a portal into a world shared by music and nature, wildlife and mountain people, traditional Norwegian folk tunes and contemporary minimalist arrangements, is a highly rewarding listening experience
Family
Rupert Wates
Loop
John Mayall
Expanded and excellent edition of the eclectic Leicester band Family's 1970 third album
Enchanting album of original folk songs from US-based London guitarist and singer Rupert Wates.
First album in over thirty years from Loop combines the band’s riff-laden power and psychedelic production enhancement in classic fashion.
‘S
Latest album from John Mayall reminds us why he is known as the godfather of British Blues, as, working with a fantastic array of contemporary musicians, he proves still has what it takes to please his fans as he approaches his ninetieth birthday next year
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adam Coxon
Adrian Janes
Adrian P
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Carl Bookstein
Chris O'Toole
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Adrian Janes
Adrian P
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Carl Bookstein
Chris O'Toole
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dixie Ernill
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dixie Ernill
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank