Radio One’s second mid-life crisis >>

It was front page news in all the red tops and spawned 396 news items online. Those Caledonian Mercury readers not devoted to the work of Take That might wonder what made Chris Moyles’s recent interview on Radio One with the band’s Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow, their first radio interview together for 15 years, remotely culturally significant.... Read more

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Forsyth reveals how Fox ended up as the Jackal >>

Michael Caine wanted it. Roger Moore wanted it. Charlton Heston even flew himself over from Holyrood to London in pursuit of it. In the end, none of them got it. Instead, it went to little known actor Edward Fox. The role was, of course, that of the Jackal in the 1973 film of Frederick Forsyth’s book The Day Of The Jackal. Mr Forsyth, now 71, told... Read more

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Danny Boyle’s fingerprints show on Utah rocks >>

They don’t make ‘em like they used to – films that is. This is not to say the older directors have the monopoly on classics, although by definition it will take a few years for the younger directors to catch up on reputation. What seems to be a reasonable generalisation to many – including the noted film chronicler David Thomson –... Read more

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The wonderful, mixed legacy of DJ AM >>

For the old “Don’t judge a book by its cover” cliche, read the modern equivalent – “don’t judge a man by his Wikipedia entry.” Not in this case because of any factual errors but because of the danger of associating someone with the company he kept. The entry for DJ AM appears at first glance like a precis of disposable supermarket... Read more

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Seven desperate attempts to ‘get down with the kids’ >>

The late Joe Strummer was once asked why he never allowed his band to appear on Top of the Pops, but let The Clash risk facing The Phantom Flan Flinger on Tiswas. His answer: “Tiswas was cool.” Being “down with the kids” doesn’t have to be as naff as that phrase implies – whether it’s appearing on Yo Gabba Gabba or The Muppet... Read more

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Opinion: The joys of getting theatrical >>

By Ewan Spence After you’ve looked through the hundreds of stand-ups at The Fringe (and what is the collective term for that? A heckle of comedians perhaps?), you’ll come across the theatre section of the programme. For many people the Fringe is the theatre high point of the year. It just upsets me when relatively few people coming to Edinburgh... Read more

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8½ song lyrics that are factually incorrect >>

Since the turn of the last century, there are three types of lyrics in music: Witty, wordy and waspish: (this is something of a lost art, best exemplified by Noel Coward, Lorenz Hart, Cole Porter, Gilbert and Sullivan, Stephen Sondheim with current practitioners thin on the ground – perhaps Neils Hannon and Tennant, Jarvis Cocker, Leonard Cohen,... Read more

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Rosetta the overlooked touchstone for modern music >>

Chart battles are a general staple of the August silly season newslists, from Victoria Beckham versus Spiller, to the Blur- Oasis titanic struggle. Even the chart battles in September receive most of their hype in August like the not-so-epic Glasvegas v Metallica duel or 50 Cent’s threat to quit music if he finished second to Kanye West. It was therefore... Read more

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Why reviving Cruise’s career is not a Mission: Implausible >>

On occasion, Tom Cruise must regret reviving the old Mission: Impossible franchise with producing partner Paula Wagner. It has been a gift for headline writers since Cruise’s public persona and his box office returns took a more ragged direction. Tom Cruise making a summer hit film is now routinely described as “Mission: Implausible” “Mission:... Read more

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Opinion: why comedy is not killing the Fringe >>

By Ewan Spence Here we go again. It’s the 64th Festival Fringe, and that means yet again Edinburgh becomes the Arts Capital of the world, with tens of thousands of tourists descending into the hotels and B&B’s of the city, Taxis that never stop scuttling around, and the Royal Mile becoming an obstacle course of flyers, students and chainsaw... Read more

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Seven reasons why Wyclef Jean’s move to politics is music’s loss >>

Wyclef Jean’s commitment to Haiti cannot be questioned although his stewardship of his own charity has received flak as has his decision to run for president. Wyclef willl have to shrug off critics and hunker down, should he win, through negotiations on lowering trade barriers, fighting off US rice subsidies and tackling horrendous debt problems.... Read more

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Edinburgh Fringe pick >>

Like a kind of cultural tsunami, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is now upon us – like you won’t have noticed, what with it being the world’s biggest-ever biggest arts festival and everything, not to mention the only time of year Scotland gets this much concerted media attention. So as you gird yourself for the onslaught, here’s... Read more

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Jay Z and Alicia could prove Downfall for Hitler parodies >>

Students of the more rib-tickling side of the internet will have no problem discerning the common denominator among the following: Sheffield United’s relegation, Oasis splitting up, Michael Jackson’s death, Kanye West insulting Taylor Swift, landing a ban from X Box Live, RickRolling, Emmanuel Adebayor asking Arsene Wenger for the same wages as... Read more

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Prodigal son et lumière proves influential >>

I’m confused, not for the first time. On this occasion it’s because The Prodigy have been voted the “most influential dance act of all time”. Now I’d be the last person to deny that The Prodigy are an extremely good act both on record and live (of which more later). But what the hell’s this “most influential” thing? Who says so? The... Read more

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The rise of the weird and wacky concert venue >>

Hunter S Thompson famously said: “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” Bill Drummond is a true pro. In Echo and the Bunnymen’s imperial phase, their then manager Drummond sent them on tour. Nothing unusual about that. This is where it gets interesting. Drummond – the man who burnt a million quid on Jura because, well,... Read more

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A minor misdemeanour – Woody Allen picks favourites >>

Here’s an idea to re-energise music journalism in its current form. The hack is allowed to set about any band with an electric cattle prod who utters the words: “It’s our best album yet.” This phrase – even worse than “we just make music for ourselves and if anyone else likes it, that’s a bonus” – is an always unwelcome weapon... Read more

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To infinity and beyond for Pixar >>

As the late, great Dennis Hopper’s character said in Speed…Pop quiz, hotshot. The question is – When was the last time anyone in entertainment had anything like the run Pixar are currently enjoying? The animation studio has just had its eleventh hit in a row with Toy Story 3. Buzz Lightyear and co haven’t yet grossed as much worldwide... Read more

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Mel Gibson’s Royal Flush of career suicide >>

Whatever you think of his recent films in the States, Ricky Gervais wins Paul-the-octopus-style points for prescience. At January’s Golden Globes, the comedian introduced one presenter with the quip: “I like a drink as much as the next man unless the next man is Mel Gibson.” How does an Oscar-winning actor, producer and director make sure he doesn’t... Read more

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Robbie is Back For…a while >>

So Robbie Williams has rejoined Take That. For all the headline writers opting for “Back for Good”, a word of caution. It’s for one album or “however long it lasts” as bandmember Jason Orange says. On Thursday, an unfortunate day for ‘90s boyband Damage to announce their comeback, the man whom Noel Gallagher famously dubbed “the fat dancer”... Read more

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Rockin’ in the free world >>

Apart from perhaps picking stepladders, Prince never does anything by halves. So when he falls out with the music business, he tends to fall out big. His almighty funk (not a reference to his music for once) is this time to do with giving away his content for free. Just as he did with 2007’s Planet Earth in the Mail on Sunday, his latest album 20TEN... Read more

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