Looking back, it is hard to distinguish between the reality and the hype that surrounds The Beatles. They are most often referred to as one of the most influential bands of all time, being a seed from which most modern music has grown. But, for a section of the music-loving world, they are just another […]
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What followed was a duet shaped by understanding rather than arrangement. Sean’s tone brought intimacy and reflection, a closeness that felt almost conversational. Julian’s voice carried openness and reach, stretching the melody outward as if inviting the room to join. Together, they did not compete or alternate; they listened. The song unfolded like a shared […]
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Working alongside Freddie Mercury in Queen for decades was never a chore for Brian May, who was consistently amazed by the magic his bandmate could cook up in the studio. The mercurial frontman operated on a different wavelength from his peers, with his risk-taking strategies propelling Queen to success. It is often forgotten that while […]
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What happens after the first rehearsal often matters just as much as what eventually unfolds under the lights. In some cases, it matters more. Inside the legenda The O2 Arena, following their intense Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and Jason Bonham did not pack up and leave the venue. Instead, they stayed. After […]
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Oh, to have been one of the lucky souls at one of the early Nirvana shows. You often wonder if people witnessing history are actually aware of it, but surely those rock lovers had an inkling. Stuart Braithwaite wrote in his book about the magic that was seeing Nirvana live for the first time, and […]
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‘#9 Dream’ is the one song that stands above the rest on John Lennon’s scattergun fifth studio album, Walls and Bridges, comparing favourably with the very best of his solo compositions. The entire record was the product of Lennon’s infamous ‘Lost Weekend’ in Los Angeles during the summer of 1974, a time when he shacked […]
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There are plenty of stories of songs John Lennon hated, but others usually write them. Especially at the end of The Beatles, he was more than happy to dish out critiques when it came to Paul McCartney’s songwriting efforts. But in this instance, his criticism was turned inwards when talking about one largely unknown cut. […]
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A band like Led Zeppelin is such an alchemic sum of its parts; it’s impossible to imagine their continuing after the loss of drummer John Bonham. Some of their peers decided to soldier on under similar circumstances, to varying success. AC/DC pulled off an effortless frontman swap between Highway to Hell and Back in Black, […]
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I once interviewed a band who defiantly told me, “It’s hard not to sound like The Beatles, because they invented everything!” It was a fair remark to make when I asked about the Beatles-inspired piano reprise in one of their songs. It was nothing more than a progression of piano chords, designed to sound like […]
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The room does not feel like a room at all. It feels suspended, as if the walls have learned to listen. Light gathers where sound should end, and for a long moment nothing moves. Then it begins — a guitar weeping softly, not for effect, but with the quiet familiarity of something that remembers hands […]
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