One Both of these TV shows is are fake: Grief Digestion Theatre Live plays performed by a cast consisting entirely of people who’ve been informed of the death of a close relative a mere eighteen seconds before stepping onstage. This week: Michael Frayn’s Copenhagen. The Big Donor Show A terminally ill woman selects one of […]

Uncle Pauly’s Kraut Pop guide. Caught the Vier last night in Kentish town’s Forum. Despite the change of date and venue the lads were greeted by a very appreciative, largely German audience who went wild when four blokes ambled on stage with Teutonic timekeeping at 9pm on the dot . . . cue sheepish grins […]

Are you one of those folks who listens to the radio in complete ignorance of what’s required of the person speaking to you? Do you listen to Nicky Campbell’s polished Scots in the morning and think I could do that nae bother? Do you marvel at Kirsty Young’s (even more) polished Scots on Radio 4 […]

Yesterday I bumped into an old colleague on the streets of Islington in north London. This is the third time in about 15 years that I’ve randomly met someone I used know in what must rank as one of the world’s most populous cities. In a place with a population of 7.5 million the question, […]

The thorny subject of lyrics cropped up again last night at the Eurovision song contest. Ireland’s entry came in at second bottom – 23rd place – with a true abomination. Any song containing the words “Archipelagic icicles” deserves everything it got . . . Me and my flatmate started to watch the Eurovision contest last […]

BBC 6 Music has a poll of the top ten worst ever song lyrics. The results were based on the suggestions of more than 2,000 listeners to the station and while I agree there are some hideous examples of songwriting I can’t let Black Sabbath’s entry at number #10 go . . . # 10 […]