I went to see Robert Cray 20 years ago at the UEA in Norwich and apparently I was there, but cannot remember any of the gig! Had tickets at Hammersmith ten years later and never saw the legend. So this time I finally made it – and it was well worth the wait! Voted best living […]

I came to the mighty Deep Purple through the tradesmans entrance, long after the paint had peeled. My first gig… December 81 at Ipswich Gaumont, the metal mecca with the Ian Gillan Band touring their double opus, Double Trouble. Gillan had a fast and furious band and I was blown away, although at 11 years […]

I had a great evening at my local boozer last weekend, crowned by a chap belting out an acoustic version of The Moody Blues ‘Nights in White Satin’ followed swiftly by a rollicking ‘Hey Ho Silver Lining’. In my slurred slumber I mentally cued up (and subsequently requested) Lynyrd Skynyrds Freebird next, but sadly it […]

Foreigner Unplugged Entering the intimate arena of Shepherds Bush Empire I sniff the scent in the air and note the warm and welcoming sweet smell of pot! So a relaxed audience and as it proved, a relaxed and polished acoustic set delivered by a magnificent seven, led by Mr Foreigner himself, Mick Jones, on guitar – the man who composed […]

Bring on the confetti, it’s my Wedding Anniversary this week. Sitting in my bedroom some 21 years ago, in a slightly bizarre pre-marital musical brainwashing courtship ritual I produced a ‘I think you’ll like this’ style cassette compilation for the future Mrs Forté (I remember her being slightly less impressed with volume 2 by the […]

A couple of weeks back, we successfully landed the space craft at Aldeburgh Music for another mind expansion session programmed by the boundary pushing sonic assassins at Faster than Sound. Their events are like a 5th dimension version of Wire magazine, proper ‘did that just happen?’ avant head tilters. I’ve been hugely impressed by the […]

…NME, 1975* And the winner is {bodhran roll please} John Goodluck, crown pagan prince of Suffolk song and grand magister of the 1970s Ipswich folk scene. They don’t make ’em like this anymore. Johns unholy trinity of The Suffolk Miracle (74), Speed the Plough (75) and Monday’s Childe (77, like punk never happened) are faultless […]

What a night, the stars must have been aligned. Three top flight acts all squeezed into Ipswich ale monastry St. Judes for a night of avant folk and folly. Hats off to the tiny St. Judes, they really know how to run a town pub, it’s full of a psychedelic array of characters quaffing the […]

Ipswich Gaumont, 12th April, 1982. The Scorpions are about to rip into Blackout, the balls to the wall killer title track from their latest metal opus. Just 1 year on, and with a little more spandex and hairspray, Phil Moggs mighty UFO are wrapping up the night with the holy trinity… Too Hot to Handle, […]