- Aug 28, 2020
FIFTY3 FRIDAYS: HOW WAS YOUR LOCKDOWN?
As we approach the corner of the calendar that leads into autumn, there does seem to be one dividend of living through a pandemic; there is just more and more great new music being made. Much is being released at a time that used to signal a lull in the music industry too. Perhaps what we have experienced over the past six months has given many of us space to breathe, reflect, dust-off a long prevaricated project, or polish something that has become too familiar or even tarni
- Aug 21, 2020
FIFTY3 FRIDAYS: WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Whether it’s that time-honoured artistic desire to hide behind a persona, an absence of affection for the birth name or just plain shyness, there has always been a steady number of musicians and singers who adopt a new name. From a marketing standpoint, such an appellation gives the artiste a distinctiveness that the respective birth name may lack. It may overcome pronunciation hurdles that the latter could present, or conversely just ordinariness, and so make internet search
- Aug 14, 2020
FIFTY3 FRIDAYS: CHRISTMAS IS COMING
It wasn’t all that long ago that people used to sidle up to you and say “winter is coming” and, fully armed with the expectation that you too must be watching Games of Thrones, add a knowing wink. Yet, strike me down sergeant, it’s only August and now Christmas is coming. I have Dolly Parton’s press agent to thank for this unseasonal prompt. It transpires that Dolly is helping to lift our spirits with news of her upcoming album, A Holly Dolly Christmas, due out on 2 October.
- Aug 11, 2020
IT’S CROPREDY BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT
This rather dumb headline, channelling as it does a Star Trek misquote – I blame The Firm – heralds a rather splendid event curated by the wonderfully resourceful Cressida Ford who hosts the first hour of the Almost Acoustic Show on Radio Scarborough every week; a must-listen between bouts of hair washing. So, camping chairs, 6X and wristbands at the ready, settle down at 7pm this Thursday evening and tune into Radio Scarborough to enjoy the official Virtual Cropredy. Fairpor
- Aug 7, 2020
FIFTY3 FRIDAYS: TELLING THE STORY
Local lockdowns and concerns about a second wave of coronavirus have scuppered plans to slowly reintroduce live music in front of physical audiences. Last month Live Nation cancelled its innovative drive-in tours planned for the UK and while a few socially-distanced gigs may still be on the summer calendar, each day brings news of such events being struck off. Over in the States, The Chainsmokers hosted what became a stand-in rather than a drive-in event in The Hamptons which