

- Apr 15, 2022
FIFTY3 FRIDAYS: VISIT RWANDA
I had to double check that the clock hadn’t reverted to April 1st after the Government’s announcement of a £120m ‘trial’ to send cross...


- Apr 8, 2022
FIFTY3 FRIDAYS: GLASTONBURY EMERGING TALENT FINALISTS
From the thousands who applied and the ninety that made it onto the longlist, eight acts woke up to some good news this week as the...


- Apr 1, 2022
FIFTY3 FRIDAYS: I HEARD 'EM FIRST HERE
Fresh on the Net, the music site hosted by Tom Robinson with the support of a dedicated team of moderators, has been around now in its...


- Mar 25, 2022
FIFTY3 FRIDAYS: SOMETHING GOOD TO REPORT
Black Rod’s Garden Entrance. Did I know that Black Rod had a garden? Probably not, though as one does exist I guess it will have an...


- Mar 18, 2022
FIFTY3 FRIDAYS: WHO MADE THE GLASTONBURY 2022 LONGLIST?
After two fallow years imposed by the pandemic, Glastonbury Festival makes a welcome return this June. After such an unfortunate hiatus,...


- Mar 11, 2022
FIFTY3 FRIDAYS: IT’S LIVE, JIM
Today’s Fifty3 Fridays focuses on live music which, after two years of Covid interruptions, is back like it never went away. Venue...


- Mar 5, 2022
FIFTY3 FRIDAYS: CALLING OUT DISINFORMATION
For the second week I have found it difficult to know where to start. This column should be a celebration of new music frequently made by...


- Feb 25, 2022
FIFTY3 FRIDAYS: STAND WITH UKRAINE
It is difficult to summon up anything other than a feeling of despair about the events unfolding in Ukraine. The situation reminds you...


- Feb 18, 2022
FIFTY3 FRIDAYS: TALL STORIES?
Having devoted last week’s column to a live review, I find there are plenty of new or recent releases stacking up that I would like to...


- Feb 11, 2022
FIFTY3 FRIDAYS: LIVE AT THE BEDFORD
Last Thursday found me in the comfortably familiar surroundings of that fine hub of new live music in London, The Bedford at Balham. With...


- Feb 4, 2022
FIFTY3 FRIDAYS: SPOTIFY AGAIN
OK, the last thing I had in mind this week was to prolong the debate, if that’s quite the word, about the rights and wrongs of Spotify....

- Jan 28, 2022
FIFTY3 FRIDAYS: A CONSCIOUS DECISION
“They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.” With his admirable record of political activism, it was probably no surprise that Neil Young...