Kingmakers of the album charts
How Banquet became the UK’s most influential record store.
ByMusic venues
Landlordism is killing culture
Music venues, pubs and cinemas are struggling to survive under rentier capitalism.
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The contradictions of Arctic Monkeys
In the run-up to their headline Glastonbury set, the band defied the creative arc of their late career by shutting…
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Why we should save O2 Academy Brixton
The police’s suggestion that the venue should shut is an unimaginative, narrow-minded decision that pits the state against culture.
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Why Jeff Beck was the best guitarist in the world
Jeff Beck’s astonishing virtuosity was always driven by emotion – and he kept challenging himself until the end.
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William Orbit: “If you confound Madonna, a red mist comes down”
The producer worked his magic with Britney Spears, All Saints and Blur. In his sixties a drug binge and breakdown…
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Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing “takes advantage” of music fans
Coldplay, Harry Styles and Bruce Springsteen have profited from ticket prices that rise with demand to many times more than…
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The raucous return of Pussy Riot
As Vladimir Putin escalated his war the Russian punk rebels performed in Canterbury, urging him to “jump up into hell”.
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Notes on the Proms
At my 350th Prom, there are queues no longer, and the BBC coverage has changed. But familiar pieces still stimulate…
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Which city could host the 2023 Eurovision Cong Contest?
The BBC has announced the shortlist of seven cities all vying to host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023.
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Corporate culture is ruining live music
The rise of tiered ticketing, VIP packages and cordoned-off areas is destroying concerts. Just look at the Rolling Stones.
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In a fractured world, Glastonbury is a much-needed sanctuary
Festivals are easily romanticised, but alongside the glitter and the dancing they demonstrate how humans might better live together.
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Why Grace Jones matters more than ever
At the 74-year-old’s Southbank Centre gig, it’s clear that the political and aesthetic reverberations of her art are still being…
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“Everybody knows the Leadmill”: the campaign to save a Sheffield cultural landmark
“This had better be an April fool’s joke,” said Jarvis Cocker, whose band Pulp played their first gig at the…
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Inside the Southbank Centre’s “laughable and terrifying” mass job cuts and shift to “start-up” culture
Europe’s largest arts centre will look to further commercialisation to recover from the coronavirus crisis.
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“Music venues rely on free movement”: Will a no-deal Brexit affect your favourite bands?
Whether classical orchestral players or pop artists, musicians will almost certainly feel the repercussions of a no-deal Brexit, if the…
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Killing an Arab: The Cure try to reclaim their most controversial single
Can a song about murdering an Algerian ever be benign?
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He gave a total stranger $50,000 in cash: the strange, multi-million dollar empire of Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Kate Mossman meets the man behind one of the world’s wealthiest rock bands.
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