Articles by Michael Barclay

Flashing Lights

Showing Off

PUBLISHED Nov 17, 2016

Sometimes when we rock, the honesty's too much.That's how Matt Murphy felt about his previous band, Halifax favourites the Superfriendz, be...

The Worst Rock and Roll Band in the World?

The Beta Band don't believe their own hype

PUBLISHED Nov 17, 2016

To understand why the Beta Band have captured the imagination of the British music press and the hardcore geeks who read them, picture the...

Los Lobos

Save the Last Dance for Los Lobos

PUBLISHED Nov 17, 2016

There are three ways to grow old in music. One is to become mired in a quicksand of complacency, accepting the fact that your greatest glor...

Carolyn Mark Is The Nashville Sound

PUBLISHED Nov 17, 2016

According to Carolyn Mark, Robert Altman's 1975 epic film Nashville is perhaps the most unheralded and obscure of the great movie musicals,...

What's a Boy to Do?

Less Talk About Sex, Baby

PUBLISHED Nov 17, 2016

There's been some astute discussion of the music industry's sexism in this magazine of late, in this space and in the letters section, all...

Royal City Are On A Pilgrimage of the Profane

PUBLISHED Nov 17, 2016

Royal City's Aaron Riches used to welcome accusations of wearing his heart on his sleeve. On his band's new album, Alone at the Microphone,...

Being Björk

PUBLISHED Nov 17, 2016

Björk once sang, "I'm going to prove the impossible really exists," and for the last 25 years she's celebrated the contradictions that crea...

The Minus Man

Hampton Fancher

PUBLISHED Nov 17, 2016

If you're told the protagonist of a film is a serial killer, certain expectations arise: guns, glorification of violence, romanticised outl...