Some days almost defy description. And 6 July 2022 has been one of them. It didn’t start hugely auspiciously. Nadim Zahawi, who’d been chancellor for barely 12 hours after yesterday’s ructions, found himself wheeled out to defend the man who given him the job. He gave what would normally be…

Newcastle Arena, 27 May 2022 — Another one for the “and finally” pile. Nearly two years after the inital date for this gig, the Pet Shop Boys roll into Neil Tennant’s hometown on a Friday night. I’ve always liked the Pet Shop Boys, even though in later years I’ve not followed them that intently¹. They’re one…

Billingham Forum 10 May 2022 — It’s a strange night tonight. The venue is about two thirds full¹, and over the course of the evening it’s clear that this troubles Ed just a bit because it keeps coming up. There are reasons of course, principal of which is the fact actually sitting here tonight has only…

Tyne Theatre, 5 May 2022 — Well, it’s been a mad old time. This was the week of the five gigs¹, and tonight is the last. It’s always nice to come to the Tyne Theatre. It’s a lovely auditorium, and the vibe is always relaxed and friendly. I had a brief but friendly chat in the…

Newcastle City Hall, 3 May 2022 — Oh, to be 17 in 1967, down at UFO or any number of the other groovy happenings in the Summer of Love. For those of us too young to have ever been there (i.e …

Durham Gala Theatre: 29 April 2022 — There’s just something about a Half Man Half Biscuit gig that’s not quite like anything else, especially for repeat offenders like me . Yes, it’s a roomful of mostly middle aged men jumping up and down like loons and not worrying about the arthritis until you can’t get out of…

I just sent this letter to my MP. This was about as short as I dared go within the bounds of at least some semblance of politeness, because right now I am angry almost beyond the point of rational speech. Dear Robert Goodwill, This will be a relatively short message…

Middlesbrough Town Hall: 8 April 2022 — A lot has happened to Rachel Parris in the last three years, and the pandemic, as we discover later, appears to have been the least of it. …

A portmanteau of wankery — Twats walk among us. They breathe the same air, sadly sometimes continuing to exhale as they do, often mask-free, as they wander about the place. Mostly it is just the background thrum of quotidan bellendery that offends us. And honestly, I don’t exclude myself from this. Sometimes I’m a twat…