Perhaps the most prolific and greatest Canadian singer-songwriter of all time, Gordon Lightfoot was an indelible part of the Canadian national spirit... OBITUARY by Ian Woolley Published in the 2020 September issue of the Beat, we interviewed Gordon from his home in...
The former Yell! singer believes in getting a positive message out to his fans despite today's challenges. If the re-release of his single Set Your Spirit Free 2023 is anything to go by, he might be getting the word out finally... By Ian Woolley The original version...
Local Vocals, a choir community based across Lancashire, have teamed up with Tommy Cannon (one half of the infamous Cannon and Ball) to create a charity single in aid of local mental health charity, Lancashire Mind... The choir, made up of over 200 local people from...
The US chart-topping singer Harry Belafonte has died at the age of 96... OBITUARY by Ian Woolley Breaking down racial barriers, Belafonte became more involved in the civil rights movement and was an ambassador for equality. Born in 1927 in the tough neighborhood of...
The 1982 debut chart-topping album from ABC, "The Lexicon Of Love" spawned five hit singles. Now the celebrated album gets a full symphonic makeover... REVIEW by Ian Woolley The Lexicon of Love defined a decade, a widescreen pop classic that gave ABC their...
Best known for his energetic stage performances, Wee Willy Harris has died at the age of 90 years of age... OBITUARY By Ian Woolley Known as Britain's 'wild man of rock and roll', he was admired by many in the pop business including the Beatles and Ian Dury (who...
If the opening night is anything to go by, the new musical City Of Dreams will delight festival lovers in Surrey. Directed by Ray Shell with lyrics from DJ Mike Read, the story brings to life the music by English composer Eric Coates... REVIEW By Ian Woolley Even...
The former Sex Pistol still has a powerful message to tell the world if his new album is anything to go by. But are they listening? By Ian Woolley Released at the end of the month, Glen Matlock's new solo album 'Consequences Are Coming' comes off the back of his...
One of the world's greatest music agents and promoters Paul Charles is coming to The Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith to launch his new autobiography "Adventures in Wonderland"... By Ian Woolley Irishman Paul Charles is one of the leading music agents on the...
As a vaping enthusiast, you know the importance of budgeting and saving money. While it can be tempting to splurge on the latest vape products and accessories, practising smart financial habits can bring numerous benefits in the long run. In this blog post, you’ll...
Another bumper-filled issue this month... That rocker with a lot of stories, PJ Proby makes our front cover in April and in our two-page feature, he talks about the Elvis connection. The concluding part of Ian Woolley's exclusive interview with Brian Poole in 'My...
Today, legendary singer, songwriter and keyboardist Howard Jones has announced a major UK tour for October to celebrate 40 years of his incredible career and the release of his revolutionary debut single “New Song” from the Human’s Lib Album. By Ian Woolley The tour...
As the former lead singer of one of the 80s most successful bands go on tour this spring, Marti's 'Pellow Talk' tour and autobiography digs deep into the former Scotsman's roots... REVIEW by Ian Woolley Marti continues to be dedicated to his songwriting, to...
Today, most music gigs take place in very specific places. A concert hall or an arts venue tends to be the main outlet, which scales up depending on the size of the audience. But it was not always that way. Back in the sixties, huge acts would play in venues that were...
Back from their recent US tour, it's the perfect time of the season to see the Zombies... REVIEW by Ian Woolley If the recent sell-out Tivoli Theatre opening night of their postponed 2020 tour is anything to go by, Zombies fans around the UK are in for a treat....
Two of Liverpool’s iconic Beatles locations have teamed up to celebrate local music and deliver an exciting lineup of free live music events in the lead-up to Eurovision 2023... The Jacaranda has a rich history of developing artists and providing them with a platform...
A Crowdfunding Campaign has been launched to save the historic former Grimsby side trawler and ‘pirate’ radio ship Ross Revenge - home of Radio Caroline... A Charity that maintains the legendary former Radio Caroline pirate radio ship Ross Revenge is launching an...
Journalist and TV producer Suzan has woven her love for music and The Beatles into a hilarious story that also draws on her own dating disasters - before she met her musician husband - former Slade frontman Noddy Holder! By Ian Woolley Speaking with Suzan Holder, it's...
As movie soundtracks go, long after the movie has run it's course, the viewer will vividly remember that certain scene because of the perfect song that was used... By Ian Woolley For example, would Art Garfunkel's haunting "Bright Eyes" ever have sold over a million...
As songwriter, singer, and bass player of the 70s band Pilot, David Paton has done it all in his long and successful career... By Ian Woolley Working with some of the biggest names in pop history, his life is laid out in his new autobiography called simply ‘Magic, The...
"They could all sing as good as me or better and they were getting songs from all kinds of people"... By Ian Woolley Woodwork lessons were never boring for Brian Poole and his classmate Alan Blakley. In the first part of our exclusive interview with Brian, we talk...
Muswell's 78-year-old music shop certainly made its mark on British pop history since opening its doors for the first time in 1945. It was the local shop where the Kink's guitarist and songwriter Ray Davies got his first guitar... By Ian Woolley The oldest music shop...
The former Go-Go singer was seriously considering retirement after starting out 35 years ago. Now a chance meeting by her son with her former songwriter has led to the release of a new single "Big Big Love"... By Ian Woolley Belinda Carlisle releases a brand new...
Patti Boulaye's 'I'm Coming Out' UK tour is going down well with her fans... By Ian Woolley The doyenne of entertainment, Patti Boulaye OBE, recently described as "a bundle of fizz" is back with her new one-woman show "I'm Coming Out". This fascinating show strongly...