THIS IS A JOURNEY INTO SOUND

Around the time that i met the woman who became my wife my feeling that i needed to belong to something faded into the background. I had connected with someone for the first time in years, and fell madly in love. I still loved music, and still went to both Whitby Goth Weekender events, but my heart wasn't in it. After years of singledom i naturally wanted to do "couple things", and i gradually withdrew from that part of my life. At the same time, i no longer wanted to dress the part. A few months earlier i had a windfall, and treated myself to a couple of Ben Sherman shirts, a Harrington, and some Levis. Being, well, fat at the time these were hard to come by in my size, so they were from Jacamo (i've struggled with my weight for a long time). But they looked decent, and i suppose were my first Mod clothes.  Over the next few years i began to find out about the history of this subculture, its origins and influences, and in turn what it influenced. A lot of the music i

I have always had a passion for music from a young age. My questing nature has led to fairly eclectic tastes, and with that a wish to learn all about the various genres, scenes, and subcultures that have always been associated with music. My long standing ability to appreciate music from bygone eras has led to a fascination with the youth cults and tribes that once filled our isles. The current proliferation of bearded hipster types on our streets is a trend, but there are no common interests between the people who have adopted this look. The era of tribes would appear to be over in an increasingly connected world where every interest and influence can be accessed and discovered at the touch of a screen. But...... look past the homogenization of the high street with its identical Starbucks and Costas, fashion outlets, and sportswear shops, and you will spot them. Old Punks, Rockers, Mods, Hippies, Goths...... people who adopted not just the music, but a way of life, a code, a set of

We are living in unprecedented times: the COVID-19 pandemic has affected every corner of the world, and every walk of life, including the world of music. I was saddened to hear about the passing of Dave Greenfield, keyboardist for The Stranglers, who died on Sunday 3rd of May after contracting the virus during a hospital stay for a heart complaint. He was 71. Dave's arpeggiated, Doors-esque keyboard sound made The Stranglers sound stand out from the punk crowd they were associated with, adding a melodic brightness to the gruff and thuggish themes of their early albums: hits like Peaches, No More Heroes and Something Better Change elevated the band above the 3 chord thrash of their contemporaries. He developed his style further as the band moved into more experimental waters, from the synthesizer meltdown solo on Top 20 single Nice 'n' Sleazy and its parent album Black And White, through their most accomplished album The Raven - which featured the keyboard-heavy hit Duchess