Back when Aretha Franklin was still in her (very late) twenties, I saw my first black gospel choir. It was at Ronnie Scott’s famous jazz club in London’s West End where I was lucky enough to have a free pass. If that sounds too good to be true, I also qualified for a free bar…

The Stones rock Chelsea. Again. New York’s next. Mick Jagger is said to be as “tight as a nun’s growler”, as former flames Jerry Hall and Marianne Faithfull have alluded, though not quite in those words. It was no surprise, then, to see tickets for EXHIBITIONISM, the Rolling Stones’ personal memorabilia exhibition, at London’s Saatchi…

I don’t think there’s a town or city in the English-speaking world that doesn’t boast at least one potentially world-class rock guitarist. A big call, granted, but just think of all the great guitarists who’ve played in your local bands over the years, whom I bet remain mostly unknown. That’s the way it’s been since…