Fuelled by hard drugs and righteous anger, his incendiary prose shook America. Could I channel his spirit by spending a night at the typewriter where it all happened? (The Guardian) Continue reading
Over 100 years since pioneers struck it rich in Canada’s Yukon the remote territory remains home to those who answer the call of the wild. (Lonely Planet Traveller) Continue reading
Joining the thousands of fans from West Africa who flock to Baaba Maal’s annual Blues du Fleuve festival in Podor (The Guardian) Continue reading
Pablo Escobar’s old estate is now a weird Jurassic Park-themed zoo (Vice) Continue reading
In the Ngiri-Ngiri district of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, volunteers have to take sanitation into their own hands (The Guardian) Continue reading
Five female porn stars have died within the last three months. At the AVN Awards, there was a strange mix of acknowledgment and carrying on with business as usual. (Vice) Continue reading
Investigatory Powers Tribunals are where you complain if you think the government is spying on you. They’re usually held behind closed doors but this year a few select public hearings have taken place, so I went to check one out. (Vice) Continue reading
Protecting the rights of women who work as prostitutes is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of HIV. And in Orissa, India, that approach is working – even amid deep-rooted taboos. (The Guardian) Continue reading
On falling for the City of Angels. (Good Place) Continue reading
In 2014, former British Para Keith Abraham flew to Peru to see if he could cure his PTSD with a dose of the psychedelic drug, ayahuasca. He returned a changed man and is now on a mission to extend access to other members of the armed forces and beyond. (Men’s Health) Continue reading
The raucous romp about a pair of mismatched couples has won over so many viewers that a sequel is already in the works. First-time director Clay Tarver tells me about striking comic gold. (The Independent) Continue reading
It’s been half a century since beloved TV mystery series ‘Columbo’ premiered with an episode directed by a young Steven Spielberg. I talk to David Koenig, author of a new book on the show, about the rumpled sleuth’s continuing appeal. (The Independent) Continue reading
The comedian, who has died aged 61, railed against the phrase “battling cancer”. I pay tribute to a man brave enough to be frank and funny even when facing the end. (The Independent) Continue reading
After a four-decade career making his name as crooks and cops in films from ‘The Goonies’ to ‘Bad Boys’, the beloved Italian-American actor is heading back to his roots for lighthearted drama ‘From the Vine’. He tells me about why people still get ‘The Sopranos’ wrong, and the moment the Wachowskis realised he hadn’t actually read the script for ‘The Matrix’. (The Independent) Continue reading
Writing about heartbreak and depression earned James Blake the Mercury Prize, as well as effusive praise from Kanye, Dave and a bevvy of hip-hop titans. But for his fifth album, Friends That Break Your Heart, pop’s collaborator-in-chief is having fun. (GQ) Continue reading
At 72, the Kiss bassist is unveiling his debut art collection. He tells me about calling time on touring with his famous glam-rockers, what he learnt watching Andy Warhol at work and why he’ll always be a mummy’s boy. (The Independent) Continue reading
The macho world of Wild West cowboys is given a queer makeover by America’s gay rodeo scene. I travel to Las Vegas to find out how it all began 45 years ago and why this September’s BigHorn Rodeo will be more loved-up than ever. (Vera) Continue reading
At 80, the folk-rock icon has just released his eighth solo record. He talks to me about the US exit from Afghanistan, corporate greed, the song his son wrote that made him cry and why he still won’t cut his hair. (The Independent) Continue reading
After four decades of globe-hopping DJ sets, the three-deck wizard is publishing his memoir ‘Oh Yes, Oh Yes!’. He tells me about his journey from illegal raves to playing the Houses of Parliament, losing himself in the dust at Burning Man and witnessing murders on the dance floor in Venezuela. (The Independent) Continue reading
As the second season of the show about a teen pop star’s less successful older siblings arrives on HBO Max, I talk to creators Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider about putting family at the heart of their razor-sharp satire of the pop culture machine. (The Independent) Continue reading
A new documentary, ‘Under the Volcano’, tells the story of Beatles producer George Martin’s fabled recording studio on the island of Montserrat. I talk to Jimmy Buffett, one of the first artists to record there, about the trials and tribulations of making music in paradise. (The Independent) Continue reading
Originally recorded in 2010, Prince’s latest posthumous album is the first full-length record to be released from the late musician’s legendary vault. I talk to those who worked on the record about why its time has finally come and the new light it sheds on its infamous maker. (The Independent) Continue reading
The food writer has become a psychedelic convert in his mid-sixties. He tells me how caffeine fuelled modern civilisation, why the war on drugs has failed, and the benefits of ‘ego death’. (The Independent) Continue reading
Andy Warhol and The Velvet Underground are only part of the story of this multifaceted German artist. I talk to biographer Jennifer Otter Bickerdike, whose new book lifts the veil on a life shrouded in myth and mystery. (The Independent) Continue reading
The drive-by murders of rappers Biggie and Tupac have gone unsolved for over 20 years, but a new documentary uncovers further evidence. I talk to filmmakers Nick Broomfield and Pam Brooks about their incendiary film, Last Man Standing. (The Independent) Continue reading
As the fan-led #JusticeForHan campaign succeeds in resurrecting the beloved ‘Fast & Furious’ character, I talk to director Justin Lin, star Sung Kang and fellow cast members about how Han provides the soulful heart of the wildly popular franchise. (The Independent) Continue reading
How the Hacks and Mare of Easttown actor became the hottest star on television. (The Independent) Continue reading
As she prepares for a live-stream concert from her home in Nashville, the singer-songwriter tells me about her difficult memories of touring with Michael Jackson, sexism in the studio, and why she almost didn’t release ‘All I Wanna Do’. (The Independent) Continue reading
A look back at how football’s tough-tackling hard man refashioned himself as a Hollywood heavy. (The Independent) Continue reading
The freewheeling hippies of 1967 and the British ravers who embraced acid house and ecstasy in 1988 define moments in time when youthful utopian hedonism burst free. I track down an original Merry Prankster and a Haçienda DJ to find out if the ingredients are there for a Third Summer of Love. (The Independent) Continue reading
As the genre-hopping Ohio duo return with sixth album ‘Scaled & Icy’, they reflect on the journey so far – and what they’ve learned along the way. (NME) Continue reading
The Chinese art provocateur has been beaten, locked up, and put under house arrest – which is where he got the idea to work with a quite unexpected artform. Then again, he’s always been one to keep us guessing. He talks to me about battling state oppression, writing a memoir for his son, and why there’s no hope for social media. (The Independent) Continue reading
The multitalented producer tells me about writing for Netflix show ‘Yasuke’, what the story of a black samurai means for representation and how the project has changed his process. (The Independent) Continue reading
Prince Harry’s in-person appearance scored the biggest spontaneous standing ovation of an event that marked a return to some familiarity. (The Independent) Continue reading
After quitting her job as a banker to pursue her dreams, the Peterborough-born star was scouted by Pharrell, turned in a breakout performance in ‘Queen & Slim’ and is now starring alongside Michael B. Jordan in a Tom Clancy thriller. (NME) Continue reading
The celebrity chef died in 2018, with his planned book on world travel unwritten, leaving his co-author Laurie Woolever to pull it together. (The Independent) Continue reading
On overcoming addiction, growing up in Neverland and forging her own musical path. (ES Magazine) Continue reading
System of a Down’s political activism helped change the course of Armenian history. But – facing censorship, assassination threats and a divided band – at what price for its frontman? (The Guardian) Continue reading
The dance-punks are older, wiser and more romantic than ever before, as brilliant new album ‘Is 4 Lovers’ – inspired by friendship and fatherhood – proves. (NME) Continue reading
A documentary and memoir chart the unlikely story of how a former ice cream shop in Kingston came to define Jamaican music. (The Independent) Continue reading
Talking sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll with the indie impresario – and Ewen Bremner, the man portraying him, takes us on set. (NME) Continue reading
The founding member of The Wailers has died in Jamaica at 73. “Reggae is a people’s concept,” he once told NME. “It’s like sharing a weight.” (NME) Continue reading
Palm Springs. 2013. A rare encounter with Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. (NME) Continue reading
The legendary NME writer holds court on his time as a Sex Pistol, what Donald Trump has in common with Axl Rose and the dark inspiration for his debut novel ‘The Unstable Boys’. (NME) Continue reading
The beloved pop-rockers plan to release two records this year. The first, ‘OK Human’, explores the need for connection and community we’re all missing, says frontman Rivers Cuomo. (NME) Continue reading
Four high points of a totally non-heinous year for the actor-turned-filmmaker. (Empire) Continue reading
Set to open this year, KetaMD is an online ketamine clinic that will offer prescriptions over video call. (Dazed)
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Reporting from inside the booming US gun shop industry after a year of pandemic, protest and polarisation. (The Telegraph) Continue reading
An enthralling return for the mythical fantasy drama that asks: is there anything left worth believing in? (NME) Continue reading
Mark Hamill remembers Dave Prowse – the Bristolian bodybuilder who became Darth Vader. (Empire) Continue reading
A new BBC documentary pays tribute to the remarkable life of Fela Kuti, the Nigerian musical rebel who gave birth to Afrobeat. I spoke to Kuti’s son Femi and grandson Made about their mission to continue the family’s radical legacy. (NME) Continue reading
The punk filmmaker takes on the hits and myths of The Pogues’ frontman in ‘Crock Of Gold: A Few Rounds With Shane MacGowan’. (NME) Continue reading
The Afrobeats star, who has helped to soundtrack Nigeria’s protest movement, roped in the likes of Nicki Minaj and Nas for his new album ‘A Better Time’. Just don’t ask him about Chris Brown. (NME) Continue reading
The ‘Hamilton’ star is heading back into American history to play abolitionist Frederick Douglass alongside Ethan Hawke in ‘The Good Lord Bird’. (NME) Continue reading
In 1970, the gonzo journalist ran for Sheriff of Aspen on a platform of reforming the police and protecting the environment. 50 years on, a new documentary explores what we can learn from his radical political movement. (NME) Continue reading
People serving sentences for cannabis-related charges have been forced to watch as the legal industry thrives, classified as an ‘essential service’ during the pandemic – how will they fare this election? (Dazed) Continue reading
