Can art and culture revitalise Kilmarnock? Via @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2...

First Dexys, now The Sprouts. Nige working his way through all my favourite bands.

Clare Grogan vibes in Lanarkshire

THE music book of 2025 is out in paperback in two weeks time. Features new writing from Justin exclusive to this edition @delamitri.bsky.social

Police to seek criminal charges against 77 companies and people over Grenfell fire

Three weeks today, on June 1, I’ll be at Topping in Edinburgh to talk talk talk with the fab @nicolameighan.bsky.social about In Another World. A 7pm KO on an early summer’s evening at the top of Leith Walk. Come join us if you can! www.toppingbooks.co.uk/events/edinb... @newmodernbooks.bsky.social

Behind the wraparound election @heraldscotland.bsky.social cover I am talking to Fred MacAulay in The Herald Magazine

The Twilight Sad in Glasgow. A night of grief and release www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2...

Irish Cup final on the BBC iPlayer is a cracker.

RIP Gerry Conway. One of the big names from my Marvel/DC reading days. Death of Gwen Stacey & The Punisher will be his obvious legacies, but I remember really liking his take on Scalphunter. And I didn't normally care for westerns

Richard E Grant channelling a young Robert Smith in his role in Honest, Decent and True on @talkingpicturestv.bsky.social

Review: Not so long ago Olivia Dean was playing to 300 people in King Tut’s in Glasgow. On Wednesday she opened her 2026 Art of Loving arena tour at a packed OVO Hydro in front of some 14,000 people. @teddyjamieson.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social

I started off writng about Andy Kershaw and ended up with a love letter to radio

No Shara Nelson, even on Unfinished Sympathy. This from her 1995 Friendly Fire album is immense. Co-written with Bob Stanley & Peter Wiggs youtu.be/vxHOrFKzu8g?...

That Tricky clip is fire #BlackBritishMusic

Still hoping for Young Fathers, Imagination, Shara Nelson, Rachel Chinouriri, Brooke Combe, A Guy Called Gerald, David McAlmont, African Children-era Aswad, Misteeq & a bit of Bassey on this #BlackBritish compilation on BBC 2

A compilation of Caron Wheeler with Afrodiziak & Soul II Soul woukd be fun #BlackBritishMusicatheBBC

Just read about Nathalie Baye. What a loss. In a better world Film 4 would be showing La Balance tonight

Rick Astley in Glasgow. Still has an impressive head of hair, you have to say. www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2...

Suzi Quatro in Glasgow www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2...

I was unexpectedly stung by a bee last night. I appear to be OK this morning which is good. Yes, I have turned into a giant bee and I am currently on my way to destroy downtown Airdrie. But, otherwise, no side effects that I have noticed

A Forest is very tangled up with memories of my late wife Jeanie and I love it and also struggle with it for that reason. #TOTP #NotTOTP #TheCureattheBBC

BBC Four starting with Friday I'm in Love. Cowards. Should have gone in with side two of Pornography to sort the men from the boys #TheCureattheBBC

Are you coming or going, David? #Whitesnake #TOTP

Presumably Roland will be singing this when he comes to play FYC hits in Glasgow next month #TOTP

The first person to choose Madonna for Desert Island Discs: Michael Portillo. And he chose La Isla Bonita. #totp

The pirate look is the obvious costume choice here #Legs #Jacksons #TOTP

Still light out #ColinBlunstone #TOTP

Tenuous, I know but Basement Jaxx were very good in Edinburgh at the start of the week #TOTP #ChemicalBrothers www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2...

When we stopped Then Play Long, the first Five album was on the "coming up" menu. Sixty-six minutes long. What drugs were the music industry on in the second half of the nineties?

InDeep's other song is really good too #WhenBoysTalk #Five #TOTP

Nina in 2018: #TOTP 'I had a great time. But I was not happy. Those are two different things':Nina Persson on life in and out of The Cardigans | The Herald share.google/oiXEuCm1VRAJ...

As Sam McKnight is up in Dundee, here is my @heraldscotland.bsky.social Magazine interview from 2016. Contains Kate Moss, Princess Di and Moira Anderson @vadundee.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/1...

Stay Alive will be a Sunday Times Bestseller this weekend. Thanks to everyone who’s supported the book, and everyone who bought, read or listened to a copy. And to everyone who’s reached out - I’ve had some incredible messages. You’re all too fucking lovely. Here’s to Stuart: back in the charts.

Anyone going to see Basement Jaxx in Glasgow tonight is in for a treat www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2...

..what an album can do. I don't want to wade through the 830-odd entries in between Mezzanine and this because that story's told. But every so often yer Album of a Generation springs up - one that invites your attention - and that's two in 18 months. This is a Lexicon-level great pop album (2/2).

When I was about 15 I had to go see Billy with a friend as he was a big fan. we had to get a bus to Ingilston Cattle Market. Slightly amusing that we sat next to a Billy look alike resplendent in studded leather. We imagined he had a rock and roll life but he lived with his nan was a claims advisor

"Billy Idol. He was our Frank Sinatra." G&R's Duff McKagan. I mean, I quite like Billy, but ...

Billy Idol doc on Sky Arts, #TOTP folk

Said it before, but worth noting that, whatever followed, this was fire #Aswad #TOTP

Remember a particularly tetchy end-of-year Round Table with Peel, Powell & Gambo in early 80s. I mentioned it to Peel when I interviewed him back in 2004. It prompted a memorable quote about Powell #TOTP www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/a...

Also still going strong in etc, etc #IronMaiden #TOTP www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2...

New album out today and it's a bit of a stoater.

10 years ago now (& counting) #Magne #TOTP www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/a...

Wuthering Heights in same "could have been a one-hit wonder" camp as West End Girls. Thankfully not. #TOTP

You didn't totally believe in that link, did you Peter? #TOTP

Suzi Q in Glasgow soon #TOTP www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/a...

Suede songbook not consulted during Alex James' recent Britpop Classical. Best out of it, frankly. #Suede #TOTP www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2...

Still going strong in 2026. #Suede #TOTP www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2...

It would have been Billy Mackenzie's 69th birthday today. Here's one of my favourite #TOTP performances. The boys and Martha ready to conquer the world. And then.... youtu.be/-z04_5pCkaE?...