Episodes

Dave Hill is a national treasure. Half a century after Slade’s first hit, surviving a stroke, depression and the departure of his former band mates, Dave is still going strong and entertaining Slade fans with live performances of the band’s hits - seventeen consecutive top twenty and six UK number …

Before becoming one of the biggest names in rock history, Status Quo honed their craft as a holiday camp act at Butlins in Minehead. Sixty years later, the same venue was the chosen to host the last performance of John Coghlan’s Quo’s farewell tour. But John is not ready to hang up his drum stic…

Founding member of Buzzcocks, one of punk’s most seminal bands of all time that managed to fuse rapid-fire rebellious energy with pop craftsmanship, Steve Diggle is nothing short of a punk hero. With a plethora of hits under his belt including the classics Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You …

Owen Paul is everyone’s favourite waste of time. Singer, producer and co-writer of the 1986 pop hit My Favourite Waste of Time, Owen was the overnight sensation who spent years honing his craft and who went on to forge a very successful career in the entertainment business. Since that song toppe…

This tale is about a legendary guitar hero who has officially cheated death. To successive generations of guitar aficionados, Wilko Johnson is a cult figure in the rock world. He’s been a Blockhead and a founding member of Canvey Island’s celebrated punk precursors: Dr Feelgood whose unwavering …

Carl Palmer is a drummer’s drummer. His dazzling speed and mastery of the drums has secured him multiple awards and well as a respected place in history as one of rock and roll’s greatest drummers. A consummate professional, a brilliant technician and a dynamic showman, he has thrilled audiences…

Tale 9… Scottish singer-songwriter Eddi Reader has three BRIT Awards to her name, fronted punk outfit Gang of Four, harmonized with Annie Lennox touring with the Eurythmics, and topped the UK charts with Fairground Attraction. But when I caught up with her at Cambridge Folk Festival she revea…

Tale 8… Karine Polwart’s edgy and evocative writing and vocal poise have been steadily winning her respect and affection in the UK and internationally over the past six years as a member of traditional groups Malinky and Battlefield Band.  But now the Scottish Borders based singer-songwriter …

Tale 7… It was 30 years since The Proclaimers made their legendary TV debut on The Tube, performing the now classic song Letter From America.  Back then, the charts were dominated by the likes of Rick Astley and Sinita and The Proclaimers were unlike anything seen before. The response to the …

Tale 6… There are few keyboard players as accomplished as Mick Gallagher. He’s contributed to albums by iconic punk-rockers The Clash, played with Paul McCartney, Roger Daltrey, Robbie Williams, Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox, and been a right Animal!  But he’s most well-known for being a memb…

Tale 5: Laura Cantrell’s country vibe struck a chord with the Cambridge Folk Festival crowd with her soft, melodious tones wooing the audience.  Her 2000 debut album, Not the Tremblin' Kind brought the Nashville-born and New York City-based performer considerable acclaim and I was interested …

Tale 4: Roddy Frame is an absolute delight.  It’s rare for a performer armed only with an acoustic guitar to create a sound which could be mistaken for ten men and his charismatic stage-presence completely captivates any audience.  This style of performance is a long cry from Roddy’s days …

Tale 3… Phill Jupitus may be best known as a stand-up comedian and for his time presenting Never Mind The Buzzcocks than singing but I caught up with him just as he was about to go onstage to front a gig by the legendary Blockheads. This tale dates back to February 28th 2003, visit CATtales.c…

Tale 2… There’s so much more to Nils Lofgren than just being part of Bruce Sprinsteen’s E-Street Band. He’s played with Neil Young, Crazy Horse, Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, Patti Scialfa, and Grin as well as being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So when I got the opport…

Tale 1… There’s more to ex-Fairport Convention Vikki Clayton than excellent song writing, a haunting singing voice and musical talent. Beneath the quiet exterior lurks a passion for cats, a fetish for shoes and an empathy for mankind. This tale dates back to October 12th 2001, read the transc…

Wishbone Ash are the musicians’ musicians and original and founding member Andy Powell is happy with that.  With over 50 years and more albums than Andy can recall under its belt, Wishbone Ash is still going strong despite seeing more than 20 band members go through the exit door and surviving a…

Albert Bouchard has been in the rock game for a long time. A lover and appreciator of all things music, Albert was one of the founding members of the legendary rock group, Blue Öyster Cult, which sold over twenty million records world-wide with such classics as (Don’t Fear) The Reaper and the No. 1…

British guitarist Steve Hackett has thrilled audiences for decades with his epic electric guitar work, first as a member of the Peter Gabriel-fronted version of Genesis and since then as a prolific solo artist. The influence Steve has had on other musicians can’t be understated. He is considered…

Original rude boy, 2-tone pioneer, and former frontman for The Specials, Fun Boy Three and Special Beat, Neville Staple has been at the forefront of the ska movement for over 40 years. Not only is his 2-Tone legacy huge, but Neville has also been credited with bringing ‘toasting’ (a forerunner of r…

Steve Harley has spent over 50 years making us smile. The rebel with a cause really has done it all; achieving number one chart success, selling millions of records worldwide and writing music that will live on forever. One of the nicest men in the business takes time out to chat with me about m…

Anyone living in 1982 couldn’t possible avoid signing, no dancing (well in my case anyway), to the iconic tune The Lion Sleeps Tonight by pop sensation Tight Fit. O-whim, o-whay! Lol Famed for their skimpy jungle outfits, the single reached number one in the UK charts where it fought off competi…

The words ‘legend’, ‘superstar’ and ‘world-renowned’ are over-used these days but when referring to Rick Wakeman, they are more than appropriate. A classically trained keyboardist, Rick reached international stardom with the influential band that pioneered progressive rock: Yes. However, his rea…

Back in the 70s there was no other gang quite like the aptly named Sensational Alex Harvey Band (SAHB). With a unique combination of blurred music genres, eye-catching theatrics, and progressive rock rifts, SAHB bedazzled viewers of Top Of The Pops and The Old Grey Whistle Test alike. At Alex Ha…

Dance anthem Everybody’s Free is the defining song of the 90s peaking at No.6 in the UK, selling more than 6 million copies, and catapulting Rozalla to international stardom. Hit after hit and a tour with Michael Jackson followed for the chart-topping Queen of Rave, but when musical tastes chang…