Author Archives: John S

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About John S

I'm blogging about the things I love: music, sport, culture, London, with some photos to illustrate aspects of our wonderful city. I’ve written a novel called “The Decision”, a futuristic political thriller, and first of a trilogy. I’m also the author of a book on music since the 1970s called “ I Was There - A Musical Journey” and a volume of poetry about youth, “Growin’ Up - Snapshots/ Fragments”. All available on Amazon and Kindle.

lovelondonscenes 173 – A walk from Blackfriars to Hackney Wick in the winter sunshine

Posted on December 10, 2022 by John S

On Thursday it was chilly – 2 degrees at most – but gloriously sunny. Dave, Jon E and I had arranged a walk that started with breakfast at the Table cafe in Southwark Street, and ended in Hackney Wick, which … Continue reading →

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BP and solar power – a missed opportunity

Posted on December 7, 2022 by John S

I worked for BP for most of the 80s, first as an economist, then in mergers and acquisitions and finally in business planning in Paris. I had a great experience over the years and learned a lot that stood me … Continue reading →

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The Heavy Heavy at the Louisiana, Bristol, 30 November 2022

Posted on December 2, 2022 by John S

The Heavy Heavy are a Brighton-based band playing retro rock with a modern twist. They are fronted by Georgie Fuller (vocals and keyboards) and Will Turner (vocals and lead guitar). Their sound evokes the rock music of the late 60s … Continue reading →

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London Jazz Festival: Sun Mi Hong Quintet and Ant Law/Alex Hitchcock at the Purcell Room, 17 November 2022

Posted on November 29, 2022 by John S

The London Jazz Festival ran from 11-20 November this year. Kath and I went to a couple of events; I would have liked to go to more but already had an unusual number of concerts lined up in November. The … Continue reading →

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Widowspeak at Studio 9294, Hackney Wick, 15 November 2022

Posted on November 28, 2022 by John S

The gigs keep coming this November! After the Pitchfork Music Festival, I had Monday off before venturing out east to see Widowspeak at Studio 9294, a new venue for me. I’ve been to Hackney Central enough times, to see bands … Continue reading →

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Pitchfork Music Festival at the Roundhouse, 13 November 2022

Posted on November 28, 2022 by John S

  Pitchfork, if you don’t know, is an online music publication, founded in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis, as an independent music blog. It’s grown from those beginnings and is now based in New York and owned by … Continue reading →

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The Staves celebrate “Dead & Born & Grown” at the Barbican, 22 November 2022

Posted on November 24, 2022 by John S

It was ten years ago when I first came across the Staves, three sisters – Jessica, Emily, Camilla – from Watford, who sang the most beautiful harmonies. I was looking through my Twitter feed and saw a post from the … Continue reading →

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Wilko Johnson, 1947-2022

Posted on November 23, 2022 by John S

We got the news that today the great rock’n’roll guitarist Wilko Johnson had died, aged 75. For people like myself whose musical development was transformed by punk in the 1970s, Wilko played a crucial role, with his band of the … Continue reading →

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Julia Jacklin at the Roundhouse, 11 November 2022

Posted on November 22, 2022 by John S

Julia Jacklin is an Australian singer-songwriter in the indie-folk vein, who I’ve liked ever since I first heard her debut album Don’t Let The Kids Win in 2016. We caught a glimpse of her show at End of the Road … Continue reading →

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Sigur Ros at the O2 Academy Brixton, 10 November 2022

Posted on November 20, 2022 by John S

I’d like to start this review with the piece I wrote about Sigur Ros for I Was There – A Musical Journey, which I published in 2016. Bjork was first, but the band that epitomises the sound of Iceland must … Continue reading →

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