Neil McCormick

1 week ago | telegraph.co.uk | Neil McCormick

Having survived its reckless youth, grime has matured into one of modern Britain's richest musical styles, and this dazzling work from Wretch 32 is up there with the best. In truth, Wretch (a nickname from his mother, meaning skinny in Jamaican slang) has long been one of the most serious-minded and socially conscious grime artists. A former member of the Combination Chain Gang, he has scored pop hits, written books and poetry, and now holds a senior role as Creative Director with 0207 Def Jam.

1 week ago | telegraph.co.uk | Neil McCormick

In front of 1,400 people in the relatively modest environs of the Anvil in Basingstoke, The Waterboys reminded us once again that they really deserve to be acknowledged as one of the great bands of our time. Leader Mike Scott strode out alone on stage to start up the stirring acoustic guitar rhythm of his 1984 song A Pagan Place, with current band members filing out one by one to add their own flavours to the building sound.

3 weeks ago | telegraph.co.uk | Neil McCormick

Rialto frontman Louis Eliot was was tipped for greatness before his life imploded. After 24 years and a near-death experience, he's backThis is the ballad of the Honourable Louis Eliot, former Britpop pin-up and heir presumptive to Earldom of St Germans. He was taught to play guitar by a member of Hawkwind, ran festivals at his ancestral home in Port Eliot, played guitar for Grace Jones and, for a brief, shining moment in the 1990s was poised to be the next big thing.

3 weeks ago | independent.ie | Neil McCormick

His huge mound of long curly hair and proud handlebar moustache date the film almost as much as the incessant smoking of keyboard player Rick Wright. The year is 1972, commemorated by the Roman numerals MCMLXXII for this lovingly restored concert documentary Pink Floyd at Pompeii. The rock quartet are at the apex of their psychedelic phase but have yet to go globally imperial with the release the following year of Dark Side of the Moon − of which the film offers tantalising glances.

3 weeks ago | telegraph.co.uk | Neil McCormick

The band's slightly pretentious 1972 art movie has been magnificently restored - and should be required viewing for every aspiring musician"Some people think we are a relic of the past," admits Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, staring equably into the cameras. The comical thing is that Mason is all of 28 years old at the time, in the prime of youth and vigour, but actually does look like a relic.