I've done an interview with Shane MacGowan from The Pogues for my music page in Friday's Echo. While doing some research, I found this footage of my favourite of his songs, performed in Dublin by the superb Damien Dempsey. Bliss....

MOTOWN lost one of its brightest stars last week.

Michael Jackson made his name with the iconic Detroit record label, and his loss was clearly felt by the acts on the Motown 50th anniversary tour. Walter Orange from The Commodores summed it up best: "We are all brothers in the same brotherhood, and tonight we feel the loss of one of our number. God bless you Michael."

In the next part of our Summer pops Festival Q&A interviews, we have former Space singer Tommy Scott and his current band The Drellas

IT was a funny old year, 1982. The Falklands war began, train drivers went out on strike over working hours and Ford stopped production of the Capri.
Meanwhile, in Liverpool, music was changing. Part New Wave, part New Romantic, The Lotus Eaters were taking their first, tentative, breaths.

It is with great sadness that I heard the death of Michael Jackson tonight. One of the musical icons of the 20th century, he produced some of the greatest songs of his generation...

ROLL up, roll, up, the circus is in town.
Take That have taken the big top as the inspiration for their latest tour, and they're clearly loving every second.

In the next of our series of Q&A interviews with my pick of the best Summer Pops Festival acts, we have Nigel Clark from Dodgy...

In the next of our series of Q&A interviews with my pick of the best Summer Pops Festival acts, we have Billy Lake from the Mission Babies...

THIS year's Summer Pops Festival has a more diverse line-up than ever before.
As well as the ECHO arena acts, there's also a whole host of great bands playing in venues across the city.
I've done a series of Q&A interviews on my music blog with my pick of the best.
Here's the next in our series - Jersey Budd.

As part of the Summer Pops Festival, I've asked some of the best up and coming artists to tell us a bit more about their bands. Here's the first in our series, Sean Francis Butler...