Simon Sweetman goes all-out fanboy of a new, tortured memoir by Suede frontman Brett Anderson. The very best music memoirs ignore the tenets of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll. Patti Smith’s Just Kids. Bob Dylan’s Chronicles. They are about the life, the context in and around the music. And they are about the writing. And so it … Read more
Hussein Moses talks to Tomorrow People, a sunny reggae band from Wellington who took the top spot on the charts while taking shots at a local music critic. Last week, Wellington band Tomorrow People knocked Ed Sheeran out of the top spot on the NZ top 40 albums chart with a record that takes a … Read more
‘It hurts, and it’s hard, and it’s weird.’ Simon Sweetman writes about the miscarriages he and his wife suffered together, and the love that saw them through on their journey towards parenthood. Content warning: Simon talks about miscarriage in this post. If you have suffered a miscarriage this post may be upsetting for you. If … Read more
We read the entire Simon Sweetman/Aldous Harding Facebook thread so you don’t have to. Last week music blogger Simon Sweetman reviewed Aldous Harding’s album Party with a video of goats screaming. Then, a couple of days ago, he added to that critique with a Facebook post of Harding’s Jools Holland performance with the comment “I … Read more
When Simon Sweetman took his son Oscar to the B4 School Check, it did not go well – and what’s worse, it seemed like Oscar was failing the tests on purpose. A typical toddler tantrum, or something else? I’m not a religious man. If you want to put your faith in, well, faith – good … Read more
One good reason for keeping the belief in Santa alive as long as possible? The awesome power of The Threat of Santa. Simon Sweetman explains how, when it comes to kids at Christmas, a little psychological manipulation can go a long way. A Facebook friend posts that she’s angry and upset – some punk-ass little … Read more
Music critic Simon Sweetman is famous for his often brutal reviews, and those on the receiving end usually take it on the chin. But not Robbie Williams. A year on, Sweetman looks back at his brief scrap with the pop star – and asks: since when are kids fair game? When Simon Sweetman came on … Read more