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Edward Helmore

Edward Helmore

New York-based contributor to THE GUARDIAN and THE OBSERVER, as well as to MOJO, DETAILS, INTERVIEW, and VANITY FAIR, Helmore is one of the best and most prolific writers on pop culture and the media business.

49 articles

List of articles in the library

By date | By artist | Most recently added

Joe Cocker: Half-Cocker Power

Interview by Edward Helmore, MOJO, October 1994

"MUSHING, UH, I MEAN MOSHING," says Joe Cocker when asked to explain the difference between Woodstocks '69 and '94, after playing a standout festival opener. ...

Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor: Trent Reznor

Profile and Interview by Edward Helmore, MOJO, November 1994

"IF YOU'RE NOT ready for it, it's terrible, it's noise. It's the most uncommercial record that's ever been in the Top 50," says Trent Renzor ...

Ministry: Filth Pig

Review by Edward Helmore, MOJO, 1995

FROM AN ABANDONED whorehouse 50 miles outside of Austin, Texas, comes Filth Pig, the latest sonic roadkill of heavy-riffing industrial grooves and big beats from ...

Chris Whitley: Bloody Valentines

Interview by Edward Helmore, MOJO, April 1995

After the spooked country blues of his debut, Chris Whitley returns with an album of "psychosexual" songs about breaking up with his wife. ...

Oasis live: Jones Beach, NY

Live Review by Edward Helmore, sonicnet.com, 7 September 1996

Fresh from their MTV award performance, during which singer Liam Gallagher spat, swore and threw beer at the audience, Oasis came to this seaside stage ...

Pearl Jam: Downing Stadium, Randalls Island, New York

Live Review by Edward Helmore, MOJO, November 1996

With last year’s histrionic battles with Ticket-master, Eddie Vedder’s exhaustion and the loss of a drummer now all behind them, Pearl Jam embarked on a ...

Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne: Ozzfest ‘97

Report and Interview by Edward Helmore, unpublished, 1997

THE UNEARTHLY NOISE that barrels over the pines and down Alpine Valley in rural Wisconsin last summer was a clear signal that the natural order ...

Jewel, Sarah McLachlan: Lady’s Day: Lilith Fair

Report and Interview by Edward Helmore, MOJO, April 1998

AT RISK OF PROVOKING EITHER THE TRADITIONAL yawn or a punch in the face whenever it is suggested that this is the year of women ...

Hootie and the Blowfish: The Roseland Ballroom, New York NY

Live Review by Edward Helmore, MOJO, November 1998

TENS OF millions of records sold, arena shows packed to the rafters, a following of right-minded music fans for whom Hootie and the Blowfish deliver ...

Iggy Pop: Message From Under The Rock

Interview by Edward Helmore, Interview, September 1999

IGGY POP could have become a sacred rock dinosaur, giving benedictions and receiving ring-kisses on the nostalgia circuit. Instead, he's still rattling the cage and ...

Barry White: Yeah Baby

Interview by Edward Helmore, Dazed & Confused, November 1999

It's thirty years since South Central LA's leading guru of luuuve established himself as BARRY WHITE, Virgo, Capricorn rising, a big man with Jeri-Gel flattened ...

Stephen Malkmus: The Backpages interview: Stephen Malkmus

Interview by Edward Helmore, Rock's Backpages, 13 January 2001

After a decade working the streets with Pavement, lo-fi pin-up king Stephen Malkmus has cut himself free from the band to wander free. ...

Slaves to the Rhythm: Is Napster Dying?

Report by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 7 July 2001

After leading the digital music revolution, Edward Helmore says former fans won't flock back to Napster when it relaunches this summer ...

Rock's Backpages: The Memory Bank

Report and Interview by Edward Helmore, MOJO, Fall 2001

Websites: Rock journalism now has its own archive. Edward Helmore thinks that's a good idea. ...

Blondie, Debbie Harry: 10 Questions for Debbie Harry

Interview by Edward Helmore, MOJO, November 2002

WHEN YOU FIRST came to New York in the late '60s you worked as a waitress at Max's Kansas City. An eye opener? ...

Eminem: Marshall Mathers, Movie Star: Eminem in 8 Mile

Report by Edward Helmore, The Observer, November 2002

THREE YEARS AGO he was the foul-mouthed scourge of parents everywhere. A sulky, misogynistic, homophobic, mother-hating all-round bad influence. A white-trash Negro. A true punk ...

Norah Jones: Keeping up with Jones

Report and Interview by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 28 February 2003

Multiple Grammy winner Norah Jones honed her skills in the clubs of New York — and now those dingy venues are bracing themselves for a ...

Iggy Pop, The Stooges: The Stooges Deliver A Real Cool Time

Live Review by Edward Helmore, The Independent, 15 August 2003

The Stooges, Jones Beach Theatre, New York ...

Dimebag Darrell, Pantera: Just a Good Ol' Boy: Dimebag Darrell

Obituary by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 17 December 2004

Former Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell was murdered on stage by a lone gunman last week. Edward Helmore celebrates the life of the influential and charismatic ...

Bob Dylan: Sally Grossman: The Lady In Red

Interview by Edward Helmore, MOJO, February 2005

Sally Grossman adorned the Bringing It All Back Home sleeve, then cooked breakfast for the entire population of Woodstock. Edward Helmore hears her story. ...

The iPod: Rise of the Machines

Report by Edward Helmore, Q, March 2005

This is the untold story of Apple's iPod — the gadget that ate the world and saved the music industry. We're all pod people now. ...

Babyshambles, Pete Doherty, The Libertines: Kate Moss' Prince Alarming: Pete Doherty

Profile and Interview by Edward Helmore, Vanity Fair, July 2005

IT'S 9 PM AT the Boogaloo in north London and Gerry O'Boyle, the proprietor of this dingy pub, says Kate and Pete are on their ...

Neil Young's Last Harvest

Interview by Edward Helmore, The Independent, 22 September 2005

"WELCOME TO Fortress Blair," says Neil Young, offering his hand. ...

Nas: Why The Grammys Have Ditched Rap

Comment by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 15 December 2006

RAP MUSIC, and the commotion, fur and bling that often accompanies its biggest stars, will be noticeably absent from the Grammy awards in Los Angeles ...

Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen: Bruce Blew My Cover: Pete Seeger

Report and Interview by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 1 February 2007

ON THE FIRST Friday of the month, in fine weather and sometimes foul, you will find Pete Seeger, the folk-singing legend and pioneering environmentalist, in ...

Brian Eno, David Byrne: The Business is an Exciting Mess: Brian Eno and David Byrne

Interview by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 27 March 2009

DAVID BYRNE IS sitting outside the ladies parlour, upstairs at the Tampa theatre, one of the most spectacular 1920s movie palaces in the US, in ...

Patti Smith: On Mapplethorpe and more: Patti Smith

Profile and Interview by Edward Helmore, Vogue, March 2010

WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION of her hero Bob Dylan, no one has perfected the look of the downtown bohemian poet as comprehensively as Patti Smith. ...

Broken Social Scene: An Ever-Changing Canadian Collective of Rock'n'Roll Royalty

Retrospective and Interview by Edward Helmore, The Independent, 14 May 2010

IT'S CLOSE TO MIDNIGHT and Kevin Drew, co-founder of Broken Social Scene, is sleeping on the floor of a New York recording studio, headphones clamped ...

Cameron Carpenter: Rhinestone Cowboy

Profile and Interview by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 20 May 2010

Organist and showbusiness are words rarely put together. But Cameron Carpenter is a man on a mission, and, watch out, he's developing a secret weapon ...

Lou Reed, Metallica: "It has so much rage": Metallica And Lou Reed Talk About Their New Album

Interview by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 20 October 2011

It's a collaboration that has prompted much head-scratching, but Lou Reed and Metallica tell Edward Helmore that teaming up to make their new album was a ...

The Original Trustafarian: Chris Blackwell

Profile and Interview by Edward Helmore, Sunday Telegraph, 8 May 2012

IT'S CLOSE TO MIDNIGHT, a sickle moon hangs low over the Caribbean Sea in the direction of Cuba, and Grace Jones is making her way ...

Lana Del Rey: Rhinestone Maiden

Interview by Edward Helmore, Vanity Fair, December 2012

IT'S BEEN A year and a half since the singer Lana Del Rey hatched fully formed from the pop incubator, like a "gangsta Nancy Sinatra", ...

Ginger Baker: "I came off heroin something like 29 times"

Profile and Interview by Edward Helmore, The Observer, 5 January 2013

Former Cream drummer Ginger Baker talks about his battle with heroin, how he was the original Rolling Stones drummer and being the subject of new ...

Jimi Hendrix: Linda Keith: "How I helped to make Jimi Hendrix a rock'n'roll star"

Retrospective and Interview by Edward Helmore, The Observer, 14 September 2013

Linda Keith lent a young blues player a guitar belonging to her boyfriend, Keith Richards – and the rest is history. In a rare interview, ...

Lou Reed tribute concert brings stars of music to Harlem

Live Review by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 18 December 2013

Patti Smith, Moe Tucker, Antony Hegarty, Paul Simon and Debbie Harry sing at Reed's memorial service in New York. ...

Arcade Fire in Haiti: "I feel like it makes sense of me"

Report and Interview by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 26 February 2014

WHERE WOULD Arcade Fire be without the woo-hoos and dense rhythms that characterise many of their best songs? Likely not in Jacmel, a Haitian coastal ...

Hamilton Bohannon: Return of a Disco Legend: Hamilton Bohannon

Report and Interview by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 17 March 2014

The disco pioneer Hamilton Bohannon played his first show in 30 years this weekend. We were there, and caught up with him afterwards. ...

Nostalgia pays in Nashville as rocketing record sales make it the capital of vinyl

Report and Interview by Edward Helmore, The Observer, 30 August 2014

Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are among the artists turning to the old LP format to capture the essence of their music. ...

Bob Dylan: Dylan's Basement Tapes: it sounded like nonsense, says his "cover girl"

Retrospective and Interview by Edward Helmore, The Observer, 2 November 2014

Woodstock insider Sally Grossman recalls star's "throwaway stuff" as complete recordings of legendary sessions are released. ...

Pharrell Williams: From spreading happiness to saving the planet: The rise and rise of Pharrell

Comment by Edward Helmore, The Observer, 25 January 2015

What is driving Pharrell Williams's new global conscience as he joins Al Gore's fight against climate change? ...

The Weeknd: With dark tales of sex and drugs, is the Weeknd the next face of R&B?

Report by Edward Helmore, The Observer, 2 August 2015

FOR SEVERAL YEARS, an introverted Canadian singer of Ethiopian descent, known to R&B lovers for his plaintive voice and atmospheric, after-party, comedown groove, has been ...

Talking about a new generation … festivals ditch the "heritage acts"

Report and Interview by Edward Helmore, The Observer, 16 April 2017

Why the rock gods of the past are headlining elsewhere as they are dropped from line-ups at US music events ...

Lou Reed's friends dismiss claim that 'Walk on the Wild Side' is transphobic

Report and Interview by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 20 May 2017

Defence came after Canadian student body apologized for "hurtful" lyrics to the trans community after including the 1972 hit on a playlist at a campus ...

Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Paul McCartney: Rolling Stone founder falls out with biographer over candid life story

Report and Interview by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 22 October 2017

Jann Wenner, whose magazine charted pop music and culture since the '60s, gave Joe Hagan full access but is unhappy with the result, especially "the ...

The Rolling Stones: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

Live Review by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 6 August 2019

With Mick Jagger's recent heart operation clearly a success, the Stones sound better than they have in years. ...

The Rolling Stones: Black, blue and very bad taste: the Rolling Stones billboard that still sparks controversy

Retrospective by Edward Helmore, The Observer, 19 April 2020

There was a feminist outcry when the band used a tied-up model to promote their 1976 album. Is rock'n'roll more enlightened now? ...

The Rolling Stones: Rolling Stones: The Dome at America's Center, St. Louis

Live Review by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 27 September 2021

The veteran rockers return to the road with an emotional tribute to their long-time drummer and a reinvigorated sense of purpose. ...

Lady Gaga: Lady Gucci is just the latest guise of the ever transmutable Lady Gaga

Profile by Edward Helmore, The Guardian, 8 December 2021

Pop singer, activist, art installation, actor, Stefani Germanotta has taken on many faces ...

Kanye West: Kim and Kanye divorce poised to be glitzy, messy and very public

Comment by Edward Helmore, The Observer, 12 February 2022

Epic split between Kim Kardashian and rapper now known as Ye, with wealth, parenting disputes and trolling is perfect divorce for the Instagram Age ...

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