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Push

 Push
Push worked for Melody Maker from 1985 to 1995, starting out as an occasional reviewer before progressing to writing lead reviews and main features. He was one of the instigators and editors of Stone Free, the paper's first dance music section, and also took charge of Info Freako, answering readers' questions about anything and everything to do with music.

Push left Melody Maker in early 1995 to become launch editor of Muzik, IPC’s dance music magazine. He remained editor until late 1998, by which time the magazine had won several industry awards and achieved an ABC of over 50,000. He left Muzik to become editor of Mondo, a male lifestyle magazine launched via Cabal Communiations, but Mondo proved to be a relatively short-lived project and was closed down in 2000.

In more recent times, Push has spent much of his time writing books, most notably The Book Of E: All About Ecstasy (co-written with Canadian author and journalist Mireille Silcoff) and Rat Scabies And The Holy Grail, which was published under his real name, Christopher Dawes.

Push blogs at Pushblog

An archive website called Pushstuff

95 articles

List of articles in the library

By date | By artist | Most recently added

Bronski Beat: Piccadilly St James's Church, London

Live Review by Push, Soundcheck, August 1984

HERE'S a great game, boys and girls. The idea is to see how pale a pop group's other songs seem when set alongside their massive ...

Run-DMC: Run DMC: Run DMC

Review by Push, Soundcheck, August 1984

WARNING: This is an American release and it may take a lot of effort to find a copy. Justification: all successful searches will be truly ...

Colenso Parade, Pulp: Pulp/Colenso Parade: 100 Club, London

Live Review by Push, Melody Maker, 13 December 1986

COURAGE IS the key word. Pulp throw out sudden drum rumbles and savage violin wails, lazy guitar twiddles and keyboard stabs, all wrapped around vocals ...

The Shamen: Raga Rockin' Out

Report and Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 3 January 1987

THE MAN HAS become the bane of my life. He telephones me every day, usually more than once. I meet him in the haze of ...

Cardiacs: The Cardiacs: The Marquee, London

Live Review by Push, Melody Maker, 7 February 1987

TIM SMITH dribbles over his guitar and gesticulates with one or two fingers.  ...

Aswad, Toots & The Maytals: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Push, Melody Maker, 19 September 1987

THE HOMECOMING. The hope coming. Aswad are undoubtedly the most prestigious band who could assist in the revival of a genre whose popularity has flagged ...

Lee "Scratch" Perry: Town & Country Club, London

Live Review by Push, Melody Maker, 3 October 1987

PRESIDENT Abraham Perry appears in full ceremonial dress. Long red socks, stars upon his breeches, fairy lights around his head, a mirror strapped to his ...

Lee "Scratch" Perry: Lee 'Scratch' Perry: The 30 Year Itch

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 3 October 1987

"I AM the first black Jew you've ever seen," he says. Later he declares, "I am Hitler! I rule the swastika!" ...

Cardiacs: Bunker Club, Rotterdam

Live Review by Push, Melody Maker, 14 November 1987

THE MANIAC, the idiot, the fop, the sultry and the forlorn, the one who defies description: six characters in search of a play. What do ...

S'Express: Full Theme Ahead

Report and Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 2 April 1988

DO YOU EVER get to see daylight, Mark? ...

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince: Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince: He's The D.J., I'm The Rapper (Jive)

Review by Push, Melody Maker, 21 May 1988

THE VAST majority of double albums are stuffed with excessive nonsense, material which a greater perspicacity would have assigned to personal libraries. He's The D.J., ...

Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine: Carter USM: Sex Mechanics

Report and Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 6 August 1988

"I DUNNO, REALLY. We just looked at a pot of jam on the table and thought, 'Let's call it Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine'. No, ...

Guns N' Roses: The Rocky Horror Show

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 3 September 1988

When Guns N' Roses were interviewed just before they performed at Castle Donington last week, guitarist Slash said, "The kids need to have that one ...

The Bubblemen, Spacemen 3: Spacemen 3, the Bubblemen: Riverside Studios, London

Live Review by Push, Melody Maker, 3 September 1988

BEYOND THE BEYOND ...

Soho: Lager Frenzy

Profile and Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 8 October 1988

TIMOTHY LONDON, the self-elected chairman of the board, pops his head in to say hello. But beyond that, he's happy to leave the talking to ...

Bomb The Bass: Into The Dragon (Rhythm King)

Review by Push, Melody Maker, 15 October 1988

IT'S IMPOSSIBLE to know where to begin with Bomb The Bass. Tim Simenon, part joker, part scientist, part funny, furry hat, doesn't know either, even ...

Savage Republic: Republican Party Reptiles

Profile and Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 22 October 1988

IN THEIR SEVEN-YEAR CAREER, SEMINAL L.A. MUTINEERS SAVAGE REPUBLIC CLAIM TO HAVE INFLUENCED BOTH SONIC YOUTH AND SWANS. NOW THEIR ALBUMS ARE FINALLY AVAILABLE IN ...

Tom Tom Club: The Borderline, London

Live Review by Push, Soho News, 9 November 1988

FROM THE OPENING ripple of 'Little Eva' to the parting shot that is 'Psycho Killer', this is – note for note, word for word – ...

1988: Acid House

Overview by Push, Melody Maker, 24 December 1988

AT THE BEGINNING of this year a House record would have cleared the majority of London's dancefloors. ...

The Wolfgang Press: Wolfgang Press: Pressing Engagements

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 4 February 1989

4AD'S LONGEST-SERVING BAND TALK TO PUSH ABOUT 'KANSAS', THEIR NEW SINGLE INSPIRED BY THE KENNEDY ASSASSINATION AND EXPLAIN WHY EXPERIMENTATION AND INNOVATION HAS SO FAR ...

De La Soul: 3 Feet High And Rising (Tommy Boy/Big Life)

Review by Push, Melody Maker, 18 March 1989

THE DAISY AGE    ...

Anthrax, Living Colour: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Push, Melody Maker, 1 April 1989

FAVOURITE COLOURS ...

De La Soul: Space Cadets

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 8 April 1989

PUSH TALKS TO THE BIGGEST RAP SENSATION SINCE PUBLIC ENEMY AND DISCOVERS WHAT LIFE'S LIKE ON PLANET SCREWBALL. ...

Just-Ice: The Sophisticated Thug

Report and Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 20 May 1989

"FORGET IT, MAN. I ain't gonna talk about those things. Don't ask nothing about that. You won't get no answers. Those things are very personal, ...

Mudhoney, Soundgarden: School of African and Oriental Studies, London

Live Review by Push, Melody Maker, 20 May 1989

THERE'S NO containing the capricious belligerence of Seattle's Soundgarden. Vocalist Chris Cornell — part monkey, part Adonis and all of a doodah — is stripped ...

The Feelies: T&C 2, London

Live Review by Push, Melody Maker, 27 May 1989

FEEL NO EVIL ...

Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam: Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam: Straight To The Sky (CBS)

Review by Push, Melody Maker, 3 June 1989

MUCH OF Straight To The Sky is thinly disguised and indiscriminately stolen property .There's the instantly recognisable keyboard climb from Yazoo's 'Don't Go', a little ...

Neneh Cherry: Raw Like Sushi (Circa)

Review by Push, Melody Maker, 10 June 1989

RAW CUTS ...

N.W.A.: Straight Outta Compton (Priority/Ruthless)

Review by Push, Melody Maker, 8 July 1989

THE SLEEVE of Straight Outta Compton, the debut LP from N.W.A., depicts one of the members of this Los Angeles rap group pointing a pistol ...

N.W.A.: Street Hassle

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 5 August 1989

Just when you thought Public Enemy had pushed as far as it could go, just when you thought rap outrage had peaked, along come N.W.A. ...

Nirvana: Bleach (Tupelo)

Review by Push, Melody Maker, 19 August 1989

STONED, LOADED. It's both a mental and a physical bliss. Everything is nothing but an abandoned blur. Minutes away from a blackout, from a sweet, ...

S'Express: Social Moores

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 2 September 1989

WITH TWO NUMBER ONE SINGLES ALREADY UNDER HIS BELT, MARK MOORE WAS FINALLY CROWNED AS THE SVENGALI OF ACID SAMPLING WHEN PRINCE ASKED HIM TO ...

Digital Underground: Space Oddities

Report and Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 16 September 1989

"LOTS OF PEOPLE have said we're similar to De La Soul simply because we're with the same record company in America and we both have ...

Eazy-E: Eazy-Duz-It (Ruthless/Island)

Review by Push, Melody Maker, 23 September 1989

SUPERBAD ...

Soundgarden: Sex and Guns and Rock 'N' Roll

Report and Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 7 October 1989

"WE SIGNED WITH A&M about eight months ago, at around the same time our Ultramega OK album was released by SST. We'd been talking to ...

Mudhoney: Mudhoney (Glitterhouse)

Review by Push, Melody Maker, 28 October 1989

THE BLITZ PARADE ...

N.W.A.: Shot By Both Sides

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 4 November 1989

IN THEIR SHORT CAREER THE RAPPERS HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATED BY THE FBI, CONDEMNED BY THE CONGRESS FOR RACIAL EOUALITY, BANNED BY TV AND RADIO AND ...

Fugazi: A Tension Spans

Profile and Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 2 December 1989

"THIS IS TOTALLY weird," says drummer Brendan Canty, pointing to a photograph of himself that appeared in Melody Maker the last time Washington DC's Fugazi ...

The Jungle Brothers: Jungle Brothers: Done By The Forces Of Nature (WEA)

Review by Push, Melody Maker, 20 January 1990

RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE ...

Beats International: A Family Affair

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 10 February 1990

SINCE LEAVING THE HOUSEMARTINS, NORMAN COOK HAS BEEN WORKING UP SOME SHARP DANCE GROOVES. PUSH INVESTIGATES HIS LATEST PROJECTS. ...

Primal Scream, Andrew Weatherall: Primal Scream: Spring Loaded

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 10 March 1990

The former darlings of indie rock may lose some deities with their new house-orientated single 'Loaded', but Primal leader Bobby Gillespie is determined to use ...

The KLF

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 10 March 1990

Push reports on The KLF, Bill Drummond's new band who're at the forefront of the ambient house movement. After The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu ...

Fugazi: Repeater (Dischord)

Review by Push, Melody Maker, 31 March 1990

IMPURITY AND impatience are two of the most obviously immediate characteristics of Repeater, Fugazi's third LP. Words drip with spit and guitar notes collide, the ...

Grace Jones: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Push, Melody Maker, 7 April 1990

IT'S THE second of Grace Jones's first London shows for almost 10 years and everybody's hoping there won't be a repeat of the appallingly unprofessional ...

Pussy Galore: Historia De La Musica Rock (Rough Trade)

Review by Push, Melody Maker, 12 May 1990

REVOLUTION SUMMER ...

Blur: Pop Club, London

Live Review by Push, Melody Maker, 26 May 1990

BLUR are precisely that. The antics of their vocalist have to be seen to be believed. ...

Guru Josh

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 2 June 1990

AFTER MONTHS BUILDING A REPUTATION AS THE WILDEST MAN ON THE HOUSE RAVE CIRCUIT, GURU JOSH SUDDENLY HIT THE BIG TIME EARLIER THIS YEAR WITH ...

Ice Cube: AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (Profile US import CD)

Review by Push, Melody Maker, 2 June 1990

GANG BUSTER ...

Pop Will Eat Itself: Porn to be Wild

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 2 June 1990

NEITHER THE Football Association nor, astonishingly, FIFA's UK representatives are entirely sure who will be presenting the 1990 World Cup to the winners in Italy ...

Above the Law, Michel'le, N.W.A: NWA, Above The Law, Michel'le: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Push, Melody Maker, 9 June 1990

GUNS OF BRIXTON ...

Bim Sherman: Too Hot (Century)

Review by Push, Melody Maker, 16 June 1990

EVEN BIM Sherman isn't sure how many solo LPs he's released, but Too Hot must take him up to around the 20 mark. Add to ...

Soul II Soul: Voice of the B Jive

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 16 June 1990

JAZZIE B HAS ALREADY BEEN CREDITED WITH CHANGING THE FACE OF DANCE MUSIC IN THE LATE-EIGHTIES. SINCE THE RELEASE OF CLUB CLASSICS VOL 1 LAST ...

ROIR

Overview by Push, Melody Maker, 23 June 1990

To mark their 10th anniversary, the famous cassette label ROIR has released a compilation album featuring artists like Television, MC5 and The Buzzcocks. PUSH reports. ...

Gary Clail, On-U Sound System: Gary Clail: Heard It Through The Bovine

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 14 July 1990

Alter supporting Happy Mondays at Wembley and a performance at Glastonbury, GARY CLAIL releases a new single, 'Beef', on Paul Oakenfold's RCA-financed Perfecto label. PUSH ...

808 State, Andrew Weatherall, Coldcut, D Mob, M People, S'Express, William Orbit: Remixing: The DJ's DJ

Report and Interview by Push, Andrew Smith, Melody Maker, 18 August 1990

A couple of years ago, the success of DJ-based groups such as M/A/R/R/S, Coldcut, S'Express and Bomb The Bass heralded a new musical era. Now, ...

Jah Wobble's Arabian Knights

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 3 November 1990

"JOHNNY ROTTEN telephoned me within hours of splitting The Sex Pistols," begins Jah Wobble, acknowledging the fact that there's a fascinating background story to tell ...

Professor Griff, Public Enemy: Professor Griff: Putting America On Trial

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 3 November 1990

In the past year, Professor Griff has been thrown out of PUBLIC ENEMY, accused of being a racist, a Jew-hater and an American-basher. PUSH talks ...

Nirvana: Heaven Can't Wait

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 15 December 1990

NIRVANA'S NEW single, 'Sliver' weighs in at a fraction over two minutes and is one hell of a pop song. No messing. ...

Vanilla Ice: To The Extreme (SBK Records)

Review by Push, Melody Maker, 15 December 1990

UNTIL he hit number one with 'Ice Ice Baby', Vanilla Ice's major claims to fame were going to school with 2 Live Crew and looking ...

Flowered Up, Saint Etienne: St Etienne, Flowered Up: The Underworld, London

Live Review by Push, Melody Maker, 5 January 1991

THOSE WHO believed the rumour that Happy Mondays were to be the surprise guests at St Etienne's Christmas trash will probably still be waiting by ...

Gang Starr: Step Into The Arena (Cooltempo)

Review by Push, Melody Maker, 12 January 1991

JAZZ U LIKE IT ...

Gang Starr: Posse Galore

Profile and Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 18 May 1991

On the eve of their first British live dates, PUSH meets a rap duo who don't glorify ghetto violence, drugs, crime and screwing "bitches", but ...

Bomb The Bass: Seasonal Adjustment

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 13 July 1991

TIM SIMENON shuts his eyes, shakes his head and through gritted teeth describes the last Bomb The Bass single, 'Love So True', as "a total ...

Primal Scream, Andrew Weatherall: Andy Weatherall: Mixed Emotions

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 17 August 1991

In his first ever interview outside Bocca Juniors, ANDY WEATHERALL talks to PUSH about being the most sought-after remixing whiz-kid of the Nineties and his ...

Fun-Da-Mental: Prohibition, London

Live Review by Push, Melody Maker, 21 September 1991

FUND-DA-Mental's claim to be the British Asian version of Public Enemy isn't as daft as it sounds. The "Black Revolutionary Runnings" tee-shirts and the keyboard ...

Soundgarden: Daylight Shrubbery

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 5 October 1991

With their Badmotorfinger LP being hailed as a classic, SOUNDGARDEN tell PUSH that this is their time ...

Shut Up and Dance: Raving Mad

Report and Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 6 1992

"IT'S FUCKING CRAZY. It's completely fucking mad. We can't stop celebrating. We've been off our fucking heads since Thursday." ...

Terry Edwards: Totally Wired Individual

Profile and Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 18 January 1992

TERRY EDWARDS has long been true to the word "individual" he has tattooed along his neck. ...

Flowered Up: Crocus Pocus

Report and Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 18 April 1992

TRUST FLOWERED UP to come up with the name "Debauchery" for the unofficial launch party for their new single, 'Weekender'. And trust them to take ...

Fun-Da-Mental: Turban Warriors

Report and Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 9 May 1992

"FORGET THE IMAGE of Asians as passive, happy people," begins Prince Haq, MC with Fun-Da-Mental, a Bradford group who are fast making a name for ...

Derrick May & Associates: Relics (Transmat/Buzz)

Review by Push, Melody Maker, 16 May 1992

MAY'S DAZE ...

New Order, The Smiths, The Stone Roses: For Faç's Sake! 10 Years of the Haçienda

Retrospective and Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 23 May 1992

Few clubs can lay claim to changing the face of music, but THE HAÇIENDA certainly made it smile, giving fledgling acts like The Stone Roses, ...

Galliano: A Joyful Noise Unto The Creator (Talkin' Loud)

Review by Push, Melody Maker, 30 May 1992

WHAT DO Galliano have to do to get a hit record? It's been bugging me for ages, ever since 'Jus' Reach' fell short of the ...

The Rockingbirds: Modern Lovers: The Rockingbirds

Profile and Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 30 May 1992

"EVERY GROUP SHOULD be like a cartoon," says Alan Tyler, former philosophy student, tap dancer and bookies runner, now lead singer with the Rockingbirds. "If ...

3rd Bass, A Tribe Called Quest, Black Sheep, Brand New Heavies, Gang Starr, Jamalski, Kool G Rap, Main Source, The Pharcyde: The Brand New Heavies: Rapper's Delight

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 15 August 1992

THE BRAND NEW HEAVIES' new LP is a veritable cornucopia of rap talent. PUSH gets the word on the band that all the other bands ...

GWAR! What Is It Good For? GWAR: The Longhorn, Stuttgart

Live Review by Push, Melody Maker, 10 October 1992

THIS IS utter f***ing madness. ...

The Orb: Sphere and Loathing

Report and Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 24 October 1992

THE ORB are on the road and mayhem reigns. PUSH joins in the jollities ...

Leftfield: Release The Pressure!

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 5 December 1992

CRITICAL ACCLAIM means bugger-all in clubland. Here, an act's reputation is better measured by the number of others sampling them. And, right now, it's impossible ...

The Frank and Walters: Making a Splash

Report and Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 9 January 1993

"WOW! WILL you look at that now? Isn't that just crazy?" ...

Jamiroquai: Town & Country Club, London

Live Review by Push, Melody Maker, 30 January 1993

JAZZ, FOR FUNK'S SAKE! ...

Jamiroquai: Hat's Entertainment!

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 20 March 1993

Jamiroquai are Jay Kay, basically, a serious 22-year-old west Londoner with serious political ideas, a serious love of funk and a seriously funky voice. PUSH ...

LL Cool J: LL Cool J: 14 Shots To The Dome (Def Jam)

Review by Push, Melody Maker, 17 April 1993

THE CAREER of LL Cool J, which began almost 10 years ago with the first Def Jam release, has been a helter skelter of ups ...

Bandulu: Infonet Possibilities

Report and Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 10 July 1993

"NONE OF BANDULU started out as musicians or DJs. We started as record collectors. Going back a few years, we thought nothing of bunking off ...

Cranium HF: Skulled Workers

Profile and Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 2 October 1993

"THESE GUYS SAVED my life," begins Cranium HF vocalist Fisheye, nodding at his partners Kev and Ross. "I was really seriously ill when I first ...

Underworld: Going Overground

Interview by Push, Melody Maker, 22 January 1994

I KNOW IT'S ONLY January but there's no way you will hear a more thrilling dance music album this year than Underworld's Dubnobasswithmyheadman. No fucking ...

The Chemical Brothers: Chemicrazy Pilots

Interview by Push, Muzik, June 1995

They've changed their name from The Dust Brothers to THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS and their beats are beefier than ever. Stand by for the imminent release ...

St Germain: Boulevard (F Communications)

Review by Push, Muzik, July 1995

GONE ARE THE days when everybody under 40 associated jazz with Bob Kerr's Whoopee Band and little else besides.  ...

Underworld: Alphabet Soup

Interview by Push, Muzik, 10 March 1996

With the release of their new album, Second Toughest In The Infants, UNDERWORLD take a hurtling ride through their world... With a little help from ...

Faithless: Reverence (Cheeky/BMG)

Review by Push, Muzik, May 1996

Joyful and triumphant ...

It's All Gone... Pete Tong

Interview by Push, Muzik, September 1996

PETE TONG. His Essential Selection show on Radio One is the nation's choice on a Friday night. It's a dry run for a night out, ...

Secret Knowledge: Hi Bunny, I'm Home!

Interview by Push, Muzik, September 1996

Kris Needs and Wonder. A boy from Aylesbury and a girl from Ohio. Music from the heart, some hard lessons from the street... and a ...

DJ Shadow: Endtroducing... (Mo'Wax)

Review by Push, Muzik, October 1996

STUTTERED BEATS, fluttered beats. Scratching harder and faster than the caretaker's cat at the local fleapit. Pianos which tease and prick, b-lines which cajole and ...

Speedy J: Follow The Speeder

Interview by Push, Muzik, May 1997

DON'T MENTION the war. Unless you are in Rotterdam. Because if you are in Rotterdam, you really should know that on 14 May 1940, a ...

Luscious Jackson: Divan Du Monde, Paris

Live Review by Push, Muzik, June 1997

GUITARS ARE crap. It's a simple and obvious fact of modern life. Except when it comes to Luscious Jackson, that is. ...

Primal Scream: Vanishing Point (Creation)

Review by Push, Muzik, August 1997

YOU CAN'T overestimate the importance of Primal Scream in the grand scheme of groovy things. ...

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