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David Sinclair

David Sinclair

David Sinclair was born on October 24, 1952. He was educated at Eltham College, London and at Warwick University, where he graduated in 1975 with an honours degree in Politics. He played drums in London Zoo and TV Smith’s Explorers then worked as a BBC TV researcher on programmes including Wogan and The Rock’n’Roll Years. He became pop critic at The Times in London in 1985 and has contributed to Rolling Stone, Billboard, Q and Kerrang! He is the author of Tres Hombres: The Story of ZZ Top (1986); Rock On CD - The Essential Guide (1992, updated 1993); and Wannabe: How The Spice Girls Reinvented Pop Fame (2004). His parallel career as a singer, guitarist and songwriter continues with the release of his album, Hey, on Critical Discs/Proper, available from record shops and online at www.indiestore.com/davidsinclair

David Sinclair online

230 articles

List of articles in the library

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ZZ Top: Saved by a Whisker

Interview by David Sinclair, Kerrang!, 15 December 1983

DAVID SINCLAIR takes it from the Top with Messrs. Hill and Beard ...

Roy Buchanan: Dominion, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 7 March 1985

TO THE majority of rock enthusiasts, Roy Buchanan may be remembered as little more than an American guitarist who achieved one minor British chart success ...

Grandmaster Melle Mel & the Furious Five: Oxford Polytechnic

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 12 March 1985

"WHEN YOU leave the ghetto, you gotta figure a way of walking out in style", drawled the lean Grandmaster of New York rap, Melle Mel. ...

Frankie Goes to Hollywood: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 1 April 1985

HAVING TENACIOUSLY eschewed the medium of live performance as a factor in their rise to ministardom, Frankie Goes to Hollywood now find themselves hoist by ...

Howard Jones: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 18 April 1985

HOWARD JONES, a successful pop star for about 18 months, has become the doyen of the new breed of singer-songwriters who, with their electronic keyboards ...

Pat Metheny Group: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 4 May 1985

A touch of class ...

Nina Simone: Ronnie Scott's, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 6 May 1985

IT WAS A fair measure of Nina Simone's ability that, in, the bustling thoroughfare of Ronnie Scott's, she was able, to command close attention with ...

Bruce Springsteen: Perfect Mastery Of The Beat

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 3 June 1985

Bruce Springsteen: Slane Castle, Dublin ...

Gil Scott-Heron: Ronnie Scott's, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 4 June 1985

ALTHOUGH HE does not like being labelled, particularly as a "protest singer", Gil Scott-Heron may fairly be described as a radical black poet and jazz-funk ...

The Blasters: Electric Ballroom, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 11 July 1985

WITH THE energy and precision that is now the recognizable hallmark of the bands engaged in the current American roots music invasion of Britain, the ...

The Lords of the New Church: Lords of the New Church: Hammersmith Palais, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 13 August 1985

NEARLY TEN years after the punk rock "revolution", the genre is slipping into a quiet middle age. In common with heavy metal, punk is now ...

Einstürzende Neubauten: Einstürzende Neubaten: Heaven, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 4 September 1985

THE FIRST visitors to the garish Heaven club on Monday night were GLC safety inspectors, alerted perhaps by reports of Einstürzende Neubaten's previous London performance ...

Womack and Womack: Womack & Womack: Dominion, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 17 September 1985

Songs written with soul ...

Chaka Khan, Third World: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 30 September 1985

Not her moment ...

Bobby Womack: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 15 October 1985

ON HIS third visit to Britain, and with his current album So Many Rivers making modest inroads on the charts, Bobby Womack seems to have ...

Judie Tzuke at the Hammersmith Odeon

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 21 October 1985

DESPITE HER GREATEST CLAIM to fame still being her one British hit single in 1979,'Stay With Me 'till Dawn', Judie Tzuke has released seven albums ...

Cameo: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 9 December 1985

DESPITE CAMEO'S low media profile, they boast a distinguished history of 11 album releases yielding estimated sales of 20 million records. It is but one ...

ZZ Top: Civic Center, Lake Charles LA

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 4 February 1986

ALTHOUGH A low-profile start to their lengthy American tour, ZZ Top's performance at this small lakeside township in Louisiana was anything but understated. With a ...

Mötley Crüe: Hammersmith Odeon, Odeon

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 17 February 1986

SINCE FORMING in Los Angeles in 1981, Mötley Crüe have assiduously cultivated a hard-living bad-boy image, diligently indulging in the traditional macho pursuits of drinking, ...

Cherrelle, Alexander O'Neal: Alexander O'Neal, Cherrelle: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 3 March 1986

ALTHOUGH THE two artists performed separately, their recent hit as a duet, 'Saturday Love', and other common features of their careers, made this a sensible ...

Liza Minnelli: Palladium, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 10 March 1986

IT WAS OF course a coincidence that Liza Minnelli opened her British season the same week that Frank Sinatra's version of Kander and Ebb's 'Theme ...

Jeff Beck: Ambitious in his artistry

Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 22 March 1986

The reclusive Jeff Beck is back with a new single, released on Monday. Interview by David Sinclair ...

Billy Cobham's Glass Menagerie: Dingwalls, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 21 April 1986

WITH HIS explosive playing style and highly developed technique, Billy Cobham earned the dubious accolade among rock audiences, unused to such an advanced jazz playing ...

Elkie Brooks: No more the has-been

Profile and Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 21 March 1987

"I HOPED I was going to retire when I was 40, but unfortunately I wasn't rich enough to be able to do that," is how ...

Steve Earle & the Dukes: Mean Fiddler, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 26 March 1987

IF ANYONE has given substance to the idea that there is something more to "New Country" than a handy promotional slogan, then it is Steve ...

The Beastie Boys, Run-DMC: The Beastie Boys: Just nice boys at heart

Report and Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 23 May 1987

"THERE'S A certain virtue in negative publicity, and a lot of it has come from us just being ourselves, particularly on stage; but there's a ...

Tammy Wynette: Just a country girl at heart

Profile and Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 27 May 1987

David Sinclair talks to American singer Tammy Wynette, in Britain as part of her long-awaited European tour. ...

Tina Turner: A smile and a song

Report and Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 17 June 1987

David Sinclair meets the resilient rock star Tina Turner, playing at Wembley Arena until tomorrow night ...

Terence Trent D'Arby, Jill Jones, Jennifer Warnes: Terence Trent D'Arby: Introducing The Hard Line According To; Jill Jones: Jill Jones; Jennifer Warnes: Famous Blue Raincoat

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 18 July 1987

Exciting find ...

Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers: Astoria, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 19 October 1987

AT 9.10 ON Friday night a lean young man called Milton Smith sat down behind a white Sonor drum-kit and began teasing out a gritty, ...

Bryan Adams: The Life Of Bryan

Interview by David Sinclair, Q, November 1987

MOST OF THE stories about Bryan Adams tend to emphasise how ordinary the guy is. Like the one about an occasion in New York two ...

Sisters of Mercy: Floodland

Review by David Sinclair, Q, January 1988

WHILE ANDREW ELDRITCH has been away, all sorts of musical mice have been out to play. In the wake of the first and last Sisters ...

ZZ Top: Tres Amigos!

Review by David Sinclair, Q, January 1988

IN THE WORLD league table of entertainers' earnings recently compiled by Forbes magazine, only one rock group, U2, was thought to have amassed more than ...

The Pogues: If I Should Fall From Grace With God (Pogue Mahone NYR 1)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 23 January 1988

Rip-snorting triumph ...

The Pogues: Gleeful — The Pogues: If I Should Fall From Grace With God (POGUEMAHONE NYR 1 LP/Cass/CD)

Review by David Sinclair, Q, February 1988

The Pogues: no sleep 'til closing time. ...

Pink Floyd: Inter-Planetary

Overview by David Sinclair, Q, April 1988

IF THERE IS ONE group for whom the enhanced audio medium of CD might have been invented, it is Pink Floyd. From its earliest days ...

Ry Cooder: Timing it right

Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 13 May 1988

David Sinclair meets American guitarist Ry Cooder, in London to prepare for a six-city British tour ...

Randy Travis: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 21 June 1988

Timeless voice ...

Robert Palmer, The Power Station: Robert Palmer: Vinegar into champagne

Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 24 June 1988

Robert Palmer, the rock singer whose 20-year career has included associations with Elkie Brooks, Gary Numan and Duran Duran, talks to David Sinclair about his ...

Public Enemy, Muddy Waters: Public Enemy: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (Def Jam DEF 462415); Muddy Waters: Hoochie Coochie Man (Epic 461186)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 16 July 1988

Fast and furious ...

Mica Paris: So Good (4th & Broadway BRLP 525)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 27 August 1988

Mica has arrived, right on time ...

Dwight Yoakam: Drawling — Dwight Yoakam: Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room (Reprise WX 193 LP/Cass/CD)

Review by David Sinclair, Q, September 1988

Dwight Yoakam: country music with added ultra-twang. ...

Aswad: The genial face of reggae

Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 23 December 1988

Having recognized that music is a business, Aswad have at last won the recognition they deserve, David Sinclair writes. ...

Fishbone: Town & Country Club, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 7 January 1989

Punk with brains ...

Kym Mazelle, Ten City: Ten City, Kym Mazelle: Town & Country, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 27 March 1989

Beyond the beat ...

Jimi Hendrix: Radio One (Rykodisc)

Review by David Sinclair, Q, April 1989

AHEAD OF NEXT year's 20th anniversary of his death there are already tell-tale signs of renewed interest in the legacy of Jimi Hendrix, still unquestionably ...

Wendy And Lisa: Wendy & Lisa: Town & Country Club, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 29 April 1989

Ladies in waiting ...

Jimi Hendrix: Immense

Review by David Sinclair, Q, May 1989

Are You ExperiencedAxis: Bold As LoveSmash HitsElectric LadylandBand Of GypsiesThe Cry Of LoveIsle Of WightHendrix In The WestWar HeroesLoose EndsCrash LandingMidnight LightningThe Singles AlbumKiss The ...

The Cult: Sonic Temple

Review by David Sinclair, Q, May 1989

Led-heavy and light of finger, The Cult are back ...

Public Image Ltd.: 9

Review by David Sinclair, Q, June 1989

PiL's seeping chill. ...

Bobby Brown: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 26 June 1989

Trying too hard ...

Gloria Estefan: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 26 September 1989

Salsa rhythms propel the Havana beat ...

Jeff Beck: Just Say NO!

Interview by David Sinclair, Q, October 1989

FOREVER PORTRAYED as a moody, maverick, Jeff Beck has blazed an erratic trail littered with the detritus of broken guitars and broken bands. ...

The Rolling Stones: Steel Wheels

Review by David Sinclair, Q, October 1989

NOT ONLY did The Rolling Stones come out of the traps considerably faster than the current wave of mouthy young turks but they have stayed ...

John Lee Hooker: Nothin' shakes a true blue legend

Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 27 October 1989

David Sinclair talks to rugged, illiterate bluesman John Lee Hooker, at 69 sounding like a man who breakfasts on iron filings. ...

The Stone Roses: Alexandra Palace, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 20 November 1989

Failing the acid test ...

Beats International: Let Them Eat Bingo (Go Beat 842196-2)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 6 April 1990

Light beats from a bright cook ...

Public Enemy: Fear of a Black Planet (Def Jam 466281 1)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 13 April 1990

THERE HAS been an all-round upping of the ante in the rap stakes since Public Enemy released the classic, It Takes a Nation of Millions ...

Sonny Sharrock: Queen Elizabeth Hall, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 18 April 1990

Brash display of showmanship ...

New Kids On The Block: Step by Step (CBS 466686 1)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 22 June 1990

CONCERNED PARENTS may be anxious to discover what exactly has precipitated the recent bouts of querulous mass hysteria among our nation's six to 12 year-olds. ...

Rory Gallagher: The Show Must Go On!

Profile and Interview by David Sinclair, Q, July 1990

AT THE START of 1970 the world was Rory Gallagher's oyster. Cream had split up towards the end of 1968 and Hendrix, having dissolved the ...

Madonna: Wembley Stadium, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 21 July 1990

Rock à la Hollywood ...

Santana: Beam Me Up!

Interview by David Sinclair, Q, October 1990

Carlos Santana's fortuitous appearance at the bottom end of the Woodstock bill completely changed his life. From that moment, he was swept up into an ...

AC/DC: Phew! Got Away With It, Readers!

Retrospective and Interview by David Sinclair, Q, December 1990

MOST PEOPLE in Britain first heard about AC/DC at about the time of the punk explosion. A bunch of roughneck Aussies with a guitarist dressed ...

Gloria Estefan, Roger McGuinn: Gloria Estefan: Into the Light (Epic 4677821); Roger McGuinn: Back From Rio (Arista 261 348)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 8 February 1991

Breezy blend with a Cuban flavour ...

Joni Mitchell: Conversation with a Wandering Dreamer

Review and Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 11 February 1991

WITHIN 60 SECONDS of setting eyes on me, Joni Mitchell has started telling me about her dreams. I am spared details, but she insists that ...

Joni Mitchell: Conversation with a wandering dreamer

Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 11 February 1991

Joni Mitchell, artist, photographer and grande dame of rock, talks to David Sinclair. ...

David Lee Roth: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 5 March 1991

AN IRREPRESSIBLE showman, David Lee Roth has got where he is primarily by dint of athletic energy, brass neck and sheer force of personality. His ...

Freddie Jackson: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 6 March 1991

FREDDIE JACKSON has lost the initiative in recent years, which is a great shame. In the mid-Eighties it looked as if he was poised to ...

808 State, Jellyfish, Morrissey: Jellyfish: Bellybutton (Charisma); 808 State: ex:el (ZTT); Morrissey: Kill Uncle (His Master's Voice)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 8 March 1991

Musical literacy makes sound sense ...

Joe Jackson

Interview by David Sinclair, Q, May 1991

JOE JACKSON is clearing up and moving out of his first floor Manhattan apartment. A cool breeze blows gently through the open French windows and ...

The Rolling Stones: Flashpoint

Review by David Sinclair, Q, May 1991

THE STEEL MACHINE/Urban Jungle extravaganza of 1989 and '90 was the most colossal tour the rock world has ever witnessed. By its close, The Rolling ...

INXS at Wembley Stadium: All the aces but little heart

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 15 July 1991

QUITE BY coincidence INXS mount their London summer spectacular on the sixth anniversary of the Live Aid concert at this same venue, In so far ...

Dan Reed Network: The Heat

Review by David Sinclair, Q, August 1991

IS DAN REED a little too good to be true? ...

Garth Brooks: Ropin' the Wind (Capitol CDESTU 2162)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 5 February 1992

All blown down ...

Jeff Beck: Beckology

Review by David Sinclair, Q, March 1992

IN 1990, IN A REGULAR feature called "The Experts' Expert", The Observer canvassed a cross-section of guitarists (David Gilmour, Hank Marvin, Brian May and others) ...

k.d. lang: Hammersmith Odeon

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 11 May 1992

Capital of her country ...

Jimi Hendrix Remembered

Retrospective and Interview by David Sinclair, Q, June 1992

IF EVER A story has grown in the telling it is that of Jimi Hendrix. From a no-name sideman on the American chitlin circuit to ...

PJ Harvey: Town & Country, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 3 June 1992

P J the pacesetter ...

Lyle Lovett & his Large Band: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 16 June 1992

Journey into odd country ...

Michael Jackson: Olympiastadion, Munich, Germany

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 1 July 1992

Europe cheers Jackson ...

Super Cat: Don Dada (Columbia 471570 2);

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 25 July 1992

A quick 'toast' to reggae tradition ...

Bobby Brown, Ephraim Lewis: Bobby Brown: Bobby (MCA MCD 10695); Ephraim Lewis: Skin (Elektra 7559- 61318)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 22 August 1992

From US slick to British snooze ...

Bruce Springsteen: Charles R. Cross: Backstreets and Marc Eliot: Down Thunder Road

Book Review by David Sinclair, Q, September 1992

BACKSTREETS IS THE AMERICAN quarterly fanzine whose editors maintain a painstaking and uncritical log of the life of Bruce Springsteen. First published in November 1989, ...

INXS: Welcome To Wherever You Are

Review by David Sinclair, Q, September 1992

NOW 15 years old, INXS have made remarkably little go a long way. ...

The Police: Greatest Hits

Review by David Sinclair, Q, October 1992

"ALL SONGS WRITTEN by Sting", it says under the 16 titles on Greatest Hits – 15 of them Top 20 hits, five of them Number ...

Guns N' Roses, Izzy Stradlin: Izzy Stradlin: Happy to be fretting out on his own

Report and Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 12 October 1992

Izzy Stradlin, lead guitarist with Guns N' Roses, has left the band he helped to create. Now, as he tells David Sinclair, he plays to ...

Madonna: Erotica (Maverick/Sire 9362-45031-2)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 17 October 1992

Madonna may find her role as Venus in furs a turn-on. But for the rest of us her new album is less than erotic. ...

Betty Boo, Neneh Cherry: The raw and the cooking: albums from Neneh Cherry and Betty Boo

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 24 October 1992

Two rap divas unveil new albums, with mixed success ...

Omar: Town & Country Club, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 30 October 1992

IN WHAT is becoming an oddly familiar scenario, a new wave of British soul singers is offering a young, credible alternative to the over-stylised dominance ...

Prince and The New Power Generation: 0{+>

Review by David Sinclair, Q, November 1992

APPARENTLY UNAFFECTED by his elevation to executive status at Warner Brothers Records, Prince bounces back with yet another 75 minutes' worth of music celebrating his ...

En Vogue: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 11 November 1992

A lot of heart, but not much soul David Sinclair is charmed, if not wholly convinced, by the British debut of a vocal group that has ...

Neil Young: Got A Problem Pal?

Interview by David Sinclair, Q, January 1993

Neil Young is back with a new LP and an all-consuming grievance. Lately, something has been getting the old goat's goat like nothing before. That ...

Nirvana: Incesticide (Geffen)

Review by David Sinclair, Q, January 1993

With the colossal success of Nevermind, Nirvana brought grunge to the masses, a phenomenon which has radicalised "mainstream" rock across the board. ...

Joan Baez: Play Me Backwards (Virgin)

Review by David Sinclair, Q, February 1993

WHAT EXACTLY is the most dignified role for the faded activist folk singer who wakes one morning to find herself five years older than the ...

Keith Richards & The X-Pensive Winos: Town and Country Club, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, Rolling Stone, 4 February 1993

ON THE EVE of his forty-ninth birthday, the eternally delinquent Keith Richards was back in his hometown, at an 1800-capacity club, doing what he loves ...

The Auteurs: New Wave (Hut Hut)

Review by David Sinclair, Q, March 1993

A NAME that the nation's tastemakers have been looking up in their dictionaries and dropping in the right circles for, oh, weeks. ...

Stone Temple Pilots: Underworld, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 15 March 1993

Already on the runway ...

Spin Doctors: Pocket Full Of Kryptonite (Epic)

Review by David Sinclair, Q, April 1993

Spin Doctors must be the first group in recent memory to sell a million records and get their faces on the cover of Rolling Stone ...

Jeff Beck: Beck Is Back

Interview by David Sinclair, Rolling Stone, 1 April 1993

WHEN THE English rock stars of the 1960s eventually wearied of life on the road and in the metropolis, the ones who still had any ...

David Bowie: Black Tie White Noise

Review by David Sinclair, Q, May 1993

THE 1980S WAS not a happy decade for David Bowie. ...

PJ Harvey: Rid Of Me (Island)

Review by David Sinclair, Q, June 1993

IT STARTS with the musical equivalent of an itch. A guitar plonks away softly, a light clattery drum sound brushes against the beat, and eventually ...

David Bowie: Station to Station

Interview by David Sinclair, Rolling Stone, 10 June 1993

ON A PERSONAL TOUR OF ZIGGY'S LONDON, DAVID BOWIE LOOKS BACK HIS AT DAYS AS THE GLAM KING OF ENGLAND ...

Bruce Springsteen: Bruce Rocks the U.K - But He Can't Match His Own Impossibly High Standards

Live Review by David Sinclair, Rolling Stone, 24 June 1993

"WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I truly didn't think music had any limitations," said Bruce Springsteen in an interview with New York Newsday last year. "I ...

David Bowie, Mick Ronson: Mick Ronson: Ziggy's Axeman

Obituary by David Sinclair, Rolling Stone, 24 June 1993

Mick Ronson was a sideman extraordinaire ...

Paul Westerberg: Borderline, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 5 July 1993

Grunge godfather or master melodist? ...

The Lemonheads: Come On Feel The Lemonheads (Atlantic)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, October 1993

IT SEEMS A quaint idea now, but there was a time when being a "serious" rock band didn't necessarily mean carting a ton of attitude ...

The Lemonheads: Come On Feel The Lemonheads (Atlantic)

Review by David Sinclair, Q, November 1993

IT SEEMS a quaint idea now, but there was a time when being a "serious" rock band didn't necessarily mean carting a ton of attitude ...

Bryan Adams: He's a megastar, he's Bryan who?

Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 5 November 1993

Adams. You know, the 'I Do It For You' one, 16 weeks at No 1 and so on. David Sinclair meets the unknown hero ...

Guns N' Roses: The Spaghetti Incident? (Geffen GED24617)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 26 November 1993

These we have loved to death ...

Ice Cube, Snoop (Doggy) Dogg: Muthas of invention — Snoop Doggy Dogg: Doggystyle (Death Row/Interscope); Ice Cube: Lethal Injection (Priority/4th & Broadway)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 3 December 1993

Must we fling this filth at our pop kids? ...

ZZ Top: Antenna

Review by David Sinclair, Q, February 1994

THE LONGEST-RUNNING trio in rock, ZZ Top come down from the hills less frequently these days, yet they remain blithely impervious to the ravages of ...

Kate Bush: Dear Diary: The Secret World of Kate Bush

Interview by David Sinclair, Rolling Stone, 24 February 1994

CRICKLEWOOD IS not at all the kind of place you would expect to find Kate Bush. Although immortalized long ago in the title of a ...

Richard Thompson

Interview by David Sinclair, MOJO, April 1994

THEY SAY THERE'S ONE IN EVERY CROWD. BUT HE'S ALWAYS hard to spot because he looks so normal. Quiet, polite, a little shy even. You ...

Counting Crows

Interview by David Sinclair, Q, June 1994

ISN'T IT odd how some bands can carry on year after year, getting consistently good reviews, backed by major record company muscle, yet still end ...

Spin Doctors: Turn It Upside Down (Epic)

Review by David Sinclair, Q, July 1994

"Oh, mama, I'm gonna roll with a truckload of hurt. These wheels have rolled across I don't know how many bags of dirt."(from 'Bags Of ...

George Michael: He's a Loser, Baby

Report by David Sinclair, Rolling Stone, 11 August 1994

Court rejects GEORGE MICHAEL'S plea to break his contract with Sony ...

Chuck Berry: The Poet of Rock'nRoll (Charly)

Review by David Sinclair, Q, September 1994

A colossally influential talent in his prime and a painful embarrassment in his decline, Chuck Berry has bequeathed a musical legacy that is like the ...

Suede: Dog Man Star (Nude)

Review by David Sinclair, Q, November 1994

SUEDE'S FANS have always been utterly unwavering in their belief in the band. But out there, in the big bad world, the group still suffers ...

Jamiroquai: The Return Of The Space Cowboy

Review by David Sinclair, Q, December 1994

ONLY JAY Kay could come up with as naff a title as The Return Of The Space Cowboy and make it sound about right. A ...

The Police: Wiry: The Police Live

Review by David Sinclair, Q, 1995

IT’S EASY TO forget what an outstanding live act The Police were. Combining musicianly flair (guitarist Andy Summers) with furious bursts of energy (drummer Stewart ...

The Black Crowes: God gave rock'n'roll to them

Report and Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 20 January 1995

The Black Crowes are not just a rock band; they're claiming their birthright, as lead singer Chris Robinson tells David Sinclair ...

Del Amitri: Twisted (A&M)

Review by David Sinclair, Q, February 1995

IT'S STRANGE when you think of the qualities we demand from our rock stars. ...

Morrissey: This Charming Mandroid

Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 10 February 1995

Back on tour, back in the sights of those who would destroy him, Morrissey talks to David Sinclair about love, hate and fame ...

Radiohead, Suede: The British Aren't Coming

Report by David Sinclair, Rolling Stone, 9 March 1995

IS THE NEWEST WAVE FROM THE U.K. A WASHOUT? ...

Radiohead: Wired up for better reception

Report and Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 17 March 1995

David Sinclair meets a band tuning in to tomorrow's wavelength ...

McAlmont & Butler: Hanover Grand, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 12 May 1995

Camp in a field of intensity ...

Steve Earle: Train A Comin' (Transatlantic/Castle Communications TRA 111)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 21 July 1995

HAVING ALLOWED a promising career to be blighted by delusions of grandeur — remember those four-hour, son-of-Springsteen shows? — and latterly a stretch in prison ...

Tricky: New Faces: Tricky

Profile and Interview by David Sinclair, Rolling Stone, 10 August 1995

"YOU 'AVEN'T got any rizlas, 'ave you?" Tricky says, asking for rolling papers by way of an introduction. The 27-year-old rapper and songwriter — "I ...

Rory Gallagher 1948-1995

Obituary by David Sinclair, Rolling Stone, 10 August 1995

BONO CALLED him "one of the top 10 guitar players of all time," and there is no doubt that Rory Gallagher, who died in a ...

Blur: The Great Escape (Food/Parlophone 8 35235)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 8 September 1995

Blur put the grate in Britain ...

Supergrass: The Mod Squad

Profile and Interview by David Sinclair, Rolling Stone, 5 October 1995

IT'S A GLORIOUS SUMMER DAY in Oxford, city of dreaming spires in the heart of England. Three young tykes laugh and joke with each other ...

Pulp: Different Class (Island 524 165)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 27 October 1995

Louche canon finally on target Jarvis Cocker's lowlife lyrics have come of age on a Pulp classic, says David Sinclair ...

Queen: Made In Heaven (Parlophone)

Review by David Sinclair, Q, November 1995

MADE IN Heaven is an album so heavily freighted with emotional resonance that it is quite impossible to disentangle the music from the unique historical ...

Eternal: Power Of A Woman (1st Avenue/EMI 8 36354)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 3 November 1995

HAVING SLIMMED to a trio since their million-selling debut. Always & Forever, London-based vocal group Eternal continue to fly the flag for British soul with ...

R. Kelly: R. Kelly (Jive CHIP 166)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 1 December 1995

TRADITIONALLY, soul sex gods have tended to be avuncular characters with film-trailer voices, people such as Barry White and Isaac Hayes. But 26-year-old R. Kelly ...

Ace Of Base: The Bridge (London 529 655)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 8 December 1995

THEY MAY have sold 19 million copies of their debut album, Happy Nation, but the Swedish boy-girl quartet is still a long way from justifying ...

Gerald Levert and Eddie Levert: Gerald Levert & Eddie Levert, Sr: Father & Son (Eastwest America 7559-61859)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 22 December 1995

TWO SOUL smoothies who bridge the generation gap as seamlessly as the sky stretches to meet the sea, Eddie Levert, Sr and Gerald Levert look ...

Rocket From the Crypt: Garage, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 10 January 1996

IT BEGAN with a James Brown-style fanfare of horns and an unlikely promise: "Are you ready for one of the best shows of your damn ...

G. Love & Special Sauce: Electric Ballroom, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 13 January 1996

A whiter shade of blues ...

Joan Osborne: A cowgirl gets the blues

Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 26 January 1996

Joan Osborne has gone from bluegrass country to R&B heaven, says David Sinclair ...

Tortoise: Millions Now Living Will Never Die (City Slang EFA 04972)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 26 January 1996

THE "POST-rock" conceptualist ensemble from Chicago, Tortoise, do not travel on the fast track. Exhibiting a lofty disregard for conventional song structures, their wholly instrumental ...

Edwyn Collins, Orange Juice: Edwyn Collins: Don't call me popular

Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 16 February 1996

Arch-outsider Edwyn Collins is a hit at last. David Sinclair finds him unrepentant ...

The Mike Flowers Pops: Forum, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 19 February 1996

In praise of light entertainment ...

Alanis Morissette: Flashing the peace-sign

Profile and Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 23 February 1996

David Sinclair is pleased to report that Alanis Morissette is no jagged little pill ...

Joan Osborne: Relish (Blue Gorilla/Mercury 526 699)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 23 February 1996

A Pelé of the blues ...

Steve Earle: New habit for Earle of excess

Profile and Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 5 April 1996

Country-rocker Steve Earle switched tracks, and feels all the better for it. David Sinclair reports ...

Paul Westerberg: Too fast to live, too old to die

Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 12 April 1996

David Sinclair talks to rehabilitated rock'n' roller Paul Westerberg about drugs, death, hellraising and the joys of a quiet evening in ...

Presidents of the United States of America: The Presidents of the USA: Astoria, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 17 April 1996

Monster raving loony party ...

Pulp Friction

Interview by David Sinclair, Rolling Stone, 18 April 1996

Frontman JARVIS COCKER wreaks revenge for the 'Common People' ...

Ash, Bis: Forum, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 29 May 1996

Never mind the Pistols... ...

Charlie Watts: Take me back to Birdland

Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 7 June 1996

David Sinclair meets Rolling Stone Charlie Watts in his other incarnation — as a jazzman ...

Prince: 0(+>: The man with no name has no label

Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 6 July 1996

The slave we know as Prince tells David Sinclair why his new album is his last (for Warners, anyway) ...

Screaming Trees: Dust (Epic 483980)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 12 July 1996

IT IS being talked up in the music press as the "rock masterpiece" of the year, and there is indeed something special about Dust, the ...

The Lemonheads: Car Button Cloth (Tag Recordings/Atlantic 7567-92726)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 27 September 1996

HAVING CRACKED up (and I use the term advisedly) in the wake of 1993's breakthrough album, Come On Feel the Lemonheads, Evan Dando returns to ...

Suede: Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 3 October 1996

Step aside, Oasis, the hard men are back ...

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion: Astoria, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 9 October 1996

Out of the blues, onto the rack ...

Spice Girls: Wannabe in their gang? Oh, yeah — Spice Girls: Spice (Virgin 7243 8 42174)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 1 November 1996

Spice Girls follow up two smash hit singles with a debut LP that has David Sinclair joining their fan club ...

Snoop (Doggy) Dogg: Snoop Doggy Dogg: Tha Doggfather (Death Row/Interscope INTD- 90038 £13.49)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 22 November 1996

DEDICATED "in loving memory" of rap star Tupac Shakur, shot dead in September, Tha Doggfather is another loathsome celebration of the black American thug lifestyle ...

Daft Punk: Homework (Virgin CDV 2821 £14.99)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 17 January 1997

ONE OF the intriguing side effects of the techno revolution is the way it has re-trained the ears of the pop market to accept instrumental ...

Suede: Welcome back, Brettpop

Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 24 January 1997

Suede were mammoth, then they were rubbished, and now they're hot again. David Sinclair takes to their leader ...

The Notorious B.I.G.: Life After Death (Bad Boy/Arista 78612-73011; two discs £15.99)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 28 March 1997

...

Supergrass: It's alright to get serious, lads

Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 4 April 1997

David Sinclair discovers a new heavyweight image being brewed by that ebullient trio Supergrass. ...

The Fugees: Fugees: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 8 May 1997

Street-smart and user-friendly ...

Radiohead: OK Computer (Parlophone 7243 8 55229 £13.99)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 13 June 1997

Modem life is rubbished ...

Faith Evans, The Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy: Puff Daddy & Family: No Way Out (Puff Daddy/Arista 78612 73012, £11.99)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 25 July 1997

Elegy for a rapper ...

Roni Size and Reprazent: Roni Size & Reprazent: Against the current and in the mainstream

Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 5 September 1997

For Roni Size and his drum and bass army, winning the 1997 Mercury Music Prize is a means to an end, writes David Sinclair ...

The Verve: Urban Hymns (Hut/Virgin 7243 8 44913 £14.49)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 26 September 1997

Faith, hope and even clarity: David Sinclair applauds the bittersweet symphonies of the suddenly huge Verve ...

Janet Jackson: The Velvet Rope (Virgin V2860 £15.99)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 3 October 1997

Ballad on the dancefloor: Janet Jackson shows her more sincere side to David Sinclair on The Velvet Rope ...

M People: Fresco (BMG 74321 52490 £14.49)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 10 October 1997

Listen without prejudice ...

Spice Girls: The Spice Girls: Spiceworld (Virgin V2850, £13.99)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 31 October 1997

More girl power to their elbows ...

Mary J. Blige: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 18 November 1997

Mary not so contrary ...

All Saints: All Saints (London 828979 £13.99)

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 21 November 1997

Spice up your soul food ...

The Verve: Bittersweet Success

Interview by David Sinclair, Rolling Stone, 11 December 1997

AFTER YEARS OF NEAR MISSES, THE VERVE HAVE SCORED BIG BY STAYING TRUE TO THE DARKNESS AT THE HEART OF ROCK & ROLL ...

Beth Orton: Shepherds Bush Empire, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 17 December 1997

Unplugged and unvarnished ...

Radiohead: Thom Yorke Q&A

Interview by David Sinclair, Rolling Stone, 25 December 1997

WITH THEIR inspirational third album, OK Computer, released this July, Radiohead became one of the decade's cornerstone British acts. Emotionally ragged and musically precise in ...

Air: Moon Safari (Source/Virgin CDV 2848 £13.99)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 16 January 1998

NICOLAS GODIN and Jean- Benoit Dunckel, the youthful duo better known as Air, come from Versailles and have mysteriously acquired a fashionable cachet not normally ...

Spice Girls: The Spice Girls: As they say, all you need is positivity

Profile and Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 24 February 1998

If the Spice Girls are past it, no one told them, the fans fighting for tickets for their first tour, or David Sinclair. ...

Gary Barlow: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 24 March 1998

Ready to Take That and party on ...

James Taylor: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, Rolling Stone, 30 April 1998

A Hazelnut Voice for All Seasons ...

Robbie Williams: Apollo, Manchester

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 22 May 1998

Take That's black sheep back for good ...

The Corrs: "Sorry, We're Boring!"

Interview by David Sinclair, Q, September 1998

Au contraire, Mrs, Mrs, Mrs and oh, Mr Corr. You are extraordinary in ways it would be rude to fully explain, while a Number One ...

Celine Dion: Belt Up!

Report and Interview by David Sinclair, Q, December 1998

Yes, maam! Safety-conscious Celine Dion is the vowel-wobbling queen of candyfloss pop, and for 30 months she's sold one album every 1.2 seconds. David Sinclair ...

Lauryn Hill: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 8 February 1999

The real hip hop mother ...

The Rolling Stones: But what can a poor boy do?

Report and Interview by David Sinclair, MOJO, May 1999

IN AMERICA, THE STONES' JUGGERNAUT ROLLS ON UNSTOPPABLY. BUT BACK HOME THEIR STOCK HAS HIT ROCK BOTTOM. AS THE BAND'S STRIPPED-DOWN NEW SHOW DEFIES THE ...

Scritti Politti: Return Of An Eighties Enigma

Profile and Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, July 1999

AS DISAPPEARING TRICKS go, the strange case of Green Gartside is not quite up there with those of Richey Edwards or blues hero Peter Green, ...

Paul McCartney: The Cavern, Liverpool

Live Review by David Sinclair, Rolling Stone, 20 January 2000

IN ITS OWN downbeat English way, Mathew Street in Liverpool is as much a shrine to the Beatles as Graceland is to Elvis. Walk up ...

Britney Spears: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 13 October 2000

ROBBIE WILLIAMS may believe he has no competition. But the day after he began his latest tour, the American superstar Britney Spears arrived to play ...

No Doubt, P.O.D., Chuck E. Weiss: No Doubt: Rock Steady; P.O.D.: Satellite; Chuck E. Weiss: Old Souls & Wolf Tickets

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 18 January 2002

California's No Doubt stay up with the pack, while P.O.D. have seen God. David Sinclair is awed ...

The Hives: Astoria, WC2

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 5 February 2002

THE SCANDINAVIAN rock'n'roll invasion is gathering pace. Indeed, the industry joke that in the past the Vikings came in longboats, but now they're coming back ...

Aqualung: Playhouse, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 9 November 2002

IT HAS BEEN A SWIFT and unexpected rise to the surface for Aqualung, and there were times during their debut live performance on Wednesday when ...

Richard Thompson: The Old Kit Bag

Review by David Sinclair, The Word, March 2003

ONE OF THE MANY extraordinary things about Richard Thompson is how resistant he is to the image-making process. After all, here is a man who ...

Robin Guthrie: Out of the Shadows

Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 21 March 2003

Why has the limelight-shy former Cocteau twin Robin Guthrie gone solo? ...

Neil Young: Still a Young Man's Game

Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 23 May 2003

HE CALLED one of his albums Rust Never Sleeps. But does Neil Young ever sleep? In the 12 months since he last played in Britain, ...

David Sylvian: Festival Hall, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 30 September 2003

AN ACQUIRED TASTE at the best of times, David Sylvian did not make life easy for himself or his extraordinarily loyal following at the Festival ...

Elbow: Queen Margaret Union, Glasgow

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 7 October 2003

THERE WAS an air of resignation when the fire alarm went off at the Queen Margaret Union in Glasgow on Thursday night and the splendidly ...

David Bowie: All The Old Dude Had, He's Still Got

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 18 November 2003

David Bowie: MEN Arena, Manchester ...

Franz Ferdinand: Franz Ferdinand

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, March 2004

AH, THE FIRST HYPE OF SPRING. In media watering holes from Camden to Sauchiehall Street, the tastemakers began sniffing the wind as long ago as ...

Tom Waits: Well Worth the Waits

Report and Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 22 October 2004

NEXT MONTH Tom Waits will make his first British concert appearance for 17 years. And if the word filtering back from Vancouver and Seattle, where ...

Snow Patrol: Brixton Academy

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 1 December 2004

A NONDESCRIPT bunch of blokes from Scotland, they spent several years fine-tuning an unremarkable indie-rock formula until they eventually started to sell albums in the ...

Black Eyed Peas: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 2 February 2005

CAN IT ONLY be 18 months since the Black Eyed Peas were jostling each other for space on the tiny stage of the 400-capacity Jazz ...

Van Morrison: Johnny Rogan: Van Morrison – No Surrender (Secker & Warburg)

Book Review by David Sinclair, The Guardian, 28 May 2005

Johnny Rogan supplies everything you wanted to know about Van Morrison – and even more that you didn't. David Sinclair digests an almost comically unflattering ...

David Gray: Shepherds Bush Empire, London W12

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 27 September 2005

FOR A SOLO SINGER-SONGWRITER kind of guy David Gray favours a reassuringly cluttered performing environment. There was so much equipment, set at odd angles here ...

Arctic Monkeys, Broken Social Scene, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Arctic Monkeys: Whatever People Say I Am…/Clap Your Hands Say Yeah/Broken Social Scene

Review by David Sinclair, The Word, February 2006

WHEN I TOLD my 16-year-old daughter that I was reviewing the debut album by Arctic Monkeys, she was not particularly impressed. "Yes, yes," she said. ...

MySpace: The Missing Link

Report by David Sinclair, The Word, March 2006

Internet phenomenon MySpace provided the Arctic Monkeys with their fast track to fame. It's now adding a million users every week and guess who's just ...

Craig David: Hammersmith Apollo, London W6

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 15 May 2006

CRAIG DAVID IS THE ONLY R&B SUPERSTAR this country has produced. His debut album, Born to Do It, sold eight million copies, while the "flop" ...

David Gilmour: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 31 May 2006

THE PINK FLOYD REUNION at Live 8 last year was not enough to revive the group. But it has propelled David Gilmour’s solo career to ...

Nerina Pallot: The Bloomsbury, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 1 June 2006

YOU CAN'T WALK ROUND A CORNER in West London these days without bumping into Nerina Pallot. The billboard campaign for her second album, Fires, suggests ...

Blondie: Blonde on Blonde

Interview by David Sinclair, The Independent, 13 July 2006

WHEN BLONDIE were admitted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, earlier this year, it seemed about time. After thirty million ...

Mary Gauthier: The Roundhouse, London NW1

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 7 November 2006

IN ITS CONTINUING BID to corner every must-see gig in town, the refurbished Roundhouse has incorporated the Freedom Studio, a 180-capacity "multi-form" room, buried in ...

The Fratellis: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 6 March 2007

THEY FOUGHT OFF Lily Allen, Corinne Bailey Rae and James Morrison to win the British Breakthrough Act Award at the Brits. Their first album, Costello ...

The Only Ones: Night Of The Living Dead

Report and Interview by David Sinclair, The Word, June 2007

COME TOGETHER: After 26 years apart, the Only Ones have climbed aboard the reunion bandwagon. They have more reasons than most, as they tell DAVID ...

Laura Veirs: Bush Hall, London W12

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 3 August 2007

LAURA VEIRS EXISTS in a universe that runs parallel to the mainstream music industry, if not directly counter to it. With six studio albums to ...

Elbow: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 18 April 2008

WHAT A LONG, hard slog it has been for Elbow. Eighteen years in the pop trenches and still only on their fourth album. They have ...

Kings of Leon: Brighton Centre, Brighton

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 3 December 2008

CALEB FOLLOWILL was in an expansive mood as Kings of Leon began their biggest British tour yet. "This has been one of the best years ...

The Hold Steady: Carling Academy, Oxford

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 10 December 2008

ON THE FACE OF IT, the Hold Steady are upholders of a classic rock tradition. A five-man, New York group who craft their songs out ...

Island Records: A History of Cool

Report by David Sinclair, The Times, 30 May 2009

From Nick Drake and Roxy Music to Mika and McFly – David Sinclair charts 50 years of Island Records. ...

The Dead Weather: Boston Arms, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 25 June 2009

EIGHT YEARS AFTER I first saw the White Stripes play in the back room of the Boston Arms pub in Tufnell Park, North London, Jack ...

Spinal Tap: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 2 July 2009

THE BIZARRE blurring of the lines between comedic fiction and showbusiness reality continued apace with the staging of Spinal Tap's "One Night Only World Tour" ...

David Gray: The Roundhouse, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 16 September 2009

ON THE DAY HIS NEW ALBUM, Draw the Line, was released, David Gray began a short run of UK shows with a workmanlike performance. Four ...

John Mayer: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 20 January 2010

GREETED BY a tumultuous wave of adulation, John Mayer arrived on stage looking like an all-American college freshman; pale trousers, trainers, clean-cut, preppy hairstyle. Halfway ...

Laura Veirs: Union Chapel, London N1

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 29 January 2010

A set dominated by music from her latest album July Flame did not disappoint fans of the Oregon folk singer-songwriter ...

Ne-Yo: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 16 February 2010

IF YOU wanted a Valentine’s Day show with all the trimmings, then Ne-Yo on Sunday night was your man. There was champagne and fireworks, bunches ...

Jamie Cullum: Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 11 May 2010

JAMIE CULLUM’S blend of jazz, pop and anything else that comes to hand may not be to everyone’s taste, but he certainly knows how to ...

Robert Sandall, 1952 2010

Obituary by David Sinclair, The Sunday Times, 21 July 2010

David Sinclair, a friend of Robert Sandall's since the 1970s, remembers the life of the late, great Sunday Times music critic, who died on Tuesday. ...

Black Country Communion: Return of the Rock-and-Roll Supergroup

Report and Interview by David Sinclair, Daily Telegraph, 29 September 2010

THE ROCK SUPERGROUP is back. Once a byword for hype and hubris, the idea of renowned musicians getting together to form instantly famous new groups ...

Black Country Communion: Victoria Park, London E3

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 26 July 2011

THE ANGLO-AMERICAN "SUPERGROUP" Black Country Communion began their British tour with a muscular performance towards the end of the closing day of the High Voltage ...

Childish Gambino: The Basement at the Camp, EC1

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 27 January 2012

IT IS ABOUT time someone challenged the "get rich or die trying" stereotype that has dominated hip-hop music on its journey from ghetto art to ...

Neil Cowley Trio: Queen Elizabeth Hall, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 19 March 2012

NEIL COWLEY was 10 when he last played here. Now 39, he plays keyboards with acts ranging from the Brand New Heavies to Adele (on ...

McFly: HMV Apollo, London W6

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 10 April 2012

MCFLY HAVE never paid much attention to the traditional boyband script. It is eight years since their first single, '5 Colours in Her Hair', reached ...

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