NEWS, PLANS & GENERAL PRATTLE, 2025

24 - 2 - 2025

A splendid start to the year with another of my chat evenings, this time at the wonderful Barakuba in Basel. An absolutely splendid and comfortable venue, run by a bunch of people who couldn't have been any more friendly and welcoming to me. Plus, a packed audience who were a real joy to talk to.

March 2025

A research trip took me to the Staatsarchiv of the Kanton Appenzell Ausserrhoden in Herisau, in the Eastern hills of Switzerland. I spent a thoroughly rivetting morning there, perusing the documents the archivists had kindly dug out from their vast trove of fading paper. It had been a long time since I was last in these parts, and I'd forgotten quite how strange the architecture can be here.

2 - 4 - 2025

So, to Chichester for the fantastic Pallant House Gallery. Comprehensive Dora Carrington exhibition which covered pretty much her whole tragically short life. Uneven, I thought. Also, Maggi Hambling's new collection "Nightingale Night" (right). Plus, outside near the café a rather unexpected piece by Tracey Emin (far right).

19 - 4 - 2025

Hastings is a fine place for a day trip to have a few beers with my friend Ron. This time, I made sure to be early enough for a visit to the art gallery, Hastings Contemporary. Here's a piece I particularly enjoyed: Lonnie Holley's "Working in the House" (2020).

The beach with its alluringly black and bleak architecture and the omnipresent seagulls has its own charm, of course.

And there's been a few gigs, too. First off, the surreal and ludicrously enjoyable spectacle of the Sex Pistols at the Royal Albert Hall, with Frank Carter (ex-Gallows, Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes, etc.) a fearless and thoroughly entertaining frontman. Frankly, I couldn 't care less what John Lydon has to say about this venture. Then, Elton John and Brandi Carlile launching their rather fine duo album at the Palladium theatre. With all his recent health scares and troubles, Elton visibly struggled to get to his piano seat. But once his microphone was in place and his fingers hit the keys, he instantly became thirty years younger, at least. A great show consisting of a few new songs, a couple of covers and a handful of evergreens from both singers (Carlile's "The Story" was especially brilliant) ended, of course, with the euphoria-inducing "I'm Still Standing". And, finally, a mini-version of the Mekons getting in the groove for their soon-come European tour at a new venue, to me, the excellent Signature Brewhouse in Haggerston.

1 - 9 - 2025

The summer has gone in a flash, what with researching and writing the extra material that comes with the comprehensively revised new edition of my Michael Jackson biography first published in July 2009. Also, of course, preparations for the publication of my story collection "Das Wetter zwischen Jukebox und Theke", out now in a gorgeous edition from Geparden Verlag.

7 - 10 - 2025

The book festival Sprachsalz in Kufstein was once again a very special and very joyful occasion. Amongst the authors this time were Hannic Han Biao Federer, Mieko Kawakami, Marco Kerler, Franz Hohler and the splendid Wreckless Eric aka Eric Goulden whom I had the massive pleasure of talking to on stage, twice! Also, I was allowed to read from my own "Jukebox" book, too. Thank you, Sprachsalz. Another boon of this year's edition was the fact that we had time to explore the massive "Schloss" in the excellent company of Brigitte Zeh. A delightful four days all round.

Here's me, introduced by Alexander Cluj; photo by Denis Moergenthaler

And here's Wreckless Eric (left) with Ernst Gossner who read the German translation. Their reading/performance of the gestation of "Whole Wide World" on Friday was so sensational that the duo was added as a special surprise dessert to Saturday's gala dinner show. Photo Denis M.

From Kufstein it was to Munich for a couple of days of art, parks and great company, and onwards from there to the South of Italy for a holiday. Bari and Lecce are very attractive towns indeed, and the place where we stayed, Muro Leccese, offered plenty of delights, too. Including a fete to do with a Saint, complete with a performance from ancient Italian hitmakers I Cugini di Campagna. Left to right: Polignano a Mare, Muro Leccese, I Cugini di Campagna.

And tomorrow, 8 October, is a red letter day: at 20:00 begins my own book launch at the gorgeous Sphères bookshop/café in Zurich. The wonderful Bettina Spoerri is going to ask me some questions...