Library Rock's Backpages

Dave McCullough

Dave McCullough

Dave McCullough (pictured with the Clash's Mick Jones) wrote extensively for Sounds in the late '70s and early '80s. He died in 2013, at the age of 55.

John Carney on McCullough

Dave McCullough speaking in 1983

84 articles

List of articles in the library

By date | By artist | Most recently added

The Undertones: 'Teenage Kicks' Is The Undertones' EP

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 30 September 1978

DAVE McCULLOUGH FINDS PURE PUNK IN DARKEST DERRY ...

Gang Of Four Bang

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 11 November 1978

NOT JUSTA BUNCHA COMMIES, SEZ DAVE McCULLOUGH ...

James Chance & the Contortions, DNA, Mars, Teenage Jesus & the Jerks: The Contortions, Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, Mars, D.N.A.: No New York (Antilles AN 7067)****

Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 2 December 1978

Terminal weirdness... ...

The Subway Sect: The Northern Soul of Vic Godard

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 2 December 1978

A SUBWAY SECT INTERVIEW concerning John Travolta, Françoise Hardy, Les Dawson, Zola, Nosmo King, Abba and other street heroes. By DAVE McCULLOUGH ...

The Clash, The Slits: Music Machine, London

Live Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 6 January 1979

A love that burns ...

Scritti Politti: The Nitty Gritty on Scritti Politti

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 13 January 1979

Tea and empathy shared by DAVE McCULLOUGH                                                           * ...

Jilted John: This week's fine point of philosophical conjecture: Melancholy Is Truth

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 20 January 1979

In support, drama student Graham Fellows (ex-Jilted John), a man given to public displays of raw feeling. ...

The Cure: Kill or Cure

Report and Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 27 January 1979

  WHEN YOU "do the singles", as we in the trade like to term the chore, it's a harrowing task. ...

Lene Lovich: Sax And The Single Girl: Lene Lovich's Lucky Number Comes Up

Report and Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 24 February 1979

  LAY-NA LUV-ITCH. The woman suddenly appears behind the counter and with the cheeriest of smiles starts to sign 12-inch copies of her chartbound 'Lucky Number' ...

The Skids: Hope, Glory and Albert Tatlock

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 10 March 1979

SANDY MUIR looks like he's just won the pools. His head is severed in half by a cheeky, nervous grin, his hair is tidily groomed, ...

The Fall: Nashville, London

Live Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 17 March 1979

Psychotic awareness — it's the new thing ...

Doll By Doll: Remember (AutomaticK56618)**

Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 24 March 1979

Dull by Doll ...

The Fall: Live At The Witch Trials (Step Forward SFLB 1) *****

Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 24 March 1979

Music for the man who has everything (and wants it all on one album) ...

The Specials: Moonlight Club, London

Live Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 24 March 1979

Speciality of the house ...

The Specials: Rude Boys in the Jungle

Profile and Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 7 April 1979

DAVE McCULLOUGH REJOICES AS THE SPECIAL AKA (MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE SPECIALS) BREAK FREE AND GAIN COMPLETE CONTROL. ...

The Undertones: The Undertones (Sire SRK 6070)*****

Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 5 May 1979

Teenage dreamland ...

ABBA: Voulez Vous (Epic Epc 86) *****

Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 12 May 1979

Fall fan's strange Abbaration ...

Magazine: Down in the Warehouse at Midnight

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 12 May 1979

Fresh-faced cub reporter Dave McCullough is summoned to a bizarre battle of wits with sinister mastermind Howard Devoto ...

Nips, The (aka The Nipple Erectors): The Nips: Death To Art Rock!

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 19 May 1979

DAVE McCULLOUGH GETS HIP TO THE NIPS ...

Nick Lowe, Rockpile: Rockpile: Strictly For The Laughs (so laugh, then)

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 30 June 1979

THE ROCKPILE PHILOSOPHY AS TOLD TO DAVE McCULLOUGH ...

Swell Maps: A Trip To Marineville

Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 7 July 1979

YOU EITHER talk about the reality that is rock and roll or you talk about nothing. You either express truth or you express 'Truth', the ...

Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures (Factory Records Fact 10) *****

Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 14 July 1979

DEATH DISCO ...

The Clash, The Mo-dettes, Tenpole Tudor: The Clash

Report and Interview by Garry Bushell, Dave McCullough, Sounds, 14 July 1979

"Punk was about change. We don't want to belong to any tradition... we don't walk around with green hair and bondage trousers anymore. We just ...

Cockney Rejects and the Rise of New Punk

Interview by Garry Bushell, Dave McCullough, Sounds, 4 August 1979

'I WANNA go back to where it all began/I wanna do a gig in my back garden/I wanna have a laugh before the press get ...

The Distractions, The Fall, Joy Division: The Fall, Joy Division, the Distractions et al: Stuff The Superstars Special, Mayflower Club, Manchester

Live Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 4 August 1979

Manchester city fun ...

Angelic Upstarts: Teenage Warning

Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 11 August 1979

HOW MANY p's in oppression? Aww, what can you say? Contrary no doubt to opinions expressed elsewhere on the subject, Teenage Warning is not an ...

Joy Division: Pseud Yourself

Report and Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 11 August 1979

TRUTH, JUSTICE AND THE MANCUNIAN WAY — DAVE McCULLOUGH GETS NO JOY (INFORMATION-WISE) FROM JOY DIVISION ...

Echo & The Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes: The Teardrop Explodes, Echo & the Bunnymen: Zoo Games

Report and Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 25 August 1979

A small label at the warm end of the cold wave. The music of the Eighties! says Dave McCullough. ...

Al Green: The Venue, London

Live Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 1 September 1979

FA FA fa fa love song! Al Green used to be a soul singer and now he's An Entertainer. Fa fa fa fa, goodbye! ...

This Heat: This Heat (Piano Records This 1)****

Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 8 September 1979

Metallic, but not nocturnal. Knoworrimean? Probably not ...

The Atrix, The Blades, DC Nien, U2, The Virgin Prunes: U2 et al: Coming up for Eire

Report by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 15 September 1979

DAVE McCULLOUGH GOES STRICTLY DUBLIN-WISE AND UNEARTHS A BUNCH OF EXCITING NEW SOUTHERN IRISH ACTS ...

The Jam: This Is The Modern Poet

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 22 September 1979

Paul Weller gets serious with Dave McCullough ...

The Slits: Awkward in Interviews, Awkward in Life

Report and Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 22 September 1979

DAVE McCULLOUGH CONFRONTS THE SLITS ...

Buzzcocks: Sex, Fast Cars and a Different Kind of Buzzcock

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 6 October 1979

The spiritual awakening of Steve Diggle. ...

The Stranglers: No poofters

Report and Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 13 October 1979

Dave McCullough hits the Sardine trail to the Portuguese outback for a knees-up with the Stranglers ...

The Specials: Specials (2 Tone CDL TT5001)***

Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 20 October 1979

Rudies in a rut ...

Abba: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 17 November 1979

Breathe in that clean Swedish mountain air... and chew that high quality gum ...

Essential Logic: The Logical Song

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 17 November 1979

DAVE McCULLOUGH FINDS THE SPIRIT OF FIFTIES JAZZ ALIVE AND WELL IN DEEPEST ACTON ...

Public Image Ltd.: Metal Box (Virgin)*****

Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 24 November 1979

PiLled to the gills ...

Pink Floyd: The Wall (EMI SHSP 4111)*

Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 1 December 1979

There can only be one place to line up tax-exile millionaires who make concept albums about what a terrible hand life has dealt them... UP AGAINST ...

The Mekons, The Raincoats: The Raincoats: The Raincoats (Rough Trade Rough 3)**; The Mekons: The Quality Of Mercy Is Not Strnen (Virgin V2143)*

Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 8 December 1979

Shrieks from the Grove ...

Scritti Politti: This week's literary headline... Turn Of The Scrits

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 8 December 1979

Scritti Politti are the Henry James of rock, says DAVE McCULLOUGH, THE JOURNALIST. ...

U2: Moonlight Club, London

Live Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 8 December 1979

Honesty goes out of control ...

The Jam: Rainbow Theatre, London

Live Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 15 December 1979

Slap your back ...

Au Pairs: The Au Pairs: Battle of the Sexes

Profile and Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 5 January 1980

I REMEMBER I got a letter some time ago from Ali of Another Tuneless Racket fanzine from Scotland, in which the author questioned the reasoning ...

U2 Can Have A Body Like Mine

Profile and Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 12 January 1980

LIKE HEY! What is going on around me? ...

Simple Minds: Not as simple as all that

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 19 January 1980

Simple Minds talk to DAVE ("we hoped it would someone nicer") McCULLOUGH ...

Crass are crass

Comment by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 2 February 1980

IT SEEMS, at the present at any rate, there's no escaping The Crass Phenomenon. The "alternative charts" (the accurate few at that!) see them emerging ...

The Skids: Richard Jobson Goes Over The Wall

Report and Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 9 February 1980

  THE TAXI-Driver left us nervously on the street where Checkpoint Charlie straddles East and West Berlin in a row of ragged, low-key huts and buildings ...

Chic, Sister Sledge: Sister Sledge: Love Somebody Today (Cotillion K506639)****

Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 15 March 1980

STRANGE ONES, to be sure, are the disco misfits that emerge from (ahem) the Chic Organisation Ltd, aka plain ole Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, ...

The Undertones: Teenage Hicks

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 12 April 1980

The Undertones backlash starts here. Well, not really. But Dave McCullough is worried... ...

Magazine: Soap

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 17 May 1980

THE NON-DEVOTO MAGAZINE STORY. CONFUSED? YOU WILL BE AFTER READING DAVE McCULLOUGH'S INTERVIEW ...

Young Marble Giants: Let's Hear It For Quiet Music

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 17 May 1980

Young Marble Giants come down off their pedestal to talk with DAVE McCULLOUGH ...

The Human League: Travelogue (Virgin V2160) ***

Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 24 May 1980

Paradoxes in industry chic ...

The Beat: Off The Beaten Track

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 7 June 1980

Dave McCullough suddenly discovers unexpected subtleties, lurking within 'the tatty tinkle of rude boy muzak'. And not because he's just found out that the Beat ...

Spizz: Athletico Spizz 80: Back Into The Future

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 28 June 1980

IN VOGUE BUT OUTDATED 'ATHLETICO SPIZZ 80 ARE THE NEW BORING OLD FARTS' — A SHOCK CLAIM FROM DAVE McCULLOUGH ...

Echo & the Bunnymen: Bunnymen in a Handbag Factory — Crocodiles 1; Bunnymen: 0

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 5 July 1980

Dave McCullough doesn't fret as E & The B's go AoR ...

The Durutti Column: Columnar Collusions

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 16 August 1980

DURUTTI FRUTTI, THE DAVE McCULLOUGH FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH ...

Pere Ubu: "We wanna beat the art rap"

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 20 September 1980

David Thomas and Mayo Thompson tell DAVE McCULLOUGH: "We're not weird/bleak/gloomy etc" and also give him the name of an excellent tailor ...

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: Techno Conservationists

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 25 October 1980

Dave McCullough bumps into Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark ...

The Sound: Jeopardy

Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, November 1980

THE ARBITRARINESS, the inconsistencies of rock tend to help arid hinder, but more hinder a band such as The Sound. It makes some look at ...

Aztec Camera.....After The Fall

Report and Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 3 January 1981

  FLICKING THROUGH the yellow faded pages of a 1913 storybook entitled Happy Rhymes And Funny Times, you come to a page with a picture of ...

Felt: A Felt Tip

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 17 January 1981

THIS IS getting ridiculous. I'll have to do a heavy metal band soon. You mean you don't even drink? Jon Lawrence said No with a ...

Basement 5: 1965-1980 (Island ILPS 9641) **

Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 24 January 1981

This album degrades women ...

Felt: The Moonlight Club, London

Live Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 31 January 1981

RATHER FRAGILE and stark, Felt played the Moonlight as support to some Godforsaken lacquery crew named Modern English and most of the time looked distinctly ...

Dollar: The Paris Collection (WEA K58246) ****

Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 21 February 1981

Dollar duo in 'Cabaret Voltaire influence' shock claim ...

The Associates: Oor Billy!

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 28 March 1981

THE ASSOCIATES' own Mackenzie renounces all evil and talks to Dave McCullough instead ...

Altered Images: Night Of The Living Dead Pop Stars

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 11 April 1981

THIS IS a musical box. The figure at the top is a pretty girl called Claire. She does a spinning entrancing dance. It's an old ...

The Birthday Party, Mass: Moonlight Club, London

Live Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 11 April 1981

WALKING THROUGH the doors we were confronted by a half-demonic Greek grin from Harry Pop. From behind it the unmistakeably masochist vowels soon intoned: "You've ...

Kraftwerk: Computer World (EMI EMC 3370) ***

Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 16 May 1981

Deutschmark doublethink ...

New Order: Forum Dance Hall, London

Live Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 16 May 1981

Mystic energy on tap ...

Au Pairs: The Au Pairs: Spot The Differents

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 6 June 1981

DAVE McCULLOUGH gets on the AU PAIRS platform ...

Duran Duran: This Is Planet Mirth

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 13 June 1981

Dave McCullough gets jolly with Duran Duran ...

Dollar: Working For The Swanky Dollar

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 26 September 1981

DAVE McCULLOUGH unearths the grisly truth behind pop's most loving couple ...

Haircut 100: A Little Off The Top

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 5 December 1981

DAVE McCULLOUGH collects snippets of information from HAIRCUT 100 ...

Lydia Lunch: Venue, London

Live Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 5 December 1981

The Lunch that made me sick ...

Adam & the Ants: Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London

Live Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 2 January 1982

Reach for the thigh ...

23 Skidoo: King's College, London

Live Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 23 January 1982

GOODNESS KNOWS, it's hard enough to sit yourself high in the air and look down penetratingly at anything in rock/pop with a view to clocking ...

Duran Duran: Rio (EMI EMC 3411)

Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 15 May 1982

Don't take me to the Mardi Gras ...

The Clash: Combat Rock (CBS FMLN 2) *****

Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 15 May 1982

Fight to the finish ...

Joy Division, New Order: FAC~T or Fiction

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 12 June 1982

Dave McCullough corresponds with Factory boss TONY WILSON. ...

Dexys Midnight Runners: This one will run and run

Interview by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 24 July 1982

...

Daryl Hall & John Oates: Hall & Oates: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 13 November 1982

Roughage riders ...

The Smiths: ICA, London

Live Review by Dave McCullough, Sounds, 5 October 1983

BY THE way, the Smiths are becoming massive, if I can squeeze in here between Manowar and Waysted (it hurts, but I like it). I ...

back to LIBRARY

COPYRIGHT NOTICE