Penny Kiley
Penny Kiley began her freelance career as the Melody Maker's token punk rocker (and Liverpool correspondent) in the late 1970s and also wrote for Smash Hits during the early '80s.
She was pop columnist for the Liverpool Echo for several years, during which she tried hard to avoid mentioning the Beatles.
She is retired from the music business (for now) and currently makes a living as a web editor. She enjoys the occasional rant about music here and shares her musical memories here.
41 articles
List of articles in the library
Penetration: Mountford Hall, Liverpool
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 5 May 1979
Pauline in the safety zone ...
Wayne County & The Electric Chairs: Wayne County: Eric's, Liverpool
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 19 May 1979
...and then he was she ...
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 26 May 1979
pragVEC'S THIRD visit to Liverpool, and a quiet Thursday night at Eric's. A handful of people were scattered around the club to watch Penetration (playing ...
Interview by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 9 June 1979
"To see in rock and roll something other than immediate obsolescence demands faith and patience." PENNY KILEY draws a bead on the Cramps, America's rockabilly ...
The Teardrop Explodes: Teardrops Rising
Report and Interview by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 21 July 1979
Are Teardrop Explodes the best thing to come out of Liverpool since… (oh, you know who)? And where do Echo and the Bunnymen fit in? ...
Buzzcocks, Joy Division: The Buzzcocks, Joy Division: Mountford Hall, Liverpool
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 12 October 1979
OF IMAGES AND IDOLS ...
The Passions: Eric's, Liverpool
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 26 January 1980
THE PASSIONS' return to Liverpool was a pleasant surprise after their last visit, when inauspicious circumstances had clouded their performance. And another contrast was provided ...
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: Eric's, Liverpool
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 23 February 1980
ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES are going to be big. It's the opening night of an important tour, on home ground (almost), and the message is there. It's there ...
Nightmares in Wax: Eric's, Liverpool
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 1 March 1980
IT'S THE Nightmares in Wax's second gig after a long break. The previous week's appearance (at Liverpool's Everyman Bistro) was a disappointment, marred by alcohol ...
Nightmares in Wax: Bravado and Porn
Profile and Interview by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 22 March 1980
FOR ALL those who saw the Police on tour last summer and hated the support band because they weren't tasteful, here's another band you'll hate: ...
Report by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 29 March 1980
PENNY KILEY on the demise of Liverpool Eric's — the city's rock 'n' roll heart. ...
Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 5 July 1980
HERE'S the first Ultravox album since signing to Chrysalis, and the first since Midge Ure filled the space left by John Foxx. The new lead ...
Interview by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 2 August 1980
Penny Kiley uncovers a smile on the face of the robots, and discovers that synthesizers are just rock'n'roll hardware. ...
Buzzcocks: A problem in communication
Interview by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 4 October 1980
PENNY KILEY talks to the Buzzcocks ...
Delta 5, Gang of Four, Pere Ubu: Gang of Four, Pere Ubu, Delta 5: Mountford Hall, Liverpool
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 21 March 1981
Firing on all Four ...
Rip Rig And Panic: Warehouse, Liverpool
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 23 January 1982
That's entertainment ...
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Smash Hits, 1 April 1982
PIGBAG ARE 'HOT' at the moment and so are the audience — very hot. The Warehouse Club (originally a real warehouse and cosily underground like ...
Everything But The Girl, Marine Girls, Tracey Thorn: Marine Girls: On the beach
Interview by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 3 April 1982
Penny Kiley gets in the swim with the Marine Girls and discovers fishy goings-on in Hatfield. ...
Frantic Elevators: Adam's Club, Liverpool
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 10 April 1982
Glad tune rising ...
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Smash Hits, 24 June 1982
THE GANG OF Four are one of the few groups who are almost always better on stage than on record. After a sticky patch last ...
Nikki Sudden: The hippest prince
Interview by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 10 July 1982
Nikki Sudden discusses hero worship with Penny Kiley ...
Prince Far I & Creation Rebel: Dingwalls, Liverpool
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 19 February 1983
Enough is enough ...
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Smash Hits, 17 March 1983
SPEAR OF DESTINY are not just Theatre Of Hate by a new name. In fact, pretentious names, a guitarist and a bass player are all ...
The Farm, The Style Council: Style Council, The Farm, The High V: Empire Theatre, Liverpool
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 7 May 1983
NEW SOUNDS, NO STYLE ...
The Smiths: Liverpool Polytechnic
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 5 November 1983
WHAT ARE you to think when the group come on stage and start throwing flowers into the audience? On this occasion, a practical response seems ...
Tears For Fears: Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 10 December 1983
THE LIGHT show was the best thing about it. But then a "computerised lighting display" is something to compete with. And if Tears For Fears ...
Jayne County: The Pink Palace, Liverpool
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 8 September 1984
THE FIRST thing Jayne County has to say is "It's a bit short, can't you make it any longer?" And she was only talking about ...
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 29 September 1984
The People's Poet ...
Aswad, Wah!: The Mighty Wah!, Aswad, High Five: Peoples Festival, St George's Hall, Liverpool
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 29 September 1984
"THIS IS the first Liverpool gig I've ever enjoyed," announced Pete Wylie at the end of the set, and it was probably the one that ...
Depeche Mode: Empire, Liverpool
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 6 October 1984
SOFT SELL ...
Frankie Goes To Hollywood: Royal Court, Liverpool
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 5 January 1985
HOMETOWN BOYS ...
Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers: Rockin' And Romance (Rough Trade)
Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 29 June 1985
IF JONATHAN RICHMAN'S single, 'That Summer Feeling', isn't a hit this year, you can only blame it on the Met Office. Richman, eternal cult figure, ...
Half Man Half Biscuit: TV And Biscuits
Interview by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 4 January 1986
'The Continuous Cremation Of Hattie Jacques' is a song by Birkenhead phenomenon HALF MAN HALF BISCUIT, championed by Peel and already local celebrities. Penny Kiley ...
The Icicle Works: In At The Deep End
Interview by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 18 January 1986
Have THE ICICLE WORKS suddenly become hip? Do they actually have something to say? Penny Kiley thinks so. ...
Sandie Shaw: Liverpool University
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 5 July 1986
A GIRL CALLED SANDIE ...
Howlin' Wilf & The Vee-Jays: Cry Wilf! (Big Beat)
Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 23 August 1986
YOU COULD be mistaken into thinking this record is a joke. From the name, the nearly-trendy old-fashioned line-up (guitar and skirt, stand-up bass and cap, ...
Frank Chickens: Educating Frank
Interview by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 6 September 1986
Mixing kimonos with pink socks, FRANK CHICKENS are the ultimate culture shock. Now they sometimes forget they're not English and are firmly intent on changing ...
The Communards: Royal Court, Liverpool
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 29 November 1986
YOU KNEW as soon as you saw the big vases of flowers on each side of the stage that this wasn't going to be a ...
Microdisney: Liverpool Polytechnic
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 7 May 1988
HAVING RECOVERED from Edward Barton screaming at us that he's got no chicken but he's got five wooden chairs, seeing Microdisney was yet another shock. ...
The Primitives: The Royal Court, Liverpool
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 7 May 1988
IN MY FAR off youth, I was once most insulted when a friend dismissed 'Sheena Is A Punk Rocker' as "Bubblegum". The good thing about ...
The Quireboys, Burning Tree: Royal Court, Liverpool
Live Review by Penny Kiley, Melody Maker, 5 May 1990
ON STAGE, support band Burning Tree are exhibiting the mellow, melancholy side of heavy rock and hints of the pop-rock crossover potential that the Quireboys ...
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