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Roy Wilkinson

Roy Wilkinson

Roy Wilkinson was born in Newcastle upon Tyne. He has written for print titles including MOJO, Q, Sounds, Select, Kerrang!, The Guardian and The Independent. In 2011 Rough Trade Books published his first book, Do It For Your Mum, a story of family, rock music and forestry based around the band British Sea Power. "The year's finest memoir," said The Guardian.

74 articles

List of articles in the library

By date | By artist | Most recently added

Black Francis: Borderline, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, November 1990

UP THE ROAD, veteran boogie-metal beasts Blackfoot are packing the Marquee but Charles F easily outbids them in the none-blacker rock stakes. For wandering on ...

Blur: Pink Toothbrush, Rayleigh, Essex

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 27 October 1990

Opportunity knocks ...

BMX Bandits, The Pastels, Teenage Fanclub: Teenage Fanclub, The Pastels, BMX Bandits: New Cross Venue, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 12 January 1991

HOOTS MON and eat your heart out Andy Stewart. The sporran-studded Hogmanay Jockstravaganza started early last year with this pre-Xmas gathering of the clans. ...

Bogshed, Gaye Bykers on Acid: Gaye Bykers On Acid, Bogshed: Sir George Robey, Finsbury Park, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 3 January 1987

ON A BLANKLY bleak winter's night in a blandly ugly corner of North London, a mouldy pub's been temporarily possessed by a terminally dispossessed assortment ...

Bolt Thrower, Prong: Prong, Bolt Thrower: Malet Street ULU, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 21 January 1989

Extreme noise tremors ...

Buffalo Tom: Zap Club, Brighton

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 14 July 1990

Bovine spongiform ...

Built To Spill: Keep It Like A Secret

Review by Roy Wilkinson, Select, March 1999

FIFTH ALBUM from Doug Martsch's Idaho-based alterna-rockers. This album sees BTS's first settled rhythm section, with drummer Scott Plouf joining bassist Brett Nelson. Plouf used ...

Butthole Surfers: FU Proof Technology

Interview by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 12 January 1991

DEEP IN the heart of Texas, a marriage seemingly made in hell continues to flourish. ...

The Cateran, Nirvana, Tad: Nirvana/Tad/The Cateran: SOAS, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 4 November 1989

Half the bloated business moguls in Britain have never heard of them. They were not invited to appear at the Smash Hits poll-winners party – ...

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Seeds of Discontent: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Kilburn National Ballroom, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 23 July 1988

FROM THE TOP of his lank, greased-back hair to the bottom of his Old Testament soul, old Nick is Bible black. To invoke such well-known ...

Julian Cope: Citizen Cain'd

Review by Roy Wilkinson, MOJO, March 2005

From his personal Xanadu, Julian Cope emerges with a straight-ahead rock album for the 21st century. ...

Julee Cruise: Palladium, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 23 February 1991

A dream of Julee ...

Diesel Park West, Voice Of The Beehive: Voice Of The Beehive, Diesel Park West, The Neighbourhood: University Of London Union

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 29 October 1988

STUDENTS ARE, by and large, a reviled bunch and, judging by tonight's bland acceptance of some bewilderingly sub-standard musical fare, quite rightly so. Huey Lewis ...

Dinosaur Jr.: Green Genie

Interview by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 12 January 1991

With his permanently glazed expression and incredible apathy, J MASCIS is the most famously inert man in pop. But that hasn't stopped DINOSAUR JR. from ...

Dinosaur Jr.: The Beastie Noise

Interview by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 12 December 1987

From out of an American sleaze-pit come DINOSAUR — power rock in the tradition of the Hendrix Experience and Cream. ROY WILKINSON seeks out the ...

Bill Drummond: The Man

Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 8 November 1986

HE USED to be a deep sea trawlerman, used to manage the Bunnymen and the Teardrops, and had the dubious honour of playing with Holly ...

Mark Eitzel: Borderline, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 26 January 1991

The last laugh ...

Embrace: Drawn From Memory

Review by Roy Wilkinson, Select, April 2000

THIS FOLLOW-UP to 1998's The Good Will Out album was recorded with Trisan Norwell in London, Leeds and Gloucestershire. Perhaps inspired by his work with ...

Faith No More: No More Mr Nice Guy

Interview by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 21 May 1988

As the custom-made rock off FAITH NO MORE goes into overdrive in Belgium, ROY WILKINSON is on hand to meet them. ...

The Fall, Smith & Mighty: The Fall: Hey! Luciani – The Times, Life & Codex Of Albino Luciani, London Riverside Studios

Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 13 December 1986

TWO WEEKS after David Byrne's True Stories opened in Britain, Mark E Smith weighs in with his own medium expansion, Hey! Luciani, a play based ...

Feist: The Lady From The Advert

Profile and Interview by Roy Wilkinson, The Word, December 2007

She's the latest beneficiary of the TV ad "sync" but there's more to folk apparition Feist's story than would fit on a nano ...

fIREHOSE, Sonic Youth: Sonic Youth, fIREHOSE: Town And Country Club, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 13 June 1987

KICK OUT yr jams and say hello to the Neuro City 4 Itinerant Rockin' Circus Ensemble (Incorporating The Iggy Pop Sound Experience). ...

Franz Ferdinand

Interview by Roy Wilkinson, MOJO, February 2004

Post-punk guitars, and looking back to go forward ...

Fugazi, Thatcher on Acid: Paradiso, Amsterdam

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 15 September 1990

IN PEACENIK Europe, Thatcher's keeness to lay into the Iraqi bootboys is seen as firm evidence that the mad cow is still deceased and the ...

Grant Hart: Intolerance

Review by Roy Wilkinson, MOJO, March 2008

This month in our dusting-off of the ignored: post-punk's answer to Lou Reed's Transformer. ...

Luke Haines: Goodbye To All That

Interview by Roy Wilkinson, The Word, June 2003

Luke Haines is music's Graham Greene, a scowling misanthrope with a highly-placed following and a withering perspective on his homeland. How has the who who's ...

Happy Mondays: Black Horse, Camden, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 16 May 1987

STUMBLING ON like a misdirected sextet of Stretford End psychopaths who've come down for the match and somehow ended up in this scale model of ...

Happy Mondays: Black Horse, Camden, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 16 May 1987

STUMBLING ON like a misdirected sextet of Stretford End psychopaths who've come down for the match and somehow ended up in this scale model of ...

The Human League: Leisure Centre, Crawley

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 6 December 1987

A VAGUELY remembered pop song once listed the things that dreams are made of: "London, New York, Paris, Munich, good times." ...

Hüsker Dü, Bob Mould: Bob Mould: Raining in my Hart

Interview by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 1 September 1990

Having moved from Minnesota to New York, Bob Mould's second solo LP, Black Sheets Of Rain, is more amped-up, urban angst than acoustic, pastoral pain. ...

Jane's Addiction: Subterania, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 6 October 1990

WHEN JA front-spook Perry Farrell concocted his stage name, he did more than give us a pun. Mad thespian trouper Perry is always teetering gamely ...

Killing Joke: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 26 November 1986

WHO IS this man with the glistening curly locks? ...

The KLF: Doctorin' The Charts

Retrospective and Interview by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 24 November 1990

When THE JUSTIFIED ANCIENTS OF MU MU released a house record in 1987 everyone wondered what the f**k was going on. Abba killed off THE ...

The KLF: Great Luminaries of Our Time

Interview by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 2 March 1991

Over the past five years, THE KLF have operated under a variety of guises but, now that they've brought such immaculate sounds as '3AM Eternal' ...

L7: Smell The Magic (Glitterhouse)***½

Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 6 October 1990

THE FOXCORE tag may have been coined with tongues in cheeks but L7 prove the NWOAB (New Wave Of American Babes) has substance. Their second ...

LL Cool J: Bigger And Deffer (Def Jam 450515)

Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 6 June 1987

DEF FOREVER ...

Madonna: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 29 August 1987

CICCONE CABARET ...

Mazzy Star: Astral Peaks

Profile and Interview by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 16 June 1990

From the ashes of Opal, David Roback has created the most auspicious Mazzy Star. Roy Wilkinson applauds their blue-skied guitars. ...

Mazzy Star: Stars in their eyes: Mazzy Star: Woody's, New York

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 1 September 1990

"OLA! I got you some bangles," ad-libs Hope Sandoval, looking like Nastassja Kinski had she opted for transcendental folk music instead of Roman Polanski. ...

Megadeth: Megadumb

Interview by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 28 May 1988

Even as MEGADETH have ploughed a smooth trajectory towards the megabuck realms of big league megametal, leader DAVE MUSTAINE has grown ever more muddled in ...

The Mission: Astoria, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 9 April 1988

MISSION II: On Monday, The Mish came a cropper, limping off after a malformed 'Tower Of Strength' appropriately put paid to a well-below-par showing. ...

Mudhoney: Angels With Muddy Faces

Interview by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 13 May 1989

MUDHONEY's music is a wild thing — garage grunge and Iggy-style abandon. In person they're mild-mannered, middle class Americans with a hopeless addiction to Sham 69 ...

My Bloody Valentine: ICA, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 4 July 1987

NOT BLOODY BUT BLAND ...

Ned's Atomic Dustbin: Rummaging In The Bass Bin

Interview by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 16 February 1991

In a classic case of jobs for the boys, NED'S ATOMIC DUSTBIN developed their own unorthodox formation. ROY WILKINSON meets their two electric bassists ...

New Order: All Aboard The Brothership

Interview by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 6 September 1986

Not baited and not bearlike, NEW ORDER emerge from the shadow of past misunderstandings and smile benificently upon ROY WILKINSON. They manage to convey their ...

N.W.A.: Straight Outta Compton (Fourth & Broadway) *****

Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 9 September 1989

Guns and girls and rap 'n' roll ...

The Pixies: Surfer Rosa To Super Nova

Interview by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 20 December 1990

Three years ago, the irrepressible Pixies set the rock scene buzzing with their howling, primeval sound. In 1990 they stepped from this murky past and ...

The Pixies: Surfer Rosa (4AD CAD803/CD)****

Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 19 March 1988

CATCH THIS WAVE! ...

The Pixies, Throwing Muses: Throwing Muses, The Pixies: Rat Club, Boston MA

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 19 September 1987

EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, excellent. Extremely excellent. F then six asterisks then another excellent. ...

Primal Scream: Sonic Flower Groove (Elevation ELV2) ***

Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 10 October 1987

PSONIC UNSOUND ...

The Psychedelic Furs: All Of This And Nothing (CBS 4611104/CD) ****

Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 6 August 1988

CHEEKBONES JUTTING, skin pallid, voice abrading, this is rock hewn from the demi-monde, a realm where a draw on a cig should always be meticulously ...

Pulp: 100 Club, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 13 December 1986

STROLLING ON with all the visual impact of a bar mitzvah band from the Depression, Pulp are getting over a dormant interlude based around singer ...

Pulp: Preaching From The Pulpit

Interview by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 27 June 1987

Sheffield popsters Pulp are creating a haunting music which is virtually without peer in the Britain of 1987. We meet them on the eve of ...

Schoolly D: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 22 November 1986

"ROCK 'N' roll living's a thing of the past, so all you longhaired faggots can kiss my ass. Say it loud, I love rap and ...

Schoolly D: Am I Black Enough For You (Jive HIP85/CD) ***

Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 2 September 1989

AT THE time of The White(y) Album Sonic Youth nominated J Mascis for president. In their Rock 'N' Roll For President scheme Schoolly D was ...

Shack: Construction Time Again: The House That Shack Built

Interview by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 26 March 1988

Liverpool's SHACK discuss the concrete and clay behind their latest album. ROY WILKINSON unearths the EastEnders and Derek Hatton influences. ...

Silverfish, Soundgarden: Soundgarden, Silverfish: Astoria, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 14 July 1990

HEAVY PLANT LIFE IN THE GARDEN ...

Skinny Puppy: Fulham Greyhound, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 4 June 1988

AS SKINNY PUPPY'S frontman Kevin Ogilvie – a man known to friends as Nivek Ogre – hoists a hideously pathetic dog dummy over his shoulder ...

Slayer: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 2 May 1987

CARRION LAUGHING ...

Sonic Youth: A Load Of Tony Baloney

Interview by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 1 September 1990

Sonic Youth aren't impressed with Manchester's latest contribution to rock culture. In fact, they think it's a pile of "contrived shit", a real homoerotic, lads-together ...

Soundgarden: 'Kashmir — I Always Thought It Was A Type Of Sweater'

Interview by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 13 May 1989

SOUNDGARDEN's mutant rock springs from a post-punk mentality planted deep in trad metal. ROY WILKINSON watches them break the mould, and snaps the sonic diggers ...

Soundgarden: Sonic Boom Boys

Interview by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 11 February 1989

Soundgarden are in the business of mocking metal's demonic conventions. But their humour goes hand in glove with a homage to rock heritage. Roy Wilkinson watches ...

Soundgarden: Washington State University, Pullman WA

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 13 May 1989

America's garden culture ...

Spandau Ballet: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 10 January 1987

IT'S EVIDENTLY a long way from the Blitz, designer funk and a headful of hedonism to the featureless school assembly hall of Wembley Arena, and ...

The Stone Roses: Welcome To The Stoned Age

Interview by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 15 July 1989

After four years of Manchester obscurity, the Stone Roses suddenly hit critical and public acclaim with their debut LP. Roy Wilkinson talks to them about ...

Stump: Chelsea College, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 30 May 1987

WE'VE BEEN waiting all week for the Stump-O-Ware party, waiting all week for Stump-O-Man. ...

Suicidal Tendencies: Clarendon, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 18 July 1987

IN FOR THE KILL ...

Tad: 8 Way Santa (Sub Pop) ***

Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 9 March 1991

TAD, MAD & DANGEROUS TO KNOW ...

Tad: God's Balls (Sub Pop SP27) ****

Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 6 May 1989

WOODCUTTERS IN rock are few. Jethro Tull may have written an album about 'Songs From The Wood' and Fish chopped logs prior to Marillion, but ...

Talk Talk: Spirit Of Eden

Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 24 September 1988

TALK TALK, OF COURSE, DON'T. Ever since their initial, spurious labelling as a constituent of bosun Le Bon's "New Romantic" master race, the ironically titled ...

Tone Lōc: The Burger King

Interview by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 5 August 1989

Get yourself in shape with Tone Lōc, the monster court jester of rap's ruff, tuff kingdom. Roy Wilkinson chews the fat about girls, grub and ...

The Triffids: ICA, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 2 May 1987

OF THE trio of bands lumped together in the ICA's Desert Island Risks series, Australia's Triffids, casters of many a desert bound, flat horizoned vignette, ...

The Wedding Present: Walthamstow Assembly Hall, London

Live Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 3 May 1986

STANDING IN front of their biggest audience ever and unconcerned at being coerced into a part in indie pop's association-by-attitude amalgam. The Wedding Present are ...

XTC: Andy Partridge, Pop's Dan Archer

Interview by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 11 October 1986

An everyday story of pop music folk. Nine years on and XTC are still waiting to break it big in the USA. Their noise used ...

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