Alastair McKay
@alastairmckay.bsky.social
Journalist/writer. My book Alternatives To Valium: How Punk Rock Saved a Shy Boy’s Life is a collectors’ item. #MDANT. I review music books for Uncut. Send me yours. https://open.substack.com/pub/alastairmckay?
Fascinating night at the Walthamstow Rock ‘n’ Roll Book Club for the (re)launch of James Nice’s history of Factory Records. I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed so many long pauses between questions and answers, with the prevailing sense being “which bit should I say out loud?”
October 14, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Fascinating night at the Walthamstow Rock ‘n’ Roll Book Club for the (re)launch of James Nice’s history of Factory Records. I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed so many long pauses between questions and answers, with the prevailing sense being “which bit should I say out loud?”
A reprise (with some new bits) of one of my favourite interviews (as Sir Rod prepares for Glastonbury). open.substack.com/pub/alastair...
June 21, 2025 at 4:07 PM
A reprise (with some new bits) of one of my favourite interviews (as Sir Rod prepares for Glastonbury). open.substack.com/pub/alastair...
I enjoyed this (very) long profile of the PM, and the revamped New Statesman looks good. However, the correct cover line would be Hellbent On Compromise, which is a) true b) a good thing and c) an Edwyn Collins reference.
June 14, 2025 at 4:53 PM
I enjoyed this (very) long profile of the PM, and the revamped New Statesman looks good. However, the correct cover line would be Hellbent On Compromise, which is a) true b) a good thing and c) an Edwyn Collins reference.
Good to see the Daily Telegraph admitting to the devastation of Thatcherism.
June 9, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Good to see the Daily Telegraph admitting to the devastation of Thatcherism.
Andy Warhol in Rapid Eye Movement fanzine, 1980.
June 5, 2025 at 7:03 AM
Andy Warhol in Rapid Eye Movement fanzine, 1980.
I wrote about photographer Dennis Morris (Bob Marley, Sex Pistols, PiL, the whole punky reggae shebang). It is free ro read. Please share it. open.substack.com/pub/alastair...
April 3, 2025 at 4:14 PM
I wrote about photographer Dennis Morris (Bob Marley, Sex Pistols, PiL, the whole punky reggae shebang). It is free ro read. Please share it. open.substack.com/pub/alastair...
Ladies, form an orderly queue. I wrote about my love of Celtic in what must qualify as more innocent times. It’s in the new Nutmeg magazine. @nutmegmagazine.bsky.social
March 8, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Ladies, form an orderly queue. I wrote about my love of Celtic in what must qualify as more innocent times. It’s in the new Nutmeg magazine. @nutmegmagazine.bsky.social
The great Alex Harvey would have been 90 today. He would have had things to say. (NB this post contains “language” so don’t open it if you’re going to offended.) open.substack.com/pub/alastair...
February 5, 2025 at 7:24 PM
The great Alex Harvey would have been 90 today. He would have had things to say. (NB this post contains “language” so don’t open it if you’re going to offended.) open.substack.com/pub/alastair...
here’s where AI lets you down. It’s actually Brighton’s Evan Ferguson who is linked with West Ham.
January 30, 2025 at 3:46 PM
here’s where AI lets you down. It’s actually Brighton’s Evan Ferguson who is linked with West Ham.
commonplace algorithmic baloney spotted on previously reputable website
January 17, 2025 at 7:51 PM
commonplace algorithmic baloney spotted on previously reputable website
RIP David Lynch
January 16, 2025 at 6:30 PM
RIP David Lynch
happy birthday, elvis!
January 8, 2025 at 8:11 PM
happy birthday, elvis!
Happy new year.
January 1, 2025 at 1:09 AM
Happy new year.
The new @nutmegmagazine.bsky.social is out. It smells of dreams and muddy knees, fresh paint in Ayr, Jock Stein’s hair, a sad pomade, Clachnacuddin, Haribo and record bags from Virgin, The Blasters, whoah, and victory drunk in silver cups by the guilty Jim McLean.
December 10, 2024 at 1:29 PM
The new @nutmegmagazine.bsky.social is out. It smells of dreams and muddy knees, fresh paint in Ayr, Jock Stein’s hair, a sad pomade, Clachnacuddin, Haribo and record bags from Virgin, The Blasters, whoah, and victory drunk in silver cups by the guilty Jim McLean.
I used to have a tape of this. Now I just have my ripped ticket. In other news, I did see Big Star (Posies version) in Memphis once, and Steve Cropper was standing next to me.
December 9, 2024 at 5:41 PM
I used to have a tape of this. Now I just have my ripped ticket. In other news, I did see Big Star (Posies version) in Memphis once, and Steve Cropper was standing next to me.
students of rock’n’roll PR may be interested to read how In Utero by #Nirvana was explained (by fax!). and someone should reprint Gina Arnold’s eyewitness account of that whole thing. it’s less phallocentric than your regular grunge reader
December 8, 2024 at 4:48 PM
students of rock’n’roll PR may be interested to read how In Utero by #Nirvana was explained (by fax!). and someone should reprint Gina Arnold’s eyewitness account of that whole thing. it’s less phallocentric than your regular grunge reader
is it #FallFriday? MES would have hated that.
December 6, 2024 at 8:03 AM
is it #FallFriday? MES would have hated that.
This is the xeroxed poster for a show I saw at Aberdeen University. APF was Mike Scott’s band before the Waterboys. They were fierce.
November 29, 2024 at 4:11 PM
This is the xeroxed poster for a show I saw at Aberdeen University. APF was Mike Scott’s band before the Waterboys. They were fierce.
some consumer advice
November 29, 2024 at 2:37 PM
some consumer advice
Strange bias towards Newcastle tonight from the Sky TV pundits. Top performance by West Ham. Potato salads all round!
November 25, 2024 at 10:05 PM
Strange bias towards Newcastle tonight from the Sky TV pundits. Top performance by West Ham. Potato salads all round!
make your gravestone inscription count.
November 15, 2024 at 10:04 PM
make your gravestone inscription count.
Nick Cave’s Wild God l show (here at the O2) is a argument between joy and demonic dread. Here is the moment in Red Right Hand where joy triumphs.
November 9, 2024 at 10:09 AM
Nick Cave’s Wild God l show (here at the O2) is a argument between joy and demonic dread. Here is the moment in Red Right Hand where joy triumphs.
Bluesky now has over 10 million users, and I was #1,447,098!
(I liked it at first because it was like a civilised chat between a few people who worked for the Financial Times. I’m not sure it’s evolved).
(I liked it at first because it was like a civilised chat between a few people who worked for the Financial Times. I’m not sure it’s evolved).
September 18, 2024 at 7:07 AM
Bluesky now has over 10 million users, and I was #1,447,098!
(I liked it at first because it was like a civilised chat between a few people who worked for the Financial Times. I’m not sure it’s evolved).
(I liked it at first because it was like a civilised chat between a few people who worked for the Financial Times. I’m not sure it’s evolved).