Laura Kelly

Huge thank you to The Repair Shop for giving mum and I the chance to talk about my incredible grandmother, trailblazing Northern Irish journalist Kay Kennedy.

The work they did on her writing box is quite literally unbelievable. What an amazing experience. 🥰💖

The story, if you’d like a read!

www.bigissue.com/culture/thea...

“It gives the audience permission to behave badly.” Lovely to hear Tim Curry talking about Rocky Horror on Radio 4 this morning.

& happy 50th to the Rocky Horror Picture Show! This celebration of the Rocky Horror Show’s 50th (stage not film) is among my favourite ever cover stories I’ve written.

I have no idea if they’ll ever hear about this… but to the team (and especially the lovely guy with a beard) at Haymarket station today - I DID go set up my direct debit immediately on the train.

If you’re reading this - you should also consider whether you can support @msf.ca

msf.org.uk

Huge respect to Lush who have closed their website and all their UK stores today in protest at the genocide in Gaza. ✊🏻

Keanu Reeves: Saving the world with rock'n'roll... and kindness Keanu Reeves is more than a totally non-bogus movie star. On Bill & Ted Day, we pay tribute to the poster-boy for kindness and decency.

Happy 61st birthday Keanu!! 💖💖

You are most excellent! As I wrote to mark an earlier birthday…

www.bigissue.com/culture/film...

Could every week from now on please feature three @fatherjohnmisty gigs? Ideally in the Ulster Hall & @barrowland_ballroom??

I enjoyed it so much, at one point I thought I was going to pass out.

This man is a genius. The greatest frontman of my generation. The greatest chronicler of our times.

I’ve missed a few gigs in this thread… oops. But this weekend was a three-gigger. One surprisingly great show; one reliably spectacular; one depressingly awful mess that left me sad and worried. A very mixed bag.
The Sisters of Mercy 🖤
Tragedy 💖✨🪩
Lemonheads 🥺

Thank you for the metal, Ozzy. I’m so glad you got to feel this loved at the end. 🖤

All hail Black Sabbath! All hail Ozzy! Hail Satan!! 🤘🏻🥹🖤

🖤🖤 And huge love to my partner in crime, the glorious Vicky! 🖤🖤

Then there was the community… Birmingham was packed with my people! And they’d literally hung the bunting for us. Metal often doesn’t get the respect it’s due. It was really moving to see that happen too. Heavy music matters - and the community around it is the best music community I’ve ever known.

There were so many egos on that stage. I can’t imagine what Tom Morello and Sharon had to do to make it happen. But everyone (even Axl Rose, who had his own mini redemption on stage) put that to one side for one day, for a bigger goal.

And it was a moment in which we all confronted both human frailty and the power of the human spirit. Sitting on his throne rather than jumping off amplifiers, Ozzy is obviously not well. His tremors were visible. But he is emphatically still Ozzy. People are more than their medical conditions.

It was also honouring a fierce and complicated life that has given us so much. It was celebrating the metal community that I love. Mastodon, Papa V Perpetua, Gojira, Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Steven Tyler, Nuno Bettencourt… wow.

To say Ozzy’s final bow was emotional doesn’t quite do it justice. It was more than just the heartsoaring joy of hearing Paranoid and War Pigs among a huge crowd, every last one on their feet and in full voice. It was more than the tears coursing down thousands of faces during Mama, I’m Coming Home.

A few days ago, I was in the middle of the greatest day metal has ever seen. I’ve been meaning to say something since then, and share some of the photos… but I’ve been processing (and also a bit shattered).
#BlackSabbath #BTTB

Are you off somewhere nice? says the taxi driver.
Hell yeah, I grin.

Birmingham, I’m coming for ya!! 🤘🏻🤘🏻

The Greatest Week of Metal (TM) kicked off last night with enormous riffs and gigantic smiles… I don’t know how it’s taken me this long to finally see Iron Maiden but, by hell, they did not disappoint!

This is so powerful. If you’re still wondering which side to be on when it comes to Mo Chara’s disgraceful prosecution for *goddamn terrorism*, can I please recommend you take a couple of minutes to confront who the real terrorists are.

Genocide is never justified.

It’s a true emotional rollercoaster!

If there is a multiverse (& by my understanding of the science, there pro is), I’m deeply grateful to live in the world where @sparksofficial.bsky.social are still performing AT THIS STANDARD after 5 decades. There’s nothing like when that huge beat hits in The Number One Song in Heaven. 💖

If you have the chance to see Sparks, and I can’t say this enough, SEE SPARKS. Every time. Another glorious night. Exuberant and thoughtful, thinkable and danceable. Glorious.

A spooky, crisp autumn day is a thing of enormous beauty. 👻

A very very bright sun over trafalgar sq

Having survived the longest day, and London heat… I look forward to winter 🖤❄️

Good luck to Mo Chara tomorrow. May the case be thrown out, as it should be.

Berlin’s Adventure Team giving enjoyably Lemonheads energy at the Glad Cafe on Saturday night…

Inflatable arm waving tube men!!!
Nope, I did not expect them to be a highlight of Pulp at the Hydro - but how brilliantly odd they were. Absolutely capturing the paranoia of The Fear.
OU was the best moment for me. “He said he loved her.
She tried to look impressed”
Oh Jarv. Another great night.

WHAT a new music Friday!!!

The first new Pulp album in 24 years - and it’s already hitting home with spiky insights and sexy hips…

AND Creeper’s neck-piercing return to SanguivoreWorld. As bloody catchy as ever. Jim Steinman’s spirit is still alive. And I love it.

Music is everything.

I’m so sad I’ll not have the chance to take him for another tuna melt. Thanks for everything, Baz.

I learned loads from him. One of my favourite that I use to this day: when at a conference, always get an early question in, but open by stating your name and company. So simple, but it totally works for starting the conversations you want to have.