Steppin' Out

It's hard to think of your parents as young - having a life before you arrived. When everything stretched out before them; when everything was possible. I'm paraphrasing Ben Watt - please read his account of his parents' lives before he arrived. You'll be glad you did. In the meantime, here's a photo of my mum and dad (before I came along) when they were on the (b)rink... 

Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out (1982)

You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)

Don't forget the Joker

Another gig for 2019 - Joe Jackson is going on the road with his Four Decade Tour. He's pulling tracks from just five of his albums spanning, that's right, four decades, including Look Sharp (1979) and Night & Day (1982).

I've been a huge fan right from the get go, and have seen him live countless times. He's only playing a handful of gigs in the UK, but it's the two nights at Amsterdam's Paradiso Club that I've got my eye on. I'm very excited. Who wants to come with me?

Joe Jackson - You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) (1984)

'Tonight's the night when I go to all the parties down my street'

A number of years ago I was trying to fix up an interview with the reclusive Joe Jackson. A few email exchanges with his management company in Germany was as near as I got and, ultimately, I was told the media shy Jackson was 'unavailable at this present time'.

I remember being a pit hacked off but, hey, his loss. One of the questions I had in my little black book for him went something like this: 'Do you still go to all the parties down your street, or are you more of a tea pot and telly man these days?'

Joe, if you're reading this...