Home > The Magazine > Arts

Friday 9 January 2009

Dare to dream and make your ultimate trip a reality

The latest culture as recommended by our staff

Peter Hoskin

Pete suggests

Email registration

Free weekly email update

Great products and special offers for Spectator readers

Click here for great value events

Click here for exclusive articles, offers, tasting notes and discussion

Uncool fun

Charles Spencer

Wednesday, 9th July 2008

Charles Spencer goes to Guilfest

It wasn’t all plain sailing. The Levellers, who topped the bill on Friday, struck me as the most boorishly unappealing folk group I’ve ever encountered, not helped by the white-faced buffoon who comes on and plays the didgeridoo and the fact that almost all the songs sound exactly the same. Their raucous music also seemed to bring out previously unsuspected yobbish tendencies in the crowd.

Far more welcome was the return of Dodgy, who looked like real contenders for the big time when I went on the road with them for a piece in the Telegraph in 1996 only for them to break up soon afterwards. I do hope it wasn’t something I said. Their melodic, sunshiny pop sounded as good as ever in Guildford and I was delighted to learn a new album is in the works. Welcome back, boys.

Charles Spencer is theatre critic of the Daily Telegraph.

Previous page 1 | 2 | 3

More articles from: Charles Spencer | this section

Print this article | Email to a friend | Permalink | Comment

Post this entry to: del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit

Community living

Kate Chisholm

Kate Chisholm reviews recents radio broadcasts

Recent loves

Marcus Berkmann

Marcus Berkmann presents his records of 2008

Question time

Deborah Ross

Slumdog Millionaire
15, Nationwide

Crowd pleaser

Michael Tanner

Cecilia Bartoli
Barbican

Turandot
Royal Opera House

Shakespeare it ain’t

Lloyd Evans

The Cordelia Dream
Wilton’s Music Hall

Sunset Boulevard
Comedy

Journey’s end

Alan Judd

Alan Judd goes motoring

Christmas round-up

Andrew Lambirth

Andrew Lambirth provides a round-up of recent and forthcoming exhibitions

Food for thought

Simon Hoggart

My favourite programme last week was France on a Plate (BBC4, Sunday) in which Dr Andrew Hussey investigated the link between gastronomy and la gloire; French glory and destiny.