It was somehow appropriate that Bill Oddie should be in attendance to witness the final display of England's finest young songbird on the eve of her maiden migration to the winter warmth of Texas and California. Laura Marling closed her brief national tour on Sunday night playing to an audience entirely composed of purchasers of the lavish Songbox version of her debut album, "Alas, I Cannot Swim" in a performance at the Union Chapel......

With Halloween traditionally a time for some serious gig going spectaculars, this year's a little bit of a damp squib, what with Marilyn Manson retiring from creeping folks out and concentrating on his new make up range and his Alma Mater, Alice Cooper, not yet in town, it would seem as if we're going to have to keep the Slipknot masks in the drawer for another year. There are some big shows in town......

Back in those heady days known as the nineties lurking behind the Spice Girls and the All Saints, was a much quieter, melodic, band formed by two sisters from Barking. Discovered by Dave Stewart, Shelly & Karen Poole became Alisha’s Attic (named after their imaginary childhood friend) and went on to have 8 top 40 hits between 1996 and 2001. Since then both Shelly and Karen have been writing for other artists such as......