I promise you it’s not entirely deliberate, but this month feels like something of a live special. We have two artists returning to the live arena after extended hiatuses – Bruce Springsteen after six years and Siouxsie Sioux after a decade – and another, The War On Drugs, taking another triumphant lap round the UK’s arenas, while Blur have also kicked off a return to active service after an extended layoff.
These are all genuinely exciting for a number of reasons, but they also represent a shared, indefatigable quality – that even after Covid and ticketing issues, or in Siouxsie’s case a kind of semi-retirement, our heroes can still surprise us with their resilience and ability to share communal moments. Stephen Deusner’s excellent report from the American heartlands, as he steps aboard the Springsteen Express, captures the E Street Band in full flight – a powerful sermon from what Marilyn Kales, from St Paul, Minnesota, describes as “the church of rock’n’roll. Nobody works like he does. Nobody.”
Elsewhere, Stephen Troussé digs deep into Siouxsie’s catalogue as she prepares to play in the UK for the first time since 2013’s performance at Meltdown. I have vivid memories of that show – Siouxsie in a white catsuit, in a whirl of scything arms, stomping round the stage as she played the Banshees’ glorious Kaleidoscope album in full.
Anyway, there’s a lot more in this issue, of course, including new interviews with Geezer Butler (MOHAIRS!), Dexys (THAI YOGA!), Fleet Foxes (OVER-THINKING!), Jim O’Rourke and Eiko Ishibashi (OCTOPUS SALAD!). There’s also terrific pieces on Fred Neil and War, the latest missives from PJ Harvey, Joni Mitchell and Julie Byrne, plus Anohni, Codeine, Syd Barrett and, of course, a free, 15-track CD showcasing the best of the month’s new music.
As we went to press, we heard the sad news of Tina Turner’s passing. Fortunately, we managed to turn round a tribute, which you can read on page 4. It capped a particularly busy month for us here at Uncut – and huge thanks for going above and beyond to John, Marc, Mick, Michael, Mike, Tom, Sam and Phil.
Drop me a line about the mag any time – letters@uncut.co.uk.
Due to restrictions imposed by US Customs, we’re sorry to say that American subscribers will only receive one art Springsteen print with this issue.