Tuesday, July 06, 2021

Science and silence

You'd think that, after the best part of a year and a half starved of the opportunity to commune with fans in a live setting, all musicians would be chomping at the bit to get back to it, and to play their part in the safe return of gigs and festivals. Not Richard Ashcroft, who's flounced off the bill for the Tramlines festival in Sheffield at the end of the month because it's been designated one of the government's pilot events.

As has been pointed out on Twitter, though, the fact that he's a COVID sceptic shouldn't come as much of a surprise - after all, he's got form for demonstrating a selfish disdain for public safety and has also gone on the record to express scepticism about the efficacy of drugs.

The announcement sees him joining the ranks of such internationally renowned epidemiologists and intellectual heavyweights as Ian Brown, Noel Gallagher, Morrissey, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton and Right Said Fred. Chuck in Laurence "Lozza" Fox, who's been moved to perform a song in tribute to Ashcroft's decision (no, I'm not going to inflict a link upon you), and Lee Hurst and Andrew Lawrence on compering duties and they've got a line-up for a festival of their own. Names on a postcard, please.

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