• C.K. And You Shall Find

    ‘Everything that I did was counter-intuitive…’ confessed Louis C.K. recently while describing the creation and financing of this year’s ten part tragedy series, Horace & Pete. Nothing looked like this minimal television show before and somehow it’s audacious ambition inspired incredible contributions by an immense cast. In the era of massive budget, world-beating, broad-ranging golden age of television, along comes Louis C.K. with a low-budget drama set in a bar and condensed to dialogue, family and isolation. To be so ‘counter-intuitive’ and unorthodox and yet so brilliant is exactly what makes Louis C.K. compelling. He is a comedian comfortable writing…

  • Not Gospel: Don’t Fear The Reaper

    Time, they say, is a great healer. Unfortunately, as has been so visibly proved this year, it can exact a heavy cost. The world of rock and roll has lost a handful of the greats, with Lemmy, Bowie, The Eagles’ Glen Frey, and Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner all going to that great gig in the sky within a matter of weeks. But is there anything sinister about all this? After all, people day every day, and occasionally, some of them are rock stars. But with a certain section of the rock fraternity all approaching a certain age, we can be…

  • Cracked Actor: Needing David Bowie

    Today marks the 2 month anniversary of David Bowie’s passing. Steven Rainey discusses his impact, as featured in Not Gospel in our current issue of The Thin Air magazine. Illustration by John Harrild. In 1993, David Bowie appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, performing his take on ‘Nite Flights’ by The Walker Brothers. Bowie is doffing his cap to one of his all-time inspirations, but he looks uncertain. He’s technically promoting Black Tie, White Noise, the first album to be released under the name ‘David Bowie’ in six years, but there’s more at stake; Bowie is testing the water…