The BBC Proms is the world's biggest and longest-running classical music festival and one of the jewels in the crown for the BBC. Held every summer at the Royal Albert Hall in London and across the UK, it is one of the strongest brand names in the music world and attracts a glittering array of artists and orchestras from the UK and around the world. Whether you're a first-time visitor or an experienced Prommer, watching at home or listening on radio or online, the BBC Proms Guide is an excellent companion to the festival, which you can treasure and return to in years to come. Filled with concert listings and articles by leading writers, the BBC Proms Guide offers an insight into the performers and repertoire, as well as thought-provoking opinion pieces about music, musicians and music-making. Read more

Where’s Taylor? A Superstar Search and Find Adventure!Taylor is taking the world by storm in this glittering, globetrotting search and find book – a must-have for every Swiftie!Join the fun as you embark on an exciting hidden object game, following Taylor through 17 sensational locations inspired by her incredible journey. From dazzling Eras Tour stadiums to a lively Nashville rodeo, a cozy café, and even a pet shop where she’s picking out toys for her beloved cats, each scene is packed with intricate details and fun surprises.Can you spot Taylor, her iconic outfits, and other special hidden items along the way? With vibrant illustrations and endless discoveries, this superstar search adventure is the perfect gift for Taylor Swift fans of all ages.Get ready to test your observation skills and celebrate the magic of Taylor Swift in this ultimate search and find book! Read more

A Liverpudlian West Side Story: twin brothers are separated at birth because their mother cannot afford to keep them both. She gives one of them away to wealthy Mrs Lyons and they grow up as friends in ignorance of their fraternity until the inevitable quarrel unleashes a blood-bath. 'Willy Russell is less concerned with political tub-thumping than with weaving a close-knit story about the working of fate and destiny ... it carries one along with it in almost unreserved enjoyment" Guardian One of the longest-running and most successful ever West End musicals, Blood Brothers premiered at the Liverpool Playhouse in January 1983. Read more

Trinity College London’s Rock and Pop graded songbooks contain real songs from legendary artists, with specially written performance notes for the Rock and Pop exams from 2018. This book contains material intended for Drums at grade 1.ContentsBillie Jean (Michael Jackson)Fever (The Black Keys)Float On (Modest Mouse)Mustang Sally (Wilson Pickett)Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes)The Weight (The Band)Uptown Funk (Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars)Another One Bites The Dust (Queen) Read more

Trinity College London’s Rock and Pop graded songbooks contain real songs from legendary artists, with specially written performance notes for the Rock and Pop exams from 2018. This book contains material intended for Drums at grade 2.ContentsFallin' (Alicia Keys)Just Kissed My Baby (The Meters)Knock On Wood (Eddie Floyd)Miss You (The Rolling Stones)She Sells Sanctuary (The Cult)Song 2 (Blur)Under The Bridge (Red Hot Chili Peppers)You Make Loving Fun (Fleetwood Mac) Read more

Guitar Basics is a landmark method for young guitarists. It starts at absolute beginner level and progresses to Initial/Preparatory Grade. The method is set out in sixteen stages and contains original pieces and traditional tunes in an array of styles including classical, folk and world music as well as well-known favourite film and TV themes such as James Bond, Batman and The Flintstones.There is a thorough introduction to standard notation, with sections on chords and TAB, whilst ensemble pieces are ideal for group teaching, including ‘Wider Opportunities’. Accompaniment parts and teachers’ notes are available in Guitar Basics Teacher’s Book, and the fun backing tracks are available to download online.The companion book, Guitar Basics Repertoire, provides over 40 fun solos and ensemble pieces for both individual and group learning. It is designed to consolidate material learnt in the Guitar Basics Tutor and present new topics, including accidentals, moving up the neck, two-part music, arpeggios and plucked chords.  Read more

A landmark account of Paul McCartney’s triumphant musical reinvention in the 1970s and the rise of one of the decade’s most iconic bandsAs the Sixties came to a close, Paul McCartney was faced with the daunting prospect of being a solo artist for the first time. Wings’ ascension to the top of the charts with classic albums including Band on the Run, Venus and Mars and At the Speed of Sound, along with the band’s stadium-filling live shows, would prove to critics and fans that not all great acts are impossible to follow. Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run is a rousing, stereophonic celebration of the songs, collaborations and performances that would shape the soundtrack of the late 20th century.Drawn from over 500,000 words, based on dozens of hours of interviews with McCartney and numerous key players in the band’s orbit, Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run weaves together the improbable trajectory of Paul McCartney and his newly formed band (featuring co-founding members Linda McCartney and Denny Laine) across the technicolor 1970s until their dissolution in 1981. Read more

Pop Performer! offers budding pianists chart-topping and classic pop songs that have been expertly selected and arranged by some of the UK’s leading figures in piano and pop pedagogy. Complete with audio recordings of every arrangement, the Grades 4 & 5 book features diverse songs and acts from across the decades, including Adele, Dua Lipa, Elton John and Alicia Keys. The songs have been selected and arranged to align with ABRSM grade levels, making them ideal choices for Performance Grade exams, or simply to play for pleasure. ‘I’m thrilled to see the publication of Pop Performer!. This beautifully curated collection gives pianists the rare opportunity to present expertly graded pop song arrangements in their piano Performance Grade.’ Alexis Ffrench – Artistic Director, ABRSM This publication includes demonstration audio for each track, which you can access online using the unique code inside the book. The audio files can be streamed or downloaded, and also includes PLAYBACK+, a multi-functional audio player that allows you to slow down audio without changing pitch, set loop points, change keys, and pan left or right. Read more

The fifteenth title in the bestselling Tom Gates series of books from the brilliantly talented Liz Pichon.What's that?A MONSTER?How has this scary beast escaped into Tom's sort-of-normal world?Is it one of his doodles?Is it Delia on the rampage?Or is it Mr Fullerman at full moon?All will be revealed in this book.According to Tom, it contains:MONSTERS - MYSTERY - A MUSIC FESTIVAL - MISSING STUFF.Oh, and also a very strict supply teacher who is every kid's nightmare.Is _that_ the monster? But you're not scared of monsters, are you? So don't let it put you off!Tom Gates is a series of books in diary formFull of Tom’s doodles and pictures & his amazing sense of humourThe Brilliant World of Tom Gates, was the winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize!Perfect gifts for boys & girls who love to laugh themselves sillyThe first series of The Brilliant World of Tom Gates won the Scottish BAFTA for Entertainment!TOM GATES BOOKSBrilliant World of Tom Gates (book 1)Tom Gates: Excellent Excuses (And Other Good Stuff) (book 2)Tom Gates: Everything's Amazing (sort of) (book 3)Tom Gates: Genius Ideas (mostly) (book 4)Tom Gates is Absolutely Fantastic (at some things) (book 5)Tom Gates: Extra Special Treats (not) (book 6)Tom Gates: A Tiny Bit Lucky (book 7)Tom Gates:Yes! No. (Maybe...) (book 8)Tom Gates: Top of the Class (Nearly) (book 9)Tom Gates: Super Good Skills (Almost...) (book 10)Tom Gates: DogZombies Rule (For now...) (book 11)Tom Gates: : Family, Friends and Furry Creatures (book 12)Tom Gates: Epic Adventure (kind of) (book 13)Tom Gates: Biscuits, Bands and Very Big Plans (book 14)Tom Gates: What Monster? (book 15)Tom Gates: Mega Make and Do and Stories Too! (book 16)Tom Gates: The Music Book Read more

The must-read memoir from the visionary figure behind Manchester's legendary music scene, from The Haçienda to The Warehouse Project.Tales From the Dance Floor is an electrifying journey into the heart of Manchester’s music culture with its most influential promoter.Over the past three decades, Sacha Lord has hosted countless iconic parties, booked legendary DJs, and shaped an underground scene that influenced a generation. Working with iconic acts including the Prodigy, New Order, the Chemical Brothers, Snoop Dogg, Fat Boy Slim, Andrew Weatherall, Aphex Twin, Four Tet, the Gallagher brothers and Jamie XX, he has thrown some of the biggest parties that the UK has ever seen.But it wasn’t an easy road to get there. As this no-holds-barred account makes clear, Manchester’s music revolution was fuelled by raw energy, creativity, enterprise and a number of other unidentified substances. From drive-by shootings to gang turf wars and nights out that never ended, Sacha Lord reveals, at 130bpm, the highs – and lows – of life bringing some of the planet’s biggest stars to the world’s greatest city.Featuring makeshift helipads, oysters with Grace Jones and more drugged-up rats than you could shake a big stick at, Tales From the Dance Floor is an absolute banger of a book.Sacha Lord's book 'Tales from the Dancefloor' was a No.2 Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2024-04-08. Read more

Two surgeon brothers begin life in Ethiopia and face forbidden love, betrayal and murder in this enthralling saga that spans five decades and three continents.'A huge, rich, ambitious tapestry of a novel...tremendous' The Times'My brother, Shiva, and I came into the world in the late afternoon of the twentieth of September in the year of grace 1954. We took our first breaths in the thick air of Addis Ababa, capital city of Ethiopia.Bound by birth, we were driven apart by bitter betrayal. No surgeon can heal the wound that would that divides two brothers. Where silk and steel fail, story must succeed''There is a gravity and beauty in his writing that sets it apart from much contemporary fiction' Daily Telegraph**OVER 1 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLD-WIDE**Read this beloved modern classic from the author of Oprah Winfrey's Book Club pick The Covenant of Water. Read more

THE OFFICIAL STORY OF A MUSICAL ICON - TOLD IN FULL FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS OWN WORDS'In what might be the most entertaining music memoir since Elton John's Me, Boy George's Karma weaves a meandering path through several decades' of fame, success, crash and burn, before delivering him into a kind of autumnal meditative serenity... This is George O'Dowd in all his exhausting glory.' Observer'I went to a lot of trouble to create Boy George and then I went through a whole battle for years about not wanting to be him. But now I enjoy and embrace it in a way that I wasn't able to as a young person.... I'm finally learning to be George Alan O'Dowd from Eltham.'Karma is the definitive autobiography from the incomparable Grammy, Brit and Ivor Novello award-winning lead singer of Culture Club and LGBTQ+ vanguard: Boy George. Told in his inimitable style, Karma tells the story of the charismatic frontman - the drama, the music, his journey of addiction and recovery, surviving prison, meeting legends like David Bowie, Prince and Madonna, and the highs and lows of a life lived in the spotlight and in the headlines.This is the explosive and searingly honest account of Boy George's life as a child growing up in sixties London, coming out to his Irish Catholic family and exploring his sexuality through the hedonism of the seventies - the glam rock and punk rock revolution that birthed Culture Club - and the heydays of the nineties, to finally embracing the man and artist that he is today. With all the humour, honesty, sarcasm (and hats!) that you'd expect, Karma gives us a unique insight into Boy George's incredible story and the true evolution of a music icon.'Culture Club is always going to be one of those lovers I go back to. I've railed against it and that Boy George character I created. For years I convinced myself I was a creature of habit, unchangeable, immovable. But eventually you have to look in the mirror. Not looking for spots, looking for something deeper. Why the hell am I here? I would say life is the point of life.' Read more

'Nicki was and always will be the absolute queen of pop' Mel B'When it comes to the music industry, Nicki was part of the medicine, not the illness' Robbie Williams'Nicki was right at the centre of some of pop's most memorable moments' Sara Cox'From the heights of pop music to the heart of television, Nicki's journey is a captivating story of passion, perseverance and positivity' Peter Kay1987. Armed with a Filofax, a brick of a mobile phone and steely determination, 20-year-old Nicki Chapman is walking through the seedy streets of Soho towards her first job in the music biz.But how did Nicki go from being a looked-over assistant running promo packages over to BBC Radio 1 to a judge on Pop Idol with 15 million viewers tuning in for the nail-biting moment Will Young triumphed over Gareth Gates?Everyone knows there were the kingmakers in the heady days of 90s British pop music, but this is a queen's side of the story; a down-to-earth, no-nonsense team player who fought to make it in an industry that was very much a man's world.Empowering, entertaining and sprinkled with stardust, Nicki's inspirational behind-the-scenes story takes in the rocketing highs and heart-breaking lows of promoting, managing and touring with the Spice Girls, Amy Winehouse, David Bowie, Take That, Billie Piper, Phil Collins and S Club 7, all whilst confronting chauvinism and smashing through the career glass ceiling. Read more

WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATUREThe celebrated first memoir from arguably the most influential singer-songwriter in the country, Bob Dylan.'I'd come from a long ways off and had started a long ways down. But now destiny was about to manifest itself. I felt like it was looking right at me and nobody else.' So writes Bob Dylan in Chronicles: Volume One, his remarkable book exploring critical junctures in his life and career. Through Dylan’s eyes and open mind, we see Greenwich Village, circa 1961, when he first arrives in Manhattan. Dylan’s New York is a magical city of possibilities - smoky, nightlong parties; literary awakenings; transient loves and unbreakable friendships. Elegiac observations are punctuated by jabs of memories, penetrating and tough. With the book’s side trips to New Orleans, Woodstock, Minnesota, and points west, Chronicles: Volume One is an intimate and intensely personal recollection of extraordinary times. By turns revealing, poetical, passionate, and witty, Chronicles: Volume One is a mesmerizing window on Bob Dylan’s thoughts and influences. Dylan’s voice is distinctively American: generous of spirit, engaged, fanciful, and rhythmic. Utilizing his unparalleled gifts of storytelling and the exquisite expressiveness that are the hallmarks of his music, Bob Dylan turns Chronicles: Volume One into a poignant reflection on life, and the people and places that helped shape the man and the art.'Chronicles stunned everyone . . . [it's] clear, apparently frank, unremittingly serious about his musical influences and exquisitely written. It is, in fact, a masterpiece' Sunday Times'Entertaining and surprisingly deprecating... The book's structure is elegant . . . Chronicles is tautly written, vividly cinematic, and funny . . . a courageous little book' Financial Times  'There is something on every page, in every paragraph, that demands attention . . .  In rock and roll terms, this book is like discovering the lost diaries of Shakespeare. It may be the most extraordinarily intimate autobiography by a 20th-century legend' Daily Telegraph Read more

'Fascinating, funny and tender' ADAM BUXTON'My favourite writer and interviewer' JUDE ROGERS'If Kate Mossman's name is on it, then I want to read it' PETE PAPHIDESFrom Jeff Beck to Ray Davies, Jon Bon Jovi to Kevin Ayers, Kate Mossman has long fostered an interest in male musicians of a certain age.Why is it that when I meet them, I feel something ignite inside me? What is this strange connection - to feel so excited, yet so at ease? And how is it that in the presence of a wrinkly rock star twice my age, I sometimes feel like I'm meeting . . . me?Featuring nineteen long-form profiles lovingly constructed for The Word magazine and the New Statesman, Men of a Certain Age chronicles the lives of some of the biggest rock stars of our time, including Brian May, Gene Simmons, Terence Trent D'Arby, Johnny Rotten and Nick Cave.The book is a meditation on the powerful archetype of the ageing rock star, but it is also a personal story - of music and obsession, and of the deep unconscious projections at play in our relationships with the famous people who most capture our hearts. As Kate travels 5,000 miles to try and find Glen Campbell, and to the depths of the Cornish countryside for a rendezvous with Roger Taylor, will she finally unravel the roots of her obsession with the elder statesmen of rock? Read more

Swifties unleash your inner artist and test your knowledge with this brand new 100% unofficial colouring and activity book! Featuring illustrations ready for you to customise with colour, plus fun puzzles and quizzes celebrating the amazing life and career of Taylor Swift. Read more

Unlock the Secrets of Acoustic Rock’s Greatest GuitaristsWant to master the feel and authenticity of the acoustic guitar legends who shaped rock history?Ready to learn the driving rhythms, intricate picking, and expressive chord work that defined generations? The Acoustic Rock Guitar Book is your definitive guide to the riffs, rhythms and techniques that shaped the history of rock guitar. From the raw folk-blues influence of the 1960s to the anthemic strumming of the 1990s and beyond, this book dissects the playing styles of the most influential acoustic rock artists.Through carefully crafted examples, you will learn how players like Keith Richards, Jimmy Page and Mark Knopflerbrought depth and colour to their songs. You will study how they blended intricate picking patterns, bold chord choices, and expressive rhythms to create some of the most iconic acoustic rock guitar moments in music.More than just a collection of exercises, The Acoustic Rock Guitar Book is a deep dive into how great acoustic rock guitarists think and play. You will uncover the secrets behind the unforgettable progressions of Tom Petty, the complex harmonies of The Eagles, and the percussive energy of Richie Sambora.You’ll discover over 150 clear examples with step-by-step breakdowns and develop a toolkit of techniques to craft dynamic, engaging acoustic guitar parts in your own playing. Whether you want to fingerpick delicate melodies or strum powerful rock ballads, The Acoustic Rock Guitar Book will elevate your musicianship and expand your creative options.Acoustic Rock Guitar Skills You’ll Master: The signature strumming techniques of Pete Townshend, Bruce Springsteen, and Tom PettyFingerpicking mastery from Paul Simon, Lindsey Buckingham, and James Taylor The harmonic brilliance of The Eagles and the chord magic of The BeatlesExpressive percussive playing in the style of Richie Sambora and Noel GallagherHow to craft intros, rhythms, and riffs that define acoustic rock guitarDiscover the Acoustic Guitar Styles of:Keith Richards • Pete Townshend • Ray Davies • George Harrison • John Lennon • Paul McCartney • David Bowie • Brian May • David Gilmour • Jimmy Page • Jackson Browne • Lindsey Buckingham • Tom Petty • Bruce Springsteen • Mark Knopfler • Richie Sambora • John Frusciante • Noel Gallagher • Peter Buck • Rich Robinson • Slash • Izzy Stradlin’ • Sheryl Crow • Johnny Buckland • Chris MartinThe Beatles • The Eagles • Boston • Heart • Kansas • Pearl Jam • ColdplayHere’s What You’ll Get:Play with confidence and authenticity in acoustic rock guitar stylesDevelop a deeper understanding of how legendary acoustic guitarists created unforgettable partsLearn techniques that bring depth, dynamics, and personality to your playingExpand your musical creativity with fresh approaches to strumming, picking, and arrangingCreatively apply these concepts to your own music and playing styleWhether you are an electric guitarist looking to improve your acoustic rock guitar skills or an acoustic guitarist wanting to play with more depth and expression, The Acoustic Rock Guitar Book offers you the tools to emulate the greats and develop your own voice too.Audio Included!Along with over 150 musical examples in Standard Notation and TAB, you can download over 160 audio tracks for free, allowing you to master every exercise in perfect detail.Ready to transform your playing and bring acoustic rock to life?Grab your copy of The Acoustic Rock Guitar Book today! Read more

PRE-ORDER MICHAEL BALL'S NEXT EMPIRE THEATRE NOVEL, A BACKSTAGE BETRAYAL, NOW.Welcome to The Empire Theatre1922. When Jack Treadwell arrives at The Empire, in the middle of a rehearsal, he is instantly mesmerised. But amid the glitz and glamour, he soon learns that the true magic of the theatre lies in its cast of characters - both on stage and behind the scenes.There's stunning starlet Stella Stanmore and Hollywood heartthrob Lancelot Drake; and Ruby Rowntree, who keeps the music playing, while Lady Lillian Lassiter, theatre owner and former showgirl, is determined to take on a bigger role. And then there's cool, competent Grace Hawkins, without whom the show would never go on . . . could she be the leading lady Jack is looking for?When long-held rivalries threaten The Empire's future, tensions rise along with the curtain. There is treachery at the heart of the company and a shocking secret waiting in the wings. Can Jack discover the truth before it's too late, and the theatre he loves goes dark?Musical theatre legend Michael Ball brings his trademark warmth, wit and glamour to this, his debut novel.Enjoy the show!Real readers love The Empire 'A charming, captivating, majestic, electrifying, exciting and dazzling masterpiece' 'This book was perfect' 'The Empire is fantastic read, and one of my favourites of this year!' 'A real razzmatazz of a read' 'What a wonderful book, as full of warmth and wit as Michael himself . . . absolute magic!' The Empire was a Sunday Times No. 3 bestseller for w/c 24/10/2022' Read more

SUNDAY TIMES MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023MOJO BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023A ROUGH TRADE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023AN UNCUT BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023A VARIETY MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023One of the few indisputable geniuses of pop music, Sly Stone is a trailblazer who created a new kind of music, mixing Black and white, male and female, funk and rock; penned some of the most iconic anthems of the 1960s and 70s, from "Everyday People" to "Family Affair"; and electrified audiences with a persona and stage presence that set a lasting standard for pop culture performance. Yet he has also been a cautionary tale, known as much for how he dropped out of sight as for what put him in the spotlight in the first place. As much as people know the music, the man remains a mystery. In Thank You, his much-anticipated memoir, he's finally ready to share his story - a story that many thought he'd never have the chance to tell. Written with Ben Greenman, who has written memoirs with George Clinton and Brian Wilson among others, Thank You will include a foreword by Questlove. The book was created in collaboration with Sly Stone's manager Arlene Hirschkowitz. "For as long as I can remember folks have been asking me to tell my story," says Stone. "I wasn't ready. I had to be in a new frame of mind to become Sylvester Stewart again to tell the true story of Sly Stone. It's been a wild ride and hopefully my fans enjoy it too." Read more

The saying goes that "God only gives you what you can handle." Well God didn't grow up in my atheist, Wiccan, fame-laden, oversexed, teetotalling, drug-free, cloistered, chaotic, non-communicative, workaholic, feral-feeling house.'For Moon Unit, daughter of musician Frank Zappa and his 'manager', Gail, processing a life so unique, so punctuated by the whims of creative urges, the tastes of popular culture and the calculus of celebrity, has at times been eviscerating. But it is her deep sense of humour and unshakeable humility that keeps her - and this memoir - pinned to the ground.A child-star at age 14 after her accidental international hit single (recorded with her father), 'Valley Girl', turned her into a reluctant celebrity, Moon Unit Zappa's life has been utterly extraordinary from her birth in 1967 into a family that was already blessed/cursed as music royalty thanks to the acknowledged genius of Frank. But what are the consequences of growing up in a family who spend most of their time naked arguing about sexual/extra-marital liaisons and practising white magic in a free-for-all state of nonconformist, virtuoso abandon?Earth to Moon is a reckoning with self-esteem, the ghosts of the past and a mother and a father who, in the process of leaving their mark upon on the world, scarred their first daughter on home soil. Brutally self-deprecating and funny as hell, it belies a rose-tinted perspective on the 70s and 80s west coast American scene, from within the belly of the beast of the rock and roll world. Read more