The Setlist & The Script

  • Chapter Brewing – Fictional Beer, Real Character

    This week, I had a new book delivered called “The Science of Storytelling” by Will Storr. The narrative goes, we rarely consider what makes a story engaging and compelling and is a great read about the science that goes into a great piece of fiction. Why mention this in a…

  • Brew and Bean Home Tasting: Alphabet Brewing Company

    With pubs still closed and brewery tours unlikely to resume for a while, each week I’ll be doing a tasting session alongside my girlfriend whose also a keen beer-drinker, with a range of beers from a different brewery, bringing you impartial reviews and tasting notes from the beers in question.…

  • City Series: Liverpool

    I think Adidas did it first, and I love the idea of a ‘City Series’, so I’m delighted to have the opportunity to write about bands, venues, and gigs in Liverpool, which is still arguably the greatest musical city in the country. It’s in the blood. Someone once wrote that…

  • Podcast #3 – 92 Degrees, Liverpool

    Halfway 2 Nowhere Beer and Coffee Podcast – #3 Special Guest: Jack Brewitt – Co-Founder This week’s episode In this episode, we talk about three of 92 Degree’s coffees, going into detail about the story of the coffees and how they became a central to 92 Degree’s range. This week’s…

  • Friday 5 – May 15th 2020

    Friday 5 – May 15th 2020

    The Crooks – In Time One of my favourite tracks released in 2020 so far, The Crooks are back with “In Time” the hotly anticipated follow-up to “She Walks Alone”. This is a beautifully crafted song, with a belting vocal and an Oasis-esque melody running throughout. The Chesterfield five-piece are…

  • Neptune Brewery

    Neptune Brewery

    In 2015, two passionate home brewers opened up Neptune Brewery in the outskirts of Liverpool. Since then, Les and Geoff have made Neptune one of the north-west’s leading breweries, with their taproom and beers going from strength to strength. All of their beers are unfined and unfiltered, making them suitable…

  • Roost Coffee

    Malton, a market town in North Yorkshire is the heartbeat of food and drink culture in the north of England. With excellent breweries, including Brass Castle and some of the best food courtesy of The Talbot and their regular food market, Malton has become a hub for visitors and locals…

  • Podcast #2 – Brew York

    Halfway 2 Nowhere Beer and Coffee Podcast – #2 Special Guest: Lee Grabham – Head Brewer and Co-Owner This week’s episode In this episode, we talk about three of Brew York’s beers, going into detail about the story of the beers and why they’re so important to the brewery. This…

  • Polly’s Brewing Co. – Meet Arron Fellows

    The Welsh brewing scene, over the past few years, has been electric. Our Battle of the Breweries currently live over on Twitter proves that with Tiny Rebel, Flowerhorn, Boss Brewing and more, standing out as some of the hot favourites to go the distance. The stand out brewery for me…

  • McColl’s Brewery

    McColl’s Brewery

    In recent years, the north-east beer scene has been growing and several breweries (Wylam, Almasty, Anarchy for example) have become household name for beer drinkers nationwide. One brewery that is sat in County Durham that hasn’t quite got that status yet, but is making beers that the industry are talking…

  • Halfway 2 Nowhere Podcast: Episode 1 – Tom Lumley and The Brave Liaison

    Episode One of the Halfway 2 Nowhere Podcast saw Cambridge’s Tom Lumley of Tom Lumley & the Brave Liaison join me to chat about his new EP, some embarrassing musical memories and much more. Tom Lumley & The Brave Liaison are fast gaining themselves a reputation for being a “must…

  • WOKE Coffee

    WOKE Coffee

    This week, a brand new kickstarter launches from WOKE Coffee, a new subscription box that will provide some of the best independent coffee monthly to subscribers. With many coffee subscription boxes focusing on just one or two roasters, WOKE will bring a range of monthly coffee to consumers, with the…

  • REVIEW: Forever – Apollo Junction

    We’ve all got them.  Got loads of them.  Velocity Girl by Primal Scream is one of mine.  Whenever I hear it, I’m transported back in time to my university bar, and I can see my mate Sean Carter shovelling coins into the juke box.  At 10 pence a pop for…

  • Turning Point Brew Co. – New Frontiers Collaboration Project

    This March should have seen Turning Point Brew Co. open up their taproom and launch their exciting collaboration project New Frontiers. Whilst the grand launch of the taproom is on hold until the pandemic has blown over, the brewing company did manage to launch their collaborative series and through their…

  • NEW: Shrink – Tom Lumley & the Brave Liaison

    “Shrink” is the brand new track, and the second from the four-piece’s upcoming EP, Sign of the Times due at the end of this month. We’re now four months into 2020, and what a year it’s been so far for new music. Amongst the many negatives that exist in our…

  • NEW: Artificial – Room D

    NEW: Artificial – Room D

    I don’t know about you, but I’m just about done with this lockdown and I’ve give anything to be in a smelly field, surrounded by sweaty teenagers and old men who think they’ve still got it, right in the midst of festival season. Luckily, Room D have just released their…

  • Roaster of the Week – Rounton Coffee

    Roaster of the Week – Rounton Coffee

    Situated just outside of the North Yorkshire Moors is Rounton Coffee, a speciality coffee roasters. Rounton though, isn’t your normal coffee roasters, they have a mission to source coffees across the world, from small farms, and make relationships to find the best tasting Arabica coffees whilst ensuring a fair deal…

  • Review: You – Dirty Laces

    Review: You – Dirty Laces

    ”Put some ketchup on it”.  Do you know who said that?  John Lennon.  He used to say that to his sound engineer during recording sessions.  “Put some ketchup on it!”’.  These were the last words that Dirty Laces guitarist Jacob Simpson said to me following our interview in December. With…

  • Meet the founder…Phil Saltonstall – Brass Castle Brewery

    Malton is a small market town in North Yorkshire, that has in recent years, been given the accolade and title of Yorkshire’s Food Capital. The town has taken great leaps in the food and drink industry, with independent businesses, Groovy Moo Ice Cream, Rare Bird Distillery, Roost Coffee and many…

  • Turning Point Brew Co. – Meet the Owner

    Turning Point Brew Co. – Meet the Owner

    In a remote town in North Yorkshire, one of the UK’s most innovative, and fresh breweries resides. In Knaresborough, just a few miles west of York, Turning Point Brew Co. base their operations and taproom. Founded in 2017, the microbrewery has gone to strength to strength in just a few…