83 m. ago ‘I got a nosebleed in minutes!’ How the Wedding Present’s indie banger classics inspired a musical

They lit up the 80s and 90s with abrasive tracks that were like kitchen-sink dramas. But can the Wedding Present’s acerbic songs work on stage? We meet the team making it happen – and the ‘rock god’ who penned the hitsIn 2009, Matt Aston was watching the Wedding Present frontman David Gedge perform a “bizarre and brilliant” gig with the BBC Big Band when he was struck by a notion: that the combination of the singer’s conversational lyrics and brassy, orchestrated new arrangements felt a bit like, well, watching a musical.“I parked the idea,” says Aston, a theatre director and writer. “Then some time later, I saw David’s other band Cinerama with a 16-piece orchestra and thought, ‘This could be musical theatre!’” Aston had had a few drinks and remembers sitting afterwards, trying to convince his mate – screenwriter and playwright William Ivory, who hadn’t been drinking – that this wasn’t the daftest idea ever. “Billy said, ‘You can’t make a musical out of Wedding Present lyrics. It’s ...

Events

1 hour ago Scottish Labour will reform how we order ferries to avoid another costly fiasco

Writing in his Daily Record column, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar says there can never be another repeat of the SNP's ferry fiasco.

Politics

2 h. ago Trump rules out Ukraine reclaiming Crimea or joining Nato as European leaders gather in Washington

US president’s comments may prove a setback for Volodymyr Zelenskyy as he flies to US for crucial Oval Office meeting in wake of Alaska summitDonald Trump has put pressure on Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of Monday’s talks in Washington with European leaders, saying the Ukrainian president could end the war “almost immediately” if he wanted to. The US president also ruled out allowing Ukraine to join Nato or retake Russian-occupied Crimea as part of negotiations with Moscow.Trump posted the remarks on his Truth Social platform on Sunday night, hours before he was due to meet European leaders including Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz, and Zelenskyy at the Oval Office in a bid to counter a reportedly US-backed plan that would see Ukraine give up territory. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Police officer who starred in Channel 5 series is banned from force over 'inappropriate, sexist, and racist' texts

PC Andrew Doran (pictured), of Cheshire Police, featured on documentary TV programme Motorway Cops: Catching Britain's Speeders, which has been running since 2021.

Events

3 h. ago Motoring expert names traffic light rule millions of Brits don't know about

If you are caught breaching these rules at junctions and pedestrian crossings, you could be slapped with a fixed penalty notice (FPN) - and if you contest it, you could even wind up in court

Science

5 h. ago BBC star James Norton broke collarbone in 'painful' accident on King & Conqueror

King and Conqueror is a new BBC drama which tells the story of Harold of Wessex and William of Normandy who began as allies but were destined to meet at the Battle of Hastings

Politics

5 h. ago The mystery of Britain's most annoying man: Meet the silent repeat offender who constantly blocks traffic... but WHY does he do it?

A jailed 'human bollard' who refuses to talk to police, doctors and lawyers is a local prankster who is definitely not mute.

Politics

6 h. ago Average price tag on home has fallen £10,000 over summer – Rightmove

The property website highlighted a ‘two-speed market’ with savvy summer sellers pricing realistically while others are pricing too high.

Economics

7 h. ago 'More than happy': Sadiq Khan expresses willingness to meet Trump; London mayor unshaken by US leader's '

'More than happy': Sadiq Khan expresses willingness to meet Trump; London mayor unshaken by US leader's '  Times of India

Politics

7 h. ago Could London host the Super Bowl? Britain's capital is preparing to make a big pitch to the NFL

Could London host the Super Bowl? Britain's capital is preparing to make a big pitch to the NFL  MARCA

Politics

8 h. ago Met Police urged to scrap facial recognition at Notting Hill Carnival over 'racial bias' fears

Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology captures live footage and compares faces against a database of known offenders

Events

8 h. ago Amanda Holden supporting Alesha Dixon on lavish getaway after her 'split'

Britain's Got Talent stars Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon were bouncing around the Greek seas on a fun-fuelled motorboat trip as they soaked up some continental sunshine

Politics

9 h. ago Kendall Jenner looks unrecognizable as she channels Angelina Jolie on set

Kendall Jenner looked unrecognizable during a Los Angeles photo shoot on Saturday. She drew a striking resemblance to Angelina Jolie in the 2010 action-mystery movie Salt.

Politics

9 h. ago Britain's most elusive conman: The luxury lifestyle led by Zambian fraudster who stole £3.5m in elaborate scam before finally being deported after 25 YEARS

Dressed in a tailored suit and travelling only by chauffeur-driven limousines, Alick Kapikanya looked every inch the successful businessman.

Economics

9 h. ago ITV star Ross King says it's 'a dream come true' as he reveals goals for Strictly Come Dancing

Ross is best known for his weekday work on Good Morning Britain and Lorraine

Culture

10 h. ago Record salaries for UK chief executives as pay rises for third year in a row

Report finds more than £1bn handed out to just 217 FTSE 100 bosses in the last financial yearThe bosses of Britain’s largest listed companies took home record high pay packets for the third successive year, according to a report.Analysis found that the record set in the last financial year means the average FTSE 100 chief executive is now paid 122 times the salary of the average full-time UK worker. Continue reading...

Economics

11 h. ago Celtic transfer news as Giuseppe Ambrosino move 'blocked' and Etienne Youte interest escalates

Italy U21 star Ambrosino was linked with the Hoops earlier this summer

Politics

12 h. ago A founding member of Manchester's notorious Quality Street Gang dies

The Quality Street Gang, so-called because members used to meet at a sweet shop on the road, was made up of criminals that dominated the Manchester underworld for years

Events

12 h. ago Founding member of city's notorious Quality Street Gang known as 'The Weed' dies

The Quality Street Gang, so-called because members used to meet at a sweet shop on the road, was made up of criminals that dominated the Manchester underworld for yearsTh

Events

12 h. ago London travel news: Man killed in serious crash on M23 as traffic blocked into south London

A man in his 50s was sadly pronounced dead at the scene and his next of kin have been informed, police said

Events