Steve Fairclough has the inside story of the eye-catching group photo for the cover of the 1979 Madness LP, One Step Beyond …

When the Irish band were a folksy blues three-piece, it was Eric Bell who defined Thin Lizzy on their 1971 self-titled debut and early 70s follow-ups, Shades Of A Blue Orphanage and Vagabonds Of The Western World

Midge Ure, the Live Aid orchestrator and Ultravox synth-pop pioneer, looks back at his trial by fire with Thin Lizzy – and why he told Phil Lynott: “I’m not the guy you should be asking”

Reeling from illness and uncertain times, Skunk Anansie ’s future hung in the balance. But with new album The Painful Truth, they “stood on top of the cliff, held hands and jumped into the clouds”.

Paul was a kid that got his wish – landing his dream job of writing about something he loved for a magazine he loved in equal measure. He still has the pinch marks. From words in Zzap!64 to takedowns in Burnout, settle down and read more of Paul’s career with a nice cup of PG Tips!

As tickets went on sale for Gene’s first live show in more than 20 years, Martin Rossiter didn’t know whether he should be feeling excited or terrified. “My levels of hope were swinging, pendulum-like