The time The Kinks' Dave Davies invented three music genres with a knife
Here's how Dave Davies of The Kinks slashed his amp with a razor, accidentally inventing distorted electric guitar, pioneering sounds for heavy metal and punk music.
Posts by: Mario Laghos
When Jim Morrison was arrested on stage for inciting a riot
In 1967, Jim Morrison's arrest during a live performance marked a pivotal moment in rock history, challenging authority and cultural norms.
From S Club 7 to Blur | The psychology behind the reunion tour boom
Nostalgia sells, and reunion tours are cashing in. We examine the complex interplay between nostalgia, escapism, and the desire to recapture our past, all set to a familiar soundtrack.
From Cool to Cringe | What ever happened to boy bands?
Once cultural icons, boy bands have now become antiquated artifacts. Once the epitome of '90s cool, they are now a symbol of a past generation's naivety. We explore the rise and fall of a genre we thought would last forever.
Who are Generation Alpha? From mental health crises to space travel, we look at the path ahead
Who are Generation Alpha? In this probing analysis, we take a deep dive into the characteristics, challenges, and cultural shifts faced by the first generation fully immersed in the digital age.
From S Club 7 to Central Cee | Why was 90s music so happy compared to now?
We examine how the upbeat, bubbly optimism of 90s music such as S Club 7 gave way to the sombre melancholy of today's zeitgeist.
Are we the fish? | The disturbing reality of Fishtank Live
Fishtank Live evokes the Stanford Prison Experiment, with users paying to control contestants in a monitored house.
Skyblivion developer interview | 'The biggest challenge of my life'
We speak to the Skyblivion mod chief Rebelzize about horse armour, paintbrush glitches and more.
Harry & Meghan Netflix Vol 2. review | Mind-numbingly juvenile
Harry and Meghan's approval ratings have plummeted in the UK as part two of their £88m Netflix series drops today. This segment makes it even harder to sympathise with two people who bemoan the public spotlight but also have a string of other high-profile media projects.
Why Rambo, not Die Hard, is the ultimate Christmas movie
Forget Die Hard - Rambo is the real Christmas film. Death and rebirth, crucifixion and Santa hats, this is a nativity play with M16 rifles.
England out of the World Cup? | Who to support if it doesn’t come home
When/if England are knocked out of the World Cup too soon, here's our guide for which other nation is most worthy of support.
Ghislaine Maxwell: Filthy Rich review | Dances around the big questions
★★★☆☆ Ghislaine Maxwell: Filthy Rich, on Netflix now, platforms significant persons involved in the depraved scandal but fails to probe deeper into the more important, pressing questions.
Black Friday Cons | Companies are fooling buyers - here's how to avoid it
Black Friday cons are nearly as common as deals, but how do you spot if a shop has faked a discount? Mario Laghos pulls the lid open on this new American religion.
Pentiment review | A layered, engaging Medieval game from Obsidian Entertainment
Set in the Medieval era, a time of intense societal upheaval, Pentiment is a game like few others in its depth and scope, and it's available to play now on Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S platforms.
QR codes are killing barber chat and Wetherspoons atmosphere
QR code killed the Wetherspoons bar.
The Peripheral is like The Matrix, Inception, and Looper rolled into one
The questions The Peripheral asks could well be more exciting than the answers it gives, so let's just enjoy the ride, writes Mario Laghos.
From The Grand Mafia to Raid: Shadow Legends | We played 10 'fake' mobile games to save you time
The Grand Mafia and Raid: Shadow Legends were trialled by us so to save you time. They are Ponzi schemes.
Gossipy House of the Dragon incinerates wooden Rings of Power
There are several reasons for Amazon's embarrassing Lord of the Rings prequel falling short, most notably disenchanted dialogue.
Andor review | Getting it right by taking Star Wars back to basics
Disney seems to have given Andor's showrunner more freedom as they have no stake or care if the character flops – and that’s to its benefit. It's sort of like Drive but for nerds.
The Queen is dead, long live the King | We remember HM Elizabeth II
We honour the life of the most stoic, adept, controlled, and beloved monarch the British Isles, and indeed the entire living world, has ever known.
Conan, Clint Eastwood, John Wayne | What happened to the REAL heroes?
There's no shortage of SUPERheroes, but what about the real ones? Mario Laghos demands a return to the Conan-Eastwood-Wayne heroic pantheon of old.
Amazon's ban on Rings of Power user ratings is anti-democratic
Viewers of Amazon's Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power were banned from rating and reviewing the Prime show after it was swamped with negative user reviews. Mario Laghos argues we need MORE critique and less of the American 'everything is amazing' lie.
'How to procure semen from a bull' | Things I Heard In The Pub
Pub stories are a way of bringing up the grand after the Carling kicks in. Here we learn of the handy exploits of a man named Milky in York.
Why does Return to Monkey Island look worse than its 32-year-old prequel?
Return to Monkey Island's visuals have let the franchise down. We rank the titles by their artistic brilliance (and blandness).
Chris Avellone | We salute a videogaming maverick
Maverick game designer Chris Avellone, architect of Fallout and Star Wars titles, was always an innovator and thrived when given meagre budgets.
