CON T EN T S LONDON JUNE 2022
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MEMPHIS
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WALLSEND Issue 343
FEATURES
32 STING The Police man on roots, relevance, parents and psychedelics. Oh, and being mistaken for Billy Idol. “Fame is a two-way street,” he tells Dorian Lynskey.
38 MIGHTY BABY
When Mod groovers The Action became jazz-rock jam band Mighty Baby, it was the spur for more profound transformations still. Just ask Richard Thompson.
44 SHARON VAN ETTEN Once she turned bad relationships into great songs; how will she cope now she’s (mostly) happy? “I’m trying to exorcise the demons all the time…”
48 MAGAZINE
Underrated, self-sabotaged, Howard Devoto’s cinematic post-punkers shoulda been contenders. A rare audience with ‘The Most Important Man Alive’ and cohorts.
56 LABELLE In 1974, three
young black women went to New Orleans and came back with a mould-breaking “womanifesto”: Nightbirds. “We filtered the Zeitgeist through us.”
LABELLE’S PATTI LaBELLE, P56
60 GRATEFUL DEAD When America’s
Freaks-in-Chief toured Europe in 1972, they were a drummer short and with one founder member ailing. But their legendary shows transcended all.
COVER STORY
70 LIAM GALLAGHER In 1996, he played two Knebworths with brother Noel; in 2022, he sells out two on his own. Time to drink Guinness with port, get Buddhist, deliver priceless anecdotes and celebrate one of the all-time great comebacks.
Getty
“We became these outrageous-looking black ladies in silver space outfits.”
MOJO 3