Prince at the secret Electric Ballroom gig in 2013

IN the near 21 years since I first started writing for this paper I have interviewed Paloma Faith in the bath, been trampled trying to save my camera at a fervent Odd Future Camden Gardens gig, spoken to a likely-merry Tim Robbins about sea shanties and his choice of funeral music calling from a Hawaiian airport lounge at 5am after a wedding, and found myself tweeting a five-hour Prince-a-Thon at his secret Electric Ballroom gigs in 2013 (I earned it, having waited in the rain until 2am the night before, until a kind insider tipped me off to return the next day and let me in).

Odd Future take to the air

I have watched through the legs of an All Saint (the best balcony view was on the floor, between scattered ankles!) while overzealous confetti cannons left Kiss and the crowd so breathless at Islington Academy that the encore was cut short; spent an afternoon with John Lydon as he reeled off memories and poetry, and witnessed his first ever meeting with Gary Barlow, the Take That frontman holding a mug of tea, Lydon clutching a can of Stella. There have been huge gigs – The Rolling Stones / Taylor Swift at Hyde Park, chain mail-disguised Kanye ranting at the Wireless crowd, and smaller but just as impactful ones; Los Campesinos! rocked the ceiling at The Enterprise so hard the crowd had to sit down.

Paloma Faith

There were years punctuated by Amy Winehouse’s mesmerising yet down-to-earth presence, as a performer, a regular Camden girl and then later sadly turned into an exhibit pursued by paps; and then a sudden awareness of her absence except through street art, graffiti and echoed in the impact she left on fashion and music.

A humble Michael Kiwanuka met me at a Camden café in 2015 to speak about a fundraiser to build a Ugandan orphanage – he was living in a Kentish Town flatshare at the time. This didn’t make the paper but he said he was having difficulty finishing his second album, which he referred to as Night Songs. A year later he brought out Love & Hate, a phenomenal international success. He continues to support the orphanages to this day.

John Lydon meets Gary Barlow

Paul Heaton once offered to cycle 40 miles for one interview. We settled on his local pub in Manchester, where I learned that his desire for a late-night drink nearly sparked a diplomatic incident when he and a bandmate once tried to break into a hotel to avail themselves of the 24-hour bar, only for Paul to be caught by the body­guard of an Arab princess outside whose room they had clambered. Paul was taken to a cell but managed to keep it out of the papers.

I been privileged to see artists who are no longer with us – Amy Winehouse at a secret Dublin Castle gig; Leonard Cohen on one of his neverending tours at the O2; Kris Kristofferson at the Union Chapel; and performances that will stay with me for ever – The Libertines’ 2015 Dublin Castle chaotic gig was an unruly delight of a mess; Florence Welch like a ghostly folk rag doll at the very old Proud Galleries pre-Horse Hospital, accompanying Johnny Borrell shone way before Florence and the Machine exploded; Brittany Howard at BBC 6 Music Festival; Kojey Radical at Jazz Café.

Tim Robbins

We’ve seen festivals come and go – the Camden Crawl / Electric Proms / Camden Rocks / the iTunes Festival – all of which have brought incredible memorable performances. We’ve seen venues disappear, change name, open up with new hopes and promises with varying degrees of success and throughout it all, it is clear that, while the climate for venues and musicians is spiky, the yearning to make music and host events lives on.

Sadly, it is now time for me to move on. So, thank you to our readers, the many musicians, venues, and music contacts who have over the years been in contact with your news, my colleagues who have scribed countless reviews and put these pages together and our dear departed leader Eric Gordon, who gave me a chance, occasionally checking in to make sure Basement Jaxx were on my radar.

I have always tried to support the best in new and local talent and grassroots venues – I will miss the paper – where else could one person have so many incredible experiences?!

Meanwhile, here’s this week’s music news…

• White Lies (above) are coming to Roundhouse as part of their biggest European tour to date. Having found a new approach to recording their latest album Night Light inspired by the 1970s live-performance TV show The Midnight Special, the band play two nights at the venue on Jan 31 and Feb 1.

• Status Quo frontman Francis Rossi launches new album The Accidental at the Union Chapel on Feb 1 where he will take to the stage for a Q&A.

• Also celebrating the release of their album, their debut after seven years gigging together, are London band Red Town. They will mark the launch of The Streets Will Sing at Spice of Life, Soho, on Jan 31. Thomas Caulfield, Hollow Space and Viewed Upon Death are also on the bill. Before that, The Denmark Street Big Band ft Mitch Winehouse play songs from the American Songbook (Jan 28).

• Seizing on a coincidence of birth and a convenient rhyme, David Byrne’s Night at Koko promises to be the world’s first and only genre-defying celebration of two Scottish icons: Robert Burns and David Byrne, who was born in Dumbarton (Jan 24). Hosted by drag royalty Ash Kenazi, this mashup brings together Dancing Barefoot and some great musicians for a night of David Byrne / Talking Heads / adjacent covers and a Burns’ night celebration. Expect rotating house bands ft members of Alien Chicks, Black Country New Road, Blood Wizard, Clementine March, DEADLETTER, Denh Izen, Fat Dog, Goat Girl, Hank, Honeyglaze, Human Interest, Imogen And The Knife, Lime Garden, Los Bitchos, Mary In The Junkyard, Moreish Idols, Nuha Ruby Ra, Porridge Radio, TATYANA, The Golden Dregs, The Itch, The Orchestra (For Now), Thredd, Unlucky and more special guests and surprises to be revealed.

• Palestinian rapper Tamer Nafar, a founder member of hip-hop group DAM, returns to Jazz Café on Jan 27. The performance features a curated selection of music in both English and Arabic.

• The Unthanks mark 20 years together with anniversary special performance with Royal Northern Sinfonia at Barbican on Jan 31.

More upcoming gigs

Jan 24 – Guy Manoukian, The Water Rats; Shan Nash, The Garage; Midnite City, The Black Heart; The 502s + Jamie McIntyre, The Forum; District Social Club + Hear Me Out + The Sportsman + Ali Macqueen, The Camden Assembly;

Jan 25 – Lords of the Underground, 229;

Jan 27 – WU-LU live in the round + Louis Carnell + Maha, The Dome;

Jan 28 – Anna Von Hausswolff, Islington Assembly Hall; Agnes, Koko; Westside Cowboy, Scala; Creeping Jean, The Camden Assembly; Westside Cowboy + Holly Head, Scala; Kofi Stone, The Forum; Resolve + Windwaker + Tropic Gold + Ashen, Islington Academy;

Jan 30 – Orianthi, Islington Academy; Mon Rovîa, Tommy WÁ, The Man The Myth The Meatslab, The Forum; Broken Peach, The Underworld; Craig Finn (the Hold Steady), Union Chapel; The Skids + The Vapors, Electric Ballroom; Sammy Angelo, The Camden Club; Prom Night, The Fiddler’s Elbow; St Paul And The Broken Bones, Tyler Ballgame, The Forum; The Dream Syndicate, The Garage; Annie Mac Before Midnight residency, HERE at Outernet;

Jan 31 – Marmozets, Dingwalls; Pierce Brothers, The Garage; Korolova, HERE at Outernet;  Alexis + Lover 1K + Retropxssy, The Dome; Guitarricadelafuente, Islington Assembly Hall;

Feb 1 – ExWHYZ, The Underworld; Rafet El Roman, Islington Assembly Hall; Gio Pika, Scala; Guitarricadelafuente, Koko; Dennis 1, 100 Club;

Feb 2 – The Molotovs + Sister Ray, 100 Club;

Feb 2+3 – Trampolene + Tres Kings, The Lexington;

Feb 3 – Artemas + Panicbaby, Roundhouse; Ash, Scala; Lucinda Williams + Ben de la Cour, Barbican.

Feb 4 – Myd, Here at Outernet; Ezra Furman, Modern Woman, The Forum;

Feb 5 – Rhiannon Sharkey + Jeanne Wilde + BULLMAERA + Kate Flanders, The Fiddler’s Elbow; Mew, Roundhouse; The Lilacs, The Garage, Anna of the North, Islington Assembly Hall.