The Latest Breaking News from Simon Nicol

“Robert Plant sat at the back. You could see his brain ticking away, thinking, ‘I should do this.’ That’s what I like”: What drives the prog veteran who’s been compared to God?

With 100 albums to his name, prime mover of folk rock Ashley Hutchings has never run out of creative goals.

Louder · Aug 13

"The music evokes the past in an extraordinary way. The public own it now, and it has a kind of magic to it." The story of Meet On The Ledge, Fairport Convention's most stirring, emotive anthem

Richard Thompson used to think Fairport Convention's Meet Me On The Ledge was “immature, juvenile" - now it's a much-loved communal singalong

Louder · Jul 30

“He couldn’t stand up so I hit him over the head with my bass. He fell to the floor. I ran away… I didn’t know if he was still alive”: The bassist who survived Fairport Convention, Jethro Tull and believing he’d murdered his bandmate on stage

Veteran admits he sailed close to the wind as he taught prog giants to drink – but he learned how much it means to play live with a band

Louder · Nov 2, 2025