'A Hard Day's Night' with Samira Ahmed
2026-06-11 19:00 - 21:00 (Europe/London)
The Long Play Sessions : Samira Ahmed with ‘A Hard Day’s Night’
Thu 11 Jun 2026 7:00 PM – 10:30 PM The Venue and Refectory, ICMP (Queens Park Campus), NW6 6PA

Join us on 11 June at 7:00 pm at ICMP’s Queen’s Park venue for a special in‑conversation event with award‑winning journalist, writer, and broadcaster Samira Ahmed, as she discusses with Daniel Rachel her brand‑new book in the BFI Film Classics series:
A Hard Day’s Night – her deep dive into the Beatles’ groundbreaking 1964 film.
In this intimate interview, Samira will explore how A Hard Day’s Night—originally created to capture the Beatles’ explosive rise—has become a genuine cinematic classic. Drawing from her lifelong love for the film and her remarkable 2023 discovery of the earliest known full Beatles concert recording, Samira examines how the movie captured the shifting cultural landscape of 1960s Britain and redefined modern celebrity.
Expect insights into:

The film’s innovative blend of documentary realism and playful rebellion
How Beatlemania transformed ideas of fame, identity, and media
The film’s lasting influence on generations of artists, fans, and filmmakers
Samira’s personal connection to the Beatles and how the film shaped her own journey into journalism

About the author:
Samira Ahmed presents Front Row on BBC Radio 4 and Newswatch on BBC One, and has created acclaimed documentaries including Art of Persia and I Dressed Ziggy Stardust. In 2020 she was named Audio Presenter of the Year by the Broadcasting Press Guild. A Hard Day’s Night is her first book.
Whether you’re a Beatles fan, a film lover, or simply curious about the cultural forces that shaped modern Britain, this is an evening not to miss.

Location
The Venue and Refectory, ICMP (Queens Park Campus), NW6 6PA

Groovy, Laidback & Nasty: the Sheffield Scene with Daniel Dylan Wray
2026-06-30 19:00 - 20:30
Groovy, Laidback & Nasty: the Sheffield Scene with Daniel Dylan Wray

In Groovy, Laidback & Nasty acclaimed journalist Daniel Dylan Wray sets out why Sheffield has long been a crucible for world-leading music.
Spanning seven decades and with over 150 new interviews, including Richard Hawley, Arctic Monkeys, Self Esteem, ABC, Pulp, Def Leppard, The Human League, Toddla T, Cabaret Voltaire, Warp Records, Clock DVA, Heaven 17 and many more From dazzling electronic futurism to pioneering post-punk, via pop, metal, bassline, bleep techno and generation-defining indie rock, Sheffield has long been a crucible for world-leading music. Some artists have excelled on the fringes, others have achieved global success, but all remain connected through a fervently independent ethos. In Sheffield, creativity flourished in the face of isolation, economic decline and bleak political circumstances, resulting in some of Britain’s most groundbreaking and singular music. But the region’s ingrained humility and dogged stoicism means it has never been documented or celebrated to the level of more hubristic cities. In Groovy, Laidback and Nasty , acclaimed Sheffield journalist Daniel Dylan Wray sets out to remedy this, telling the story of the city’s DIY spirit and the musical visionaries and innovators who helped build its inimitable legacy. Both a compelling cultural study and an unapologetic love letter to the city, this – finally – is the definitive musical history Sheffield so richly deserves.
What to expect-A journey through seven decades of Sheffield’s groundbreaking music history, from post-war dance halls to modern indie and electronic scenes.-Behind-the-scenes stories from more than 150 interviews with influential artists, producers and music pioneers.-Exploration of Sheffield’s role in shaping genres including electronic music, post-punk, synth-pop, bleep techno, bassline and indie rock.-Personal insights from author Daniel Dylan Wray on researching and writing the definitive musical history of Sheffield.-Audience Q&A.-Book signing opportunity – bring your copy or purchase one on the night.We look forward to welcoming you to The Long Play Sessions for an entertaining, insightful and nostalgia-rich evening, uncovering one of the most influential and least documented chapters in British music history.
About The Long Play SessionsThis event forms part of The Long Play Sessions, a curated series hosted by ICMP Music School, celebrating influential writers whose work has shaped how we understand music, culture and creative history. Each session brings landmark books to life through live conversation, historical context and deep industry insight.
LocationThe Electric Press, Millennium Square, LS2 3AD

An Evening With Rhoda Dakar
2026-07-09 19:00 - 23:00
An Evening With Rhoda Dakar

Rhoda Dakar is a genuine 2 Tone original. Lead vocalist with The Body snatchers from 1979, she went on to record with The Specials, The Special AKA and Madness, earning seven gold albums and a reputation as, in Louder Than War’s words, a “goddamn national treasure.”

This is not a concert. Daniel Rachel, author of Too Much Too Young, the definitive history of 2 Tone, sits down with Rhoda for a rare and candid conversation about her life and music. Records are played as the story unfolds, each one a window into who she is and where she came from. Rhoda then takes the decks, spinning the music she loves and sharing it the only way she knows how. Daniel closes the night with a 2 Tone set to send you home right.

Intimate. Informed. Unmissable.

Supported by Arts Council England and curated in partnership with Chalkpit Cassette Club, SSP is about building genuine routes into contemporary music for artists and audiences alike.SSP is more than a gig programme. Ifyou’rean artist who wants to play, a photographer, writer, designer, or someone who just wants to be part of building something new for live music in this town, we want to hear from you. Get in touch atinfo@stratfordsoundpathways.com.

Rother Street Arts House, 14 Rother Street, Stratford-upon-avon, United Kingdom

9 July 2026. 7pm

Price: £8

Coventry Festival of Books: 2 Tone Extravaganza
2026-07-12
A Tale of 2 Tone City

Sun 12 Jul
Techno Centre – Coventry University
A Tale of 2 Tone City. Come and celebrate with us one of Coventry city’s most iconic cultural stories.

Buy Tickets

About the event

A Tale of 2 Tone City
Come and celebrate with us one of Coventry city’s most iconic cultural stories.
As the Festival of Books draws to a close we have one final Tale to tell, a story that time will never forget, a tale that began with a special sound that hit Coventry’s thriving music scene of the late 1970s. Born in Coventry, the 2 Tone movement brought black and white musicians together, creating a sound that changed British music forever.
A panel discussion exploring the people, music and legacy behind this iconic movement will be hosted by acclaimed author Daniel Rachel,
the panel features:
Pauline Black OBE DL, legendary frontwoman of The Selecter,
Pete Chambers BEM, founder of Coventry Music Museum,
An author with a ‘passion’ for 2 tone Shelley Hinchliffe Reece.
Whether you’re reliving the era or discovering it for the first time, come and hear the stories behind Coventry’s most influential musical movement.
The event includes a Q&A, photo opportunities, book signing and meet-and-greet and a merch stall.

Adult Ticket

£6.00

Quantity

0

Time & Location

12 Jul 2026, 19:00
Techno Centre – Coventry University, University 3 Puma Way, Priory St, Coventry CV1 5FB, UK

About the event

Coventry Festival of Books is about to write its very first chapter, and you’re invited to be part of the story. Taking place over one spectacular weekend on 11th – 12th July 2026, this brand-new festival is the first of its kind for Coventry, transforming the city into a true book lover’s paradise. From page-turning talks to hands-on workshops, immersive exhibits to creative activities, this is a full weekend celebration of books, literacy, art and history, with a few delightful plot twists along the way.
The Book Extravaganza will take over the National Trust’s Charterhouse, hosting a buzzing bookish marketplace packed with indie authors, beautiful books, crafts, merchandise and curiosities for every kind of reader. Entry to Charterhouse is via the standard admission fee (or free with a National Trust pass). Meanwhile, the Anglican Chapel at London Road Cemetery will set the stage for our international and headline authors, with ticketed talks and performances available to book in advance via this website. Two venues, countless stories, and more reasons than ever to fall in love with the power of storytelling.
And we haven’t come to the final chapter yet… this year we are proud to announce that we are part of the National Year of Writing 2026, led by the National Literacy Trust ‘Go All In’, so the Coventry Festival of Books is set to become a defining moment in the city’s cultural calendar – a cornerstone event, a statement of intent, and a love letter to the magic of reading.
We’ve taken our story, torn out the limits, and written something huge and it’s being told in bold, unforgettable type.
Bookmark the dates, clear your shelves, and ready your imagination, because this is not just Coventry’s story but your story that you will bring to the Coventry Festival of Books.
“There is more than one way to tell a story!”

2 Tone night with Pauline Black: Film, Talks. DJ sets
2026-07-18 17:00 - 23:30
2 Tone Night with Pauline Black

– Book presentation at 5:00 pm
– Film screening at 7:00 pm
– DJ set at 9:30 pm
Book Presentation: This Ain’t Rock ‘n’ Roll: Pop Music, the Swastika and the Third Reich … Cologne on 16 July 2026, presenting her original composition
More info at
https://seethesound.de/en/details/?film=Book-Presentation–This-Ain%27t-Rock-%27n%27-Roll–Pop-Music%2c-the-Swastika-and-the-Third-Reich

Art Chat: This Ain't Rock 'n' Roll
2026-07-22 19:00 - 21:30
Art Chat
Daniel will be in-conversatio0n with Jo Cottrell discussing his current book This Ain’t Rock ‘n’ Roll: Pop Music, the Swastika and the Third Reich

Chat’s Palace, Hackney
Wednesday 22 July 2026

Nairn Book & Arts Festival
2026-08-30 14:00 - 15:30
Nairn Book and Arts Festival
An annual celebration of literature, art, music, and drama in the Scottish Highlands
Daniel will be discussing his writing career with particular focus on Isle of Noises: Conversations with Great British Songwriters, including live performance….

Nairn Book and Arts Festival Events ›

A Conversation with Daniel Rachel

Nairn Community & Arts Centre, Nairn, IV12 4BQ

Sunday 30th August 2026

Award-winning and best-selling author Daniel Rachel will be discussing his writing career – including live guitar accompaniment – with focus on his first book Isle of Noises: Conversations with Great British Songwriters (A Guardian Book of the Year).
Featuring 27 of the UK’s finest musicians discussing the magic and secrets behind their art, Noel Gallagher said, ‘‘Without doubt the finest book I’ve ever read about songwriters and the songs they write’.
Photo credit: Bridie Main

A Conversation with Daniel Rachel
Nairn Community & Arts Centre
Nairn

Sun 30 Aug 2026,
2:30PM – 3:30PM

Book Now

Price
Ticket price incl. booking fee
£2.00 – £14.00

Heath Bookshop paperback launch
2026-10-29 19:00 - 21:30
Launch event to celebrate the paperback publication of This Ain’t Rock ‘n’ Roll: Pop Music, the Swastika and the Third Reich.
Daniel will be in-conversation

Five Leaves Bookshop - Nottingham
2026-11-04 19:00 - 20:30
This Ain’t Rock’n’Roll: pop music, the swastika and the Third Reich, with Daniel Rachel

Wednesday, 4 November, 2026
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

*Five Leaves Bookshop
14a Long Row, Nottingham, NG12DH

Tickets: £5.00 – £12.99
Book Now

In this illustrated talk, Daniel Rachel explores one of the last taboos in pop culture and asks why the Nazis, fascism and the Third Reich feature so prominently in the iconography of the artists that defined the twentieth century.Over the last seven decades, some of rock ‘n’ roll’s most celebrated figures have flirted with the imagery and theatre of the Third Reich. From Keith Moon and Vivian Stanshall kitting themselves out in Nazi uniforms to Siouxsie Sioux and Sid Vicious brandishing swastikas in the pomp of punk, generations of performers have associated themselves in with the aesthetics, mass hysteria and even ideology of Nazism. Whether shock factor, stupidity, or crass attempt at subversion, rock ‘n’ roll has indulged these associations in a way not accepted by any other artform. But how accountable should fans, the media, and the music industry be for what has often seemed a sleazy fascination with the eroticised perversions of a fascist regime?
Daniel Rachel navigates these turbulent waters, asking us to look anew at the artists that have defined us, inspired us and given us joy – and consider why so many have been drawn to the imagery of a movement responsible for the twentieth century’s worst atrocities. Alongside a sensitive history of the Holocaust and an examination of the place it holds in our cultural consciousness, Rachel asks essential questions of actions often overlooked or underplayed, whilst neither casting sweeping judgement nor offering easy answers. In doing so, he asks us to reassess the history of rock ‘n’ roll and sheds light on the echoes of the Third Reich in popular culture and the legacy of twentieth (and twenty-first) century history as it defines us today.
Daniel Rachel is a former musician turned author. His previous books include Too Much Too Young, the 2 Tone Records Story; Isle of Noises: Conversations with Great British Songwriters; and The Lost Album of the Beatles: What If the Beatles Hadn’t Split Up? He has also written sleeve notes for many artists including the Kinks, Madness, Ocean Colour Scene, Ray Davies, and Bryan Ferry.
Booking essential
