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Darren Johnson

@darrenjohnson66.bsky.social
256 followers 198 following 282 posts

Music writer. Social Democrat. Environmentalist. "Glam rock aficionado" - The Spectator Out now: 'Steeleye Span On Track' via Sonicbond Publishing

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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
This week’s featured artist: James Kerry Trio – latest album ‘Tributaries’ darrensmusicblog.com/2026/09/07/t...
darrensmusicblog.com
This week’s featured artist: James Kerry Trio – latest album ‘Tributaries’
From Kent, and an established member of the modern English folk scene, James Kerry is well known for his passionate, rhythmic playing rooted in folk dance tradition. Having begun his musical journe…
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Folk: album review – Spell Songs ‘In Thin Air’ @spellsongs.bsky.social darrensmusicblog.com/2026/09/03/f...
darrensmusicblog.com
Folk: album review – Spell Songs ‘In Thin Air’
Originally commissioned by the organisers of the Folk By The Oak festival, the Spell Songs project was initially conceived as a one-off project but are now onto their third album. Spell Songs broug…
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Live review: Fairport’s Cropredy Convention August 2026 darrensmusicblog.com/2026/08/19/l...
darrensmusicblog.com
Live review: Fairport’s Cropredy Convention August 2026
As we headed towards our usual rendezvous point in a Banbury layby so that our assembled group could drive in together and set up camp next to one another, there were two niggles on my mind. Would …
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Live review: Fairport’s Cropredy Convention August 2026 darrensmusicblog.com/2026/08/19/l...
darrensmusicblog.com
Live review: Fairport’s Cropredy Convention August 2026
As we headed towards our usual rendezvous point in a Banbury layby so that our assembled group could drive in together and set up camp next to one another, there were two niggles on my mind. Would …
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Folk: album review – Jon Loomes ‘Dust in the Sun’ darrensmusicblog.com/2026/08/05/f...
darrensmusicblog.com
Folk: album review – Jon Loomes ‘Dust in the Sun’
Dust in the Sun by Jon Loomes is presented as a ‘lost’ English folk album, recorded in the long hot summer of 1976. According to the press blurb: “A troubled artist made a remarkable folk album who…
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Folk: album review – Jon Loomes ‘Dust in the Sun’ darrensmusicblog.com/2026/08/05/f...
darrensmusicblog.com
Folk: album review – Jon Loomes ‘Dust in the Sun’
Dust in the Sun by Jon Loomes is presented as a ‘lost’ English folk album, recorded in the long hot summer of 1976. According to the press blurb: “A troubled artist made a remarkable folk album who…
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Folk-rock: album review – Julie July Band ‘Diamond Rainbows’ darrensmusicblog.com/2026/07/07/f...
darrensmusicblog.com
Folk-rock: album review – Julie July Band ‘Diamond Rainbows’
Diamond Rainbows is the fifth album from the Julie July Band and their fourth album of original material. Their first, back in 2018, was a tribute to the late Sandy Denny, representing a foundation…
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Folk-rock: album review – Julie July Band ‘Diamond Rainbows’ darrensmusicblog.com/2026/07/07/f...
darrensmusicblog.com
Folk-rock: album review – Julie July Band ‘Diamond Rainbows’
Diamond Rainbows is the fifth album from the Julie July Band and their fourth album of original material. Their first, back in 2018, was a tribute to the late Sandy Denny, representing a foundation…
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Stéphanie Taberner 🔶 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 🇫🇷 @singlesfield.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Not the type of chap I would have a pint at the pub with.
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
When you launch your leadership bid with an opportunistic pitch to hard-left Corbynistas, spout off about leaving NATO and throw in vacuous soundbites about "bold politics", don't be surprised if it all comes back to bite you less than a year in. www.ft.com/content/b48b...
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Bity Booker @bitybooker.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Thank you @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social for this cool review of my new album 💙✨⚡️🙏 Read it below 👇
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Folk: album review – Bity Booker ‘There’s No Song About a Stone’ darrensmusicblog.com/2026/07/02/f...
darrensmusicblog.com
Folk: album review – Bity Booker ‘There’s No Song About a Stone’
I first came across the delightful Bity Booker supporting Green Diesel in Brighton last summer. Describing her as “a London-based alt-folk singer-songwriter with beautiful songs, a sweet voice and …
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
To mark the release of her new album 'Being Serafina' (which comes out today) Tricia Duffy AKA Little Lore sat down with Ross Muir of Fabrications HQ for an in-depth look at the album and the inspiration behind the songs. Read the full interview here. www.fabricationshq.com/tricia-duffy...
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Released today 12th June - the new album by Little Lore. "Being Serafina is a work that stretches the imagination and reveals a conceptual depth outside the normal approach." - RnR magazine. darrensmusicblog.com/2026/06/09/b...
darrensmusicblog.com
Being Serafina: the stunning new album from Little Lore inspired by Tennessee Williams
Released: 12 June 2026 “In the 21st century it’s refreshing to know that there are still artists creating unique albums. The London-based Little Lore is a fine example of that and her latest releas…
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
There's been some lovely reviews for the forthcoming 'Being Serafina' album by Little Lore - released this week 12/6. This one from Fatea Magazine is no exception - a detailed and thoughtful review that really captures what the album is all about. www.fatea-records.co.uk/magazine/rev...
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
It genuinely fills my heart with hope for the future when I see things that I spent most of my adult life campaigning for as a member of the Green Party now being implemented by this Labour government and Labour local authorities. Vote Labour on May 7th. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
A reason to vote Labour tomorrow: we are the only party taking the climate crisis seriously | Katie White
Climate action is something the vast majority of Britons agree on. But even the Greens are blocking the vital infrastructure we need to electrify Britain, says Labour MP Katie White
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Released this week: Double A-Side single from the forthcoming Little Lore album inspired by Tennessee Williams darrensmusicblog.com/2026/05/06/d...
darrensmusicblog.com
Double A-Side single from the forthcoming Little Lore album inspired by Tennessee Williams
Released: 8th May 2026 “We were spellbound by her ability to highlight unique perspectives with her songwriting” – Maverick magazine “Duffy’s first-class writing shines through” – RnR magazine The …
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Heading off on holiday here. I've already cast my postal vote for Labour and urge others do the same. But if you can't stand Labour I'd sooner you vote Conservative than Reform. And if you can't stand the Tories I'd sooner you vote Lib Dem than Green. Say no to divisive populism.
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
This could be Polanski's Salisbury moment. Previously sympathetic voters were weirded-out by Corbyn's cranky refusal to condemn Russia for the Salisbury poisoning and his reputation never recovered from that. www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/zack-p...
huffingtonpost.co.uk
Zack Polanski's Popularity Plummets In Wake Of Golders Green Row
The Green Party leader was slammed for appearing to criticise the police response to the incident.
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Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Simple arithmetic. When you already have one home and somehow by whatever means get a second that means you own two homes. How difficult is that to grasp?
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James O'Malley @jamesomalley.co.uk · 23/04/2026
I note with interest that it is possible to return to a trade bloc after a period of committing economic suicide.
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Darth Putin @darthputinkgb.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
We never seen "Putin threaten genocide". We have seen: -Deportations -Killing civilians & targeting infra to set conditions of life calculated to bring destruction of 🇺🇦 & 🇺🇦ians -Genocidal rhetoric -Forced adoptions -Arrests for speaking 🇺🇦 -Forced change of citizenship... But no "threats"...
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General Boles @generalboles.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Ed Davey canoeing through the Strait of Hormuz to draw attention to the Lib Dems '10p off a litre' fuel policy h/t @worgztheowl.bsky.social
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James O'Malley @jamesomalley.co.uk · 23/04/2026
Why "just put solar on roofs" doesn't work, and four other common anti-solar farm arguments debunked, through the medium of dunking on the Green Party:
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
'A former Green member of the London Assembly has denounced the “Corbynite takeover” of his former party.' Me in the JC this week. www.thejc.com/news/politic...
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Aprilciate🍉🏳️‍⚧️ @aprilciate.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
The only consistent: grifting
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JWexTheSpa @jwsidders.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
This is a total failure of leadership. The thing about populists is that they will never, ever confront their supporters to tell them they are wrong. Populists will always take the path of least resistance - even when it means appeasing racists.
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Warren Oates @warrenoates1.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Has the Green Party removed their multiple candidates across at least 3 different situations who have made racist or antisemitic posts or comments? It's well over a week since the first of these came to light. From what I can see most, if not all, still remain as official Green Party candidates.
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James Barr @jamesbarr.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
It’s like Corbyn’s been reincarnated as Polanski
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Tom Hunter @onelifestand87.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Turns out I was giving Polanski too much credit on Ukraine. What the fuck is he talking about here? Putin has an ICC warrant for the industrial kidnapping of tens of thousands of Ukrainian kids & rewarded the soldiers who massacred civillians Bucha with medals for their ‘bravery’
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Tristan @tristanod.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
On the Green Party being bad at being green
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Anon Opin @anonopin.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
The audio tours for medieval castles should have a separate channel for people who are not complete idiots, who want to hear a deadpan description of the history of each room with absolutely no struggling actors hamming it up pretending to be a nobleman or a lowly washerwoman.
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Green councillors hate private enterprise so much that they would rather we continued using fossil fuels and block renewable energy projects if they are operated by a private company. takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/the-green-...
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Rob Chapman @scribblerrob.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
I came of musical age at a curious time when increasingly earnest rock musicians disowned their pop hits and indeed the band members who wrote them. Hole In My Shoe is still a lovely piece of psych mellotronica for all that. RIP Dave Mason. Safe journey to the otherworld the better world. x
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Jewish News @jewishnews.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Green Party leader also suggesting antisemitism claims against his party’s local candidates have been 'weaponised'
jewishnews.co.uk
Fury as Zack Polanski says Jewish community has ‘perception of unsafety’ after antisemitic attacks
Green Party leader also suggesting antisemitism claims against his party’s local candidates have been 'weaponised'
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Green councillors hate private enterprise so much that they would rather we continued using fossil fuels and block renewable energy projects if they are operated by a private company. takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/the-green-...
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Polanski is soooo unlucky. He offered breast enlargement only because he was misrepresented by the Sun. He backed the Coalition govt's austerity only because he wanted PR. He criticised Corbyn's handling of antisemitism only because he didn't have the full facts. www.newstatesman.com/the-ns-profi...
newstatesman.com
Zack Polanski is still learning
The Green leader on his journey from Lib Dem centrist to Corbyn’s heir
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Polanski is soooo unlucky. He offered breast enlargement only because he was misrepresented by the Sun. He backed the Coalition govt's austerity only because he wanted PR. He criticised Corbyn's handling of antisemitism only because he didn't have the full facts. www.newstatesman.com/the-ns-profi...
newstatesman.com
Zack Polanski is still learning
The Green leader on his journey from Lib Dem centrist to Corbyn’s heir
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Rick @flipchartrick.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
I’m not sure what’s more annoying on St George’s Day, the flag-shaggers or the ahistorical ‘debunkers’. Both are becoming part of the annual tradition.
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Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
This morning's book post. The English translation of Aymeric Leroy's exhaustive history of the Canterbury scene has been a long time coming (ten years in fact), but here it finally is - all 643 pages of it!
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Anon Opin @anonopin.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
The shitshow that is the continual argument within Your Party shows precisely why Corbyn was a crap Labour leader and would have been a crap PM
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Tony Travers: In places where the Greens do take overall control, “the risk is they’ll be a very inexperienced group of councillors focused much more on national and international issues than the local things councils need to care about” www.ft.com/content/4e9c...
ft.com
Is London ready for the Green Party?
Zack Polanski’s leftwing populists are aiming to eat into Labour’s heartlands
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Rick @flipchartrick.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
From a former Green Party London Assembly member.
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
Populism with a human face. Just don't ask for details. "Yeah, it’s tricky" “I don’t think I could come up with a model now" “We can look at models where it’s worked and hasn’t worked" "I wasn’t following politics closely" observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk
Hannah Spencer: ‘MPs tell me I’ll get used to Westminster...
On a stroll with her greyhounds, the Green party’s newest MP talks about how Labour lost its way, getting her hands dirty, and why parliament is ‘bonkers’
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Albumism @albumism.com · 18/04/2026
ZZ Top released ‘Fandango!’ (1975) 51 years ago this week | Listen to the album + read our tribute here: album.ink/zztopfandango
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
So the Green Party in Norfolk don't want the pylons that will connect the new off-shore windfarms to the national grid. And they don't want solar panels either. Bunch of clowns who are not serious about renewables. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
'Industrial scale' solar farms attacked by Norfolk's Green
The county council's Green leader says solar panels should be locally owned and put on roofs.
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Released today: ‘Trying Not To Breathe’ fourth single from Little Lore album inspired by Tennessee Williams darrensmusicblog.com/2026/04/17/t...
darrensmusicblog.com
‘Trying Not To Breathe’ fourth single from Little Lore album inspired by Tennessee Williams
Released: 17th April 2026 “We were spellbound by her ability to highlight unique perspectives with her songwriting” – Maverick magazine “Duffy’s first-class writing shines through” – RnR magazine ‘…
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
As long as you are anti-Israel absolutely ANYONE can be a candidate for the Green Party these days even - and I must stress this - even if you pleaded guilty to illegally disposing of waste less than a year ago and ordered by the court to cough up £8,000.
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
I keep a close eye on the Green Party because I'm genuinely alarmed at the direction it has taken and how, beneath the populist veneer, it's become a magnet for cranks and extremists. I keep a close eye on Your Party, however, purely for the comedy value. www.thenational.scot/news/2601612...
thenational.scot
Your Party Scotland 'over' as leadership team resign en masse
YOUR Party Scotland is “over” its leaders have said as they resigned from Jeremy Corbyn’s political party.
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Darren Johnson @darrenjohnson66.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
In August 1989 I travelled to Hungary as part of a group from the UK to support democracy campaigners and environmentalists in the dying days of communism. I truly hope today sees the end of Orban's autocracy and a return to post-1989 democratic values. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...
theguardian.com
Hungarians vote in hard-fought election that could oust Viktor Orbán after 16 years
Rightwing leader trails in polls to Péter Magyar, despite support from JD Vance on recent visit
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