Within thirty seconds of speaking to Maximo Park’s Paul Smith, I decide I like him. A lot. His voice, though tinged with the tiredness that comes from being at the tail-end of an exhausting European tour, is warm, rich and visceral; prompting me to pull out the porn voice I reserve for either respected musos or paying customers. Smith has come a long way…
The festival landscape has undergone major upheaval in the last three years, and Covid’s long-term impact on the music industry…
