Brian Boyd

Brian Boyd

Contributor

Brian Boyd, a contributor to The Irish Times, writes mainly about music and entertainment.

‘Conspirituality’: The radicalisation of wellness advocate Novak Djokovic

Opinion: The tennis player is part of a new socio-political movement – ‘conspirituality’

Brian Boyd: We wish him a speedy recovery, but remember Trump has encouraged coronavirus denial

As thousands of Americans succumbed to the virus, Trump continued to be the Pollyana-in-Chief

Brian Boyd: Rave on, Van Morrison, rave on thy holy fool

The extravagant amount of outrage over his Covid-19 songs is commensurate with his exalted status as an Irish artist

Our deification of Matt Damon tells us about how celebrity wattage blinds us

We have a pathological need not just for The Famous Person to visit but through some ritual process of transubstantiation become like us

Terry Jones was the John Lennon of comedy

The Monty Python founder had the idea of dropping punchlines for an absurdist style

Man walks into a bar and hands Boris Johnson a majority

The roots of the Tory victory can be traced back to Eric Joyce’s misbehaviour in 2012

Brian Boyd: Enough of the flight shaming and train bragging

Focusing on the impact of aviation is to miss the point about global warming

Brian Boyd: Can anyone conceivably view the word potato as an ‘ethnic slur’?

Our understanding of what constitutes actual racist language and behaviour has become devalued

Love Island: Better than Oxbridge and harder to get into

Erotic capital may be all the reality television show’s contestants have or need

Brendan Grace: The best bits from a life in comedy

These eight YouTube clips show Brendan Grace’s pioneering, inimitable comedy style

Brendan Grace: His big break came when he gave the gig of his life for Frank Sinatra

Grace was a pioneer in Ireland, writing and performing his own comedy as a headline act

Freddie Starr: Chicken-thrower, Hitler impersonator and ‘idiot’

Anything could happen at a Starr show. That was the appeal of his now dated comedy

Scott Walker’s work is woven into the musical fabric of the age

His beautiful voice and avant garde compositions influenced David Bowie and Radiohead

Michael Jackson music bans show double standards of cultural elitists

Brian Boyd: It is one rule for popular figures and another for revered idols of high art

Choice Music Prize: Irish album of the year revealed

Picture This win Song of the Year for One Drink