
Paul Brannigan
A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal. Having worked in various editorial roles across Louder since its inception in 2017, Paul was named Contributing Editor in 2022, and is steering Louder's editorial direction to help further establish it as an all-encompassing alternative music, culture and lifestyle brand.
Latest articles by Paul Brannigan

"I was on the floor, and he had his boot on my throat. I was like, That's great Elvis, that's great." The surreal story of the night Alice Cooper met Elvis Presley
By Paul Brannigan published
When Alice Cooper received an invitation to meet Elvis Presley, things didn't go as "the cat with the snake" had imagined

"It makes me just want to die!" The Kate Bush song that makes Kate Bush cringe with embarrassment
By Paul Brannigan published
"Some of those early songs, you think, Did I write that?"

Ed Sheeran reveals dirty blues / hard rock collaboration with Dave Grohl and John Mayer
By Paul Brannigan published
Drive, a collaboration between Ed Sheeran, Dave Grohl and John Mayer, will feature on the forthcoming F1 film soundtrack

Watch Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham rewind to Brat Summer and give Charli XCX his seal of approval
By Paul Brannigan published
"She's saying, Screw you!" Watch Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham rewind to Brat Summer

Alice In Chains' Sean Kinney shares health update after show cancellations
By Paul Brannigan published
"Medical doctors might know a bit more about health than a musician with some shiny spray-painted records on his wall"

Trent Reznor is curating a new festival celebrating the world's finest film soundtrack composers
By Paul Brannigan published
The Future Ruins festival will see some of the film world's most acclaimed soundtrack composers performing scores live

Lord Buffalo cancel European tour after drummer is "forcibly removed" from flight
By Paul Brannigan published
Lord Buffalo: "We are devastated to cancel this tour, but we are focusing all of our energy and resources on Yamal’s safety and freedom"

Sleep Token are on course to score their first number one album on the UK and US charts with Even In Arcadia, out-selling Arcade Fire and Radiohead's Thom Yorke
By Paul Brannigan published
Sleep Token are storming the charts on both sides of the Atlantic

Blink-182's Mark Hoppus on how the pop-punk stars steer clear of temptation
By Paul Brannigan published
Blink-182's Mark Hoppus admits he and his bandmates never aspired to follow Led Zeppelin's rock 'n' roll debauchery playbook

Oasis' manager shoots down fans' hopes of a new album from the reunited Gallagher brothers
By Paul Brannigan published
Don't expect to hear new songs on the upcoming Oasis Live '25 tour, and don't expect further live dates either

Watch the trailer for Queens of the Stone Age's Alive in the Catacombs film, documenting a Paris performance surrounded by several million dead people
By Paul Brannigan published
See Josh Homme's Queens of the Stone Age as you've never seen them before, performing in the world-famous Catacombs of Paris

Olivia Rodrigo reveals bill for BST Hyde Park headline show, including rising stars Florence Road, Aziya and Flowerovlove
By Paul Brannigan published
Olivia Rodrigo's headline show at London's BST Hyde Park festival will feature some of the UK and Ireland's finest emerging talent

Iggy Pop, Sex Pistols, The Damned confirmed for new punk rock festival
By Paul Brannigan published
Some of punk and hardcore's most iconic bands will play CBGB festival in Brooklyn, New York on September 27

Motörhead's Lemmy honoured with statue in the town where he was born
By Paul Brannigan published
Lemmy immortalised with 2.25m bronze-cast statue in Burslem, Stoke on Trent, England

Pearl Jam release new limited edition 12" EP featuring songs from The Last Of Us,
By Paul Brannigan published
Pearl Jam's four-track The Last Of Us EP is streaming now

Watch The Murder Capital play a free acoustic gig in a Cologne park after two German gigs are cancelled over Palestinian flag display
By Paul Brannigan published
Watch The Murder Capital play Love of Country and Swallow acoustically in Cologne's Rheinpark

In 1984, Paul McCartney shed revealing new light on his relationship with John Lennon
By Paul Brannigan published
"If you ever got a speck of praise from John, a crumb of it, you were quite grateful." Paul McCartney on John Lennon

Watch Pearl Jam perform a classic song from Ten with one of their heroes, one of the biggest British rock stars of the '70s
By Paul Brannigan published
Pearl Jam invite one of their favourite British rock stars to share their stage in Nashville

In 1988, R.E.M. were so disgusted with the state of the US that guitarist Peter Buck admitted to wanting to shoot President Bush
By Paul Brannigan published
"I live in a country where I wanna shoot politicians"

Hear Quicksand/Rival Schools frontman Walter Schreifels cover Pink Floyd for forthcoming animal welfare benefit album
By Paul Brannigan published
Quicksand's Walter Schreifels has covered two songs from Pink Floyd's Animals album

Despite offers, Dead Kennedys won't be reuniting with estranged vocalist Jello Biafra anytime soon says guitarist East Bay Ray
By Paul Brannigan published
Don't hold your breath for a Dead Kennedys reunion

The "nightmare" birth of the Stones Roses' Second Coming
By Paul Brannigan published
After The Stones Roses set the British music scene alight with their stunning debut album, the expectation was that they would take over the world with album two. Things didn't quite go to plan

US Masters golf champion Rory McIllroy admits that getting a message of congratulations from Elton John blew his mind
By Paul Brannigan published
Since he completed his historic career Grand Slam at Augusta National, golf superstar Rory McIlroy has received messages from across the sport and entertainment world
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