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Influenced by a series of mystical events, the results of a paranoia fueled by an illegal substance he was voluntarily addicted to, his intoxicated lethargy in Los Angeles was interrupted by the necessity to put those old and destructive practices into action in order to reinvent himself once again.

This time flirting with a different character – the return of the Thin White Duke.

He’d been summoned to become the main character in a film by Nicolas Roeg, The Man Who Fell To Earth. Legend has it that a very atypical stage persona characterized by a romantic personality, an apathetic behavior and a refined, cold and mesmerizing appearance began to take shape during long recording hours. In a context where he was prisoner to the dangerous effects of cocaine, in conjunction with a fanatical religious and political tendency and an alleged fondness for occultist Aleister Crowley, David Bowie had created the Thin White Duke.

Locked deep inside an unassuming Manhattan venue, a musician reminisces. “Eddie Vedder was hanging around with The Strokes one night, just hanging out drinking beer. This doesn’t happen in any place except New York City.”

Well, it is indeed a unique city; a world within a world where countless nationalities convalesce in an urban sprawl so packed with landmarks that some truly extraordinary places can be lost to the spectacular backdrop forever. Places which anywhere else on Earth would no doubt have a steady stream of wide-eyed locals flocking to its site, gazing on in wonder. The Music Building, situated not far from Times Square, is just one of those places. That unassuming Manhattan venue which since 1979 has been the mecca many an aspiring young musician has migrated to, maybe some having jumped off a Grey Hound Bus, guitar case in hand, at the nearby Port Authority Bus Depot., and whose doors today give way to a remarkable community of 69 rooms brimming with bands, students and raconteurs recounting an endless treasure trove of stories, folk tales and rock n roll mythology.

Yesterday we celebrated the 65 th birthday of one of the UK’s most celebrated musicians, here we take a look through the ever-changing, and ever-brilliant career of David Bowie.

Born David Robert Jones, Bowie moved to Kent with his parents at the age of six where he was educated at Burnt Ash Junior School and later Bromley Technical High School. Like most musicians of his generation, his love of music was cemented while listening to early American rock n roll stars at a young age. By the age of fifteen, he had formed his first band The Konrads, and after performing with various groups in his teens, released his first single, ‘Liza Janes‘ in 1964 with The King Bees.

Lock, Stock, and Three Smokin’ Barrels…

Well, it’s that time of year again when everyone starts telling you who is going to break through and become the biggest thing since The Beatles.

Usually, such predictions fall short and never fulfill the grand expectations that are bestowed upon those special chosen ones. Brother were once hailed by some as the next Oasis but, in the end, they didn’t even scratch the surface. So what about 2012? We’re not going to insist on telling you who is definitely going to tilt the world on its axis, but a bit of gentle guidance never hurt anyone.

From fronting popular Nineties Britpop-era band Hurricane #1, to creating beautiful pieces of abstract art that have been snapped up by the likes of Donald Trump and Mike Tyson, Alex Lowe is successfully strutting the line between art and music. His next exhibition The Aquarian Conspiracy, which sees him team up with ex-record boss Alan McGee, is his latest artistic venture; exploring one of their mutually favourite topics – Magick. While also finding the time to write his fifth solo album, it seems Alex has hit creative overdrive. Where does he get the time?

And so to the third and final part of Live4ever’s 2011 retrospective. A year packed with some genuinely outstanding releases, 2011 has enjoyed some of the most unanimously acclaimed records of recent years; PJ Harvey has won seemingly every award up for grabs thanks to ‘Let England Shake’, Kate Bush has wowed everyone with her first record of the decade, while the likes of The Boxer Rebellion, FIGO and The Minutes have come to the party with equally impressive, under-the-radar efforts just as deserving of your precious time and attention.

To celebrate another year of great music, the Live4ever Ezine is offering two readers the opportunity to win a pair of Boom earphones; a prize packed with both style and sound quality. So to be in with a chance of winning, when you’ve been through the pick of the LPs which have been taking up our space throughout the year, leave a comment below telling us your own Top 5 Albums of 2011 to be automatically entered into our giveaway. Good luck!

Liverpool band Space are to perform in their beloved city this Christmas for a one-off gig. The band’s frontmen and sparring partners Tommy, Jamie and Franny – who split in 2005 – have announced they will play the Liverpool 02 Academy on December 22nd for what’s sure to be a special night. Tommy and Jamie spoke to Carl Stanley:

Live4ever’s Essential Listening end of year retrospective continues today with our pick of the tracks and EPs which have crossed the Live4ever Ezine‘s path during the past twelve months.

Featuring stand-out singles from some of the rock world’s best established artists, as well as plenty of impressive releases from a selection of our favourite new bands, we hope the rundown will inspire you to both check out the artists featured, and let us know of your own highlights from 2011 by leaving a comment below.

And if your nearest and dearest isn’t included today, be sure to check back next Wednesday to see if they are featured on the third and final instalment of our 2011 recap, Live4ever’s Essential Listening 2011 – The Albums.

Well, it’s that time of year again when we here at the Live4ever Ezine begin to trail back through 12 months worth of musical delights in a vain attempt to group our favourites of 2011 into some sort of coherent list we like to call Live4ever’s Essential Listening.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be presenting our most cherished gigs, tracks and albums of the year, in the hope that our highlights from 52 weeks worth of sonic adventure will inspire you to investigate our essential picks of 2011, as well as sharing your own favourites with us.

Check back next week for Live4ever’s Essential Listening 2011 – The Tracks, and when you’ve been through our stand-out gigs of the year, don’t forget to leave a comment below to tell the world of your memorable gig-going experiences of 2011.

When Filligar first introduced themselves to Live4ever via an impressive live display at London’s Good Ship venue last summer, our eagerness for the latest polished fruits of their labour was planted. The resultant album certainly didn’t disappoint, and the scope, creation and variety which is packed into ‘The Nerve‘ makes it one of 2011′s best exponents of US rock and roll.

Now, with the British release just around the corner, it seemed like a good time to catch up with the band to find out more about the processes which went into the creation of ‘The Nerve’, and their thoughts on making waves in the UK after a decade’s worth of toil and endeavour.