Mark’s own musical career was meteoric - it crashed to earth fast. It included a memorable spell - 20 minutes to be exact - playing the recorder - tape recorder, that is - behind the infamous Oxford punk group Marius And The Firebombers, during a concert which ended with the audience throwing insults, jelly babies and bottles at the stage.  

More successfully, he tried busking with a friend on the London Underground. Only slightly more lucratively, he has since written song lyrics.  

After decades trying to wear out every Dylan album ever made, his musical tastes have expanded. He is now a fixture on the London classical concert-goer circuit and a giver of legendary Proms parties. In recent years his main musical solace has been the music of contemporary classical composer Sir John Tavener, with the prospect of a book at some stage on the great man. In addition, Mark says: “I play everything from Bach to Blonde on Blonde; Stravinsky to The Smiths; Messiaen to Joni Mitchell; what seems like millions more.    Life’s too short but there can never be too much good music and art to enjoy and write about.”