GLOBE columnist Peter Grant talks to the man in black – musician, author and film critic Mark Kermode ahead of his Liverpool Playhouse show and his new book How Does It Feel - A Life of Musical Adventures...

"How hard can it be?" is a question Mark Kermode has consistently asked himself since he was unknowingly playing skiffle with the family pots and pans as a child.

Building a home-made guitar while at school was his first life challenge.

Mark is well-respected throughout the film industry for his insightful movie reviews. He is also a "pop star" though he might not agree with that review of his achievements in music.

He will agree, however, that he deserves five stars for his "never say never" determination.

He tells the Globe: ‘‘Whereas other people give up - I don’t.

"I knew from an early age I wanted to play music for the rest of my life,’’

His latest book How Does it Feel – A Life of Musical Adventures recalls how he bought a 20p magazine and then proceeded to make an electric guitar from scratch for an initial ten pounds outlay.

It should have taken two months - it took him two years.

‘‘It wasn’t as difficult as it sounds. I started with a table and some strings,’’ he says in that famous voice.

He progressed from his native Barnet to playing in various London clubs to the Royal Albert Hall and Glastonbury. He also recorded an album in the famous Sun Studios in the USA.

Mark and his band The Dodge Brothers who were formed in 1996 were also Danny Baker’s house band on his BBC series playing alongside Squeeze and Nick Heywood.

But how has Mark managed two careers?

‘‘I am lucky,’’ says Mark who counts Richard Hawley a kindred spirit (they share hair gels for off-stage "quiff incidents").

Mark once took part in the kids’ show Utterly Brilliant showing Timmy Mallet how to play the tea chest.

‘’I am still very proud of that,’’ adds Mark who was later less successful playing on board the Royal Iris.

He laughs: ‘‘We were mis-booked. It was a country and western night and we were skiffle.

"The audience were clearly happier playing bingo.

‘‘It’s a wonder we were not seen floating down the Mersey having been thrown over the side.’’

Mark is famous for his encyclopaedic film knowledge but what was the spark that seriously ignited his musical fire?

It was, in fact, watching a 1975 film called Slade in Flame about the Midlands rockers that inspired him.

Also he was watching Top of the Pops and seeing Dave Hill’s guitars.

He was later hooked on David Bowie advertising the Stylophone. It made young Mark’s quest for pop stardom even stronger.

He went to university in Manchester played in bands and became a journalist.

The self-confessed "ageing Ted" recalls strong links with Merseyside.

After years of wooing his girlfriend Linda it was his double bass playing that finally won her over.

She was studying at the University of Liverpool and the couple were married at Birkenhead Town Hall in 1991.

‘‘We had our reception at the Adelphi Hotel. We even booked ourselves as the dance band that night.

‘‘Unfortunately all our equipment was nicked.

"We had to borrow instruments. We have a photo of ourselves from the wedding night reporting the theft at the local police station.’’

Mark says it will be a privilege playing the Playhouse again where he has been before with talks on his cinema books.

‘‘I am thrilled to be playing there standing and talking and answering any questions and dong a signing session.’’

Judging by our Globe chat (a sort of trailer for his stage show) I can assure those attending the gig he has plenty of anecdotes to keep any audience happy for a 90-minute showcase.

‘‘I may do a couple of songs at the end. I hope to encourage a person from the audience to come up learn how to play the blues on the harmonica in just three minutes. It can be done...as I said how - hard can it be?’’

Mark Kermode the critic is much in demand, but I ask is there anything Mark Kermode the musician still wants to achieve?

There is a rare, brief silence before his quick mind ticks over.

‘‘I would like to still be playing the guitar in a pub corner somewhere.

‘‘My quiff may be drooping by then but at 80 years of age and more I want to be playing the blues until I drop off my perch.’’

Liverpool Playhouse, November 13 - more tickets now released: 0151 709 4776

The book - How Does it Feel (Orion Publishing) is available from all good bookshops.