Noel Gallagher stars on the cover of our bumper Hot Press Christmas & New Year Special!

Making a late bid for Album of the Year, Noel Gallagher's Who Built The Moon? finds Noel Gallagher swapping rock'n'roll orthodoxy for something altogether more interesting. Damon Albarn, Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Brexit, Liam and his co-conspirator, David Holmes, feature as he tells Stuart Clark where it all went right...

Elsewhere, we feature an exclusive, sensational interview with Kevin Spacey's older brother, Randy B. Fowler. The elder sibling of the Fowler family talks to Jason O'Toole about growing up in what he describes as a "house of horrors" with their abusive father, and gives us an insight to the now tarnished Spacey.

Not slowing down on the controversy front, we also reveal the shocking truth about gay conversion therapy in Ireland. While it may be more commonly considered an American phenomenon, Hot Press learned about a disturbing case, which illustrates not only that the practice is alive and well in Ireland, but also just how harmful it can be.

In the Hot Press interview this issue, we meet with one of Ireland's best novelists, Sebastian Barry. With a cluster of awards to his name, Barry is one of Ireland's most successful writers. This year saw him win the Costa Prize for an unprecedented second time, with his most recent novel, Days Without End. But there has also been considerable turbulence along the way for a man who is completely committed to the world of literary creativity. Depression, gay rights and repealing the 8th are all on the agenda, in a powerful interview with Jason O'Toole.

In our features section, we look back on the legacy of the Apollo House occupation, nearly a year after it was first conceived. We also have explosive interviews with The Darkness and one of the most famous punk groups in the world, Pussy Riot.

For our annual Christmas Roundtable this year, we met up with a head-spinning selection of Ireland's best musicians. Stuart Clark meets with Jess Kav from Barq, 21-year old Dublin DJ Eden, Kodaline singer Steve Garrigan, 2FM's Eoghan McDermott, The Strypes Pete O'Hanlon, IMRO Chairperson Eleanor McEvoy, Wyvern Lingo's Caoimhe Barry, and Carlow DJ John Gibbons.

In our Film section, Roe McDermott meets with Dave Franco to talk about the making of The Disaster Artist - the true story of how one of the worst movies ever made became a cult phenomenon.

On top of all that, we also have interviews with the likes of London Grammar, Joe Chester, Pugwash and Columbia Mills, as well as all the usual previews, reviews and news that you'd expect from Hot Press, including coverage of the newest releases from Taylor Swift, Bjork, Christy Moore and more.