Welcome to the Ray's Gigs website!

Here's the latest - updated 1st February 2023

Wednesday 01 February 2023.

Tuesday 31 January 2023....press/VIP opening night...
THE CHER SHOW live at The New Wimbledon Theatre, London.
It is on all this week at Wimbledon - Tues 31 Jan to Sat 04 Feb
The Cher Show tells the incredible story of Cher’s meteoric rise to fame, flying in the face of convention at every turn. This HUGE new production features a fresh take on her show-stopping costumes which earned her the title of "the ruler of outré reinvention" (VOGUE).
In a dazzling glitter fest sparkling with Cher’s signature wit and style to the sounds of her biggest hits, including If I Could Turn Back Time, Strong Enough, Gypsies Tramps and Thieves, The Shoop Shoop Song, I Got You Babe, and Believe....35 songs will be performed in total.
This week of shows are part of a year long UK tour.
I have seen the real CHER just the twice in concert...for one of those shows we had backstage passes,
and next to her backing bands dressing room, was a sign on a door that said "CHER'S WIG ROOM".
www.newwimbledontheatre.net - Visit their website here for more info and to buy tickets, which start at a mere £13.
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This large 1670 capacity theatre is a rammed solid full house tonight.
There is a full red carpet outside the venue , and we have several well known faces arrive,
including
The show was on for around 2 hours 10 mins , over two sets of 65 mins each.

check back soon for the full review.

10.30pm to 11.30pm was the aftershow party in the circle bar.
All the cast eventually turned up
Around 100 guests here enjoying complimentary wines, beers and cup cakes.
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Tuesday 31 January 2023.
Happy Birthday to punk legend JOHN LYDON who is 67 today.
Today at 10.30am John was interviewed on ITV live from Dublin,
where he is rehearsing for his Irish entry 'Hawaii' for Eurovision Song Contest on Friday.
John got very emotional when talking about his wife Nora illness.
Looks like it is Sex Pistols overkill day as GLEN MATLOCK was on BBC1 at 9am,
talking about his single 'Head On A Stick' , his new album, and slagging off The Tories and Brexit.

Updated 31st January 2023 Permalink

Saturday 28 January 2023.

Saturday 28 January 2023.
BLACK FLAG live at The Forum.
Black Flag is an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. Initially called Panic, the band was established by GREG GINN, the guitarist, primary songwriter, and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band. They are widely considered to be one of the first hardcore punk bands, as well as one of the pioneers of post-hardcore. After breaking up in 1986, Black Flag reunited in 2003 and again in 2013.The second reunion lasted well over a year, during which they released their first studio album in nearly three decades, What The... (2013). The band announced their third reunion in January 2019.Brandon Pertzborn was replaced by Isaias Gil on drums and Tyler Smith was replaced by Joseph Noval on bass....they have released seven studio albums.
Support comes from fellow Californian hardcore punk band TOTAL CHAOS.
They have released ten studio albums over the past 30 odd years.
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The balcony is closed tonight, and maybe only 700 or 800 tix sold on the floor standing.
TOTAL CHAOS arrived on stage at 7.45pm for their 50 mins set.
Total Chaos lyrics deal with themes of rebellion, social injustice, and working-class struggle.
Some 16 songs played in a non-stop 50 mins set is pretty good going , including 'Babylon',
'Pledge of Defiance' and 'Nation of War'. The band sound decent enough and there was some moshing
but the rough and raw hardcore vocals was not really to my liking.
BLACK FLAG arrived on stage at 9.15pm for their 80 mins set.
From the opening song to the final track , band members are thrashing around in a ramshackle way.
Greg Ginn’s frantic and distorted guitar playing driving the songs forward.
Highlight for me tonight , was how clear the vocals were, as you clearly hear every word,
that was delivered with ferocious intensity, and not much chat between the tracks.
Lots of moshing , but maybe only a dozen crowd-surfers as this was mainly the older punk crowd.
A neat cover of ' Louie Louie' ended a really good show.
Full Black Flag website played tonight....
Can't Decide
Nervous Breakdown
No Values
I've Had It
Annihilate This Week
Fix Me
Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie
Loose Nut
Six Pack
Depression
Slip It In
I Can See You
Room 13
Jealous Again
Black Coffee
Revenge
TV Party
Rise Above
Louie Louie (Richard Berry cover)
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Saturday 28 January 2023.
Sad news that TOM VERLAINE from TELEVISION has died aged 73.
New York punk legends who released the classic album 'Marquee Moon'.
I saw him on stage a few times including a couple of times in the late 1970s when the album came out.
Television , Blondie Hammersmith Odeon, London 28.05.1977 punk double bill from new york
Television,Only Ones Hammersmith Odeon, London 17.04.1978
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Friday 27 January 2023.
KANG DANIEL live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Another K-Pop act plays London.
Kang Daniel age 26 , is a South Korean singer-songwriter, actor, and businessman who rose to fame in early 2017 as the first-place winner of the second season of reality competition series Produce 101. He is a former member of the show's resulting boy group Wanna One and is currently active as a solo artist.
Fellow K-pop singer JACKSON WANG got a good four star review review from non other than NME,
a week ago from his Hammersmith Apollo show, and some folks are asking why are K-pop acts
not featured on UK Festival bills?
Maybe best that they can just stick to having their own festivals.
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Level 3 is closed and Level 2 is half empty , so maybe 1000 out of 2000 capacity here.
No surprise that the crowd is 90% female under the age of 30, from The Far East and the U.K.
The bar staff are hardly selling any booze at all to this crowd.
No support act, and the show is over early as he has a paid meet & greet after the show.
KANG DANIEL arrived on stage at 8pm and performed for 90 mins.
There is a nice big digital screen , showing pre-recorded images.
There is no band , so he is singing/miming to the backing tracks.
He has six energetic and very slick male dancers, for half the tracks in the show.
The dance routines are actually the highlight of the evening for me.
KANG DANIEL would chat between many songs to give himself a breather.
His English is not perfect , and he ends up saying " he loves Harry Potter" twice.
He liked visiting the famous sights of London including Big Ben and The London Eye.
Lots of screaming from the fans, for the entire evening.
The music was pretty average , but the top notch dance routines were really good.

Updated 28th January 2023 Permalink

Friday 27 January 2023.

Thursday 26 January 2023....6.15pm to 9.15pm...
Venue showcase.
ST JOHNS CHURCH, 73 Waterloo Road,Waterloo, London SE1.
This church dates back nearly 200 years.
It is situated on the roundabout opposite the huge IMAX.
Like the bigger church in Hackney with the same St Johns name , that i have been to gigs at ,
it has had a major refurbishment...this one costing a whopping £5.5 million.
One of the things they worked to improve is something you can’t see but can hear, and that is the acoustics, as they were less than ideal for a large space. The ceiling panels are now filled with 5cm of acoustic padding to reduce echoes, and they even ensured that the chairs in the hall are covered entirely in fabric to add further sound dampening.
What’s particularly impressive is how closing the glass doors to the outer reception area manages to collapse the outside noise to barely noticeable levels.
The improvement will be a boon for the church’s finances, as they can now hire the space out for concerts and events. Indeed, the Southbank Symphonia have now taken up space in the undercroft for rehearsals.
The church’s aspiration is that roughly a third of the time the church will be used for religious purposes, a third for free for use by community groups, and a third for commercial purposes to pay the bills.
Part of the commercial use will be hiring out the main hall, but they’ve also upgraded the undercroft and converted a bit of a warren of rooms into a series of much more inviting meeting rooms and spaces, with a much better basement reception area.
One space, right underneath the main portico stairs was being used for storage back in 2011, but has now been cleared and restored. Currently used for an art gallery space, it can be hired out for atmospheric dinners and receptions.
The main space can seat 150 at tables , or 300 seated, or 500 standing, plus many smaller spaces.
Around 100 guests here who enjoyed lots of complimentary food and drinks.
Complimentary Chapel Down English Sparking wines, two different cocktails, and different beers.
We were standing for the various canapes, and seated at tables for the various bowl foods, and
various desserts.
There was two females (violin and cello) playing in the background.
Very enjoyable here, and will be interesting to see what live music events get booked here.
www.stjohnswaterloo.org - Visit their website here.
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Thursday 26 January 2023.
Free weekly ES magazine has a five page article with pictures titled
'When Hip Hop Came To London' to coincide with the BB2 four part docu series
'Fight The Power : How Hip Hop Changed The World'.
Three shows at Hammersmith Odeon 01/02/03 November 1987.
LL Cool J + Public Enemy + Erik B + Rakim.
I worked all three shows on front stage security for these very lively great atmosphere shows.
That was when the venue was all seated...folks danced by their seats...no trouble.
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Wednesday 25 January 2023.
Sky Arts 10pm to 12pm
Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage
2021 ‧ Documentary
Unfolding over three blazing hot days and nights of nonstop performances and heaving mosh pits, a July 1999 music festival promoted to echo the counterculture idealism of the 1969 original instead devolves into riots, looting and sexual assaults.
Initial release: 23 July 2021

Updated 25th January 2023 Permalink

Monday 23 January 2023.

Monday 23 January 2023....6.15pm to 8.45pm...
Burns Week celebration & venue showcase.
THE CALEDONIAN CLUB, 9 Halkin Street, Belgravia, London SW1.
The last time I was at this venue for an event was June 2017.
A great location , as it is only a short walk to Buckingham Palace, Knightsbridge and Mayfair.
This historic members club was founded back in 1891.
A little piece of Scotland in the Heart of London for Scotsman living in London was its original purpose.
The building is one of those magnificent Grade II listed buildings in this Embassy heavy area.
Many old boys from Scotland are working here.
It is freezing outside, but we have a lovely open fire here , to give a nice cosy feel.
We get a quick show round of the several different spaces, which included the outdoor garden terrace ,
the ballroom, one of the 39 bedrooms, and the bar that stocks over 200 different whiskeys.
It is a popular venue to hold a wedding.
Throughout the evening there is complimentary wines and three different whiskies...no mixers allowed.
A bagpiper is playing as the haggis is brought into the room, and the Burns poem "To a haggis" is recited, and the haggis is cut open.
We had a traditional Burns Night Supper, haggis, neeps and tatties (haggis, mashed turnips and mashed potatoes ) are served as the main course.
Followed by the Burns Night dessert - Cranachan is a very traditional Scottish dessert. It's made with oatmeal, raspberries, whisky, honey and cream.
A very enjoyable evening.
All guests got a goodie bag on departure.
www.caledonianclub.com - Visit their website here.
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Sunday 22 January 2023.
SLEEP TOKEN live at Hammersmith Apollo.
This is another show that has been moved over from Brixton Academy.
I saw Sleep Token play a really good show at Shepherds Bush Empire in Nov 2021.
The members of Sleep Token are a masked, anonymous collective of musicians said to be united in their worship of an ancient deity identified by them as "Sleep", who appeared to the band's lead singer, "Vessel", in a dream.
Sleep Token's style has been described as alternative, post-metal, ambient, progressive metal and electronic.
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In my Shepherds Bush Empire review i mentioned that Sleep Token are well on the way to
playing arenas in the UK, and that is ringing true as tonight's show is 5000 capacity sold out,
so next time could easily be Ally Pally or Wembley Arena for them.
Support band NORTHLANE arrived on stage at 8pm tor their 45 mins set.
Northlane are an Australian heavy metal band from Sydney, formed in 2009.
Northlane have released six studio albums.
They are massive back in Australia, where Sleep Token actually supported them in 2022.
A very lively set for a support band ,with lots of moshing and crowd-surfing.
Their singer was a bundle of energy , as the strobe lights were used often.
They rolled out more and more of the recent album tracks from 'Obsidian' that mixes crunching
rock tunes with some EDM beats ....the crowd loved them.
They could easily be headlining Shepherds Bush Empire on their next visit to the UK.
SLEEP TOKEN arrived on stage at 9.15pm for their 80 mins set.
From their arrival on stage, all wearing masks and hooded robes, you know this will be interesting. Like a dark messiah, Vessel – the band’s masked singer – floated onto stage with hands aloft to the sound of his followers screaming his name. He was joined by a trio of black-robed choir singers, stoic and immovable throughout the entire performance. Heavy power guitar riffs are the order of the day, which results in massive headbanging and moshing, and some 100 plus bodies crowd-surfed over the stalls standing heads into the stage pit. The lightshow is all behind them, and never on the faces.
The setlist included a couple of tracks from their upcoming third album on Spinefarm Records.
Head of Spinefarm Records - Dante Bonutto - was sitting near me in the front circle seating.
Sleep Token proved they have the musicianship, skill and presence to be a top level metal/prog band .
A really good show.
Full SLEEP TOKEN setlist played tonight....
Chokehold
The Summoning
Hypnosis
Mine
Dark Signs
Nazareth
Like That
Aqua Regia
Atlantic
Alkaline
Granite
Higher
The Love You Want
Encore:
The Night Does Not Belong to God
The Offering
Outro music - Avril 14th (Aphex Twin)
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Saturday 21 January 2023.
THE DELGADOS live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Scottish indie-rock band released five studio albums, in the late 1990s/early 2000s.
The Delgados first single "Monica Webster"/"Brand New Car" was released in 1995.The single caught the attention of BBC Radio 1 disc jockey (DJ) John Peel,and the band quickly became one of his favourites, going on to record several sessions for him, but they never had any full mainstream success.
Many think that The Delgados are one of Scottish music’s most important bands. Not only did they release five albums of timeless guitar pop that ranged from lo-fi to orchestral, but they were also the brains behind Chemikal Underground Records – the iconic label that introduced the world to Mogwai, Arab Strap, Bis, Aereogramme and many more.
Djs including Steve Lamacq and Jo Whiley also championed the band.
In June 2022, the band announced that they had reformed and would play together for the first time in 17 years. A UK tour of five gigs, ending in their home city of Glasgow, is scheduled for January 2023.
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Level 3 is closed tonight, and Level 2 is only half sold.
Support act ANDREW WASYLYK & band arrived on stage at 7.45pm and played for 40 mins.
Andrew Wasylyk is the alias of Scottish writer, producer and multi-instrumentalist, Andrew Mitchell.
Six musicians on stage including trumpet and electric flute.
All instrumentals, that felt like soundtracks to a film etc.
THE DELGADOS arrived on stage at 9pm and played for 1 hour 50 mins.
All the middle-aged indie folks are out in force tonight.
For many songs , the band are joined by a four member mini-orchestra , who sounded great.
Male and female are sharing the vocals.
The tracks nearer the end got the biggest applause , a good show.
Full setlist played by THE DELGADOS tonight....
Everything Goes Around the Water
Accused of Stealing
The Arcane Model
The Actress
I Fought the Angels
Aye Today
Child Killers
Pull the Wires From the Wall
Come Undone
Under Canvas Under Wraps
American Trilogy
Make Your Move
The Light Before We Land
The Past That Suits You Best
Everybody Come Down
The Drowning Years
All You Need Is Hate
If This Is a Plan
Encore:
Monica Webster
Coming in From the Cold
No Danger
Thirteen Gliding Principles

Updated 22nd January 2023 Permalink

Friday 20 January 2023.

Friday 20 January 2023.
Happy Birthday to PAUL STANLEY from KISS who is 71 today.
Paul is an American musician who is the co-founder, frontman, rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the hard rock band Kiss. He is the writer or co-writer of many of the band's most popular songs. Stanley established The Starchild character for his Kiss persona. Stanley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 as a member of Kiss.
KISS are playing a full European Tour to celebrate their 50th anniversary this summer.
Hopefully i will getting to see them in the UK and in mainland Europe.
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Thursday 19 January 2023.
Sad news that another music legend has passed away.
DAVID CROSBY is dead at 81: Singer-songwriter - founding member of influential '60s rock bands The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash - passes away after a 'long illness'.
Singer's wife Jan Dance confirmed he died following illness Thursday.
She said: 'Although he is no longer here with us, his humanity and kind soul will continue to guide and inspire us'.
Crosby was a singer and guitarist for The Byrds from 1964-1967.
The band had notable hits such as Turn! Turn! Turn! and Mr. Tambourine Man.
I saw him three times on stage....
26 Feb 2005 - CROSBY & NASH live at The Royal Festival Hall.
27 June 2010 - PAUL McCARTNEY live in Hyde Park.
Support act were CROSBY , STILLS & NASH.
03 Oct 2015 - DAVID GILMOUR live at The Royal Albert Hall.
CROSBY & NASH came on stage to sing three songs with DG.

Updated 19th January 2023 Permalink

Wednesday 18 January 2023.

Wednesday 18 January 2023.
WALLOWS live at Hammersmith Apollo.
On 06 Jan , Wallows have decided to move their Brixton Academy show to Hammersmith Apollo,
on the same day as they are not risking The Brixton Academy having their license revoked
when the venue goes under review on 16 Jan.
American band Wallows are on a UK tour to promote their second album.
Hammersmith is the last night of their UK tour, before they head into mainland Europe.
Wallows second album "Tell Me That It's Over", was released on Atlantic Records on March 25, 2022.
Both their albums have made The Billboard Top 100 chart in USA.
Their most popular track "Are You Bored Yet?" has had over 72 million views on YouTube.
Wallows have cited Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, The Libertines, Arcade Fire, Kanye West, and The Smiths as influences.
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The venue does not say sold out at the front, but the venue looks very full.
Most of the crowd appear to be females under the age of 30.
The queues for the merch tonight were very busy...anyone for a £65 Wallows hoodie?
They did a good job of getting t-shirts and gig-posters done with the new venue.
Luckily for them , their main t-shirt with tour dates just had London , UK, rather than the venue.
MAY-A and her band arrived on stage at 8pm for their 35 mins set.
Australian singer-songwriter played a good set of pop rock songs.
Her set included a nice cover of Cheap Trick's " I Want You To Want Me".
WALLOWS arrrived on stage at 9pm and played for 85 mins.
Wallows are a trio on record but a six-piece onstage.
The stage production featured six lampshades and some striped lighting poles.
There is plenty of screaming and singing along from the females here tonight.
They have a nice catchy dreamy sound, with guitar and keyboard indie-pop tunes.
Confetti cannons were used after around 70 mins.
Overall, it was a good show.
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Tuesday 17 January 2023.
CLAYS are to open at Unit 1b, 1 Cabot Square, Canary Wharf, London E14
Clays is a stunning bar serving fantastic food, creative cocktails and a high-tech interactive clay shooting experience. Having opened their first venue in November 2021 in Moorgate, London they are now going to open their second site in Canary Wharf this December.
Clays is a vibe and will fit gloriously into the bustling nightlife of West India Quay. Upon arrival you’ll be struck by the stylish décor. With a rose gold and blush pink colour palette, large trees blooming in delicate blossom and plenty of foliage, you’ll experience the glamour of a modern English country estate.
Once inside Clays Canary Wharf you’ll discover eight pegs – semi-private shooting areas. Each giving a generous amount of space for groups of up to 20 people to enjoy their game play whilst supping on cocktails.
www.clays.bar - Visit their website here.
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Tonight was the opening launch party from 6.30pm to 10.30pm.
A lively vibe as pop & dance hits are played over the speakers.
Just the right amount of guests here so there are no long waits to have a go on the shooting pegs.
Everything is well organised regards the shooting on the digital screens, as whose turn is next etc.
The rifles are quite heavy, and need a little bit of co-ordination regards the trigger and re-load , but
practice makes perfect, and it soon gets very addictive, and you move on to levels with harder targets.
The many office staff and workers in the area will love this place for group fun.
There was a fun photo big screen.
Lots of complimentary drinks and food including five different cocktails (JD whiskey with toffee was my fave),
prosecco, wines, beers...along with several different small plates including Truffle Parmesan Chips,
Crispy Chicken Silders, Beef Croquettes, British Calamari and Sweetcorn Ribs...and mini-desserts.
A very enjoyable evening.

Updated 18th January 2023 Permalink

Monday 16 January 2023.

Monday 16 January 2023.
BRIXTON ACADEMY enquiry today about their live music license.
Looks like the venue will remain closed for at least another three months, until 17 April at least.
This means there are 44 shows not happening at that venue during that period.
No doubt, many of the shows will move to the similiar sized Hammersmith Apollo if it is available.
A whistleblower has told the BBC that the front door security staff took bribes to let people in.
This was certainly one of the reasons for the crush inside, as i know the regular touts at that venue,
and they mentioned to me many times over the years , that it certainly went on.
The street ticket tout has been badly hit by the fact that most gig tickets are now on phones,
so you rarely see touts outside venues like Hammersmith Apollo and Shepherds Bush Empire.
However, you would always find touts at Brixton Academy as they had their own ways to get folks in.
The tout would takes the cash and tell the punter to go to a certain security guard or two on the doors,
who would pretend to scan a ticket , and security would share the spoils later with the touts.
The whistleblower also said that security staff would let in local drug dealers , for a backhander.
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Sunday 15 January 2023.
WRONG JOVI live at THE THEATRE ROYAL, WINDSOR.
Lovely 600 capacity theatre has a week of top notch tribute acts in their cosy all seated venue.
Wrong Jovi are widely considered to be the best Bon Jovi tribute band in the world by those that see them. So much so, that even the former Bon Jovi guitarist, Richie Sambora, has personally thanked the band for their hard work and unforgettable performances. In their many years of touring, the band have performed across the world and featured on the BBC prime-time TV show, ‘Even Better Than The Real Thing’. Performing a set of Bon Jovi’s biggest songs, live favourites and rarities, the band ensure that there is something for the casual follower and even the most die hard of Bon Jovi fans.
They were even voted ‘Tribute Artist of the Year’ at the 2022 National Entertainment Awards.
I have seen the real Bon Jovi over 30 times , with the first times in 1984 when they twice supported KISS.
Also in New Jersey, USA in 2000 and most recent at Wembley Stadium in 2019.
www.wrongjovi.com - Visit their website here for tour dates.
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Always nice to be at this historic theatre every now and then.
It is mainly used for theatre shows, but has a week of live music every so often.
The real Bon Jovi attract plenty of female fans, and they have turned out in force tonight.
A nice long show of around 2 hours 10 mins over two sets of 60 mins and 70 mins.
You have to be fairly confident to call yourself a Jon Bon Jovi lookalike but he looks the part ,
acts and sings like Jon Bon Jovi, and the women scream when he wiggles his bum.
The real Bon Jovi have lost Richie Sambora , but he is here tonight, playing some nifty guitar,
including the voice box, and wearing the trademark cowboy hat.
It was pretty much a greatest hits set, along with a few less known tracks.
They open up with a couple of biggies "You Give Love A Bad Name" and "Raise Your Hands" so
it is not long before folks are leaving their seats, to dance in the side aisles.
Final encore was "Livin' On A Prayer" with the entire crowd up dancing and singing loudly along.
Richie Sambora was now shirtless, and playing the guitar with his teeth.
A nice ending to a really good show.
Setlist included...
You Give Love A Bad Name
Raise Your Hands
Born To Be My Baby
Runaway
Blaze of Glory ( Jon Bon Jovi solo track)
In These Arms
It's My Life
Bed of Roses
Have a Nice Day
Lay Your Hands On Me
Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
I'll Be There For You
Always
Bad Medicine
Encore :
Wanted Dead or Alive
Keep The Faith
Livin' On A Prayer
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Saturday 14 January 2023.
DANCE GAVIN DANCE live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Dance Gavin Dance are on tour to promote their tenth studio album.
Their last four albums have all gone in the USA Top 20 charts.
The American post-hardcore rock band Dance Gavin Dance was formed in Sacramento, California in 2005.
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Level 3 is half empty tonight, but otherwise the venue is pretty full.
A younger rock crowd, who probably read Kerrang rather than Classic Rock
Tonight we have three North American bands from the post-hardcore scene over there.
Up first we have EIDOLA from 7.30pm for 30 mins....EIDOLA is from Salt Lake City, Utah, formed in 2011. The band have released four studio albums.
The vocals were too rough for me, but they had a great guitarist who couldn't keep still,
and darted around the stage non-stop.
RAIN CITY DRIVE arrived on stage at 8.15pm tor their 45 mins set.
RCD is an American post-hardcore band from Sacramento, California, United States, formed in 2014 under the name Slaves....they released albums under Slaves but like the UK Slaves they thought it best to change the band's name as many found it offensive.
They were a bit better as the vocals were a bit clearer.
DANCE GAVIN DANCE arrived on stage at 9.20pm and played for 60 mins.
Seemed a very short set for a band with a few successful albums back in North America.
Lots of moshing in the front stalls, and around 20 crowd surfers.
Dance Gavin Dance have two male vocalists, one that has the powerful voice for high notes,
and the other who has the rough vocals of hardcore.
The crowd knew all the songs, but it was a bit too hardcore for me.
Decent enough i suppose.
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Friday 13 January 2023.
Love him or loathe him, PRINCE HARRY'S book is doing big business.
Prince Harry’s memoir ' Spare' has sold over 1.4 million English-language copies in all formats in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada on its first day of release, and is already in its second run, publisher Penguin Random House announced Wednesday, just one day after the controversial and explosive tell-all memoir was released.

Updated 13th January 2023 Permalink

Thursday 12 January 2023

Wednesday 11 January 2023...2.30pm matinee show.....
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK.
The cast of Jack and the Beanstalk at Panto The London Palladium has been confirmed.
London’s best-loved panto will feature the previously-announced comedy superstars Dawn French and Julian Clary, with Alexandra Burke making her Palladium pantomime debut, along with returning favourites Paul Zerdin, Nigel Havers and Gary Wilmot.
Joining the star cast are West End favourites Rob Madge, Natalie McQueen and Louis Gaunt, fresh from his success in Mary Poppins, in the title role of Jack.
This is the panto you’ve bean waiting for. Book today with tickets from £20.
Last year i saw DONNY OSMOND in the main role in the Palladium Panto.
It is on until Saturday 14 Jan 2023.
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This iconic venue is packed solid sold out on all levels.
Older folks from the outskirts of London and further , love an afternoon matinee.
There are many pantos on around London and the UK, but this is the biggest and best.
The biggest production, the biggest celebrity names, the biggest and most OTT costumes.
The show was on for around 2 hours 5 mins over two sets of 75 mins and 50 mins.
Director Michael Harrison is the man behind another festive Palladium production packed with star names of a certain vintage and punchlines with a similarly antique tinge.
Panto regular Julian Clary dominates every scene he pops up in, as various incarnations of the Spirit of the Beans. The veteran comedian boasts a withering, waspish put down for every occasion and showstopping dozen over the top different costumes designed by Hugh Durrant.
Clary is a tough act to follow but “budget Miriam Margolyes” (joked Julian ) Dawn French makes a good fist of Devonian Dame Trot. A fright-wigged ALEXANDRA BURKE channels Tina Turner and the Wicked Witch of the West as villainous Mrs Blunderbore,and sings a couple of her number one hits in the UK , with
"Bad Boys" from 2009 and "Hallelujah" (Leonard Cohen cover) from 2008.
Gary Wilmot as Queen Nigella makes merry with some marvellous tongue twisters, self-mocking posho Nigel Havers as King Nigel of Old Compton in the Turn references our new monarch with lines about his “blasted pen” and the totally excellent ventriloquist Paul Zerdin delivers as milkman Silly Simon.
His routines included a neat stunt where he got four children up on stage, one at the end was a
little know it all from South Kensington. At the end Paul Zerdin picked him up and dropped him
into the orchestra pit, to gasps from the audience....but that was a actor who was actually part of the show.
Plenty of cheesy and saucy banter throughout the show, especially from Julian Clary.
The tradition of topical humour peppering proceedings is maintained with jokes about Liz Truss, Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock.
A fantastic stunt happened at the end of the first half, as a huge inflatable beanstalk rose from the stalls to the venue ceiling , then Jack climbed it and during the second half, a jolly green giant inflatable appeared.
It was an excellent show, with lots of laughter throughout.
then
LIGABUE live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
62 year old male singer-songwriter who is one of Italy's biggest rock stars.
He has played the massive San Siro football stadium many times.
I saw him headline The Royal Albert Hall in 2013.
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The Italian community in London are out in force as the show is fully sold out.
TOM BRIGHT arrived on stage at 7.30pm for his decent enough 25 mins acoustic set.
LIGABUE and his five piece band arrived on stage at 8.30pm and played for 1 hour 50 mins.
Ligabue arrives on stage rockin' his David Ginola/Jon Bon Jovi silver fox good looks.
He still attracts many female fans half his age, who are up and dancing & singing along from the start.
It is a bit like French superstar Johnny Hallyday who plays stadiums back home, but smaller venues here.
The crowd atmosphere is great.
Only half a dozen words are in English as the chat is mainly in Italian and all the lyrics are in Italian.
He has had over a dozen hit albums in the last 30 years or so.
His band are really good with hints of Bon Jovi/Bryan Adams/ Bruce Springsteen as they are mainly uptempo catchy simple singalong rock tunes.
You did not really need to know what he was singing about to make it a good rock show.
I mean Rammstein singing all in German ,has not stopped them from headlining stadiums everywhere.
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Shock news that guitar legend JEFF BECK has died aged 78.
I saw Jeff on stage around a dozen times since 1981.
Oddly i saw him recently on stage in May 2022 when he played The Royal Albert Hall,
when JOHNNY DEPP joined him for a few songs.

Updated 12th January 2023 Permalink

Tuesday 10 January 2023.

Tuesday 10 January 2023.
CHASE ATLANTIC live at Hammersmith Apollo.
Australian act play the second of three sold out shows at Hammersmith Apollo.
These shows were moved from Brixton Academy, due to their venue license being suspended.
Chase Atlantic return to the UK in August 2023 to play Reading and Leeds Festivals.
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January is always the quietest month of the year for live gigs so sometimes in end i up at a gig
like this that I wouldn't touch if it happened in one of the busier months.
Three nights sold out here to 5000 fans a show is impressive , so they must be worth investigating.
The crowd is pretty much all under 30, with 90% of them excitable females.
CHASE ATLANTIC arrived on stage at 9.05pm and played for 85 mins.
Five members on stage with a very nice stage production featuring a huge screen mixing pre-recorded
footage and live gig footage, lots of lights and strobes , bursts of dry ice and raised platforms.
The crowd are screaming at every song, and hundreds of mobile phones record each song.
The music is a bit tame r n b , but the crowd are loving it.
The energetic singer soon gets shirtless to more screams.
Overall i suppose the music was not my cup of tea, but they put on an visually entertaining show.
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Monday 09 January 2023.
ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES -THE MUSICAL at The Theatre Royal Haymarket , London SW1.
It originally opened in 2019 but closed during the covid period.
This theatre show is celebrating 40 years of the much loved tv show.
The best loved cockneys of the entertainment halls of fame, Del Boy and Rodney take to the stage for West End show Only Fools and Horses the Musical. Written by the series’ writer John Sullivan’s son, Jim Sullivan, alongside comedy icon Paul Whitehouse, the musical features music by Chas and Dave. Witness the dodgy deals, the markets and the hilarious japes in this heart-warming show at London's Theatre Royal Haymarket.
This theatre is one of London's oldest, as its first production was back in 1720.
I went to the opening night when it originally opened, and the afterparty nearby at The Haymarket Hotel.
Les Dennis took over from Paul Whitehouse as Grandad from 3 October 2022 to 07 Jan 2023.
PAUL WHITEHOUSE will return as Grandad from Monday 09 Jan 2023.
It is now extended well into 2023.
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I am back to see it again...over three years since i last saw it.
It is on for 2 hour 15 mins over two sets of 70 mins and 65 mins.
All your favourite characters from the iconic tv series are here.
PAUL WHITEHOSE returns tonight , after his short break.
No doubt he was doing some filming for his BBC tv fishing/comedy series with Bob Mortimer.
For most of the show he is Grandad, but he does a nice turn as Uncle Albert in the second half.
There is a revolving stage that mainly focuses on the Trotters front room and the Nags Head.
Lots of musical numbers mixed in with that Peckham comedy banter and all the catchphrases.
We even get a version of that iconic Del Boy moment where he falls through the bar.
Their three wheeler Reliant Robin makes a showing too.
I actually had a Reliant Robin for a year , as you could drive one on a full motorbike licence.
It actually saved me a small fortune on driving lessons at the time, as it helped me later pass my test.
The furthest it went was to High Wycombe in Feb 1980, when i drove to see this great gig,
JOY DIVISION + KILLING JOKE + A CERTAIN RATIO.
The show is great...

Updated 10th January 2023 Permalink

Monday 09 January 2023.

Monday 09 January 2023.
John Lydons PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED (PIL) make an announcement today.
This is certainly an odd one.
PIL be competing to represent Ireland at Eurovision 2023 with their new single "Hawaii" - which is available on all digital platforms from today, Monday, January 9th.
Download or Stream "Hawaii" now! A PiL song like no other.
PiL will perform "Hawaii " on The Late Late Show from 9.30pm on 3rd February 2023 in order to complete for Eurovision.
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Sunday 08 January 2023.
DAVID BOWIE would have been 76 today.
I was lucky to have seen him over 20 times since May 1976 when he played Wembley Arena.
I reviewed his Shepherds Bush Empire show for the local paper in August 1997.
I got his autograph and a handshake when he did a signing at HMV in Oxford Street in Sept 2002.
The photo of the signed cd is up on my Facebook page.
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Saturday 07 January 2023.
Great to see ROD STEWART at Olympia in 1976 on BBC2 tonight to celebrate his 78th birthday on Tuesday.
I just missed seeing The Faces in the early 1970s , but saw plenty of great shows by Rod at Olympia.
Rod Stewart , Liverpool Express Kensington Olympia,London 21.12.1976
Rod Stewart, Liverpool Express Kensington Olympia,London 22.12.1976
Rod Stewart Kensington Olympia, London 15.01.1977
Rod Stewart Kensington Olympia, London 21.12.1978
Rod Stewart Kensington Olympia, London 28.12.1978
Rod Stewart Kensington Olympia, London 30.12.1978
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Friday 06 January 2023.
From being a Sex Pistols fan from Bromley to a star on The Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
On Thursday BILLY IDOL really confirmed that " The American Dream" can be had for some.
The full 35 mins ceremony is now up on YouTube.
Henry Rollins gave the introduction.
Billy's solo band were there, and posed with him for photos at the end.
Sex Pistol guitarist STEVE JONES was there, and posed with him for photos at the end.
Really looking forward to the debut shows by Generation Sex in the summer of 2023.
The band include Billy Idol, Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Tony James.
Only dates confirmed so far are...
15 June - HELLFEST in France where they are supporting KISS.
01 July - Crystal Palace , London where they are supporting Iggy Pop and Blondie.
Bound to be a few more, hopefully including some headline shows.
A gig at Shepherds Bush Empire would be perfect.
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Thursday 05 January 2023.
MADONNA is planning a "Greatest Hits" tour to celebrate the 40th anniversary of her debut album.
Multiple dates at The 02 Arena have already been booked....full details to be confirmed soon.
The dates will start at the end of the year, rather than in the summer.
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Thoughts are with IAN PAICE , the quiet drummer who has been with Deep Purple since they formed.
He remains the only member of Deep Purple who has served in every line-up since the band’s inception in 1968, as well as having played on every album and at every live appearance.
His wife of 40 years recently passed away, and he gave a touching mention on how he would always
be away on long tours , but his wife would look after the ship at home.
His wife was the twin sister of fellow band member JON LORDS wife.

Updated 5th January 2023 Permalink

Tuesday 03 January 2023.

Tuesday 03 January 2023.
Happy New Year to everybody.
2022 was a great year for live music after it bounced back from that awful covid mess.
I went to 187 live music events in 2022.
Brings my gig total to 7372 since Sept 1973.
Here are my fave gigs of the year.
Gig of the year..
TAYLOR HAWKINS Tribute Show at Wembley Stadium - 04 Sept 2022.
Featuring 80 mins greatest hits set from The Foo Fighters + Paul McCartney + Queen +
Rush + Liam Gallagher plus several other acts.
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Next best in no particular order...
SIR PETER BLAKE 90th Birthday Tribute Show at Royal Festival Hall - 02 Dec 2022.
Madness + The Who + Noel Gallagher + Paul Weller + Chrissie Hynde.
ROBBIE WILLIAMS at The Royal Albert Hall - 07 Nov 2022.
COLPLAY live at Wembley Stadium -17 Aug 2022.
REBELLION PUNK FESTIVAL - Blackpool Aug 2022.
Over 20 bands over the four days including Sham 69 + Gary Numan + Peter Hook & The Light.
GUNS N ROSES at Tottenham Hotspur Football Ground - 02 July 2022.
SAXON + URIAH HEEP at Hammersmith Apollo - 29 Jan 2022.
ROLLING STONES at Hyde Park - 03 July 2022.
STIFF LITTLE FINGERS + NEVILLE STAPLE BAND + PROFESSIONALS + TV SMITH
at The Roundhouse - 27 March 2022.
BLONDIE at The 02 Arena - 26 April 2022.
GLEN MATLOCK BAND at The 100 Club - 16 Sept 2022.
ROXY MUSIC at The 02 Arena - 14 Oct 2022.
BILLY IDOL + KILLING JOKE + TOYAH WILLCOX at Wembley Arena - 19 Oct 2022.
DAMNED + SKIDS + TV SMITH at Hammersmith Apolllo - 28 Oct 2022.
WHITESNAKE + FOREIGNER + EUROPE at The 02 Arena - 16 May 2022.
ALICE COOPER + THE CULT at The 02 Arena - 25 May 2022.
FLAMING LIPS at The Forum - 02 June 2022.
HUMAN LEAGUE + MIDGE URE plus others at Henley Rewind Festival - 21 Aug 2022.
CULTURE CLUB + BANANARAMA + LULU at Kenwood -17 June 2022.
ABC with orchestra at Royal Albert Hall - 23 June 2022.
PYSCHEDELIC FURS at Royal Albert Hall - 05 April 2022.
SPARKS at The Roundhouse - 17 April 2022.
THE VACCINES at Hammersmith Apollo - 21 April 2022.
TOM MEIGHAN at Shepherds Bush Empire - 04 May 2022.
ERIC CLAPTON at Royal Albert Hall - 08 May 2022.
POWERWOLF at The Roundhouse - 29 Nov 2022.
THE PROFESSIONALS at 229 Great Portland Street - 19 Dec 2022.
BRYAN ADAMS at The Royal Albert Hall - 09 May 2022.
MUSE + RAZORLIGHT at Hammersmith Apollo - 10 May 2022.
ADAM ANT at The Roundhouse - 13 May 2022.
PET SHOP BOYS at The 02 Arena - 22 May 2022.
BEACH BOYS at The Royal Albert Hall - 24 June 2022.
LADY GAGA at Tottenham Hotspur Football Ground - 30 July 2022.
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2023 is already looking good for another great year of live music.

Updated 4th January 2023 Permalink

Monday 02 January 2023.

Monday 02 January 2023.
Congratulations to BRIAN MAY who has been knighted as a Sir.
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PRINTWORKS NYEVE and NYDAY DANCE EVENTS, Canada Water, East London.
PRINTWORKS and sister venue BEAMS are two of the two prime large dance venues in London.
PRINTWORKS capacity is 6000....BEAMS capacity is 5000.
Looks like PRINTWORKS will be closing for good around May Bank Holiday in 2023.
PRINTWORKS gets its name as the Evening Standard used to be printed here.
I ended up going to two PRINTWORKS events on the trot, spending a few hours at each.
New Years Eve at PRINTWORKS was "Defected"....8pm to 4am...6000 sold out.
Defected returns to Printworks for another unparalleled NYE takeover.
What is already considered a cherished Printworks tradition, house music’s most in-demand label Defected takes over the Press Halls and Inkwells for another unparalleled NYE celebration.
House heads can expect a mixture of forward-thinking sounds and all-time classics from the seminal imprint’s renowned roster of up-and-coming artists and dance music mainstays including special guest Nic Fanciulli alongside Ferreck Dawn, Mike Dunn, Paige Tomlinson and many more.
Lots of security here, including drug sniffer dogs at the entrance.
This was pretty much house music for the hardcore house crowd.
At midnight the main room was packed solid for the countdown.
Huge slogans around saying things like "Love Is The Message" on a double decker bus,
and "In Our House, We Are All Equal"...which folks used for selfie opportunities.
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New Years Day at PRINTWORKS was "Glitterbox"....1pm to 11pm...6000 sold out.
The legendary Glitterbox crew will light up the Press Halls and Inkwells for the ultimate NYD extravaganza with their iconic performers, disco anthems, non-stop party energy and, of course, no shortage of glitter.
An unmatched party brand that champions the values of inclusivity and diversity at its core, Glitterbox’s NYD celebration has become a cherished Printworks tradition. Highlights from this year’s edition include a special b2b between Breakbot and Irfane, NYC legend Danny Tenaglia, Krystal Klear, DJ Holographic, Nightmares on Wax and many more.
A dozen djs playing tunes over the large main press halls room and the smaller INKWELLS room.
We ended up in Inkwells for the end part of the evening.
Nightmares on Wax played around 90 mins and Melon Bomb played the same.
Both had a dozen or so of their mates on the dance platform behind their DJ decks.
A more LGBT+ crowd tonight, and much livelier overall.
There is glitter face painting and lots of the crowd in their glittery dance outfits.
There are dance podiums for their own dancers, and punters would get up as well.
A very friendly crowd here, who openly chat when they dance near you...really nice vibes.
Plenty of strobes and very loud, so not for the faint-hearted.
Final track of the night was a great choice..."Insomnia" by Faithless.

Updated 31st December 2022 Permalink

Friday 30 December 2022.

Friday 30 December 2022.
Exclusive news to this website.
Brixton Academy is closed until at least until 16 Jan , due to serious crowd trouble,
but it looks like most of the shows will be moved to Hammersmith Apollo.
They will try to keep the exact same dates in January 2023.
An official announcement will be made soon.
Brixton Academy and Hammersmith Apollo (when stalls standing ) are both around 5000 capacity.
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Thursday 29 December 2022.
Very sad news that two legends in their own right have passed away today.
Brazilian football icon PELE has died aged 82.
Surely the Brazilian team he was in when they beat Italy 4-1 in The World Cup Final in 1970,
was the greatest team ever.
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DAME VIVIENNE WESTWOOD, has died at the age of 81, was a fashion designer whose work challenged expectations. SEX, the boutique she ran on the King’s Road with Malcolm McLaren, was the arguably birthplace of punk.
My review from her autobiography launch party in October 2014.
8pm to 10.30pm.
Dame Vivienne Westwood - book launch party at Mark's Club, 46 Charles Street, London, W1.
The legend that is Vivienne Westwood has brought out a biography.
Vivienne is now aged 73 but shows no sign of slowing down.
Vivienne Westwood is one of the icons of our age.Fashion designer,activist,co-creator of punk,
global brand and grandmother ; a true living legend.
Her career has successfully spanned five decades and has influenced folks all over the world.
The book includes a chapter each on opening the Sex clothing shop with Malcolm McLaren in the 1970s,
her period in New York with Malcolm and The New York Dolls in the mid 1970s and of course
The Sex Pistols in their heyday period of 1976 to 1978 as well as her fashion over the years.
My fave memory of Vivienne from the punk era is her dancing side of stage at The Sex Pistols
Notre Dame,London show in Nov 1976 with a pint pot of lager in her hand....I was at that gig.
Original Vivienne Westwood t shirts and clothing from the 1970s have sold for over £1000 each at auction.
Very nice to be at Marks Club which is a private members club in Mayfair.
Guests here included Jerry Hall,Bryan Adams,Chrissie Hynde and Zandra Rhodes.
We have a speech by Vivienne and her helper on the book Ian Kelly.
We have two different complimentary Snow Leopard vodka cocktails and Nyetimber sparkling wine.
Also veggie canapés for all.
All guests got a complimentary copy of the book and I got mine signed by Vivienne.
A very nice event.
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Wednesday 28 December 2022.
This time of year , we think of the great musicians we lost in 2022 including
Taylor Hawkins, Meat Loaf, Christine McVie, Ronnie Spector, Olivia Newton-John, Andy Fletcher,
Terry Hall, Maxi Jazz from Faithless, Wilko Johnson, Jerry Lee Lewis , Keith Levene,
Manny Charlton and Dan McCafferty (both Nazareth) and several more.
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Monday 26 December 2022.
Channel 5 11.50pm - THE ROLLING STONES live in Hyde Park 2013.
I was at both their Hyde Park shows in 2013.
Look at this amazing month in May 1976 when I saw The Rolling Stones, David Bowie,Patti Smith and KISS for the first time...and early shows by AC/DC who I had seen already a couple of months ago.
David Bowie Wembley Arena, London 06.05.1976 first time I saw David Bowie
Nils Lofgren,Unicorn New Victoria Theatre, London 09.05.1976
Nils Lofgren,Unicorn New Victoria Theatre, London 10.05.1976
Elton John Earls Court Arena, London 11.05.1976
AC/DC,Back Street Crawler Marquee Club, London 12.05.1976
Elton John Earls Court Arena, London 13.05.1976
KISS,Stray Hammersmith Odeon, London 15.05.1976 first uk tour for this great live band
KISS,Stray Hammersmith Odeon, London 16.05.1976. tonight I had front row centre seats
Patti Smith,Stranglers Roundhouse, London 17.05.1976 the first punk gig that I ever went to
Rolling Stones,Meters Earls Court Arena, London 21.05.1976 my first Rolling Stones show
AC/DC Fulham Greyhound Pub, London 23.05.1976 played to about 100 people .
Rolling Stones,Meters Earls Court Arena, London 25.05.1976 I got down the front for 2 of the shows
Rolling Stones,Meters Earls Court Arena, London 26.05.1976
Rolling Stones,Meters Earls Court Arena, London 27.05.1976 (my 17th birthday)
Who,Alex Harvey Band,Little Feat Charlton F.C. , London 31.05.1976
AC/DC Marquee Club, London 04.06.1976 bon scott and angus were incredible .
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Sunday 25 December 2022.
Three programmes on TINA TURNER this evening on BBC2.
I seen seen Tina several times during her career.
19.10.1974...Ike and Tina Turner Hammersmith Odeon, London they performed together at this gig. big songs around now are "Nutbush City Limits" and "River Deep Mountain High".
20.06.1986...David Bowie,Mick Jagger,Rod Stewart,Elton John,Dire Straits,Phil Collins,Paul Young,Status Quo,Sting,Tina Turner,Bryan Adams,Eric Clapton,Howard Jones,George Micheal,Paul McCartney,Big Country,Level 42 Wembley Arena , London massive event fot Princes Trust. 10th Anniversary. Show all acts did one to three songs .
25.09.1990...Tina Turner Wembley Arena , London this was show 6 of 7 at this venue.
19.11.1996...Tina Turner Wembley Arena , London
19.12.1996...Tina Turner Wembley Arena , London
16.07.2000...Tina Turner + Lionel Richie + John Fogerty Wembley Stadium , London a rare UK showing by John Fogerty who played a few Creedence Clearwater Revival hits from the 1960s/1970s Lionel Richie did a stunning 60 mins greatest hits set with a voice that was so clear you could hear every word.Tina Turner did a fantastic 2 hour show.So many great songs and dancing .All 3 acts were excellent.
03.05.2009...Tina Turner The 02 Arena
07.05.2009....Tina Turner The 02 Arena.
TINA THE MUSICAL is still on in London...I have seen it the once...really good.
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Friday 23 December 2022.
CIRCUS 1903 at HAMMERSMITH APOLLO.....this is the venues Christmas Show.
Roll Up! Roll up! This Christmas, the marvellous Circus 1903 returns to London. Experience all the thrills and daredevil entertainment of a turn-of-the-century circus in an all-new home for 2022.
There’s a world of “entertainment to delight all ages this Christmas” (Evening Standard), as sensational puppetry from the award-winning team behind War Horse puts elephants back in the ring as never seen before, alongside a huge cast of the most unique, jaw-dropping and surprising acts from all four corners of the globe!
From strong men to contortionists, acrobats to high wire and much more, Circus 1903 will astound, captivate, and transport audiences of all ages to the mesmerising Golden Age of circus.
It is on from Thurs 15 Dec to Fri 30 Dec.
Some days there are three performances...11am...3pm...7.30pm...
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Not sure why they are doing so many shows here, as all are less than half full.
Tonight we are in row N of the stalls ,but the circle is 90 % per cent unsold.
Many ticket agencies are selling less than half-price tickets for £15 or £20.
The show is on for 1 hour 40 mins , over two sets of 50 mins each.
We have a ringmaster and 11 acts.
The show is pretty much a homage to Barnum & Bailey-era,‘The Greatest Showman’-style spectacle.
Ringmaster David Williamson’s (American, tall and moustached) audience-participation scenes are some of the night’s most memorable, bringing young audience members on stage only to pop a pink elephant-shaped balloon inches from their faces (it gets magically reincarnated, of course) or to menace them with an apparently fearsome raccoon puppet.
He’s an engaging host for this night of classic circus, supplementing the kid-tormenting with patter about magic and the supremacy of death-defying skill. And the show’s first scenes do a lot to suck you into the mood of a 1903 circus, with gorgeously attired performers.The acts are firmly old-school: baton-juggling, tightrope-walking, contortionism, strongmen, the works. They’re hugely technically impressive.
There are two giant elephant puppets (adult and baby) by the "War Horse" guys.
Juggler was pinging two table tennis balls out of his mouth and catching them which was very neat.
There were two or three hand-over-eyes scary impressive moments.
Not as high-level overall as Cirque du Soleil, but still very enjoyable.
Here are what the 11 acts were destined as...
Teeterboard ( see-saw with somersaults )
Rola Bola (balancing skills)
Bicycle
Contortion
Lyra ( circular swing)
Puppeteers ( adult and baby elephants)
Duo Straps
Russian bar
Strongmen
Juggler
Duo skaters

Updated 24th December 2022 Permalink

Friday 23 December 2022.

Thursday 22 December 2022.
All shows at Brixton Academy from now to 16 Jan 2023 (at least) have been postponed or cancelled.
BRIXTON ACADEMY has had its licence suspended after two people died (including a venue security guy) in a crush and others were injured last Thursday at the south London venue.
Fans attending a gig by the Afrobeats singer ASAKE were trapped in a crowd surge outside last Thursday night when a large number of people tried to enter the venue, leading to two deaths. A third person is still in a critical condition and eight others needed hospital care.
The venue is closed, and Lambeth councillors suspended its licence until 16 January, when a full hearing will take place. Five shows will be cancelled as a result.
Mahamed Hashi, Lambeth’s cabinet member for safer communities, said: “A tragic incident has happened in our borough and we are dealing with its devastating impact on our communities. Our thoughts are with those who have suffered, especially the families and friends of Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby Hutchinson, who have tragically lost their lives.”
The Metropolitan police asked the council on Tuesday to undertake a fast-track summary review of the O2 Academy Brixton, indicating that the force considered the venue to be “associated with serious crime or serious disorder”.
During the council’s licensing committee meeting, the Met said there had been a similar crush during a concert by Naira Marley, another Afrobeats singer, in 2020 when concerns were raised about the strength of the front doors.
Stephen Walsh KC, representing the Academy Music Group, said the O2 Academy was “a responsible and experienced operator who works in close co-operation with the authorities” and that since the venue had voluntarily closed a temporary suspension was unnecessary.
It is understood he said it was “far too early” to point the finger of blame, but that the venue recognised “the gravity of the events” and was conducting an internal investigation.
Councillors determined that since the voluntary closure was not enforceable by law, and that although the facts of what happened on the night were not yet clear, there remained risks to public safety “as a consequence of, in particular, serious disorder arising from a lack of crowd control at the front doors” if the venue opened without new crowd control procedures in place.
In the application for the summary review, the Met said its officers had found that security staff had “completely lost control of the situation” when they arrived at the venue.
Police have reported that a staggering 3000 people turned up without tickets on the night.
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Thursday 22 December 2022.
Hard to believe that punk rock legend JOE STRUMMER died 20 years ago today.
Lucky to have seen The Clash 20 times and Joe & The Mescaleros 10 times including The 100 Club.
These were his last two London shows...both benefit shows, but very different venues, but both still superb.
10 Nov 2002.
Bryan Adams with Brian May + Joe Strummer And The Mescaleros Royal Opera House , Covent Garden , London benefit concert for Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund .This was the first ever proper rock concert at the amazing venue .There were a few famous actors who made speeches between the acts . The first set included 3 songs by the lovely looking and sounding Opera Babes then Joe Strummer And The Mescaleros did a great 5 song set which were 3 Mescaleros tunes + Rudie Dont Fail and a stunning White Riot . To see and hear it in this venue was unreal .Afterwards i said to Joe " a nice surprise to hear White Riot" in this venue..Joe Strummer replied to me "Well it had to be done " In the second half of the show Bryan Adams did a 10 song 45 mins set and was joined by Brian May for the last 5 tunes with a mega finale of Queens Crazy Little Thing Called Love.the sound for the whole event was just crystal clear and the aftershow in The Vilar Flora Hall was very 5 star with free champagne and drinks for 500 guests for a couple of hours .Superb.
15 Nov 2002.
Joe Strummer And The Mescaleros Acton Town Hall , London .This was a low key benefit show for the striking fireman in a venue that has not been used for rock shows for years .Fantastic atmosphere as a fair amount of the 600 here were firemen and the rest were hardcore Strummer fans .Andy Gilchrist the firemens union leader made a rousing speech .Joe Strummer And The Mescaleros did a really great 75 mins set but the 3 song encore was unreal as Mick Jones came on stage to play with Joe on stage for the first time in over 15 years for Clash anthems Bankrobber +White Riot + Londons Burning an amazing night but sadly less than 6 weeks later Joe Strummer died of a heart attack aged only 50 .

Updated 22nd December 2022 Permalink

Tuesday 20 December 2022.

Tuesday 20 December 2022.
THE HORNE SECTION END OF YEAR BASH is live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Alex Horne brings his current Channel 4 tv series to the stage.
About The Horne Section...
Alex is the creator and frontman of The Horne Section, a six-piece band of multitalented musicians who put a stupidly unique twist to musical comedy. Alex Horne Presents: The Horne Section played to sold-out audiences for five consecutive years at the Edinburgh Fringe and continued for three series as a BBC Radio 4 show. This led to The Horne Section Podcast, which reached number one in the iTunes charts on the first day of its release and regularly releases new episodes. The band has made several appearances on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (Channel 4) and is the only band ever to host Never Mind The Buzzcocks (BBC2). They are the house band on The Last Leg (Channel 4) and Peter Crouch: Save Our Summer (BBC One), which Alex also co-hosts. They starred in their own one-off special, The Horne Section Television Programme (Dave), in 2018.
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It is stalls seated tonight, and Levels 2 and 3 are unsold...maybe around 500 folks here.
The show was on for 1 hour 40 mins over two sets of 45 mins and 55 mins.
Alex Horne is backed by five musicians.
It is a mix of comedy , jokey musical interludes and audience participation.
The show ticked over ok, some funny bits and some not so funny bits.
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Monday 19 December 2022...I went to two events tonight...
6pm to 8.45pm
FLANNELS - basement digital art showcase - 67 Oxford Street, London W1.
Shop men's, women's and kids' luxury clothing, shoes and accessories from the most coveted designer brands at Flannels.
FLANNELS new innovative phygital basement space, houses brand new state-of-the-art floor-to-ceiling digital screens, providing a unique interactive experience.
A female DJ was playing atmospheric tracks in the background.
Around 150 guests here enjoying complimentary spirits including JD n cokes, wines & beers.
then......
THE PROFESSIONALS live at 229 Great Portland Street, London W1.
A one-off Christmas show with this band that features Sex Pistol PAUL COOK on drums.
I have seen Paul several times with The Professionals and some 29 times with The Sex Pistols.
This is their first show with Alan McGee (Oasis ex manager and Creation Records etc) as their new manager.
Tickets in advance are £20 plus £2 booking fee from seetickets....or £25 on the door.
Exclusive news - GLEN MATLOCK to join The Professionals on stage for the first time ever.
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The venue is pretty hot and humid inside , as it looked pretty much a full house for this Monday evening.
Nice to see so many of my gig-going chums here.
THE PROFESSIONALS arrived on stage at 9.25pm and played for 70 mins.
The show was a great mix of their solo material and covers with special guests.
GLEN MATLOCK and BILLY DUFFY both came on for some songs.
A really great gig.
Full PROFESSIONALS setlist played tonight...
Easily Lead
Just Another Dream
Going Going Gone
Spike Me Baby
Silly Thing (Sex Pistols cover) (with Billy Duffy)
Good Man Down (with Billy Duffy)
Lonely Boy (with Billy Duffy)
Hats Off
M'Ashes
1-2-3
Kick Down the Doors
Pretty Vacant (Sex Pistols cover) (with Glen Matlock)
Problems (Sex Pistols cover) (with Glen Matlock)
Encore:
(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone (Paul Revere and the Raiders cover)
A Merry Jingle (The Greedies cover)
Note: Stepping Stone and A Merry Jingle with Glen Matlock, Billy Duffy, Rhoda Dakar and Hollie Cook.
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Shock news that TERRY HALL (The Specials / Fun Boy Three) has passed away aged 63.
I saw The Specials 10 times before he left to form Fun Boy Three.
The Specials were such a great live band.
The Clash Specials Camden Music Machine, London 24.07.1978 first of 4 sold out shows
The Clash,Specials Camden Music Machine, London 25.07.1978
Damned,UK Subs,Specials Lyceum Theatre, London 08.04.1979 punk and ska 3 band bill
Gang Of Four,Mekons,Specials Lyceum Theatre, London 27.05.1979
Specials,Madness,Selector,Modettes Electric Ballroom, London 21.07.1979 first major 2 tone ska gig in London
Specials,Selecter,Dexys Midnight Runners Lyceum Theatre, London 25.11.1979
Specials,Selecter Lewisham Odeon, London 01.12.1979
The Who,Specials,Pretenders Hammersmith Odeon, London 28.12.1979 Charity Concert For Kampuchea
Specials,Swinging Cats Hammersmith Palais , London 06.10.1980
Specials , Hope And Anchor Pub, London 31.10.1980 fantastic low key club show
....plus reunion shows with The Specials at Brixton Academy, Hammersmith Apollo and Royal Albert Hall
and a solo show at ICA in London in 2014 during London Fashion Week.

Updated 20th December 2022 Permalink

Sunday 18 December 2022.

18 Dec 2022 - RONNIE BIGGS passed away nine years ago today.
I went to his book launch a couple of years before his death.
17 Nov 2011....11am to 3.30pm.
Press conference and party for the updated version of Ronnie Biggs autobiography "Odd Man Out,The Last Straw" at Shoreditch House,London E16.
Ronnie Biggs and his son Michael attended.
The original book came out in 1994 but this updated version has around 200 extra pages.There are loads of tv crews and photographers here.Later on friends and family would arrive.Ronnie is wheeled in looking very frail.He cannot talk but understands you and answers back via a spellboard or hand gestures.His son Michael and Ronnies good friend Chris Pickard who helped him with the book are the ones that answer the press questions.
I asked Ronnie "did he enjoy recording with two members of The Sex Pistols back in 1978".He gave me a smile and a thumbs up which was quite touching.
After most of the press had left more friends and family turned up inc Nick Reynolds(son of Great Train Robber Bruce Reynolds) and Gaz Mayall.A nice lunch was laid on and the freebie wines and beers were flowing.The press chairs were taken away and it became more relaxed.Ronnie was cuddling any women here he could get his arms around.ITV host Fiona Phillips was very chatty with him as her own dad had similiar ill health.
We had some proper Hells Angels here from UK,Sweden and Brazil.Everyone got a free copy of the book and Ronnie signed loads of them.I got mine signed and got a couple of photos with him.I also got my "The Biggest Blow-A Punk Prayer" signed.Ronnie with Cook n Jones on that one.
Despite Ronnie being in a wheelchair and not being able to talk he clearly enjoyed himself.He was here for well over three hours which was pretty amazing.
A couple of photos of the event are on my Facebook page.
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Saturday 17 December 2022.
FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
FOTN are are a goth rock band from Stevenage , who formed back in 1984.
They released five studio albums, but the last one was in 2005.
Fields of the Nephilim's initial sound incorporated elements of hard rock, gothic rock, heavy pmetal and psychedelic rock, and comprised a bass- and guitar-driven sound underpinned by Carl McCoy's growled vocals. Lyrically, the band incorporated themes concerning magic (specifically chaos magic), the Cthulhu Mythos, the Sumerian religion, and the works of Aleister Crowley. The band had a "dust and death" image, associated with characters from Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Westerns and often wore cowboy dusters with a weather-beaten look during photoshoots. This weather-beaten look was attained by dusting themselves down with, by their own admission, Mother's Pride flour.This also proved problematic for the band as in May 1988, Nottinghamshire Police detained the band whilst a suspect substance was tested for drugs. This was later determined to be nothing but flour from the stage set.
They still have two original members in the line-up, including singer Carl McCoy.
Oddly i have never seen them live before.
Support comes from post-punk outfit THE MEMBRANES who are fronted by John Robb who looks
after the Louder Than War music website, and is often a talking head on punk documentaries.
I saw them play a sweaty show in a small room at The Rebellion Festival, Blackpool in August 2022.
---------
Level 3 is closed tonight as unsold, but the other levels are all full.
Lots of loyal goth- rock fans have turned up in their mainly black clothing attire.
THE MEMBRANES arrive on stage at 8pm for their 45 mins set.
Singer John Robb with Mohican haircut prowls the front of stage with his menacing bass playing.
A good set by them
FOTN arrive on stage at 9.15pm for their 85 mins set.
The band still wear their black clothing with pride, along with their black cowboy hats.
When FOTN hit the stage the stalls standing area is really rammed shoulder to shoulder.
This soon turns into a moshing frenzy in the front few rows.
They have a nice sound, but the dark and moody vocals are a bit too muffled for me.
Some tracks are several minutes long , due to some nice guitar workouts.
An enjoyable enough show.
Full setlist played by FOTN played tonight...
Endemoniada
The Watchman
Phobia
Moonchild
Chord of Souls
Shiva
Celebrate
Love Under Will
Last Exit for the Lost
Encore:
Preacher Man
Blue Water
Dawnrazor
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Friday 16 December 2022.
JAMIE CULLUM live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Jamie Cullum (now aged 43) is an English jazz-pop singer, so ngwriter and radio presenter. Although primarily a vocalist and pianist, he also accompanies himself on other instruments, including guitar and drums. He has recorded nine studio albums, three compilation albums, one live album.
Since April 2010, he has presented a weekly Tuesday evening jazz show on BBC Radio 2.
Jamie has sold over 10 million albums over the past 20 odd years.
He will showcasing his current ninth studio album "The Pianoman at Christmas".
I have seen Jamie play a couple of short sets at events, but this will be the first time I have seen
his full headline show.
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This one-off show is fully sold out , and is much livelier than expected.
JAMIE CULLUM & his big band arrive on stage at 8pm and play for 1 hour 50 mins.
For most songs there are around 20 musicians on stage when you include a 13 piece brass
orchestra , three backing singers and all the band members.
Jamie mixes being behind the piano, as well as being front stage , while another musician
takes over the piano duties.
We have plenty of Christmas fairy lights arranged as Christmas trees behind the stage.
The setlist comprised well known Christmas cover versions, and Jamie's own Christmas and solo songs.
Jamie certainly knows how to work the crowd.
Midway through, Jamie sings "In The Bleak Midwinter" to a fan from the pit, who is in the front row middle.
After an hour , Jamie gets everyone up and dancing , to create a great atmosphere.
Highlights included his take on Nina Simone's "Sinnerman" and his own "Mixtape".
An enjoyable show.
The Guardian newspaper gave the show a glowing five star review.

Updated 18th December 2022 Permalink

Friday 16 December 2022.

Thursday 15 December 2022....I went to two events tonight.
12.45pm to 7pm.
JACKIE ST CLAIR and Husband Carl - Christmas Lunch Party - Holland Park, London W14.
Ex Page 3 girl from the 1980s/1990s and husband are hosting in their stunning house.
There is a photo on the mantelpiece of Jackie with PRINCE , when they were out together.
Guests included ED BICKNELL (ex manager of Dire Straits and many others),
LIZZIE CUNDY in a saucy Santa outfit, JO WOOD (ex wife of Ronnie Wood),
MICHAEL GELARDI who finally put out his 1969 album by his group Misty a few months ago on
Cherry Red Records.
SUSAN BLACK who performs as a Edith Piaf tribute.
Also NICK COWELL (brother of Simon Cowell).
After dinner at 4pm we had some fake snow falling in the garden , then Tony Moore got out his acoustic guitar and played a nice medley of 1960 hits and the Cutting Crew big hit "I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight".
TONY MOORE is an English singer-songwriter, musician, radio presenter and music promoter. He was also a member of Iron Maiden. He first became famous in 1986 as keyboard player with the band Cutting Crew.
Champers, Negronis and full bar all throughout the six hours.
Lunch was canapes , a delicious Christmas dinner with all the trimmings and tiramisu dessert.
All 20 guests on a huge long table.
After 4pm another 20 guests turned up for afternoon tea - canapes, sandwiches, different desserts.
Such a lovely afternoon.
www.jackie-stclair.com - Visit Jackies website here.
then.....
RICK ASTLEY'S SWINGING CHRISTMAS live at The Royal Albert Hall.
Rick Astley plays the first of two shows at this iconic venue.
Multi-million selling global star Rick Astley returns to the Royal Albert Hall this December for a special big band concert, performing swing and festive classics.
Rick Astley’s Swinging Christmas follows one of his big passions, the golden age of big band and swing. These exclusive shows will see Rick perform in the Hall’s stunning historic auditorium, synonymous for big band performances.
“I love singing these old classics and I cannot wait to see you there!” – Rick Astley
What better way to get into the festive spirit than a true celebration of Rick’s love of music, the roaring swing sound, classic tracks and many more.
I have Rick a few times on stage, with the first time in 1987 , for a recording of Top Of The Pops and in
2021 i saw him play a great show where he sung The Smiths songs backed by The Blossoms.
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Corners of the circle are unsold, but otherwise the venue is full.
RICK ASTLEY on stage for 1 hour 50 mins...two sets of 50 mins and 60 mins.
He is backed by a band and orchestra totalling around 50 musicians on stage.
Rick is wearing a dickie-bow and a sharp suit.
Lots of gentle swaying in the crowd for his covers of swing songs and Christmas songs.
Of course he had to play his mega worldwide hit "Never Gonna Give You Up",
which got all the crowd up and dancing.
An enjoyable show.
FIRST SET
Come Fly With Me
Cheek to Cheek
The Way You Look Tonight
Strangers in the Night
Winter Wonderland
I've Got You Under My Skin
The Lady is a Tramp
As Time Goes By
When I Fall in Love
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Luck be a Lady
SECOND SET
You Make me Feel so Young
Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)
Love This Christmas
Let it Snow Let it Snow
Some Enchanted Evening
'Swonderful
How About You
The Christmas Son
This Christmas
You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You
I Get a Kick Out of You
Never Gonna Give You Up ( his big number one hit)
White Christmas
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Wednesday 14 December 2022.
LOUIS TOMLINSON live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
The ex One Direction member turned solo star will play a one-off European show to celebrate his recent number one album, 'Faith In The Future'.
The show sold out pronto on the first day of sale.
He returns to Europe for a full arena tour in 2023 , which includes headlining The 02 Arena.
19 Nov update....Both albums were released on the same day, but Louis beats Bruce Springsteen.
Louis Tomlinson celebrates his first solo Number 1 album with "Faith In The Future", following a week-long battle with ‘The Boss’ having to settle for second place.
Louis did a couple of low key warm-up gigs at Pryzm , Kingston on the two days before this gig.
-------------------
Needless to say that it is a 95 % female crowd tonight.
His loyal fans queuing up in the afternoon, in the freezing weather, to get front stalls views.
Any men are probably dads or boyfriends dragged along, or on the guest list.
Support act ANDREW CUSHIN and his band arrived on stage at 8pm for 30 mins.
Rapidly-rising singer-songwriter Andrew Cushin has signed a record deal with the Strap Originals label, which happens to be owned by Libertines legend Pete Doherty.
He has recorded brand new tracks in the Libertines' very own Albion Rooms Studios in Margate.
Before that he brought out a developement single on Virgin Records with the help of Noel Gallagher.
The girls are screaming at him , even though I am pretty sure they don't know his pop tracks.
LOUIS TOMLINSON arrived on stage at 9.20pm for his 60 mins set.
The entire venue is up and singing loudly along to every song, and from the very start it is fan hysteria.
After wrapping up his first 81-date world tour across five continents in September, tonights setting was far more intimate than what the Doncaster-born star has been used to recently. Welcomed by a room full of screams and handmade signs, Tomlinson kicked off his 12-song set with “The Greatest,” he always envisioned as a show opener during the creative process of his record. Keeping with the high energy, Tomlinson dived straight into “Kill My Mind” before singing the Arctic Monkeys-infused “Written All Over Your Face,” an obvious career highlight and a smash hit waiting to happen. Out of all the One Direction songs Tomlinson could have sang, it was the heartfelt “Night Changes” he chose to put his own spin on. Vamped up with a full band production, his solo version was another reminder as to why “Night Changes” remains top tier. As the show continued, Tomlinson made sure to slow down the pace with the mellow “That’s the Way Love Goes” before closing with “Saturday's".
Constant crowd chants of his track "Angels Fly" will have to wait until the 2023 arena tour.
Louis has a great connection with his fans, and talks to them before every song.
The show was filmed by a camera crew.
An enjoyable show.
Full LOUIS TOMLINSON setlist played tonight...
The Greatest
Kill My Mind
Written All Over Your Face
We Made It
Bigger Than Me
Night Changes (One Direction song)
Copy of a Copy of a Copy
Out of My System
Walls
That's the Way Love Goes
Silver Tongues
Encore:
Saturdays

Updated 16th December 2022 Permalink

Wednesday 14 December 2022.

Tuesday 13 December 2022...6pm to 10pm...
HOXTON HOTEL opening launch party at 65-69 Shepherds Bush Green, London W12.
This is the fourth Hoxton Hotel in London, and their twelfth worldwide.
It will have 237 rooms.
It is just 200 yards from The Shepherds Bush Empire.
Is is situated on the site where the main Post Office used to be.
At that same Post Office i opened my first Post Office savings account book there in the early 1970s.
Also in the late 1970s when i used to sell bootleg vinyl , i posted over 700 packages from there via
recorded delivery and not one got lost or damaged.
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The venue looks very impressive outside and inside...nice and cosy too.
Local lad PAUL COOK (drummer with Sex Pistols/The Professionals/ Generation Sex etc) is here with his
wife Jeni and daughter Hollie.
The hotel has various sized spaces and will be having djs from Rough Trade West and
Next Door Records (Bush Hall) in the future.
Complimentary wines, beers and food for all the guests.

Updated 14th December 2022 Permalink

Monday 12 December 2022.

Sunday 11 December 2022.
STEVE HARLEY & COCKNEY REBEL live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
As it will be an older crowd, the stalls will be seated for this show.
i was at his show at this venue last year, where Steve was on stage for over two hours.
I have seen Steve (now aged 71) on stage around a dozen times with and without Cockney Rebel.
The first times with Cockney Rebel were at Hammersmith Odeon back in 1975 and 1976
after his number one success in 1975 of his classic single "Make Me Smile(Come Up and See Me)".
The song have been recorded by over 100 other artists,most notably by Duran Duran and Erasure,
although Harley has stated his favourite cover version is by The Wedding Present.
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Level 3 is closed tonight and Level 2 is half empty so must be only 500 or 600 folks here.
A freezing snowy evening outside, and not many bodies inside, so the venue felt very cold.
STEVE HARLEY & COCKNEY REBEL on stage for a nice long 2 hours 15 mins over two sets
of 60 mins and 75 mins....Steve is backed by five musicians.
Steve walks to the front with help from his crutch , and sits on a bar stool the entire show.
His polio condition seems to be getting a bit worse.
After the third song , he gets a bit miffed by the phone cameras in the front stalls, even they though they are
not use a flash...he rants "please put them away until the encore, as i want to concentrate 100%
on my job".....he soon gets back to being a jovial raconteur for the rest of the night.
The highlights of the show were obviously his classics from the 1970s.
He played a couple of tracks from his 2020 covers album.
His "pension song" for the encore got everyone standing up and singing loudly along.
Always good to see Steve playing live.
Setlist highlights included...
Judy Teen
Star For A Week
Mr Raffles
Out Of Time (The Rolling Stones cover)
Absolute Beginners (David Bowie cover)
Mr Soft
Best Years Of Our Lives
Sebastian
Encore :
Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)
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Looks like the woke contingent have got their way...
Punk rock duo SLAVES have changed their name after criticism from some fans, saying it "doesn't represent who we are as people or what our music stands for any longer". The duo, who have had three UK top 10 albums and a Mercury Prize nomination, will now be known as SOFT PLAY.

Updated 12th December 2022 Permalink

Saturday 10 December 2022.

Saturday 10 December 2022.
World Cup 2022 Quarter-Final Megaclash.
ENGLAND 1 FRANCE 2 ...live on ITV 7pm...
Harry Kane missed a penalty near the end, to draw the levels level, so England go home.
Over 20 million folks are expected to watch it on tv screens and big screens around the country.
England’s next World Cup match clashes with some huge gigs taking place in Manchester.
Thankfully, fans with tickets for either Blossoms (Manchester Apollo) or Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott (Manchester Arena) will now be able to watch the game in a massive setting.
Arrangements have been made to show the quarter final game at the AO Arena and at the O2 Apollo – and Paul Heaton’s evenrd gone a step further for fans who don’t actually like football....give them free mulled wine.
The support acts for both shows have have agreed to go on early, and finish before the match starts.
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Saturday 10 December 2022.
KISS to play a UK show at a very random venue?
The local paper in Plymouth says KISS will be playing Plymouth Argyle football ground on 03 June.
This date would fit in nicely at the start of their European Tour.
It has not been confirmed by the KISS website, but is certainly one to keep an eye on.
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Hard to believe it is 15 years ago today i went to this special one-off show.
10 Dec 2007.Led Zeppelin + guests live at The 02 Arena,London.
20 million people from around the world applied for tickets.
Well in terms of live music events it does not get much bigger than this. Rock legends Led Zeppelin perform their first full show for some 27 years.(I had seen Led Zep at Earls Court in the 1970s).Its a tribute night for Atlantic Records boss Ahmet Ertegan who died last year.Tickets for this show are going for silly money on touting websites even though promoters did their best with id checks and wristbands.The evening starts with Harvey Goldsmith giving a speech then Keith Emerson(ELP) Alan White(Yes),Chris Squire(Yes) and Simon Kirke(Bad Company) play "Fanfare For The Common Man" with Bill Wymans Rhythm Kings who are the house band for the support acts.Paulo Nutini and Maggie Bell sing a couple of tunes before Paul Rodgers belts out "All Right Now" and "Seagull".Then Foreigner sing " I Want To Know What Love Is" then an interval where they showed some footage of Ahmet Ertegan. Needless to say the venue erupted when Led Zep quietly took to the stage to play a stunning 2 hours 10 mins set.After 6 weeks of rehearsals they were tight and the overall sound was spot on.Opening with "Good Times Bad Times" then "Ramble On" the quality of Robert Plants vocals and Jimmy Pages guitar were perfect."Black Dog" and "No Quarter" rocked before the slower blues of "Since Ive Been Loving You".The second half of the show was incredible as Jimmy Page brought out his violin bow for "Dazed And Confused" as he was boxed in by green lasers.The intro to "Stairway To Heaven" brought more wild cheers. The set finished with brilliant versions of "Kashmir" before encores of "Whole Lotta Love" and "Rock And Roll". A stunning show that really did live up to all the hype.Check this out for the massive rock star turnout who were sitting very near me . I saw Paul McCartney, Liam and Noel from Oasis,Marilyn Manson,Jeff Beck,Vic Reeves,John Sessions,Brian May,Chad from RHCP,Joe Elliot(Def Leppard),Bob Geldof,Juliette Lewis,Dave Mustaine(Megadeth),the singer from The Hives,Mike Rutherford(Genesis),Dave Grohl(Foo Fighters),David Gilmour(Pink Floyd)and there were a few more i did not see inc Mick Jagger,Priscilla Presley.
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Friday 09 December 2022.
SCOUTING FOR GIRLS live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
They had four Top 10 singles in the UK, including a number one in 2010 with "This Ain't A Love Song".
Many of the their pop songs are about girls.
I saw them a couple of times a decade ago, when they were a support at a festival and when
The Hard Rock Cafe in London had regular gigs every month hosted by Virgin Radio and Q Magazine.
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The venue is fully rammed sold out tonight, with a 75% per cent female crowd as expected.
CHARLIE STARMER-SMITH & band arrived on stage at 7.30pm for their 30 mins set.
His surname may sound familiar?....his dad Nigel was a well known Rugby commentator.
Charlie recorded his album at Abbey Road studios and it includes a track called "Spotlight",
which highlights the terrifying speed with which dementia stole his father away.
DANIEL McCARTHY & band arrived on stage at 8.15pm for their 30 mins set.
Another act with some simple catchy pop songs, and they played a nice cover of Coldplay "Fix You".
SCOUTING FOR GIRLS arrived on stage at 9pm for their 85 mins set.
They must be just a pop band, but the atmosphere when the band come on is fantastic.
All the upstairs seating levels are standing up , and the females are singing loudly along to every song.
A good show.
Highlights included...
Wish I Was James Bond
It's Not About You
Heartbeat
Famous (Roy performed from the Level 1 balcony with a selfie stick)
I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Whitney Houston cover)
This Ain't a Love Song
Elvis Ain't Dead / including snippet of Can't Help Falling in Love cover
Encore:
Christmas in the Air (Tonight) ( complete with Christmas tree and fake snow)
She's So Lovely

Updated 10th December 2022 Permalink

Thursday 08 December 2022.

Thursday 08 December 2022.
THE MYSTERINES live at The Forum.
The Mysterines are a British alternative rock band from Liverpool and the Wirral comprising Lia Metcalfe (vocals and guitar), George Favager (bass guitar), Callum Thompson (guitar and backing vocals) and Paul Crilly (drums and backing vocals).Their debut album "Reeling" was released on 11th March 2022 via Fiction Records and charted at number 9 on the UK Albums Chart.
This is their biggest London headline show so far, and comes after six months of extensive
touring across Europe and more recently North America.
In the summer of 2023 they support The Arctic Monkeys on their UK national stadium tour.
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Plenty of space upstairs and downstairs tonight, so maybe 1200 max here tonight.
Maybe the reason was it was a bit too close to their Electric Ballroom show in April 2022.
Another show with over 100 folks on the guest list.
It felt like a celebration gig , after a great 2022 when their star has risen.
FRAULEIN arrived on stage at 7.35pm for their 30 mins set.
A duo with a female singer with electric guitar and her male drummer played decent tunes.
OPUS KINK arrived on stage at 8.25pm for their 30 mins set.
They had a great quirky indie guitar sound ,that was helped out nicely with sax and trumpet.
THE MYSTERINES arrived on stage at 9.25pm and played for 70 mins.
They have a lovely stage production, with red a huge red curtain, half a dozen lampshades,
two huge rugs, light-bulbs dangling and the band are playing in front of vintage equipment.
Singer Lia Metcalfe is wearing a white mini-dress and white boots.
Lots of strobe lighting used as the stalls standing danced and moshed away.
They have a very cool scuzzy guitar indie-grunge sound, with highlights including "In My Head",
"All These Things", "Life's A Bitch(But I Like It So Much)" and encore "Hung Up".
A really good band that are certainly heading towards bigger things.
Full setlist played by THE MYSTERINES tonight...
Under Your Skin
Reeling
Dangerous
Old Friends Die Hard
On the Run
Begin Again (New Song)
The Bad Thing
In My Head
Hawkmoon (New Song)
All These Things
Life's A Bitch (But I Like It So Much)
Means To Bleed
The Confession Song
Encore:
Still Call You Home
I Win Every Time
Hung Up
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Wednesday 07 December 2022.
BILLY STRINGS live at The Forum.
Billy Strings (now aged 30) is an American guitarist and bluegrass musician.
Billy Strings is playing a UK and European Tour.
He won a Grammy Award in 2021, and is playing some big arena venues back in USA in 2023.
This sold out in advance show will feature tracks from his albums.
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Pretty amazing the amount of Americans at this show....maybe half the crowd.
This show has been sold out for ages.
BILLY STRINGS was on stage for a nice long 2 hours 20 mins....two sets of 70 mins.
There is no drummer tonight and all five members are standing on their own rug in front
of their equipment....two guitars. stand up bass, banjo and violin.
Billy Strings looks a bit like a bluegrass version of Lewis Capaldi.
The sound is perfect, and the harmonies are fantastic.
Some of the songs are extended with jamming guitar solos.
The first five mins of the second set was an intricate guitar solo by Billy on his own.
In the old days his sound would have been called "hillbilly music".
Billy has said he wants to add elements of Pearl Jam and Grateful Dead to his Bluegrass sound.
He said " I never left Michigan until I was 19, when i went on my first USA tour, and have not stopped touring since then, and he is over the moon that his success has escalated across the water"
He said “We’re never going to be a band that sells a million records. We’re just a band that’s going to sell a million tickets — one show at a time. That’s what we do. We’re a live band. Our thing is our show,” Strings says. “We’re going to have real fans, that really buy tickets, that really come to the show, that really are part of this family, which is what it feels like right now".
Lots of head nodding , along with plenty of dancing and whooping and cheering.
An interesting and enjoyable show.

Updated 8th December 2022 Permalink

Wednesday 07 December 2022.

Tursday 06 December 2022.
A nice three band rock package are touring the UK together.
DEAD DAISIES + FM + GRAHAM BONNET BAND live at The Forum.
The current Dead Daisies line-up is...
David Lowy
Brian Tichy
Doug Aldrich
Glenn Hughes (Lead vocals and bass guitar)
I have seen Glenn Hughes many times over the years, with his different bands,
with the first time back in 1974 when he was in Deep Purple with David Coverdale and Richie Blackmore
in that classic line-up.
Dead Daisies are on a six date UK tour to promote their sixth studio album " Radiance".
I saw Dead Daisies play Shepherds Bush Empire a year ago.
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A nice trio of rock bands, but the venue is less than half empty, as only 700/800 tickets sold.
Great selection of rock classics played over the pa during the night when no bands were on stage.
Most of the crowd are in early to catch all three bands.
The PR have done a good job as there are a dozen photographers in the pit tonight,
and rock journos DAVE LING and MARK TAYLOR are here to review it.
Deep Purple keyboard player DON AIREY was also upstairs for most of the show.
GRAHAM BONNET BAND arrived on stage at 7.10pm and played a 35 mins set.
Graham still has that great rock voice, and he played a really good set of solo gems
as well as gems he sung with other bands he fronted.
He had a foxy rock chick dressed in black, playing some nice bass guitar.
Full GRAHAM BONNET BAND setlist played tonight...
Eyes of the World (Rainbow song) (intro keyboards played on tape)
All Night Long (Rainbow song) (electric sitar played on electric guitar instead)
Night Games
Desert Song (Michael Schenker Group song)
Since You Been Gone (Rainbow song that was written by Russ Ballard))
Assault Attack (Michael Schenker Group song)
Lost in Hollywood (Rainbow song) (no clavinet)
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FM arrived on stage at 8.05pm and played a 35 mins set.
I saw FM support some big names at Hammersmith Odeon, and they even headlined once.
Reo Speedwagon,FM Hammersmith Odeon , London 29.05.1985
Gary Moore,FM Hammersmith Odeon , London 27.09.1985
Gary Moore,FM Hammersmith Odeon , London 28.09.1985
Bon Jovi,FM Hammersmith Odeon , London 17.11.1986
Bon Jovi,FM Hammersmith Odeon , London 18.11.1986
FM,Romeos Daughter Hammersmith Odeon , London 03.11.1989
FM played a good solid set of their best Foreigner sounding songs.
Full FM setlist played tonight...
Synchronized
Bad Luck
Killed by Love
Tough It Out
I Belong to the Night
Turn This Car Around
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DEAD DAISIES arrived on stage at 9pm and played for 90 mins.
Dead Daisies are certainly the headliners tonight, as they have a full monty light show.
Glenn Hughes has the tag " the voice of rock n roll" and his high pitched voice still sounds great.
He has grown his hair long again, so now looks like he did in the 1970s.
He is clearly glad to be back in London (although he lives in Los Angeles).
The Deep Purple tracks were obvious highlights , but it was a great proper rock show.
We even had a full lengthy drum solo.
Full DEAD DAISIES setlist played tonight....
Tape Intro Track - Sweet Emotion (Aerosmith song)
Long Way to Go
Unspoken
Rise Up
Dead and Gone
Radiance
Face Your Fear
Bustle and Flow
Fortunate Son (Creedence Clearwater Revival cover)
Drum Solo
Mistreated (Deep Purple cover)
Born to Fly
Burn It Down
Hypnotize Yourself
My Fate
Shine On
Encore:
Midnight Moses (The Sensational Alex Harvey Band cover)
Burn (Deep Purple cover)

Updated 7th December 2022 Permalink

Sunday 04 December 2022.

Sunday 04 December 2022...live on ITV at 7pm..
World Cup 2022 Last 16 Game.
ENGLAND 3 SENEGAL 0
After a dodgy first 30 mins, it ended being a fairly easy England win.
England now play the very formidable France team next Saturday.
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Saturday 03 December 2022.
ALIVE - A tribute to PEARL JAM live at Shepherds Bush Empire,
The band come from Liverpool, and have been a Pearl Jam tribute band for 12 years.
I have seen the real Pearl Jam several times , with the most recent being just six months ago
at one of their two massive outdoor shows in Hyde Park in July 2022.
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Levels 2 and 3 are closed tonight, and plenty of space in stalls and Level 1 so maybe only 400 folks here.
Like the real Pearl Jam they play a lengthy 2 hours 30 mins set from 8pm.
The band are clearly emotional at playing this venue, that has graced so many legends.
The singer says "it has has taken us 12 years to get to play on the same stage as Pearl Jam did in 2009".
I did not go to that show, as i saw them at The 02 Arena in the same week.
The band sound great, the singer sings, acts, looks like Eddie Vedder.
Loads of Pearl Jam classics played, mainly from their first three albums.
The crowd sang loudly along , and there was plenty of moshing to the livelier songs.
A really good top notch Pearl Jam tribute band.
Setlist included...
Long Road
Animal
Given To Fly
Even Flow
Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town
Why Go
Jeremy
Better Man
Black
Alive
Rockin' In The Free World (Neil Young cover)
Yellow Leadbetter
Rearviewmirror
State Of Love And Trust

Updated 4th December 2022 Permalink

Saturday 03 December 2022.

Friday 02 December 2022.
SIR PETER BLAKE 90th Birthday Concert at The Royal Festival Hall.
To mark Sir Peter Blake’s 90th birthday year, Paul Weller curates a line-up featuring Roger Daltrey, Baxter Dury, Noel Gallagher, Chrissie Hynde and Madness...and other surprise guests.
Will Paul McCartney turn up to watch the show, or perform on stage?
Tickets priced £75 to £120 all sold out pronto.
Sir Peter Thomas Blake CBE ( born 25 June 1932) is an English pop artist. He co-created the iconic sleeve design for the Beatles' album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" .His other works include the covers for two of The Who's albums, the cover of the Band Aid single "Do They Know It's Christmas?", and the Live Aid concert poster. Blake also designed the 2012 Brit Award statuette.
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No real surprise that this ended up being a totally excellent evening.
FIRST SET...7pm to 8.30pm.
Before the bands came on, images of Sir Peter Blake art work were shown on the big screen.
BAXTER DURY & band arrived on stage at 7.10pm and played for 20 mins....full electric set.
Baxter certainly has some similiar attitude and lyrics to his sadly departed father.
Five tracks played...I'm Not Your Dog,Slumlord,Pleasure, Miami, Cocaine Man.
CHRISSIE HYNDE & band arrived on stage at 7.40pm and played for 20 mins...full electric set.
Chrissie Hynde played a great set and is still looking like a foxy cool older rock chick.
She said she had a crush on actor Dennis Waterman, then played his hit single...very random.
I Go to Sleep (The Kinks cover)
Don't Get Me Wrong (Pretenders song)
2,000 Miles (Pretenders song)
Foxy Lady (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
I Could Be So Good For (Dennis Waterman cover)
PAUL WELLER & band arrived on stage at 8.05pm and played for 25 mins...semi-acoustic set.
A good set played, but sadly no Jam classics.
The Soul Searchers
Amongst Butterflies
Gravity
Out of the Sinking
Broken Stones
SECOND SET...9pm to 11pm.
NOEL GALLAGHER & band arrived on stage at 9.05pm and played for 20 mins...semi-acoustic set.
Noel played a great set, as it was four Oasis classics.
Stand by Me (Oasis song) (First time sung by Noel since 1997 with Oasis. First time as a solo artist)
Wonderwall (Oasis song)
Live Forever (Oasis song) (First time sung by Noel since 2009 with Oasis. First performance in full as a solo artist in public.)
Don't Look Back in Anger (Oasis song)
THE WHO arrived on stage at 9.35pm and played for 30 mins...semi-acoustic set.
The Who played a superb set of gems.
Substitute
The Seeker
Tattoo
Behind Blue Eyes
The Kids Are Alright
Pinball Wizard
Won't Get Fooled Again (Acoustic, Pete and Roger only)
MADNESS arrived on stage at 10.15pm and played for 45 mins....full electric set.
Big names playing tonight, but no doubt that Madness were the headliners.
For all the other acts, the crowd remain seated, but for Madness everyone is up and dancing.
They have their brass section and the big screen images they use on their usual gigs.
An excellent greatest hits set.
One Step Beyond (Prince Buster cover)
Embarrassment
The Prince
NW5
My Girl
The Sun and the Rain
House of Fun
Baggy Trousers
Our House
It Must Be Love (Labi Siffre cover)
Encore:
Madness (Prince Buster cover)
Night Boat to Cairo
Outro Tape - All You Need Is Love (The Beatles song)
All the main artists gave an interview on stage for a few mins between sets on their love for Sir Peter Blake.
Also Sir Bob Geldof gave a short interview on stage.
Sir Peter Blake took the applause from his box seat, as he was not able to be on stage.
Video messages came from Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, David Hockney, Jarvis Cocker,
Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney.
Paul McCartneys keyboard player Wix Wickens was watching the show.
All monies went to two charities including The Teenage Cancer Trust.

Updated 3rd December 2022 Permalink

Friday 02 December 2022.

Thursday 01 December 2022...I went to two events today...
1pm to 4pm.
34th WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD at BAFTA , 195 Piccadilly, London W1.
Around 100 guests here for this prestigious sports book award.
All the five judges are here, including sports presenter John Inverdale.
158 books put forward, and five got shortlisted.
Any one of the five would be an ideal Christmas present.
All five shortlisted authors are here to talk about their books for a few minutes each.
Be Good, Love Brian - Growing Up With Brian Clough (football)
God Is Dead : The Rise and Fall of Frank Vandenbroucke (cycling)
My Hidden Race - Anyika Onuora (sprint athlete)
Expected Goals - The Story of How Data Conquered Football (football)
Beryl : In Search Of Britain's Greatest Athlete (cycling) - this book won the £30,000 first prize.
The four runners-up got £3,000 each.
Complimentary prosecco, wines, beers, canapes, desserts.
All guests got a goodie bag with one of the books inside...I got Beryl...
then...
KOKOROKO live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Kokoroko is a London-based musical group led by Sheila Maurice-Grey, playing a fusion of jazz and Afrobeat. In February 2019 they were named "ones to watch" by the Guardian, after their track "Abusey Junction" garnered 23 million views on YouTube.In February 2020 they won Best Group at the Urban Music Awards.In September 2020 they played BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.
In 2022 they released their debut album, which made number 30 in the UK albums chart.
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Another gig that had over 100 on the guest list.
Level 3 is half empty , but otherwise the venue is very full.
A cool looking jazz/soul crowd have turned up to support them.
Support act DEMAE arrived on stage at 8.05pm for her smooth set of tunes for 25 mins.
After a late punters walk up , Kokoroko arrived on stage at 9.25pm for their 95 mins set.
Kokoroko headlined the Roundhouse a couple of years ago, even before their debut album came out.
Led by trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey,who doubles as the vocalist who guides the audience through the music with a gentle sway of the hips.
The songs are mainly jazzy instrumental based.
The set is beautifully balanced, flowing from crashing crescendoes to moments that drip intimacy, showcasing the outfit’s versatility in pace. Each bandmember takes a turn at solos.
The best part of the set comes midway through, when Maurice-Grey signals for the audience upstairs to "get up and dance!" as the trombone, trumpet, keyboards, percussion, guitar, bass,drums all kicked in.
Even the way the band members are arranged onstage lends to the idea that they’re collaborators; musicians in their own right; more ensemble than band.
A couple of trumpet and bass solos beat about the bush rather than getting to the point, but for every moment that doesn’t quite hit the sweet spot, there is another that feels orgasmic. By far, the best points appear when Kinoshi leads the band into a cascading frenzy of sound, trapping that transcendent tier that jazz is always searching for. She soars into a tall, hot crescendo, then soft as a dove flies right back down to the quiet.
A good show.

Updated 2nd December 2022 Permalink

Wednesday 30 November 2022.

Wednesday 30 November 2022.
Shock news to hear of the death of CHRISTINE McVIE from Fleetwood Mac.
Lucky to have seen Fleetwood Mac several times , without and with Christine.
I have put a nice photo on Facebook of Christine with me at an event from a few years ago.
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Wednesday 30 November 2022.
Christmas drinks reunion with my old work chums in Wimbledon.
We have met up here every year for many years now.
Many of us took nearly voluntary retirement when it was offered.
I did not go last year as same night as DAVE GAHAN at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Around 15 of us here.
Hard to believe that nobody here is aged under 60, and a few are in their 70s.
A great evening that brought back fond memories of the decades we spent together.
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Tuesday 29 November 2022.
POWERWOLF live at The Roundhouse.
German power metal band POWERWOLF headline the Roundhouse as part of their “Wolfsnächte” European tour in support of their recent album release.
Fans can expect not only brand new heavy metal anthems, but also the biggest and most epic production POWERWOLF has brought to stage thus far.
This sold out show in advance is the only UK appearance on their European Tour.
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WARKINGS arrived on stage at 7.50pm for their 40 mins set.
Warkings is a German, Swiss, Austrian power metal band.
Since their inception in 2018 they've released a total of two studio albums, including Reborn, (2018), and Revenge, (2020). Their lyrical themes revolve around ancient warfare, battles, and warriors, and their music videos brings to life images of Viking, Roman, and Spartan warriors.
They have male and female vocals, and a decent set of songs.
POWERWOLF arrived on stage at 9.05pm for their 1 hour 45 mins set.
The band have certainly brought a mega arena production to the Roundhouse.
A sold out show but 3100 venue capacity is reduced to 2700 due to the increased size of the
front stage pit, as they have a full range of pyros all across the front of the stage.
You can feel the heat from the flames , that are fired up every two or three songs.
They have certainly taken some tips from a Rammstein show.
They have the flames, the fireworks, the robed costumes, the face-paint...and even some fake snow.
Essentially Powerwolf are a Gothic comedy routine with added songs. All this adds up to one of the most entertaining live shows you will ever see.The continuous call and response give the game away, as this is a pure and utter pantomime. Brilliantly choreographed and stonkingly fun but still pantomime.
This crowd adore this power metal band, with subtle song titles like ‘Demons are a Girl’s Best Friend’ and ‘We Drink Your Blood’. They also have half a dozen monks come on stage to juggle some fire sticks.
Mainly English lyrics too, with just a couple in German......a great show.
Full POWERWOLF setlist played tonight...
Faster Than the Flame
Incense & Iron
Cardinal Sin
Amen & Attack
Dancing With the Dead
Armata Strigoi
Beast of Gévaudan
Stossgebet
Demons Are a Girl's Best Friend
Fire and Forgive
Where the Wild Wolves Have Gone
Sainted by the Storm
Army of the Night
Blood for Blood (Faoladh)
Let There Be Night
Encore:
Tape - Agnus Dei
Sanctified With Dynamite
We Drink Your Blood
Werewolves of Armeni
Tape - Wolves Against the World
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Monday 28 November 2022.
MICHAEL GIRA live at St John Church, Hackney.
Michael Gira (now aged 68) is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, author and artist. He is the main force behind the New York City musical group Swans and fronted Angels of Light. He is also the founder of Young God Records.
Michael Gira formed Swans back in 1982.
One of those bands that tick along nicely doing their own thing, without massive commercial success.
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I have been to this lovely converted church venue a few times before.
It is very modern inside, with perfect acoustics, and should be used more often for gigs.
CLIFF RICHARD filmed his Christmas video for his single here last week.
Only 400 or 500 tickets sold , which is only around 25% of the venue capacity.
KRISTOF HAHN arrived on stage at 8pm and played for 40 mins.
Both acts performed in front of two Christmas Trees full of lights.
Support act is also a current member of SWANS.
A mellow crowd who politely listen to the noise rock coming from the stage.
MICHAEL GIRA arrived on stage at 9pm and played for 85 mins.
Michael Gira and his music is certainly not for everyone.
Gloomy , dark vocals over loud repetitive sonic experimental sounds.
Many of the songs are spoken word lyrics.
An interesting show, that was more for a hardcore fan than any casual gig-goer.
The merch desk said Michael Gira would be signing straight after the show, and
maybe 25% of the crowd queue to buy some nice vinyl and posters.

Updated 29th November 2022 Permalink

Monday 28 November 2022

Sunday 27 November 2022.
POPPY live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
27 year old American female singer-songwriter is promoting her fourth album "Flux".
Poppy's musical style has been described as pop, heavy metal, rock, electronic, industrial, and experimental.
Poppy was recently the opening act on the Smashing Pumpkins / Janes Addiction North American Tour.
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All three acts tonight had female singers, and the show looks like a full house.
Nice to see three drum kits all set up on the stage and ready to rock.
BAND OF SILVER on stage at 8pm for their 30 mins set.
They play some decent indie-pop tunes , they hail from Nashville, USA.
WHITE FEVER on stage at 8.50pm for their 30 mins set.
They had three females at the front, and a male drummer.
They played some decent indie pop-punk tunes.
POPPY on stage at 9.40pm for her 60 mins set.
Poppy is looking very EMO goth punk in her look, and her loyal fans adore her.
Poppy is able to pivot from whisper-singing to a soaring chorus or a ground-rumbling scream, Poppy has become more adept in cohesively mixing up her vocals in a way that makes the songs varied and exciting.
Lots of moshing in the front stalls standing area, and an enjoyable show.
Full POPPY setlist played tonight...
Lessen the Damage
Breeders
BLOODMONEY
Pocket
Her
Sit / Stay
Flux
All the Things She Said (t.A.T.u. cover)
FYB
Anything Like Me
Hysteria
As Strange as It Seems
Never Find My Place
Encore:
I Disagree
Bite Your Teeth
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Saturday 26 November 2022.
HARRY HILL live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Harry Hill (now aged 58), is an English comedian, presenter and writer. He pursued a career in stand-up following years working as a medical doctor, developing an off-beat, energetic performance style that fused elements of surrealism, observational comedy, slapstick, satire and music. When performing, he usually wears browline glasses and a dress shirt with a distinctive oversized collar and cuffs.
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It is stalls seated tonight and Level 3 is half empty , so maybe 1000 folks here.
Harry Hill arrives on stage in his trademark white oversized collar shirt and brother creepers.
He is on stage for 1 hour 40 mins over two sets of 50 mins each.
He has a big screen showing some images to help with the routines.
Harrys visual and verbal tomfoolery flows in such a spate that there’s always something coming to make you laugh. Hill tutors us in the four basic shapes of chicken nugget and mimes bathing himself with a wet-wipe, but the standout moments are the bigger set-pieces: casting an audience volunteer as a rescue elephant, say, then manoeuvring them into a slapstick duet with an ironing board. There’s a winningly freewheeling shaggy-dog story about a recipe box delivery, and – tonight’s undisputed showstopper – a socks-based physical comedy number that finds our host dragged, writhing, across the stage.
Musical comedy includes him singing "Come Up And See Me (Me Me Smile)" with half a dozen impersonations during the song including Mick Jagger and Morrissey.
At such moments, a Harry Hill gig is just a joyous place to be. But there are a few fallow periods between the fertile ones here; moments when you can admire the dottiness of what Hill is doing (a non sequitur Coleridge recital, for example) without finding it especially funny. An oft-repeating onscreen joke dividing foodstuffs, famous people and more into “traybakes” (not cool) or “tear-and-shares”(cool) overstays its welcome a bit and ended up with the front two rows standing up one by one to face the crowd , and for the audience to shout out "traybake or "tear--and-share". It was funny to see a couple of the women give the crowd the middle finger when they shouted "traybake" at them.
The show ended with his version of "My Way" with his own comedy lyrics.
There was enough funny moments to make it an enjoyable show.
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Friday 25 November 2022.
FONTAINES DC live at Hammersmith Apollo.
Irish indie-rockers play the second of three nights at Hammersmith Apollo on their UK tour.
They are promoting their third studio album "Skinty Fia" , which was number one in the UK.
All three of their albums have made the Top 10 in the UK.
A speedy rise to success for them, where they can headline three nights at this 5000 capacity venue.
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Not a good idea to have a gig , when England are playing a 7pm kick-off World Cup footie game.
Even though the show is sold out, the venue is less than half full for the support act,
and the headliners delay coming on stage by 15 mins to help those watching the game nearby.
Support act WUNDERHORSE arrived on stage at 7.55pm for their 35 mins set.
They played some good indie-rock tracks from their debut album "Cub".
FONTAINES DC arrived on stage at 9.15pm for their 85 mins set.
Singer LEWIS CAPALDI is sitting front circle, just a couple of rows away from me.
Lots of strobe lights used during their set , with horizontal stripped lighting bars behind them.
They have a string quartet with them for a few songs.
The stalls standing is lively, with folks dancing lots.
They change and rotate their set each night, which is always good to see.
They had some confetti over the stalls standing near the end.
They open up with "Nabokov" with its great instrumental intro.
They whizzed through their songs, with not much stage chat.
A good show.
Full FONTAINES DC setlist played tonight.
Nabokov (With string quartet)
A Lucid Dream (With string quartet)
In ár gCroíthe go (With string quartet)
Sha Sha Sha
Hurricane Laughter
Skinty Fia
You Said
I Don't Belong
Big Shot
Big
Televised Mind
Jackie Down The Line
Roman Holiday
A Hero's Death
The Couple Across the Way (With string quartet)
Encore:
Too Real
Boys in the Better Land
I Love You

Updated 26th November 2022 Permalink

Thursday 24 November 2022.

Thursday 24 November 2022...6.15pm to 10pm...
Showcase - BISHOP'S PALACE, Hatfield House, Herts.
Closer than you would think ,as only 30 mins from Kings Cross train station.
It started off with a great 15 mins talk by their guide Eric on the incredible history of the venue.
Hatfield House was completed in 1611. It was built by Robert Cecil, first Earl of Salisbury and son of Lord Burghley, the chief minister of Elizabeth I. The deer park surrounding the house and the older building of the Old Palace had been owned by Elizabeth’s father, Henry VIII, who had used it as a home for his children, Edward, Elizabeth and Mary. It was while she was living in the Old Palace, in 1558, that Elizabeth learned of her accession to the throne.
There are are 120 guests here, 12 tables of 10 , with 75% females.
We had a very nice three course meal...
Starters - various canapes
Mains - slow cooked beef sirloin, with potatos and veg
Dessert - chocolate & pistachio tart
We had a guy on acoustic guitar play covers for two sets of 15 mins and 30 mins.
Also a female stilt-walker with huge butterfly wings, full of light bulbs.
Four different cocktails throughout the evening, along with wines and tea/coffee.
A great evening, and well worth the trek out of London.
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Very sad news that guitar legend WILKO JOHNSON has died aged 75.
I was lucky to have seen him with Dr Feelgood in the 1970s, and more than a dozen times after.
Amazingly i was at his Shepherds Bush Empire show just five weeks ago on 18 Oct 2022,
which has ended up being his last show ever.
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Wednesday 23 November 2022....I went to three events today...
1pm to 3pm
TURTLE BAY - press preview - 7a The Brewery ,Romford, Essex.
This restaurant & bar is just 3 mins from Romford Station, which is on the Elizabeth line.
Turtle Bay has grown to over 40 restaurants nationwide , making it the UKs leading Caribbean
restaurant chain.
Turtle Bay’s success is based on providing a uniquely Caribbean experience, with a centralised island bar serving rum-based cocktails both day and night, a menu that combines Caribbean spices with fragrant marinades, hot sauces, cooling chutneys and fresh fruit, with its signature jerk chicken grill at the heart of the restaurant. All to the gentle beat of a reggae soundtrack.
Special opening offers...
Any two courses £19 or any three courses £24...2-4-1 cocktails happy hour daily.
I had a very tasty three course lunch...
Starters - Jerk Pit Ribs with mango BBQ sauce.
Mains - Fish Fry Platter (crispy salmon, coconut fried squid , colslaw and spiced fries.
Desserts - Banana Toffee Cheesecake.
We had a couple of cocktails each.
Well worth a visit if you are in the area.
Afterwards we had a stroll and coffee in Romford Market and came across a fantastic
Italian Vintage Style shop selling loads of cool vinyl , clothing items , memorabilia , record players,
cameras, cassette players etc...a must for any Elvis fans.
then
6pm to 7pm
UNIT GALLERY - private view - 3 Hanover Square, Mayfair, London W1.
Private view ‪for the opening of solo exhibitions by Stacey Gillian Abe and Stephen Wong.
Choice of three complimentary cocktails and beers for the 200 odd guests.
Fashionista PHILIP SALLON was here in full military attire.
then
7.05pm to 9.30pm.
CLARIDGES - Christmas Tree Unveiling Party - Brook Street, Mayfair, London W1.
Around 200 glammed up guests at this famous five star luxury hotel.
SANDRA CHOI designed the Christmas Tree in the hotel foyer.
She is the creative director of J. Choo Limited. She is the niece of Jimmy Choo's wife, Rebecca.
Sandra is here...with her personal bodyguard close by throughout....not really needed here I thought.
I got a nice photo with ERIN O'CONOR which will be on my Facebook page at lunchtime.
Erin O'Connor is an English fashion model, who was also the muse of Haute Couture designer Alexander McQueen due to her height and androgynous look.
Also here were AMBER LE BON and tv presenter RICHARD ARNOLD.
We had a small choir sing a couple and a female singer sang a couple of tracks.
Complimentary Laurent Perrier champers, vodka martini cocktails, beers, canapes, desserts.
A very nice event.
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Tuesday 22 November 2022.
CHRISTINE & THE QUEENS present Redcar live at The Royal Festival.
Just two live shows in Paris, France and this one in the UK, to promote the Redcar album project release.
He (recently came out as Trans) plays a sold out 2600 capacity show.
The artist was again on the Later with Jools Holland tv show recently.
Christine and the Queens has always made music about trying to embrace an awkward sense of belonging, and trying to appreciate your own unique self; this appears to be the ultimate idea of Redcar as both the project and the person. The two are and always will be entwined.
And at the end of the day, there’s no denying that anything thevartist creates will be nothing short of incredible and fantastical; be it as Christine and the Queens, as Chris, as Redcar, or as whomever they become next.
Christine & The Queens recent single titled 'Je te vois enfin' was alongside a suave and sophisticated persona he/she calls Redcar.
Christine/Chris has been confirmed as curator for The RFHall Meltdown Festival here in June 2023.
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A very cool looking arty crowd here tonight.
No support act tonight.
As expected the 75 mins show (8.35pm to 9.50pm) is very theatrical.
The artist is sauve, and certainly pushes the boundaries of both theatre and musical performance.
A bit bonkers at times, but very interesting, as we watch the surreal world of Redcar.
Christine/Chris sings to a backing tape , as there is no band or dancers.
A stunning stage production which had around 100 objects around the stage, including religious statues.
Also around 200 light bulbs dotted around the stage.
A moon from which Redcar swings on, and robot-controlled camera that looms over and around the artist.
There are four stage hands to help move the objects around for each song.
No merch, and no photos or videos to be taken during the show, which the crowd duly respected.
Most tracks are in French, but most of the monologue is in English.
The new album lyrics focus on love and poetry , along to the synth-pop backing.
For a few songs, the artist is topless, and has black tape over the nipples.
The artist also wore angel wings for one track.
Near the end, the artist walks around the stalls seats, and even flirts with the venue security.
Also for the final track , the artist wore an angel-winged strap-on red dildo.
An enjoyable show, and a pretty unique event.
Full setlist played tonight....
Ma bien aimée bye bye
Tu sais ce qu'il me faut
La chanson du chevalier
Rien dire
La clairefontaine
Les étoiles
Mémoire des ailes
Looking for Love
My Birdman
Combien de temps
Je te vois enfin
Angelus
Les âmes amantes

Updated 23rd November 2022 Permalink

Monday 21 November 2022.

Sunday 20 November 2022.
BRET McKENSIE live at Shepherds Bush Empire...no support act at this show.
Bret McKenzie (age 46 ) is a New Zealand musician, comedian, music supervisor, and former actor. He is best known as one half of musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords along with Jemaine Clement. In the 2000s, the duo's comedy and music became the basis of a BBC radio series and then an oft-lauded American television series, which aired for two seasons on HBO.
He released his debut album "Songs Without Jokes" in August 2022.
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Stalls seated tonight, and Level 3 closed as unsold.
BRET McKENSIE & band on stage for 1 hour 50 mins over two sets of 60 mins and 50 mins.
Nine on stage including trumpet, sax and two female backing singers.
As expected it was some decent laid back piano and horn based tunes, along with dashes of comedy.
A highlight was in the second half when he asked the audience "who has just started a relationship?".
A guy named Joe was picked to talk about his girlfriend Nora from Sweden / Albania.
Pretty neat that Bret took the info and wrote a full funky song on the spot.
Conchords gem "The Most Beautiful Girl (in the room) " was good.
The encore included a girl picked from the audience, to play some tamborine.
For a tour named "Songs Without Jokes", there were plenty of laughs had and in the relaxed atmosphere of London town, it’s pretty safe to say that the audience left feeling they’d had a lot of fun.
A decent enough good show.
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Saturday 19 November 2022.
Manchester Legends Tribute Band Evening live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Levels 2 and 3 are closed tonight, but must be still around 1200 folks here.
This was a very lively drinking crowd evening , just like when i saw this package a few years ago.
Some folks hate the idea of going to see tribute bands, but some tributes are top notch.
There really are plenty of good tribute bands playing out there.
So many great songs played by the three acts tonight, made it a top night.
THE SMITHS LTD arrived on stage at 7pm and played for 50 mins.
The singer looks, acts and sings a bit like Morrissey , and they play all those gems like
"Panic", "How Soon Is Now" and "What Difference Does It Make".
OASISH arrived on stage at 8.15pm and played for 60 mins.
A greatest hits set , that had all the crowd singing along loudly.
Full OASISH setlist played tonight...
Rock 'n' Roll Star
Some Might Say
Cigarettes & Alcohol
Little by Little
Half the World Away
Stop Crying Your Heart Out
Morning Glory
Don't Look Back in Anger
Wonderwall
Live Forever
Champagne Supernova
THE CLONE ROSES arrived on stage at 9.40pm and played for 80 mins.
Compared to Oasis, you kinda forget how many great songs that The Stone Roses have.
The crowd soon got much livelier than the other bands as the dance rock of The Stone Roses
got the crowd dancing and moshing wildly by the last few songs came along.
Full CLONE ROSES setlist played tonight...
I Wanna Be Adored
Elephant Stone
Mersey Paradise
Sally Cinnamon
(Song for My) Sugar Spun Sister
Ten Storey Love Song
Where Angels Play
Shoot You Down
Bye Bye Bad Man
Waterfall
Fools gold
Love Spreads
Made of Stone
She Bangs the Drums
This Is the One
I Am the Resurrection

Updated 21st November 2022 Permalink

Friday 18 November 2022.

Friday 18 November 2022...5.15pm to 1am.
BARRIO COVENT GARDEN - launch party - Parker Street, Covent Garden, London.
Barrio Bars presents the newest (their fifth) member of the familia BARRIO COVENT GARDEN.
Barrio Covent Garden is the newest Barrio and set to be bigger and better than ever, being their largest bar to hold 600 amigos at any given time. Believed to be the largest tequila bar in the world, Barrio Covent Garden is guaranteed to offer a full-colour, full-flavour experience, serving Latin-inspired cocktails, Mexican street food, live entertainment, and of course, plenty of tequila. Bringing feel-good vibes through the vibrant concept and interiors, Barrio aims to give guests’ the best Latino party on the London scene. Expect cracking party music including everything from Latino, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Funk, Soul and Old Skool Party Classics. Plus added entertainment for the extra WOW factor, incredible packages and party sharers, the biggest Barrio dancefloor and a happy hour that includes 2-4-1 cocktails and £3 tacos. Not to mention the newly crafted cocktail menu and authentic food creations. There will be no fiesta quite like it.
Barrio Covent Garden is also the perfect venue for corporate hire and Christmas bookings with full bespoke catering and drinks packages available, full venue hire and two semi-exclusive spaces that can hold up to 200 people.
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The venue used to be The Tropicana, and inside it looks pretty much the same look and vibe.
A massive event as there must be 400 or 500 folks here at the 7pmish time.
We are greeted by four female carnival dancers in full attire, who also perform later.
We have VIP/press wristbands for a reserved table.
This gets us Moët champers all night, while non-wristbands have to settle with prosecco.
Half a dozen nice cocktails on offer including espresso martinis.
Also wines, beers and lots of tasty food, including crispy chicken burgers.
Churros for dessert.
Lots of folks dancing on the floor once the DJ started spinning mainly Latin dance tracks.
Half a dozen toned males in their shorts, for the ladies.
There was a fun photo booth.
An excellent party, much better than expected.
www.barriobars.com - Visit Barrio Bars website here.
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Thursday 17 November 2022.
5.30pm to 7pm
MOUNT STREET Christmas Tree Lights Switch-On, Mount Street, Mayfair, London W1.
Several hundred folks are here in this street that is full of very upmarket stores.
Many are giving out complimentary drinks and snacks including...
Malone Souliers (Taittinger champers and mince pies)
The Audley Pub & Restaurant (very tasty pork & cranberry sausage rolls)
Others are handing out mulled wines, hot chocolate, crepes, mince pies etc.
There are Carol singers and ballet dancers and the lights are switched on at 6.30pm.
Then 7pm to 8pm at...
MATCHESFASHION at 5 Carlos Place, Mayfair, London W1.
They have a nice garden space out the back.
Complimentary Ruinart champers and Kracken Spiced Rum Cocktails.
then a 30 mins walk to...
PAUL SIMONON DJ set in a West London pub.
Clash bass legend playing his usual Thursday night stint to help out his mate , who runs the pub.
Nice to see so many friends here.
Packed inside when Paul is spinning tunes.
Folks on the pavements outside, but getting chillier in the evenings now.

Updated 18th November 2022 Permalink