Welcome to the Ray's Gigs website!

Here's the latest - updated 8th December 2025

Tuesday 09 December 2025.

Monday 08 December 2025.
CLIFF RICHARD live at The Royal Albert Hall.
Cliff plays the first of two sold out shows at this iconic venue.
These are his last shows on a 32 date world tour .
Before The Beatles, there was Cliff Richard.
Cliffs first hit single was ' Move It', back in 1958.
Cliff will be aged 85 when these shows happen.
I have seen Cliff over a dozen times before.
The first time was at The Royal Albert Hall in 1979 for a charity event where half a dozen artists performed three songs each , including a certain Kate Bush.
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Monday 08 December 2025.
The first acts for The Teenage Cancer Trust shows at The Royal Albert Hall for March 2026 are announced today .
Robert Smith to curate so The Cure are bound to be playing .

Updated 7th December 2025 Permalink

Saturday 06 December 2025

Saturday 06 December 2025.
THE UNDERTONES live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
They had seven hit singles , that made the UK Top 40.
I saw them nine times in their heyday between 1978 and 1983.
Including in Boston , USA , where they supported The Clash and Sam & Dave.
Feargal Sharkey is not singing with them anymore, as he left the band in 1983.
The Undertones split then and reformed in 1999 with a new singer .
I saw them in 2000 at The Mean Fiddler , Harlesden , with their new singer ,
which was their first London show with him.
Also ...
2005 - Wasted Festival, Morecambe.
2019 - Rewind Festival , Henley .
Legendary DJ John Peel's favourite single, which he repeatedly called the greatest song ever and even had its lyrics on his gravestone, was "Teenage Kicks" by The Undertones.
Support comes from THE FRANK & WALTERS.
Irish band whose debut album made the UK Top 40 in 1992,
but have gone off the radar a bit since then.
Their hit single ' After All' made number 11 in the UK charts in 1993.
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Level 3 is closed and Level 2 is half empty tonight.
FRANK & WALTERS arrived on stage at 7.50pm for their 40 mins.
Appearing on stage wearing their customary orange shirts and black ties , they waste no time in returning to their ’90s heyday, when Radiohead were one of their support acts.
A good set that included a cover of Kraftwerk' s ' The Model' and good to hear their hit single 'After All' again.
THE UNDERTONES arrived on stage at 9pm for their 85 mins set.
The band still include some original members.
A pretty basic stage set-up.
It was similar to watching The Buzzcocks a few days ago, where the original singer is not there, but they have so many good catchy songs , it doesn't really matter.
They whizzed through 30 songs in just 85 mins on stage.
A great set.
Highlights included...
Jimmy Jimmy
It's Going to Happen
You've Got My Number
My Perfect Cousin
Wednesday Week
Get Over You
Jump Boys
Here Comes the Summer
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Friday 05 December 2025.
The ups and downs of artists always appeals to me .
The comeback of LILY ALLEN has been spectacular .
Lily has not done anything for a few years , then brings out a new album.
Then sells out her theatre tour , including three shows at The London Palladium.
Now had added an arena tour with two nights at The 02 Arena .
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Thursday 04 December 2025.
THE RASMUS live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Finnish rockers The Rasmus return with their kaleidoscope of heavy guitars, pop hooks and futuristic electronics.
They are touring to promote their 11th studio album 'Weirdo'.
I have seen them twice before ...in 2004 and 2022.
They had their two biggest UK hits in 2004, "In The Shadows" reached number 3, and "Guilty" reached number 15. Their album from 2004, "Dead Letters" reached number 10 in the UK. They have gone off the radar a bit since then.
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Level 3 is closed tonight and Level 2 is half empty...maybe 1200 here.
BLOCK OF FLATS arrived on stage at 7.30pm for their 30 mins set.
These rockers from Finland played a decent set.
THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT arrived on stage at 8.15pm for their 40 mins set .
The band are pretty popular back home in America.
The Rasmus have actually supported them in America.
The emo-rooted Atlanta-based band are performing their debut shows overseas as part of their first-ever European tour . The set features songs from their acclaimed album GREETINGS FROM SUFFOCATE CITY – FROM BEYOND THE ABYSS: DELUXE EDITION that was released 13 June 2025 via Better Noise.
Singer Lee Jennings certainly falls into the Adam Lambert type singer.
Long neon green mullet hairstyle and LGBTQ+ leanings....a good set.
There were big queues for The Rasmus merch.
THE RASMUS arrived on stage at 9.15pm for their 95 mins set.
They had plenty of lights and a nice big digital screen showing pre-recorded images .
The Rasmus played their two big UK hits , ' Guilty' and 'In The Shadows ' at either end of the main set .
Another highlight was at the end of the main set.
Singer Lee Jennings from The Funeral Portrait returned to sing the title-track of the recent album ‘Weirdo’, with The Rasmus singer Lauri – a moment I didn’t see coming, even though he is featured on one of the recordings. It was intriguing seeing the frontmen interact and not take themselves too seriously.
The Rasmus set bounced along with plenty of catchy rock songs and energy .
They may not be as cool as the likes of other Finnish rockers Michael Monroe or Hanoi Rocks , but it was a good enjoyable show.

Updated 4th December 2025 Permalink

Wednesday 03 December 2025.

Wednesday 03 December 2025...7pm to 9.30pm...
CHRISTY LEE ROGERS - closing night party - W1 Curates, 161 - 167 Oxford Street , London W1.
This was the last day of her five day stint here.
Internationally acclaimed visual artist Christy Lee Rogers returns to the UK with a new solo exhibition that reimagines classical mythology through her signature underwater lens.
Titled 'Myths and Legends' , the exhibition will transform the iconic façade of W1 Curates on Oxford Street, as Rogers’ luminous underwater figures are projected across 300 state-of-the-art LED screens—turning one of London’s busiest streets into a vast theatre of light, colour, and movement.
Around 150 guests here in the basement of The Flannels store.
A cooler crowd than usual here tonight .
Lots of glammed up females
TAMARA BECKWITH was here.
This space has a digital art x nightclub vibe.
A female DJ is playing tunes all evening .
At 8pm Christy Lee Rogers said a few words.
Complimentary prosecco , spirits and mixers, wines and beers.
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Tuesday 02 December 2025.
TONY HADLEY and his BIG BAND live at The Royal Albert Hall.
Ex Spandau Ballet singer is on another UK tour.
Tony will be mixing Rat Pack classics , Spandau Ballet hits, covers and festive tracks .
I have seen him with Spandau Ballet a few times, and solo a few times.
I saw his first London solo shows at the much smaller Jazz Cafe in Camden.
He departed Spandau Ballet over a royalties row.
Spandau tried to replace him, but a new singer lasted just one show.
Looks like they know , nobody can replace Tony, so they have given up looking to replace him.
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The venue is sold out tonight.
No surprise that it is mainly females and m/f couples here tonight.
TONY HADLEY and his big band were on for two hours 10 mins over two sets of 60 mins and 70 mins.
Fifteen musicians on stage , including a superb eight man brass section.
Only four Spandau tracks played in a thirty song show , as Tony makes a shift towards a more relaxed, "cabaret" or "swing" style , with a setlist that includes both new material and classics from artists he admires.
Tony's distinctive powerful voice is outstanding and has ability to hold notes and project with strength.
Tony has an engaging stage presence , as he has a charming and humorous personality, which contributes to a relaxed but enjoyable atmosphere.
He drank Jack Daniels , as he fondly talked about meeting Frank Sinatra at this same venue.
These days , Tony is pretty much a modern day British Frank Sinatra.
It was a great show.
Full setlist played by TONY HADLEY tonight...
Set 1:
Too Close for Comfort (Sammy Davis Jr. cover)
Music to Watch Girls By (The Bob Crewe Generation cover)
Summer Wind ( Wayne Newton cover)
The Best Is Yet to Come (Cy Coleman cover)
The Impossible Dream (Mitch Leigh cover)
Walk of Shame
Tender Is the Night (Tony Bennett cover)
Fly Me to the Moon (Kaye Ballard cover)
Only When You Leave (Spandau Ballet song)
True (Spandau Ballet song)
I Ain't Got Nobody (Marion Harris cover)
Gold (Spandau Ballet song)
That's Life (Kelly Gordon cover)
I've Gotta Be Me (Walter Marks cover)
Set 2:
Feeling Good ( Anthony Newley cover)
The Mood I'm in ( Jack Jones cover)
Avenues and Alleyways (Tony Christie cover)
Mission Impossible
The Good Life (Tony Orlando cover)
Through the Barricades (Spandau Ballet song) ( Tony's fave Spandau track)
I Will Wait for You ( Michel Legrand cover)
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered (Rodgers & Hart cover)
You Make Me Feel So Young (Josef Myrow cover)
Mack the Knife (Kurt Weill cover)
The Lady Is a Tramp (Rodgers & Hart cover)
If I Can Dream (Elvis Presley cover)
My Way (Claude François cover)
Encore:
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas ( Hugh Martin cover)
All Alone on Christmas ( Darlene Love cover)
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (Harry Reser and His Orchestra cover)

Updated 3rd December 2025 Permalink

Monday 01 December 2025.

Monday 01 December 2025....I went to two events tonight...
6.30pm to 8.30pm .
CHRISTIE'S - private view - King Street , St James's , London SW1.
A preview for two separate auctions that are held on Tuesday .
"The Winter Egg and Important Works by Fabergé from a Princely Collection."
"Old Masters ."
Lots of extra security here for the Fabergé collection.
It is held over two of the rooms, behind security glass.
One room features " The Winter Egg' which is expected to sell for over £20m.
The other rooms are showcasing "Old Masters".
Christie's is a major global market leader in Old Master paintings, drawings, and sculptures, offering a wide range of European art spanning the 15th to 19th centuries.
Over 200 guests here at this well known art auction house .
I had a nice chat with PETER YORK about The Blitz Exhibition at The Design Museum and all things 1980s .
Also here was LORD MICHAEL HESELTINE ( now aged an amazing 92) and his wife
Heseltine served as a Conservative Member of Parliament from 1966 to 2001. He was a prominent figure in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major.
Complimentary Nyetimber English Sparkling Wines , Negronis and canapes.
then
THE BUZZCOCKS live at The 100 Club.
I am back again to see these punk legends at their second show at this iconic venue.
I saw DESPERATE MEASURES play a good set the night before , but miss them tonight.
Good to see KEVIN SHEPHERD who is here again.
Good to see GARY LAMMIN here. I have his Dave Goodman produced 2017 album ' Gary Guitar Lammin'.
It is a good album , certainly worth checking out.
THE BUZZCOCKS again hit the stage at 9pm.
They played for 90 mins , which was a bit longer than the night before as we get an extra track ' Chasing Rainbows/ Modern Times'.
A nice mix of older classics and more recent material again .
Steve Diggle has a bottle of Moet by his amp again.
Another great show .
See my Facebook page for photos and videos of both events.
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Sunday 30 November 2025.
THE BUZZCOCKS + DESPERATE MEASURES live at The 100 Club.
Mancunian punk legends play the first of their two shows at this iconic venue.
I have seen The Buzzcocks over 30 times since 1977 , when they supported The Clash at The Rainbow Theatre.
Original singer Pete Shelley sadly died a few years ago, but original guitarist Steve Diggle is still there.
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It is cold outside, but it soon gets hot in this legendary club venue.
Great to see KEVIN SHEPHERD here , who has seen both The Buzzccoks and The Damned over 500 times.
Great to see STEVE ENGLISH here , who recently celebrated his 70th birthday .
DESPERATE MEASURES arrived on stage at 8pm for their 30 mins set.
Eugene from that great punk mag ' Vive Le Rock ' is their singer.
They played a really good set , that included ...
Back to The Rats
Thinking of England
Lost Angels ( dedicated to Pam Hogg who passed away last week)
Seven Sisters
THE BUZZCOCKS arrived on stage at 9pm for their 85 mins set.
Steve Diggle and co whizzed through 21 songs.
A great mix of older classics and more recent material.
Steve Diggle has not got the great vocal style and voice that Pete Shelley had, but he does a good job.
A great gig.
Highlights of THE BUZZCOCKS set included...
What Do I Get ?
Everybody's Happy Nowadays
Promises
Fast Cars
Autonomy
Love You More
Orgasm Addict
Boredom
Times Up
Ever Fallen In Love
Harmony in My Head

Updated 29th November 2025 Permalink

Saturday 29 November 2025.

Saturday 29 November 2025.
AEROSMITH joining up with Yungblud seems to be paying off.
Aerosmith and YUNGBLUD scoop this week’s UK Official Number 1 album with collaborative project ' One More Time'. ...it qualifies even though it is actually a five track EP...
This marks US rock legends Aerosmith’s first UK Number 1 LP, 38 years after their chart debut, and a fourth chart-topping accolade in YUNGBLUD’s arsenal. It is also the Brit’s second Number 1 of 2025, after Idols debut at the summit in June.
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Friday 28 November 2025.
TORS live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Tors are a three-piece indie folk band from Devon,, composed of brothers Matt and Theo Weedon, and Jack Bowden. They have released EPs and singles , but no actual albums.
Their UK shows follow dates in Mainland Europe.
I asked many of my friends " have you heard of Tors" , they all said " No".
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Levels 2 and 3 closed tonight , but still 1000 tickets sold.
Support act JO HILL and her band arrived on stage at 8.15pm for their 30 mins set.
British singer-songwriter Jo Hill has officially released her highly anticipated debut album, girlhood., out now via UROK. Featuring standout tracks like ‘SUPERMARKET SUSHI’ and ‘WHERE DID ELLA GO?,’ the album offers a showcase of Jo’s country-pop-inspired sound and her remarkable storytelling ability.
A good set.
TORS arrived on stage at 9.20pm for their 90 mins set .
A sparse production as just some fairy lights , candles and plants dotted around the stage .
A great spoken intro over the pa by David Attenborough who tells the crowd about Tors , which are rock formations.
The singer really knows how to connect with the crowd.
He has a kind of Chris Martin vibe going on.
A good bunch of pop- folk - indie songs, with lyrics based around Happiness , Sadness and Love.
Highlights included two guest appearances .
Support act JO HILL joined them for a song.
A nice suprise to see MYLES SMITH come on to sing his big hit 'Stargazing'.
Near the end of the set , they get a dozen fans on stage for a dance , and the singer goes up to Level 1 to sing.
For the first encore , the trio sing acoustic in the stalls crowd.
An enjoyable show .
Full TORS setlist played tonight....
Wilder Days
Heavy Hearts
Happy Enough
I Don't Wanna Know
What If
Merry Go Round
Does He Make You Happy? ( with Jo Hill)
Was It Love ( Unreleased New song )
Must Confess ( Unreleased New song )
Dying Stars
Stargazing ( Myles Smith cover) (with Myles Smith) (Acoustic version)
Garden on the Kitchen Floor
Anything Can Happen
Never Give Up
Miracle
Encore:
Only For You (Unplugged)
Empty Hands
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Thursday 27 November 2025.
AMBLE live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Fast rising Irish folk rockers play their third sold out show at this venue.
I saw them at their first show in Shepherds Bush 10 days ago.
See my review from 17 Nov 2025.
The band are massive back home in Ireland .
Their world tour also includes three nights at Dublin Arena.
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Lots of Irish folks here again.
MAICIN arrived on stage at 8pm for their 30 mins set.
The five piece from Northern Ireland did a good acoustic based set.
The singer was a bit of a character.
Great to hear those accents from the stage and in the crowd.
The venue is totally rammed by the time the headliners arrive .
AMBLE arrived on stage at 9pm for their 95 mins set.
The three main guys at the front , and three more behind them.
Throughout the set, the mixture of guitars, banjos, mandolins and accordion blended naturally between the band and the three fellow Irish musicians on stage. Their brotherly playfulness and genuine awe for one another’s talent was magnetic, as was their harmonies.
It was acoustic based , as no electric guitars on stage.
Oddly , they played two or three more songs than the show I saw here 10 days ago.
The uptempo songs got the crowd clapping and cheering.
The band are going back to Ireland the following day .
A very enjoyable show.
They will be playing bigger venues on their next London visit.

Updated 27th November 2025 Permalink

Wednesday 26 November 2025.

Wednesday 26 November 2025.
Shock news that fashionista PAM HOGG has passed away aged 66.
I saw her at many West End events, and she was always friendly and chatty.
Last time I saw her was when she was DJ support to CYNDI LAUPER just a year ago at The Royal Albert Hall.
Pam was the maverick Scottish designer who dressed everyone from Kate Moss and Beyonce to Debbie Harry and Princess Eugenie.
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Wednesday 26 November 2025....5pm to 10pm...
Christmas reunion drinks with some ex work colleagues .
Last night was the glamour of a celebrity filled party at Claridges , and tonight it is The Wetherspoons in Wimbledon.
Around 20 of us here , reminiscing about the good old days and other stuff.
Ray Fielding was there ( Noel Fieldings dad).
We are all now retired , apart from one who is still full time.
Really great to see them all again for a catch up.
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Tuesday 25 November 2025...6.45pm to 10pm...
CLARIDGES - Christmas Tree 2025 - unveiling party , Mayfair , London W1.
This year's Claridge’s Christmas Tree 2025, is designed by Daniel Lee, Chief Creative Officer of Burberry.
Standing proudly in the Art Deco lobby, the traditional 16ft tree brings together two illustrious British names in a celebration of craft, heritage and festive wonder.
This event used to be upstairs in the space above the tree for 150 guests , but it always felt a very crowded space , so this year they have moved it to a bigger space in the dinning room near the tree for around 300 guests .
It was a very glam event at this famous five star hotel...
Lots of well known faces here along with male and female models and other creatives.
Dame Joan Collins , Richard E Grant , Jennifer Saunders , Erin O'Connor , Sophie Dahl , Alexa Chung, Pixie Geldof, Nicky Haslam, Jeremy King, Harris Reed , Daniel Lismore , Pink Pantheress , Mutya Buena ,Patsy Kensit,
Celia Imrie, Hannah Waddingham , Georgia May Jagger , Suzy Menkes , Jessie Ware ,
Leah Williamson ( Arsenal and England National Team footballer),Ncuti Gatwa ( Dr Who 2023 to 2025 ) .
Early on we had a choir singing Christmas Carols.
At 8pm Daniel Lee from Burberry gave a welcome speech , which was followed by a reading by Olivia Colman .
A DJ was playing tunes in the background .
Lots of very nice complimentary drinks and food , including Billecart-Salmon champers, three different cocktails including Negronis , wines, canapes and a desserts table.

Updated 25th November 2025 Permalink

Monday 24 November 2025.

Monday 24 November 2025....I went to two events tonight ...
5.15pm to 6.15pm .
The Palm Court lounge & bar re-launch and Christmas Tree Lights switch on -
Sheraton Grand Hotel, Park Lane, Piccadilly , London W1.
The Palm Court bar at the Sheraton Grand London Park Lane has relaunched following a refresh.
Around 100 guests in the comfy space in this five star hotel .
At 5.30pm we had Carol Singers for 20 mins.
At 6pm was the Christmas Tree Lights switch on.
Complimentary English sparkling Wines, wines beers, mulled wines and festive canapes , including salmon.
All guests got a goodie bag on departure .
then
7pm to 10pm.
ROSEWOOD HOLBORN HOTEL Christmas Party - High Holborn, London WC1.
A big crowd of over 300 guests in their outdoor courtyard of this five star hotel.
They have just launched an indoor chalet here .
They always have a live act performing a few songs .
In previous years they have had Gary Barlow and Nicole Scherzinger , but
tonight is an up and coming artist who has just released her second album.
At 7.55pm NYAH GRACE and band performed four smooth soulful tracks.
After she finished her set , there was a superb fireworks display.
A DJ played tracks before and after the live band.
Lots of complimentary drinks and food , including Gusbourne English Sparkling Wines,
Whiskey Cocktails , Negronis , wines, beers , Hot Chocolate with marshmallows .
Pork and Turkey Rolls food stations along with canapes and a desserts station .
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Sunday 23 November 2025.
Time for an evening rest indoors catch up.
Been out at gigs and events for 27 evenings on the trot.
Last time indoors was Sunday 26 October.
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Saturday 22 November 2025.
THE CLONE ROSES live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
The Clone Roses return, performing all the Madchester anthems we all know and love.
From selling out Blackpool Empress Ballroom to performing at the iconic Spike Island site on the banks of the River Mersey in front of a sell-out 15,000 strong crowd, the band have become hugely popular amongst Roses fans old and new and will be inviting some of the UK’s finest tributes as guests on tour.
The show will also feature support from Oasish and The Smiths Ltd.
I saw this very nice three band tribute at this venue last year, and the year before that .
This three band package has sold a lot more tickets for this show this year , which no doubt is related to the Oasis reunion shows a few months ago and the shock news that Stone Roses bass player 'Mani' died just two days before this show.He was aged just 63....hopefully they will play tribute to him.
This is the first time this three band tribute has sold out Shepherds Bush Empire.
1800 tickets sold for tribute bands...very impressive.
I have seen the real Stone Roses live a few times.
I have seen the real Oasis live several times.
I never got to see The Smiths , but have seen Morrissey solo several times.
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The atmosphere in the venue is really great from the start.
The rowdy fans are drinking the bars dry on this Saturday night.
Ages range here from teenagers to folks in their 60s.
All the bands have the look and sound of the real bands.
All the bands pay tribute to Mani at some stage .
Clone Roses have a bass on stage lit up that looks like Manis centre stage .
All the bands play a greatest hits set , so plenty of classics played.
The crowd are singing loudly , and the front stalls is bouncing
THE SMITHS LTD arrived on stage at 7.15pm and play for 45 mins.
OASISH arrived on stage at 8.15pm and play for 55 mins.
THE CLONE ROSES arrived on stage at 9.35pm and play for 85 mins.
Highlights included Oasish getting the crowd to do a full ' Poznan' for ' Cigarettes & Alcohol'.
The Clone Roses dedicating a stunning ' This Is The One ' to London , Manchester and Mani.
The Clone Roses mentioning local Shepherds Bush team QPR win today .
A great evening .

Updated 23rd November 2025 Permalink

Friday 21 November 2025.

Friday 21 November 2025.
CAST live at Shepherds Bush Empire .
Cast will be touring the UK and Ireland to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their debut album, "All Change".
Cast had seven Top 10 hit singles in the UK.
Richard Ashcroft and Cast were the support acts on the massive UK Oasis reunion stadium shows in the UK this summer .
I have seen Cast a few times before, with the first time at Battersea Power Station in 1997.
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A sold out drinking crowd of mainly middle aged folks tonight.
PASTEL arrived on stage at 7.40pm for their 30 mins set .
A newish band , but they look and sound like a 1990s band. A good set.
CAST arrived on stage at 8.45pm for their 1 hour 50 mins set.
The first part of the set is the ' All Change ' album.
Singer John Power, still has that great Liverpudlian singing voice and banter.
Several classic hits like 'Sandstorm' , ' Fine Time' , ' Walkaway ' and 'Alright' are highlights.
A newer track ' Free Love' was excellent.
As good enjoyable show.
Full setlist played by CAST tonight...
Follow Me Down
Promised Land
Sandstorm
Mankind
Tell it Like it Is
Four Walls
Fine Time
Back of My Mind
Walkaway
Reflections
History
Two of a Kind
Alright
Way Its Gotta Be (Oh Yeah)
Poison Vine
Free Love
Love Is the Call
I'm So Lonely
Live the Dream
Tomorrow Call My Name
Encore:
Guiding Star
Free Me
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Thursday 20 November 2025...6.15pm to 10.45pm...
HARRY'S - launch party - 11/12 Russell Street , Covent Garden , London WC2.
Having rolled out The Ivy to pretty much everywhere (the latest of those in Battersea), it looks like Richard Caring's Caprice Holdings has started focusing on Harry's as their next big brand. They opened in Victoria last year and in King's Cross earlier this summer. All that was building up to what's going to be the restaurant group's flagship site, which gets its big launch this winter in Covent Garden.
The site they've nabbed is where Tuttons stood for nearly 40 years. It's right on the corner of the piazza beside the London Transport Museum. As such, it's got a massive terrace which will do very nicely for them in the summer months. If you haven't been to one of them before, then they channel a kind of 1950s Italian energy, serving up dishes like their popular truffled tagliolini and the much-photographed Harry's toadstool dessert.
Open seven days a week, join us from breakfast to pre-theatre dining or for an after-show dinner and savour the very best of Harry's alongside classic cocktails with a signature twist. And for the perfect evening, discover Il Palco, a new concept space with live music from Thursday to Saturday.
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A great location on the edge of Covent Garden Piazza .
Must be over 200 guests here over the two levels .
Lots of smartly dressed staff fussing over the guests.
Nice to see several friends here .
There is a female singer and band downstairs , then later a DJ.
Lots of very nice complimentary food and drinks, including
Prosecco , Bellinis, Negronis, Aperol Spritz , wines , beers and several delicious canapes and desserts .

Updated 21st November 2025 Permalink

Wednesday 19 November 2025

Wednesday 19 November 2025.
THE FRAY live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
This is their second of two sold out shows at this venue.
The Fray are massive back home in the USA
Multi-Platinum band The Fray embark on a highly anticipated global tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their groundbreaking debut album, ' How to Save a Life' .
Released in 2005, '' How to Save a Life'' became a defining album of the 2000s, producing chart-topping singles like “Over My Head (Cable Car)” and the 5 x Platinum title track.
Those two singles also made the UK Top 10.
Their other three albums all made the Top 10 in the USA.
Their first two albums made the Top 10 in the UK.
Their original singer left the band in 2022.
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The venue is rammed solid sold out tonight.
ST. LUNDI arrived on stage at 8pm for his 30 mins set.
Just him with his acoustic guitar and keyboards.
A decent set of his debut album tracks that went down well.
He plays a headline show at Bush Hall in Feb 2026.
THE FRAY arrived on stage at 9pm for their 95 mins set.
The main three band members are joined by two other musicians.
They had some nice Vox and Fender amps on stage.
The guitarist has pedal box with 16 pedals in it , even though they only have 18 songs in the setlist .
Their songs are keyboard led so have hints of Coldplay and Keane.
New singer Joe King used to be the guitarist in the band, but has now taken over the lead vocals.
A nice middle section where they played their two early hits , and then the next song the singer sang it in the
stalls standing area with the fans .
A good show.
Full setlist played by THE FRAY tonight ...
She Is
All at Once
Look After You
Fall Away
Little House
Dead Wrong
Trust Me
Heaven Forbid
Vienna
Over My Head (Cable Car)
How to Save a Life
My Heart's a Crowded Room (Joe performed in the stalls floir crowd)
Hurricane
Heartbeat
Dreams ( The Cranberries cover)
You Found Me
Encore :
Songs I'd Rather Not Sing
Never Say Never
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Tuesday 18 November 2025...6.15pm to 9pm ....
Christmas tree and lights launch party , London W1.
Always nice to be at this luxurious venue .
The main Christmas tree and the smaller ones look amazing all lit up.
Around 150 guests here.
At 6.45pm there is a speech from the owners.
A wandering quartet are playing Christmas classics and Rat Pack classics.
Complimentary Laurent Perrier Champers, Classic Negronis , Spiced Negronis , mini cheeseburgers, cartons of truffled fries , canapes and desserts .
A very nice event.

Updated 18th November 2025 Permalink

Monday 17 November 2025.

Monday 17 November 2025.
AMBLE live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
This is the first of their three sold out shows at this venue.
Irish folk trio Amble extend their ongoing world tour in support of their album, 'Reverie'.
'Reverie ' showcases the bands signature sound: relatability, intimate storytelling, and authenticity seamlessly blended with no-frills acoustic instrumentation, serene soundscapes, and heavenly natural harmonies.
Their tour includes three sold out shows at Dublin Arena.
Pretty amazing how quickly they have become so popular , despite releasing just one studio album and one live album , and a few EPs .
Their May 2025 released debut album went to number one in Ireland.
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Most of the crowd seemed to be Irish tonight.
Many of the middle aged men look like my Irish uncles.
Two of Ireland's football heroes from the past weekend were in the Level 1 vip seats.
MAICIN arrived on stage at 8pm for their 30 mins set.
The five piece from Northern Ireland did a good acoustic based set.
The singer was a bit of a character.
Great to hear those accents from the stage and in the crowd.
The venue is totally rammed by the time the headliners arrive .
AMBLE arrived on stage at 9pm for their 80 mins set.
The three main guys at the front , and three more behind them.
Throughout the set, the mixture of guitars, banjos, mandolins and accordion blended naturally between the band and the three fellow Irish musicians on stage. Their brotherly playfulness and genuine awe for one another’s talent was magnetic, as was their harmonies.
It was acoustic based , as no electric guitars on stage .
Several chants of "Ole , Ole , Ole " ring out during the show.
The main singer said " just a year ago , we quit our full time jobs to go on this world tour".
The crowd are singing along to the songs performed .
A cover of John Prine ' Angel From Montgomery' was great .
Some songs were livelier than others.
An enjoyable show .
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Sunday 16 November 2025.
ASIA featuring John Payne + FOGHAT live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
A very nice pair of old school rock bands...co-headline show.
Asia feature John Payne on vocals, who replaced John Wetton on vocals from 1991 to 2006. John Payne recorded several albums with them, but not the first three albums which included their mega selling debut from 1982, which included the worldwide hit single ' Heat of the Moment'.
Support comes from FOGHAT.
I bought a couple of their albums in the 1970s when they were massive in the USA.
They feature original drummer Roger Earl.
Foghat are an English rock band formed in London in 1971, who had big success in America in the 1970s,
and stayed over there rather than come back to the UK.
The band are known for the use of electric slide guitar in their music. Their best known song is the 1975 hit "Slow Ride". The band have released 17 studio albums, including eight gold albums and one platinum, along with one double platinum live album. Despite several line-up changes, the band continue to record and perform.
A very rare UK visit by Foghat as their last shows in the UK was around 50 years ago.
This show is stalls seated, as will be a rock show for the seniors.
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Levels 2 and 3 are closed tonight , and it's stalls seated so maybe only 500 tickets sold.
Maybe the pretty high ticket prices of £75 and £65 for this venue put them off.
It is pretty much 80% older males here tonight as expected.
FOGHAT arrived on stage at 7.45pm for their 75 mins set.
Five of them are on stage , including percussion.
A lovely southern rock blues set , with plenty of nifty slide guitar.
They finished with their best known track ' Slow Ride' which was great.
ASIA arrived on stage at 9.30pm for their 1 hour 45 mins set.
This meant they left the stage at 11.15pm ...far too late for a Sunday.
Many were leaving by 11pm, as tubes close down an hour earlier on Sundays.
The band are a different type of genre to Foghat as they mix soft rock with prog rock .
Four musicians on stage , including keyboards
Nice vocals and harmonies and stage banter from John Payne.
Highlights included ' Only Time Will Tell', ' The Longest Night' and 'Sole Survivor' and the final song which was their big hit ' Heat of the Moment', which got everyone off their seats.
A very nice evening with these two bands.

Updated 17th November 2025 Permalink

Saturday 15 November 2025.

Saturday 15 November 2025.
SAXON live at Hammersmith Apollo.
Rock legends are playing another UK tour.
I have seen Saxon over 20 times.
The first time was in 1979 , when they supported Motorhead at Hammersmith Odeon.
Saxon are bringing their 'Hell, Fire and Steel ' UK & Ireland Tour to Eventim Apollo in November 2025, which will see the band perform songs from their new album 'Hell, Fire and Damnation' as well as playing their classic album ' Wheels of Steel' in full, from start to finish, for the last time as well as all the other hits and fan favourites too.
Saxon singer Biff Byford is now aged 74.
In mid-2025, Byford revealed he was diagnosed with bowel cancer after a small tumor was found during an MRI scan. He underwent successful surgery in July 2025 to remove the tumor, with doctors indicating they removed all visible cancer. A short course of "mop-up" chemotherapy was prescribed as a precautionary measure.
Also, so as to make it even more special, Saxon have invited their great friend the legend that is Dirkschneider, formerly of Accept, to perform his classic album ' Balls to the Wall ' in its entirety too which should make for one hell of a memorable and unique night.
I saw Accept support Judas Priest at Hammersmith Odeon in 1981, and then saw Accept headline the same venue in 1984, 1985 ,1986.
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Needless to say , i was really looking forward to seeing this pair of rock legends.
It is not sold out, but the venue looks very full.
Lots of overseas voices could be heard.
Lots of folks in 80s type jean jackets with band patches covering them.
Lots of big queues for the very popular Saxon merch stands.
Lots of folks drinking and keeping the bars very busy .
Most folks got in early to see the special guests support.
Dirkschneider arrived on stage at 7.30pm for their 60 mins set.
Udo and band did a good set with sone nice pair of riffing guitars.
Full DIrkschneider setlist played tonight...
Balls to the Wall ( Accept song)
London Leatherboys (Accept song)
Fight It Back (Accept song)
Head Over Heels ( Accept song)
Losing More Than You've Ever Had (Accept song)
Love Child (Accept song)
Turn Me On (Accept song)
Losers and Winners (Accept song)
Guardian of the Night (Accept song)
Winterdreams (Accept song)
Fast as a Shark ( Accept song)
SAXON arrived on stage at 9pm for their 1 hour 45 mins set.
A top notch stage production as we had a lovely big screen mixing live footage with pre-recorded images, along with a wall of Marshall speakers and a barrage of lights and strobes .
Biff Byford is a great front man , with plenty of stage banter , as he introduced 'Balls To The Wall' saying Saxon played this track at this venue on the first time at this venue in 1979 - I was there.
Another track from 1980 , which introduced by Biff saying "this came out when no mobile phones or internet , but there was vinyl and cassettes " .
It was lively stage front , with over 30 crowd surfers.
Plenty of their classic tracks played tonight.
Tonight Saxon were better than ever...fantastic.
Full SAXON setlist played tonight...
Tape intro - The Prophecy
Hell, Fire and Damnation
Power and the Glory
Sacrifice
Backs to the Wall
Never Surrender
Madame Guillotine
Heavy Metal Thunder
Dallas 1 PM
Album - Wheels Of Steel
Motorcycle Man
Stand Up and Be Counted
747 (Strangers in the Night)
Wheels of Steel
Freeway Mad
See the Light Shining
Street Fighting Gang
Suzie Hold On
Machine Gun
Encore:
Denim and Leather
And the Bands Played On
Strong Arm of the Law
Princess of the Night
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Friday 14 November 2025.
LEVELLERS live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Widely acclaimed Brighton folk-rockers Levellers head out on tour in celebration of the 30th anniversary of their chart-topping album ' Zeitgeist'....many of their other albums made the Top 40.
I have seen them a few times before, including headlining The Royal Albert Hall in 2019.
LEVELLERS have had 14 x Top 40 singles, but none made the Top 10.
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Tonight is fully rammed sold out .
A Friday night drinking crowd creating a great proper live gig atmosphere.
The Levellers show is being filmed by over a dozen film cameras .
GRACE PETRIE arrived on stage at 7.45pm for her 45 mins set .
Grace Petrie is an English folk singer-songwriter and guitarist from Leicester, England.
Grace is a bit of a protest singer , a bit like a female Billy Bragg.
She got the crowd to sing along , and went down well with them.
LEVELLERS arrived on stage at 9pm for their 85 mins set.
A very nice stage production , as they have a huge curtain of the album cover behind them , and lots of lights and strobes.
Six musicians spread out around the stage , with a nice big overall sound.
The first set was the album ' Zeitgeist' , then it was some classic best of tracks.
It got very lively , with lots of moshing down front of stage.
They whizzed through their set , without much chat.
Lots of their hits played in a really good show.
Full LEVELLERS setlist played tonight...
FIRST SET
The Fear
Hope St.
Exodus
Maid of the River
Saturday to Sunday
Alive
Forgotten Ground
Fantasy
P.C. Keen
Just the One
Haven't Made It
Leave This Town
Men-an-Tol
SECOND SET after a two minute break
Jig
One Way
Carry Me
The Cholera Well
Encore :
Four Boys Lost
The Road
The Riverflow

Updated 14th November 2025 Permalink

Thursday 13 November 2025.

Thursday 13 November 2025.
THE SONGS OF JONI MITCHELL live at Shepherds Bush Empire .
This tribute show played The Roundhouse last year .
The real Joni Mitchell turned 82 a few days before this show .
I have never seen Joni Mitchell before as she rarely visits the UK
I think her last London show was Wembley Arena in 1983.
Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez were often called " a female Bob Dylan" in the 1960s.
They are revered singer-songwriters who emerged from the folk scene and are considered three of the most important and influential artists of their generation.
Not many tribute shows have major promoters, but this has one...SJM.
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It is stalls seated tonight as it's mainly an older crowd.
Level 3 is pretty empty , so maybe 700 or 800 tickets sold.
Surprise to see a couple of known faces here.
Comedian RICH HALL and leading industrial designer RON ARAD.
Ron's daughter is the shows curator, and one of the performers.
The show was on for 1 hour 55 mins over two sets of 50 mins and 65 mins.
Normally a tribute show is one performer , but tonight there are several different performers - 5 female 2 male.
They take it in turn...some with guitar or some with piano...some with both.
I am not that familiar with Jonis songs to be honest.
The crowd are very respectful, as you could hear a pin drop during the songs.
The highlights for me were a great 'Big Yellow Taxi' in the first half, and the finale of everyone on stage for 'Both Sides Now' which was excellent .
The other songs ticked along ok, but were not really that exciting .
The audience loved it .
At the end of the show, the artists signed in the venue foyer .
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Wednesday 12 December 2025.
Always nice when two good events are very near each other .
5.30pm to 7pm.
PICCADILLY ARCADE Christmas Launch Party , Piccadilly, London SW1.
Around 200 guests here .
The upmarket stores are all open and showcasing.
There is a nice choir singing Christmas Carols.
Two female performers on stilts dressed as Christmas Trees .
Most of the stores are offering complimentary drinks and food , including champers , cocktails , including espresso martins , wines , mulled wines ,beers , fruit and cream waffles ,canapes.
then
7.05pm to 9.15pm.
BURLINGTON ARCADE Christmas Launch Party , Piccadilly , London W1.
Again , all the posh stores are open and showcasing.
This was a bigger and better event as must be 500 guests here.
Nice to see actress CELIA IMRIE here.
The female who farted recently on TV show The Traitors was actress Celia Imrie during a tense moment in the Celebrity Traitors episode. She broke the silence by farting while the contestants were chained together in a dark cabin, and she immediately owned up to it, attributing the sound to nerves.
Lots of security , as the posh shops have high value items.
A small army of male models in smart Ivy type velvet jackets are serving the drinks.
A DJ is playing dance tunes in the middle.
There is a live sax player walking up and down the arcade.
Lots of complimentary drinks and food , including champers , wines , cheeseburgers , toasted cheese sarnies , lobster rolls, canapes and mince pies .

Updated 12th November 2025 Permalink

Tuesday 11 November 2025.

Tuesday 11 November 2025...6.45pm to 9.30pm...
SKATE - launch party - Somerset House, Strand, London WC2.
A big crowd of around 500 guests on this rainy evening.
Including Fat Tony, Jodie Harsh , Lennon Gallagher , Lila Moss .
The skating rink is open air , but when it starts to rain, folks are still skating until venue staff take them off the ice for health and safety reasons , and the mopping up machine comes on.
The main bar in a marquee is rammed as folks keep out of the rain.
Complimentary Hambledon English Sparkling Wines , Pantalones Tequila Margaritas and Aperol Spritz.
Camila and Matthew McConaughey, are co-founders of Pantalones Organic Tequila.
Along with complimentary mulled wines , hot chocolate , coffees and teas.
Along with complimentary cartons of food.
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SKATE returns to Somerset House for its annual Christmas stint.
12 Nov 2025–11 Jan 2026
Price - Adults £15 - £28.50, Children from £10 + one off transaction fee of £2.95
A beloved staple of London’s winter season, Somerset House’s spectacular courtyard will be transformed this year into a glorious festive destination. Hailed as one of the capital’s favourite winter experiences, Skate at Somerset House signals the start of the festive period with unrivalled skating, contemporary music and tasty food and drink. From skating lessons with Skate School and our Relaxed Sessions, onwards to trailblazing DJs on the rink-side decks, there's something for everyone.
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Monday 10 November 2025...6.30pm to 9pm...
FREEDOM FROM TORTURE - private view and art auction - Sotheby's , 34 -35 New Bond Street , London W1.
A big event as must be around 300 guests here at this leading auction house.
' Freedom from Torture' " refers to an art auction, "Drawing a Line Under Torture," organized by the charity Freedom from Torture and held at Sotheby's to raise funds for survivors of torture. The auction features works donated by established and emerging artists, including many prominent names, as well as pieces created by survivors who have benefited from the charity's art therapy services.
Notable artists who have donated works include Antony Gormley, Quentin Blake, David Hockney, and Ai Weiwei.
At 7.45pm for 30 mins we have the live auction.
The auctioneer does a great job of entertaining the crowd.
There is also a silent auction.
Complimentary gin cocktails, wines and canapes for all guests.

Updated 10th November 2025 Permalink

Sunday 09 November 2025.

Sunday 09 November 2025.
MYSLOVITZ live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Popular, platinum-selling Polish outfit Myslovitz blend their melodic pop and rock with flourishes of Britpop, shoegaze, and indie rock.
They have released several albums over the past 30 years.
This gig is part of a UK tour.
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Levels 2 and 3 are closed , and lots of space elsewhere as only 500 tickets sold.
A mixed ages crowd here with more females than expected.
It is an early start early finish gig.
More Sunday gigs should finish a bit earlier .
MYSLOVITZ arrived on stage at 6.10pm for their 1 hour 45 mins set.
Five of them on stage , including two guitars and keyboards.
From what I can make out, the first two songs were in English , and the rest was in Polish.
Their sound features rich melodic textures, and very nice guitar-driven arrangements, drawing comparisons to British giants like Radiohead, Oasis, and U2, for the more uptempo tracks and hints of Travis in some of the
toned down tracks .
The set ticked along nicely , and was very enjoyable.
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Saturday 08 November 2025.
REEF + KERBDOG live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Reef are celebrating 30 years since the release of their debut album.
'Replenish' is the debut studio album by British alternative rock band Reef.Produced by the band and Clive Martin, the album was released on 19 June 1995 supported by the singles "Good Feeling" and "Naked". Replenish peaked at number nine on the UK Albums Chart.
Reef have released six studio albums, and sold over 3 million albums worldwide.
Reef have had nine Top 40 hit singles in the UK , including two Top 10's.
' Place Your Hands' , released on 21 October 1996, was Reef's most successful single to date, reaching number 6 on the UK Singles Chart.
I have seen them several times before , including when they supported The Rolling Stones at a special show at Brixton Academy in 1995.
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Level 3 is closed, but the other three areas are rammed solid .
A middle aged crowd here reliving their 1990s youth.
KERBDOG arrived on stage at 8pm for their 45 mins set.
Kerbdog are an alternative rock band from Kilkenny, Ireland, formed in 1991. Following two albums released on Mercury Records, the band split up in 1998. Since 2005, they have reformed .In 2012, a live album entitled Congregation was recorded and released in October 2014.
Both their albums made the UK Top 100 , but despite being signed to a major label they never made it big.
They played a decent rockin' set.
They had their own fans here , cheering them on.
REEF arrived on stage at 9.15pm for their 90 mins set.
A lively Saturday night drinking crowd for the headliners.
Plenty of dancing front of stage.
You kinda forget what a great rock voice singer Gary Stringer has.
'Place Your Hands' is the obvious highlight. I can remember when it was on heavy rotation on Virgin Radio
Other highlights included ' Naked', ' Come Back Brighter ' and ' Higher Vibration'.
The band had a nice rock / grunge sound.
A really good show.
Full REEF setlist played tonight...
FIRST SET Replenish Album played in full
Feed Me
Naked
Good Feeling
Repulsive
Mellow
Together
Replenish
Choose to Live
Comfort
Loose
End
SECOND SET after a two mins break .
Stone for Your Love
I Would Have Left You
Higher Vibration
Place Your Hands
Summer's in Bloom
New Bird
Come Back Brighter
They Won't Be There For You (Them Is Me cover)
Yer Old
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Friday 07 November 2025.
REMEMBER MONDAY live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
In May 2025 - Harmony loving female trio Remember Monday were the first girl-group to represent the UK since 1999 at Eurovision, now they head out on the 'What The Hell Just Happened? Tour' with their blend of country and pop and infectious energy.
Before pursuing the band as their full-time career, all three members had extensive experience in musical theatre and appeared in various West End shows:
This is the final show of their 17 date UK tour.
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Level 3 is closed tonight , and Level 2 is half empty.
Maybe 1000 /1200 here.
Must be over 100 on the guest list as lots of their family and friends are here.
THERA and band arrived on stage at 8pm for their 30 mins set
THERA is an 18-year-old dark-pop singer-songwriter from the Czech Republic who has gained international recognition for her viral hit "Guardian Angel" and her debut album, 'I Wish I Called'. Her music has gained over 5 million streams.
She is given full use of the headliners light show .
REMEMBER MONDAY arrived on stage at 9pm for their 80 mins.
The three girls are back by three girls on drums, keyboards and guitar.
The three singers have great voices and are pretty and wholesome.
Nice chat with the crowd and nice little stage routines.
Nice country pop tunes and a bit of girl power in some lyrics.
They are over the moon to be playing this iconic venue in front of their family and friends.
Their encore song is their really good Eurovision track , which should have done better, but Eurovision politics messed that up , as the crowd in the front row throw a single shoe on stage , which are given back at the end of the song....the opening lyrics to the song are " someone lost a shoe".
A good enjoyable show.

Updated 8th November 2025 Permalink

Thursday 06 November 2025.

Thursday 06 November 2025.
THE SEX PISTOLS played their debut gig 50 years ago today.
06 November 1975, at St. Martin's School of Art in London, the Sex Pistols played their first-ever gig, unleashing a raw energy that would define the punk explosion. Over their brief but incendiary peak from 1975 to 1978, they became a global phenomenon, capped by the 1977 release of their era-defining album ' Never Mind the Bollocks ' and the notoriously banned single "God Save the Queen."
Today at 2pm there will be a blue plaque unveiling to celebrate this event.
Alan G Parker will host at Foyles, Charing Cross , London .
I would have popped along , but it was only announced a couple of days ago, and I was commited to a
hospital appointment at the same time .
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Thursday 06 November 2025.
HEAVEN 17 live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Heaven 17 are playing their annual UK tour.
I have seen them a few times before, with the last time as this same venue in 2023.
DJ support comes from RUSTY EGAN.
Tonight is the opening night of their UK and European tour.
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Level 3 is closed , but all the other levels are full.
The DJ support is RUSTY EGAN..
RUSTY EGAN played some cool tunes to warm the crowd up , including PiL , Visage, Talk Talk, Duran Duran, Donna Summer and Eurythmics etc.
HEAVEN 17 arrived on stage at 8.30pm for their 2 hours 10 mins.
A nice long set , that was really good.
They had five on stage including two lots of synth keyboards and two great female backing singers.
Part of Martyn Ware's set up includes his original 1975 synth / keyboards.
Martyn is wearing a sparkly long coat and sparkly hat
Singer Glenn Gregory is an excellent frontman who is constantly moving and engaging with the crowd, he seemed to be having a great time and that energy and enthusiasm really bridged the gap between the stage and the crowd. Glenn gave a shout out to a loyal fan in the front row who has seen the band over 200 times. Lots of great electro pop tunes played , with a few brilliant covers too.
A real highlight was their classic ' Temptation' , where the two female backing singers came into their own , with some top notch vocals.
A great show.
Full HEAVEN 17 setlist played tonight...
(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang
Crushed by the Wheels of Industry
Something About You
Trouble
Come Live With Me
Play to Win
We Live So Fast
You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' ( Barry Mann cover)
And That's No Lie
Dive
Crow and a Baby (The Human League cover)
I'm Your Money
Let Me Go
Let's Dance (David Bowie cover)
Penthouse and Pavement
Temptation
Encore:
Party Fears Two ( The Associates cover)
Captured
Being Boiled (The Human League cover)
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Wednesday 05 November 2025.
SANANDA MAITREYA live at Shepherds Bush Empire
The artist formerly known at Terence Trent D'Arby plays his first UK headline tour for 23 years.
'Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby ' is the debut studio album by Terence Trent D'Arby. It was originally released in July 1987 on Columbia Records, and became an instant #1 smash in the UK, spending a total of nine weeks at the top of the UK Albums Chart.
The album went multiple-platinum, he was seen as the new Prince and told the world he was a genius. However, D’Arby’s career plummeted after the critical savaging of his more experimental second album and in 2001 he changed his name to “create a new identity that wasn’t traumatised by the ‘fall from grace’.”
In early 1987 , when working front stage security at Hammersmith Odeon I saw him support Simply Red four times and later that year I saw him headline the same venue twice.
I saw him headline Shepherds Bush Empire in 1995.
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Level 3 is half empty , but the rest of the venue looks full.
SANANDA and band are on stage for 1 hour 40 mins over two sets of 45 mins and 55 mins.
There is a lot of love in the house for him tonight.
He plays a bit of guitar and keyboards on some songs.
Now aged 63, his dreads are gone , but the voice is still good.
Like me, most of the crowd want the hits from his big selling debut album.
The set list, split by an interval, spans decades and genres, from psychedelic funk to pretty balladry. ' Billy Don’t Fall' , a Motown-y gem from that ill-fated second album, is sung with sublime emotion. Quality control was always Maitreya’s achilles heel and there are wobbles – a couple of so-so rockers in the second half – but not many.
Meanwhile, his hits ' Wishing Well ' and ' Sign Your Name' roll back the years. A beautifully plaintive ' Let Her Down Easy' and soulful ' Holding on to You' suggest that he never stopped writing terrific songs.
A stupendously funky 'Dance Little Sister' which has the whole crowd singing. Surprisingly, he avoids the obvious audience-slayer of ' If You Let Me Stay', but perhaps Maitreya was never going to make things too easy for himself.
He now lives in Italy , and there was an Italian film crew here filming the show.
Great to see him performing live again.

Updated 6th November 2025 Permalink

Tuesday 04 November 2025.

Tuesday 04 November 2025...I went to three events tonight ...
2pm to 5.45pm .
WORLD TRAVEL MARKET returns to Excel , East London.
Opening day of this massive three day event .
Join over 5,000 buyers from around the globe alongside 4,000+ leading travel brands and 46,000+ travel professionals — all united by one purpose: to drive travel forward.
Over 5000 attendees on each of the three days .
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Very busy and buzzy here, with people everywhere.
I saw a couple of well known faces here , who must have been giving talks...
Actor RICHARD E GRANT and holiday expert SIMON CALDER.
Many countries have staff in traditional dress , and are performing traditional dance.
Amazingly the most impressive looking stand was the country from last night's event , Dominican Republic.
The country had had huge investment the past few years.
Oddly , it borders with one of the poorer countries...Haiti.
The obvious reason is, of course, the dictatorship under Duvalier. Due to his human rights abuses, most of Haiti's wealthy class fled to the US, Canada, France, and Francophone Africa. This contributed to the current poverty in two ways. First, as the wealthy owned most of the wealth (by definition), this wealth left with them. Second, the wealthy tended to be educated, meaning that nearly all of Haiti's doctors, engineers, scientists, etc no longer live in the country. With such a lack of educated people, it was considerably more difficult to rebound after Baby Doc's reign ended.
Many stands have complimentary drinks and canapes and snacks in the afternoon.
Things to avoid.
Do not put anything in the cloakroom , as the queue I saw at 5pm was crazily long.
then
6.45pm to 9pm.
Private View - Saatchi Gallery , Kings Road , Chelsea , London SW3.
The Long Now celebrates 40 years of Saatchi Gallery, uniting landmark works and bold new commissions that affirm its enduring influence on contemporary culture.
Celebrating four decades of ground-breaking contemporary art, Saatchi Gallery will open their landmark exhibition, The Long Now on 5 November 2025, supported by De Beers London. This expansive group show will showcase new works by iconic artists closely associated with the Gallery’s dynamic history, alongside fresh voices from a new generation.
Spanning two floors and nine major exhibition spaces, the exhibition will feature special commissions, installations, painting and sculpture. It will also include Richard Wilson’s seminal installation, 20:50, a defining piece of British contemporary art originally presented in 1987.
A massive crowd of around 500 folks.
Familiar names from the art world, including JAKE CHAPMAN.
MIKE SKINNER - The Streets was here.
DANIEL LISMORE in full OTT attire was here.
Also here was actor SEAN PERTWEE
A female DJ is playing tunes in one of the rooms.
Complimentary Telmont champers and beers for all the guests.
There was an afterparty for this at Koko , but the theatre event looked better.
then
9.45pm to 12.00pm.
OTHELLO - press night party - Haymarket Hotel , London SW1.
Othello starring David Harewood, Toby Jones and Caitlin FitzGerald.
Tom Morris’ contemporary revival runs at Theatre Royal Haymarket until 17 January.
I have been to many theatre parties at this venue , but this was certainly the biggest and most lavish .
Must be around 500 guests here, as for the first time they are using the restaurant area as well as the main covered swimming pool area .
All the cast are here.
I get a photo with DAVID HAREWOOD and TOBY JONES .
Toby Jones told me that during the day Alan Bates had been awarded £4million due to the Post Office Horizon scandal.
There is a string quartet playing in the restaurant.
There is a female DJ in the main room.
The MAC make-up girls are in the corner , giving female guests full facial makeovers .
There is a fun photo booth.
Complimentary Nyetimber English Sparking Wines, wines, lagers, Guinness , bowel foods , cones of fish n chips, canapes and an ice-cream cart .
All guests got a goodie bag of cosmetics items.
We left at midnight , but it was due to finish at 1am
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Monday 03 November 2025...I went to two events tonight ..
6pm to 7.15pm.
ASIAN ART IN LONDON - private view - Eskanazi , 10 Clifford Street ,Mayfair, London W1.
Over 100 guests at this gallery with a great location , between Cork Street and New Bond Street .
Many lovely art and sculpture items on display .
Complimentary Fourny & Fils champers for all guests.
then
7.30pm to 11pm.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ROADSHOW - Peninsula Hotel , 1 Grosvenor Place, Belgravia , London SW1.
Always nice to be at one of London's fanciest five star luxury hotels where rooms cost over £1000 a night.
They have those Japanese heated toilet seats here.
Around 200 guests are here.
This was one of the pre events for World Travel Market at Excel where this Tues, Wed , Thurs of this week all the countries from around the world are showcasing their holiday destinations.
At 7.30pm we have complimentary Peninsula champers and canapes.
At 8.15pm we are seated at tables for the presentation.
A huge screen is showing us the luxury hotels in Miches, Punta Cava and St Regis.
Certainly looks very nice compared to a gloomy London.
Lots of facts and figures on their tourist industry.
We have headphones for translation as some of the presentations were in Spanish.
At 9pm we have a complimentary three course meal with wines and beers.
My mains was Hertfordshire Beef Fillet with sides.
There was a business card raffle where five guests won nice prizes.
All guests got a goodie bag on departure.
A very enjoyable evening.

Updated 4th November 2025 Permalink

Sunday 02 November 2025.

Sunday 02 November 2025.
ADAM ANT + TOYAH live at The Roundhouse.
This show sold out a month in advance.
Adam Ant is playing a lengthy UK tour.
I have seen both these acts many times since their 1980s heyday.
I first saw them both in 1979 , when they were both support acts.
When they were both starting out , both Adam Ant and Toyah were in the Derek Jarman 1978 film ' Jubilee'.
I went to see this film back when it was released.
Adam Ant is 71 the day after this gig.
Toyah makes entertaining short video tributes with her husband Robert Fripp for the internet.
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Again, lots of folks here i know at this venue.
TOYAH and band arrived on stage at 7.45pm for their 40 mins.
Toyah is now looking great for her 67 years young and enjoying a wave of fresh popularity with her regular ‘YouTube Sunday Lunch' broadcasts.Toyah’s voice is stronger now than it’s ever been and her physical energy is no less.Nice engaging banter with the crowd....a really good set , including her big hits like ' Thunder in the Mountains' , 'Its a Mystery ' and ' I Want to be Free '.
ADAM ANT and band arrived on stage at 9pm for their 95 mins.
The first thing you notice is he still uses two drummers, who sound fantastic .
One female and one male on raised platforms behind Adam .
Adam is looking and sounding great.
The set included all his biggest hits , including his number ones .
Adam stares at the crowd between songs, and offers some basic banter.
Some tracks have him dancing and twirling like in his videos.
Overall so many great songs in am excellent show.
Full ADAM ANT setlist played tonight...
Dog Eat Dog ( Adam and the Ants song)
Vive le Rock
Antmusic (Adam and the Ants song)
Miss Thing
Cartrouble ( Adam and the Ants song)
Zerox ( Adam and the Ants song)
Ants Invasion ( Adam and the Ants song)
Prince Charming (Adam and the Ants song)
Lady/Fall In (Adam and the Ants song)
Young Parisians (Adam and the Ants song)
Puss 'n Boots
Desperate but Not Serious
Kings of the Wild Frontier (Adam and the Ants song)
Beat My Guest ( Adam and the Ants song)
Wonderful
Strip
Friend or Foe
Never Trust a Man (With Egg on His Face) (Adam and the Ants song)
Red Scab
Killer in the Home (Adam and the Ants song)
Los Rancheros (Adam and the Ants song)
Goody Two Shoes
Encore :
Stand and Deliver ( Adam and the Ants song)
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Saturday 01 November 2025.
THE STRANGLERS + THE BUZZCOCKS live at The Roundhouse .
The Stranglers play the second of two shows at this London venue.
Both these shows sold out six weeks in advance
The Stranglers return to the Roundhouse as part of their ’51’ tour, following a monumental 50th anniversary year filled with sell-out shows and festival headline slots worldwide. With an unforgettable summer of open-air performances and the release of their landmark live album Fifty Years In Black, the legendary British new-wave pioneers continue their unstoppable legacy.
Formed in 1974, The Stranglers transcended the punk movement with their signature blend of menace and musicianship, delivering hits like Peaches, No More Heroes, Golden Brown, and Always The Sun. Their latest album, Dark Matters, became their highest-charting release in nearly four decades.
Joining them as special guests are the iconic Buzzcocks, the Bolton-bred kings of punk, whose anthems like Ever Fallen in Love defined a generation. Expect a night of pure energy, legendary hits, and unrelenting attitude.
I have seen both bands many times since the 70s punk heyday .
Both bands now have only one original member.
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At 5pm we all meet up at the nearby Wetherspoons pub by the canal , for a couple of hours of drinks before the show....many other Stranglers fans are here....nice and buzzy.
THE BUZZCOCKS arrived on stage at 7.45pm for their 45 mins set.
Steve Diggle is not the best singer , but he is an original member.
Great to hear those old Buzzcocks gems again.
Full BUZZCOCKS setlist played tonight...
What Do I Get?
I Don't Mind
Promises
Senses Out of Control
Sick City Sometimes
Why Can't I Touch It?
Destination Zero
Orgasm Addict
Manchester Rain
Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't Have )
Harmony in My Head
THE STRANGLERS arrived on at stage at 9pm for their 95 mins set.
Their very loyal fans have turned out in force as usual .
I bump into lots of folks here i know.
A nice stage production , with a great light show and several mini screens behind them showing pre-recorded images.
Only bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel, 73, remains from the days when The Stranglers set out from Guildford touring in drummer Jet Black’s ice cream van, prior to their emergence during punk. However, Sunderland singer-guitarist Baz Warne has now been a Strangler for 25 years, his tenure going on double that of original singer Hugh Cornwell, who went solo in 1990.
I loved the Hugh era, and Baz does a great job on those tracks , which are around a third of the set.
The more recent songs also sound great , and the overall sound quality is perfect .
Baz signs off with " see you in another 41 years".
A great show.
Full STRANGLERS setlist played tonight.
Goodbye Toulouse
Straighten Out
Was It You?
Skin Deep
15 Steps
5 Minutes
Tramp
Instead of This
Strange Little Girl
Golden Brown
Thrown Away
Pin Up
Peaches
Mercury Rising
White Stallion
Dead Ringer
Breathe
Something Better Change
Duchess
Hanging Around
Encore:
Always the Sun
Mean to Me
No More Heroes

Updated 2nd November 2025 Permalink

Friday 31 October 2025.

Friday 31 October 2025.
THOSE DAMN CROWS live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Welsh rockers are touring their fourth studio album 'God Shaped Hole', which charted at number one. It was the first chart topper for Earache Records.
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Level 3 is half empty , but the other levels look very full.
A nice trio of rock acts tonight.
There are a few Welsh flags dotted around the venue .
JAMES BRUNER and his band on at 7.30pm for their 30 mins set.
Illinois born; Nashville based singer-songwriter James Bruner has released his new single “Switchblade” before playing 21 dates across the EU and UK throughout October and November with Those Damn Crows.
He strutted around the stage non stop , as he gave it 100%.
A really good set.
AUTUMN KINGS on at 8.15pm for their 30 mins set.
Autumn Kings is a Canadian rock band formed in LaSalle, Ontario, in 2015, who have since relocated to Detroit, Michigan, United States.They started as an independent band but signed with label Hopeless Records in August 2024.Their inspiration for their music stems from Linkin Park and Metallica.
They played a good set of crunchin' riffs, including a cover of Linkin Parks ' Bleed It Out'.
THOSE DAMN CROWS on stage at 9.25pm for their 90 mins set.
A nice production with lots of lights , strobes and a huge curtain behind them.
Pretty great how this five piece have done so well , as with all the female and male singer - songwriters dominating the charts it seems harder than ever for a full on rock band to break through.
There was a young kid with his mum in Level 1 balcony in full Halloween outfit dancing madly away , he looked like a ventriloquist dummy. The singer in the band gave him a shout out , and made sure he got a setlist and drumstick at the end of the show.
They opened with rockin' gem ' Dancing With The Enemy ' and closed with 'a great 'See You Again'.
Plenty of good tracks inbetween.
After 70 mins the singer sang from the Level 1 balcony.
Three enjoyable rock acts tonight.
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Thursday 30 October 2025...I went to two events tonight...
6.30pm to 7.55pm.
TASAKI - showcase - 170 New Bond Street , Mayfair, London W1.
TASAKI is a prestigious Japanese fine jewellery brand.
Tasaki was created in 1954, and since, its trademark pearl designs have been distinguished by two key characteristics: sustainability and artistry. The most extraordinary grade pearls, including the rare Akoya and golden South Sea pearls, are produced on Tasaki’s own pearl farms in the nutrient-rich seas of Japan and Myanmar. In addition, Tasaki pearls are produced using moral methods, and consequently, they sparkle brilliantly.
Complimentary Moet champers , three different cocktails, including Old Fashioned and Japanese canapes from Megumis Catering.
then
8pm to 10pm.
ARANYANI - showcase - Browns Hotel , 33 Albemarle Street , Mayfair, London W1.
They have a store in Bruton Street , but are hosting a party at this very nice venue.
The name Aranyani means ‘The Goddess of the Forest’ which is synonymous with the brand’s focus on sustainable artistry, nature, and quality. But what sets Aranyani apart is their vision to create a sustainable legacy. From sourcing materials to craftsmanship, they believe in creating a positive impact at every touchpoint - one that will last for generations. Care is taken at every point in the process. Each Aranyani bag comes with a QR code to scan which gives you all details of who made your bag, what materials went into it, and how it was made. The bags retail for over £1000 each.
There was a jazz quartet , with a female singer playing a few tracks..
Half a dozen ARANYANI bags are on display on a table.
Complimentary Laurent Perrier champers for all the guests.

Updated 31st October 2025 Permalink

Wednesday 29 October 2025.

Wednesday 29 October 2025.
FIN VS HISTORY live at Shepherds Bush Empire .
The show for people who like history but don't care what actually happened.
Join Fin Taylor and Horatio Gould on their trademark disgusting sofa, as they bring a live version of their smash hit podcast on tour.
This is the last show on their eight date UK tour.
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Amazingly ,the signage out the front said sold out.
It is stalls seated , so that's over 1000 tickets sold.
Pretty amazing how popular some podcasts are .
The show was on for two sets of 60 mins and 45 mins.
The is a big screen showing some of their pre-recorded clips.
Fin vs History, in which comedians Fin Taylor and Horatio Gould pick a few historical highlights (the Cuban missile crisis; the English civil war , World War 2 etc ) and go for the dark laughs. .
Much of the first half featured the conspiracy theories on the JFK assassination .
Still, if you can deal with them assessing Chairman Mao as the GOAT (greatest of all time) of despotic dictators – “numbers-wise he blows everyone out of the water” – Hitler came in sixth. then strap yourself in and enjoy. Their outrageousness is properly side-splitting, and the first few episodes of this podcast have hit the top of the comedy charts.
The second half featured 30 mins of fun improv with a Q & A with the audience.
They then asked the crowd " who has the biggest actual head in the crowd?" .
It was a guy , and was invited on stage for a bit of fun.
Some bits were funnier than others , but overall enjoyable.
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Tuesday 28 October 2025...I went to two events tonight...
6.45pm to 7.30pm .
ASIAN ART IN LONDON - private view - V & A Museum, South Kensington , London SW7.
As expected it is not a full scale event like most events here .
Maybe 200 folks here.
Some nice art here , and worth popping in as only five mins walk to RAH.
Complimentary red and white wines and nibbles.
then
WESTLIFE live at The Royal Albert Hall.
I was blown away by how good yesterday's show was, so back to see them again.
Due to their immediate success , Westlife first tour was all arenas.
They have headlined Wembley Stadium and Dublin's Croke Park Stadium.
All their tours have been multi nights at arenas.
The crowd are all fully dressed up again, at the request of the band.
Great to see so many females here really enjoying a night of live music .
The cameras are here again , as the show is shown in UK cinemas in a months time.
The show was the same times and setlist as last night.
Again , it really was another great show.
The orchestra and choir transform their ballads into mega power ballads .
KATHERINE JENKINS added her stunning voice to duet with them on ' You Raise Me Up'.
I was sitting next to a hardcore female fan from Croatia , who has seen them multi times in the past , and will be doing the same in 2026.
She told she had three phones on the go to buy tickets for these two shows, but couldn't get through before they sold out , so had to pay £300 via a secondary tout website for her ticket.
I didn't really have much time for Westlife over the past 25 years , but these shows were the perfect venue to see them , and i really surprised at how much I enjoyed their show.
LOUIS WALSH is still part of their management team, and after the show I saw him in the Level 1 boxes area.
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Monday 27 October 2025.
WESTLIFE live at The Royal Albert Hall.
The first of two shows for Westlife at this venue.
A small venue for them , so no surprise both shows sold out very quickly .
To mark their 25th anniversary milestone, the band will be joined by the renowned Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, bringing Westlife’s biggest hits and fan favourites
In 2026 they will play arenas all over the UK and Europe.
Westlife sold over 55 million records to date, and are the only band to have their first seven singles enter the UK chart on number one. Their incredible 14 number-one singles in total place the band only behind Elvis Presley and The Beatles.
Although they mainly appeal to females , i have seen them before.
They were one of the support acts to Pet Shop Boys in Hyde Park Sept 2019.
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Many of the shows I have been recently have been 75% or more male attendees, but tonight it's no surprise that's it's the other way round.
The crowd are fully dressed up , as if going to a wedding.
Women in their best outfits , and men in suits and many in black bow tie.
The band would say later in their set, good to see most people got our dress code memo.
I presume they must have said it on their website / Instagram etc.
It really was a great atmosphere here , with the females singing loudly along.
WESTLIFE were on stage for two hours over two sets of 50 mins and 70 mins.
The stage production is great as we have loads of lights , pyros , ticker - tape , and the band, orchestra and choir certainly beef up their songs superbly.
5 band members
18 strings
6 brass
3 female backing singers
13 m/f choir
Westlife are performing as a threesome .
Nicky, Kian and Shane are here in their tuxedos , but Mark is not part of the live shows due to ill health , although he will appear on the new album songs.
They have male and female signing for the deaf by the sound mixer.
A few well known covers were played.
The three members know how to entertain the crowd with humourous stage banter.
The show was filmed .
A much better show than expected, maybe that was due to the superb orchestra .
Full WESTLIFE setlist played tonight ..
World of Our Own
If I Let You Go
Mandy ( Scott English cover)
Bop Bop Baby
When You're Looking Like That
Queen of My Heart
I Have a Dream ( ABBA cover)
Flying Without Wings
Interval
Hello My Love
Fool Again
What Makes a Man
Uptown Girl ( Billy Joel cover) ( see video)
Ain't That a Kick in the Head (Dean Martin cover)
Die Moritat von Mackie Messer ("Mack the Knife") (Kurt Weill cover)
My Love
What About Now ( Daughtry cover)
Chariot
You Raise Me Up ( Secret Garden cover) ( see video(
Encore :
Swear It Again

Updated 28th October 2025 Permalink

Sunday 26 October 2025.

Sunday 26 October 2025.
BBC2 10pm Later with Jools Holland featuring Biffy Clyro and Jacob Collier.
This is the recording that I went to , so you may see me as was front row centre in the guest list seats
I was seen in a couple of long distance shots, but no actual close ups.
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Saturday 25 October 2025.
KLANGPHONICS live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
After meeting in 2017 whilst studying music in southern Germany, Maxl, Ben and Markus are slowly redefining what live electronic music sounds and looks like. Initially a live band, Klangphonics are now becoming an act where the traditional boundaries of band, DJ and producer no longer apply.
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Levels 2 and 3 are closed tonight , so maybe 1000 folks here max.
Lots of German accents are heard.
WESTON LONEY and his band arrived on stage at 8pm for their 30 mins set.
Weston Loney is an indie rocker from Co Armagh, Northern Ireland and plays with a band made up of his wildest friends....they played a good lively uptempo set.
KLANGPHONICS arrived on stage at 9pm for their 95 mins set.
Three musicians on stage ...guitar, drums and keyboards .
A big screen is showing superb pre-recorded images.
Lots of lights , strobes and dry ice used.
An energetic blend of deep house and melodic techno, combining electronic sounds with live acoustic instruments . They have an ability to create an immersive, organic atmosphere that is both a "concert" and a "club night," with audiences enthusiastically dancing and singing along.
Apart from a few words spoken on the big screen , and the final track of ' Better Now' where Weston Loney came on to sing vocals, it was all instrumental dance tracks.
A good show .
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Friday 24 October 2025.
BATTLE BEAST live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Famous for their energetic shows, incredibly catchy choruses, and odd sense of humour, Helsinki-based sextet Battle Beast are destined for glory. Throughout the years, fans around the globe have grown to love the metallic fusion of shredding guitars, symphonic keyboards, and the unique voice of frontwoman Noora Louhimo.
They are playing a massive 30 plus dates UK & European Tour to promote their latest album , ' Steelbound' , released on 17 October 2025.
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Level 3 is closed and Level 2 is half empty , so maybe 1000 folks are here.
A night of Euro Power Metal , as all three bands come from mainland Europe.
These rock fans love buying the t-shirt merch .
MAJESTICA arrived on stage at 7pm for their 35 mins .
Majestica is a Swedish symphonic power metal band who formed in 2000.
The headbanging soon started , and the crowd liked them.
A good set.
DOMINIUM arrived on stage at 7.50pm for their 45 mins set.
Dominium is a German power metal band known for their theatrical "zombie pirates" image .
Vocalist Dr. Dead played his role to perfection, part ringmaster, part mad scientist, engaging the audience with playful menace and commanding presence. ‘Frankenstein’ and ‘Don’t Get Bitten by the Wrong Ones’ brought the crowd fully into the band’s twisted carnival, complete with tongue-in-cheek lyrics and irresistible hooks
They have infectious positivity, crowd interaction, and a mix of original songs with a memorable cover of the Scorpions' "Rock You Like a Hurricane". Their performance was ridiculous, brilliant, and entertaining, with the crowd enthusiastically singing along to their "shock horror" themed music.
Their music blends power metal with catchy melodies, and their song titles are often horror-themed.
An enjoyable set.
BATTLE BEAST arrived on stage at 9pm for their 95 mins.
They have a lovely visual great stage production, as they have loads of lights , a huge curtain at the rear, the drummer is on a huge raised platform with boardings either side, and dry ice is used every other song.
Six of them on stage , including some nice keytar.
Singer Noora Louhimo has an amazing voice and over the top stage outfit.
From start to finish the songs all bounce along really good.
They seem to play random cover versions in their set , and tonight we get Elton Johns ' Can You Feel The Love Tonight'.
They put on a great show, that the fans here loved .
With Finland’s Battle Beast headlining and support from Sweden’s Majestica and Germany’s Dominum, this was a showcase of everything that makes modern melodic metal so gloriously over-the-top: big hooks, bigger choruses, and enough theatrical flair to light up the whole of Shepherds Bush.

Updated 25th October 2025 Permalink

Thursday 23 October 2025.

Thursday 23 October 2025.
THE BLOW MONKEYS + THE CHRISTIANS live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
A 10 date co-headline tour where they alternate last band on.
The Christians were last on when they played their Liverpool hometown show.
When i worked front stage security at Hammersmith Odeon i saw both bands headline there in the late 1980s.
Both bands had a few hit singles back then.
The Blow Monkeys will be promoting their new album ' Birdsong'.
Original singer Dr Robert is still with The Blow Monkeys.
Original singer Garry Christian is still with The Christians .
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It is stalls seated tonight , but lots of unsold seats in all levels ...Level 3 is closed .
When you think that in the old days they could both sell 4000 tickets each for a show at Hammersmith , and now together they can only muster around 500 ticket sales.
A middle aged crowd as expected who remember them.
Nice to see The Bodysnatchers singer RHODA DAKAR here.
THE CHRISTIANS arrived on stage at 8pm for their 60 mins set.
Hard to believe that Garry Christian is now aged 70,as he looks much younger .
Throughout the set he was in in good spirits, with a sharp wit dealing with audience quips and joking about.
Six of them on stage, with a nice smooth sound.
For me , they were the best of the two bands tonight.
Over 50 folks left the venue after The Christians set.
Set highlights included...
Forgotten Town
Born Again
Ideal World
Words
Greenbank Drive
When The Fingers Point
Hooverville
Harvest for the World (The Isley Brothers cover) ( no 8 UK hit for them in 1988)
THE BLOW MONKEYS arrived on stage at 9.30pm for their 60 mins set.
Four of them on stage , with a sax/keyboard player.
Their sound was a bit more funkier.
A good set, but The Christians were better.
Set highlights included...
It Doesn't Have To Be This Way
Out With Her
Digging Your Scene
Wait
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Wednesday 22 October 2025.
IGORRR live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Gautier Serre is better known by his stage name Igorrr, is a French musician. Under the Igorrr alias, he combines a variety of disparate genres, including black metal, baroque music, breakcore, and trip hop, into a singular sound. The Igorrr project became a full band with the addition of vocalists.
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Level 3 is half empty , but the rest of the venue is rammed full.
Like last night, it is an evening of pure heavy noise.
IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT arrived on stage at 7.30pm for their 35 mins set.
New York experimental metal band have released several albums.
The three band members wore costumes and employ a retro-futuristic stage presence.
Gold and black are their primary colors for costumes and stage decor.
They have pre-recorded images up on their screen.
A nice noise, but the gruff vocals were not my cup of tea.
Some of the vocals were synth tinged in places, to create a moody racket.
The crowd liked them
MASTER BOOT RECORD arrived on stage at 8.25pm for their 35 mins set.
MBR is really Italian guitar player Victor Love, and his two band members.
The entire set was really good rockin' guitar based instrumentals.
They also had a screen, with computer images.
Late in the set ,Victor would call his music ' Computer Metal'.
A really good set .
IGORRR arrived on stage at 9.30pm for their 75 mins set.
The drums and keyboards / percussion are on raised platforms .
Lots of lights .
Igorrr's vocals are a bit gruff , but they also have nice female vocals
singing full on opera, so it was quite a contrast.
The mainly male crowd are headbanging away .
Lots of crowd moshing and around 20 crowd surfers, and Igorrr
himself crowd surfed into the crowd on the final encore song.
A good evening of extreme metal.
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Tuesday 21 October 2025.
COHEED AND CAMBRIA live at Brixton Academy.
Coheed and Cambria is an American rock band from Nyack, New York, formed in 1995. The group's music incorporates aspects of progressive rock, pop, heavy metal, and post-hardcore.
They have released several studio albums.
I don't know much about them apart from the fact i have seen their names on Download Festivals and Reading/Leeds Festivals line-ups in the past.
They headlined Brixton Academy in 2022 , but I have never seen them before.
This is their second last show on their current UK & European Tour.
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Plenty of space upstairs and downstairs so maybe 3000 max out of 5000 tix sold .
UNPEOPLE arrived on stage at 7.30pm for their 30 mins set.
London four piece played a good set of tracks , full of crushing heavy riffs.
AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR arrived on stage at 8.20pm for their 30 mins set .
Four piece with two guitars from Northern Ireland played a full set of rockin' all instrumental tunes.
COHEED AND CAMBRIA arrived on stage at 9.15pm for their 95 mins set.
They have a great stage production, as loads of lights , a giant screen showing nice pre-recorded images ,
and a giant inflatable with goggles, that was up for all the main set.
Like the support acts , all their equipment is pushed to the front half of the huge stage .
The band are top notch musicians as they have a full on rock sound.
Certainly a bit prog rock with hints of Rush and Biffy Clyro.
The encores include a great cover of The Killers hit anthem ' Mr Brightside'.
A really good show, much better than expected.

Updated 20th October 2025 Permalink

Sunday 19 October 2025.

Sunday 19 October 2025.
SAM MORRIL live at Shepherds Bush Empire
New York City based stand up comedian Sam Morril heads out on his ‘Sammy is Leaving America (and coming back) Tour’.
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Level 3 is closed, but may 700 or 800 folks are here.
Both supports did 15 mins each, and both had some funny bits.
TADIWA MAHLUNGE arrived on stage at 8pm for his 15 mins set.
Billed as “one of the country's top new comedy acts” by The York Press, Tadiwa Mahlunge has performed at, among others, the Latitude, Greenman, and Greenwich Comedy Festivals, and regularly performs at Top Secret Comedy Club, The Frog and Bucket, The Comedy Store, Glee, Monkey Barrel and Just the Tonic.
MICHAEL ODEWALE arrived on stage at 8.15pm for his 15 mins set.
Odewale began performing in 2014 while at university.
In 2016 he was nominated for the BBC New Comedy Award and was a finalist for the Chortle Student Comedy Award.He was named on the BBC New Talent Hotlist 2017.
Odewale's 2019 show, #BlackBearsMatter, was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Festival and won Best New Show at the Leicester Comedy Festival.
SAM MORRIL on at 8.30pm for his 60 mins set.
Sam has been doing stand up comedy for 20 years.
Clearly, Morril is a busy man. Specials, his own whiskey, podcasting, touring, writing, the list goes on. This level of work can come along with being popular .
With each joke, he uniquely spins the premise into a darkly humorous commentary with a deadpan, effortless that brings to mind Steven Wright.
They are some naughty X rated jokes , but i presume most of the crowd know this.
Around 15 mins from the end , he read out a couple of bad one star reviews he had, and then invited the crowd to shout out requests and themes
Plenty of funny jokes and routines in the enjoyable comedy show.
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Saturday 18 October 2025
NATIONAL ALBUM DAY
Sex Pistols - 'Never Mind The Bollocks'
This limited edition 1LP pressing is exclusive to National Album Day in the UK and Colour Vinyl Campaign internationally.
Looks like it will be clear vinyl.
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Saturday 18 October 2025.
GLENN HUGHES live at Shepherds Bush Empire
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee is playing a UK tour....The Chosen Years.
Glenn will be playing a full two hour show , from his 50 plus year career of being in various bands.
I first saw him in 1974, when he was in Deep Purple.
1973: Hughes joined Deep Purple, replacing bassist Roger Glover.
1974: The band released the album Burn, which featured Hughes on bass and vocals. They also released Stormbringer this year.
1975: Hughes played on the album Come Taste the Band.
1976: Hughes left the band.
Support comes from blonde female rock and metal guitarist SOPHIE LLOYD , who has a great four minute guitar instrumental on YouTube , from when she performed at the 2025 Women's Rugby Cup Final.
Sophie's set will feature tracks from her debut album ' Imposter Syndrome', alongside some well known classic rock cover versions.
Her debut live show was only a year ago.
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No surprise it is 90% older males tonight
Level 3 is closed as unsold , and Level 2 is half empty.
SOPHIE LLOYD and band on at 7.45pm for their 45 mins set.
Most of the crowd have got here early to see her.
Sophie is very striking , as she has model girl long blonde looks.
Sone very nifty guitar shredding from her.
The three classic rock covers were all played as instrumentals.
A female singer with a powerful voice joined her for a few songs.
A very enjoyable set from her.
Full SOPHIE LLOYD setlist played tonight...
Top Gun Anthem ( Harold Faltermeyer cover)
Battleground
You Give Love a Bad Name ( Bon Jovi cover) (Instrumental version)
Hanging On ( with Marisa Rodriguez)
Won't You Come (with Marisa Rodriguez)
Runaway (with Marisa Rodriguez)
Thunderstruck ( AC/DC cover) (Instrumental version)
Delusions
Imposter Syndrome ( with Marisa Rodriguez)
Let it Hurt
Guitar Solo (Sophie Lloyd)
Enter Sandman (Metallica cover) (Instrumental version)
Do or Die ( with Marisa Rodriguez)
GLENN HUGHES and band on at 8.45pm for one hour 55 mins.
Glenn is now aged 74, but still looking like a proper rock star.
Three of them on stage, and certainly a power trio , as his drummer and guitarist were superb.
His high pitched voice is there on several tracks.
More Trapeze songs played tonight, than Deep Purple tracks.
A very nice heavy rock sound mixed with elements of funk and soul.
Glenn remains an engaging frontman, and shared entertaining anecdotes from throughout his career with a tip of the hat some of his former bandmates and collaborators.
He talked fondly of playing in his nans front room , and his early 1970s days with Trapeze .
He repeatedly thanked the crowd for their 50 years of supporting him
A great show
Full GLENN HUGHES setlist played tonight...
Soul Mover
Muscle and Blood (Hughes/Thrall song)
Voice in my Head
One Last Soul (Black Country Communion song)
Can't Stop the Flood
First Step of Love ( Hughes/Thrall song)
Into the Fade
Way Back to the Bone ( Trapeze song)
Medusa (Trapeze song)
Grace / Dopamine (Iommi cover)
Chosen
You Are the Music ( Trapeze song)
Stay Free ( Black Country Communion song)
Encore:
Coast to Coast ( Trapeze song) (Acoustic version performed solo by Glenn on guitar)
Black Country ( Black Country Communion song)
Burn
(Deep Purple song) (with Sophie Lloyd) (Sophie Lloyd featured as dual lead guitarist)
See my Facebook page for a nice video of this final encore .
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Friday 17 October 2025.
EMF + JESUS JONES live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
I have seen both these 1990s bands just the once each before.
EMF had that mega hit track ' Unbelievable'.
Jesus Jones had that great track ' Right Here, Right Now '.
Sporting 16 Top 40 hits between them, Jesus Jones & EMF added glorious colour to the charts during a vintage era for indie and alternative-dance music.
First band on are BIS, who also were around in the 1990s.
I have seen them the once before too.
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Levels 2 and 3 are closed, but stalls and Level 1 look pretty full.
Random sighting of actor BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH dancing along to EMF.
Nice to see manager / tour manager / merch manager LIAM here.
Thinking of all the miles he has done with various bands over the past 30 years.
BIS arrived on stage at 7.30pm for their 30 mins set.
The trio from Glasgow played a good set of indie pop.
The drum beats were provided by backing tapes
JESUS JONES arrived on stage at 8.20pm for their 60 mins set.
Their indie dance old favourites are all there:' International Bright Young Thing', ' Real, Real, Real ' and ' Right Here, Right Now ' all went down well here tonight .
EMF arrived on stage at 9.45pm for their 65 mins set.
Things certainly get a bit livelier when EMF come on stage.
Their infectious 1990s indie dance rave tunes go down a treat.
Energetic singer James Atkin bounds all over the place, seemingly only stopping to conduct the crowd with big gestures.
Midway through the set , we get a superb version of ' Unbelievable ' that had all of the Level 1 seats up dancing.
EMF doing a great job of keeping 1990s dance rave alive and kicking.
A very enjoyable show.
Full EMF setlist played tonight...
The Day the Music Died
I Believe
Lies
Hands in the Air
Reach For the Lasers (Medley W/ Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now), Pump Up The Jam, Breathe, Blue Monday)
Children
Long Summer Days
Unbelievable ( with Utah Saints djs)
I'm a Believer (Neil Diamond cover)
LGBTQ+
Inside
EMF ( with local town crier intro from Jer Holland)

Updated 18th October 2025 Permalink

Friday 17 October 2025.

Friday 17 October 2025.
Very sad news that KISS guitar legend ACE FREHLEY has died aged 74.
KISS seem to be a marmite band , but they were my fave American band.
Ace and his rocket firing smoking guitar was always great to watch.
Lucky to have seen KISS and Ace solo many times in concert.
1976 - KISS two shows at Hammersmith Odeon on their debut UK tour.
1979 - KISS in Chicago , USA ..Judas Priest were the support.
1980 - all four KISS shows on their UK tour.
Ace Frehley first left KISS in 1982 and rejoined for a reunion tour in 1996. He left for the second time in 2002, after which he was replaced by Tommy Thayer.
1996 - KISS all four UK shows including Donington .
1996 - was a great year for me , as both KISS and THE SEX PISTOLS reformed with original members to tour.
1997 - KISS two shows - Ghent, Belgium and Finsbury Park.
1999 - KISS two shows - Paris, France and Wembley Arena.
I also saw three shows by Ace Frehley's Comet.
1988 - Hammersmith Odeon.
2008 - Astoria.
2009 - Shepherds Bush Empire.
R.I.P. Ace
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Thursday 16 October 2025....6.30pm to 9.15pm...
VERTU AGENT Q phone launch party at Harrods , Knightsbridge , London SW1.
Around 150 guests in the stunning 4th floor Georgian Restaurant & Bar of this famous store.
At 7pm the VERTU CEO says a few words and we get a video presentation of the new phone.
The Vertu Agent Q is a new luxury smartphone featuring AI-powered concierge services, a Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, and a 32 MP camera. Launched in October 2025, it's housed in materials like crocodile leather and gold, includes a dedicated hardware encryption chip, and comes with 10TB of cloud storage. It can be purchased from Harrods ( well over £1000 ) and via their website store .
A female dj played some tunes after the presentation.
Complimentary Moet champers, Passion Fruit Gin Martinis , canapes and desserts.
I was one of the lucky 20% of guests that got a very nice goodie bag.
VERTU PHANTOM EARBUDS that retail for £460.
www.vertu.com - Visit their website here.
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Wednesday 15 October 2025....I went to four events tonight...
5.30pm to 6.30pm.
The unveiling of The Mediterranean Vases at Asprey at The Peninsula Hotel ,
1 Grosvenor Place , London SW1.
The opening party of this luxury five hotel last year was pretty spectacular .
Around 70 or 80 guests here in this store, including JACKIE ST CLAIR.
At 6pm Master Glassmaker Jonathan Harris unveils the vases which take him 70 hours each to make.
Complimentary Laurent Perrier champers and canapes.
then
6.45pm to 7.30pm.
HOWE GALLERY - showcase - 16 Bloomfield Terrace, London SW1.
From the front it is a house in a quiet residential street , then you step inside and it is a fully converted open space , including up in the loft.
Howe Gallery is part of Howe London, a fine furniture and antique dealer. It is a showroom for the company's handcrafted, bespoke, and antique furniture, as well as hosting various exhibitions and events.
Around 70 or 80 guests here including STEPHEN K AMOS and DR RANJ SINGH.
Complimentary Bernard Gaucher champers and wines .
then
7.45pm to 8pm .
JD MALAT GALLERY - Frieze Party - 30 Davies Street , Mayfair , London W1.
Around 100 guests here , included LADY VICTORIA HERVEY.
Complimentary wines .
then
8.15pm to 11.15pm .
JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE Evening Celebration With Designer & Collaborator RAHUL MISHRA
at The Dorchester Hotel , Mayfair, London W1.
Over 200 guests here in two of the rooms at this well known five star hotel.
Around 75% were Indian guests celebrating Diwali , with many nicely dressed up .
Guest of honour PRIYANKA CHOPRA turns up at 10pm with full security.
Priyanka Chopra ( now aged 43 ) is an Indian actress and producer. The winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant, she is India's highest-paid actress .
Other guests here included SUZY MENKES and STEPHEN JONES .
Top showbiz photographer DAVE BENETT was here taking the photos.
There were djs playing hourly stints, mixing Bhangra and dance anthems.
There was a three girl dance routine ,then there was a 15 mins Indian drums live display.
I had a nice chat with up and coming female singer AANYA MARTIN who recently played The Jazz Cafe.
A really good lively party.
Complimentary Searcy's champers , three different Johnnie Walker Blue cocktails , different bowl foods ,
canapes and desserts .

Updated 16th October 2025 Permalink

Tuesday 14 October 2025.

Tuesday 14 October 2025.
I went to two great events at the former American Embassy in Grosvenor Square , Mayfair, London W1.
7.30pm to 10pm
BRITISH VOGUE - FRIEZE ART WEEK /LONDON FILM FESTIVAL - party at CARBONE
Around 200 guests are here, including EMILY ATACK, DANIEL LISMORE,
SIR OZWALD BOETENG, RYAN SEACREST, HELEN FIELDING , ELIZABETH McGOVERN and others .
The renowned New York restaurant Carbone has opened its first European outpost in London. Located at 30 Grosvenor Square, within the former American Embassy and now part of the Chancery Rosewood Hotel, it officially opened on September 17, 2025. The Mayfair location offers the brand's signature glamour and is known for classic Italian-American dishes with tableside theatrics.
Signature dishes: Expect to find classics like spicy rigatoni vodka, veal parmesan, and lobster fra diavolo.
Atmosphere: The restaurant is designed to be glamorous and theatrical, with tuxedo-clad captains, plush seating, and classic mid-century Italian-American aesthetics.
We had complimentary prosecco , four different cocktails, wines , beers , pasta dishes , canapes and desserts
then
10pm to 1am
CHANCERY ROSEWOOD - Grand Opening Party -
Around 300 guests are here .
Guests included PRINCESS BEATRICE, RICHARD E GRANT, JACKIE ST CLAIR , HANS ULRICH OBRIST, LADY VICTORIA HERVEY, STEPHEN MERCHANT, DAVID REMFY, TAMARA BECKWITH, JAY RUTLAND, ROSE McGOWAN , DAVID LINLEY, SIR OZWALD BOETENG ( he also did both events) and others .
Originally built in 1960 by Eero Saarinen to house the US Embassy, The Chancery—and the gilded eagle sculpture that presides over its Portland stone façade—is one of London’s most notable architectural masterpieces. In a new chapter with Rosewood, this Modernist icon and Grade II-listed building now opens its doors to reveal a warmly inviting interior—alive with creativity, exceptional exchanges and unique collaborations.
It costs over £1000 per night to stay at this luxury five star hotel.
It was certainly a bit more livelier than Carbone earlier as MARK RONSON was the main DJ until midnight.
Complimentary drinks and food included Pol Roger champers , several different cocktails ,
wines , beers , bowl food, canapes and desserts.
Guests got a goodie bag with a four inch square fragment of the buildings own Portland limestone and a copy of the recently released Mark Ronson biography.
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Monday 13 October 2025.... 6.45pm to 10.15pm.....
11th TRAVEL MEDIA AWARDS at The Pan Pacific Hotel,83 Houndsditch, Liverpool Street , London EC3.
Around 300 guests in the basement ballroom of this luxury five star hotel.
We found a nice sofa to sit down for the entire event.
The Travel Media Awards launched in 2015, and is widely recognised as the premier awards event in travel media, and the only UK national awards exclusively recognising editorial excellence and achievement across all forms of media.
From 7.25pm for an hour the 24 awards were given out.
Great to see travel journalist and presenter SIMON CALDER ( now aged 69) pick up the Special Contribution Award.
He gave an amusing speech.
He works for various news and travel publications as well as being travel correspondent for The Independent since 1994.
Simon started out at Gatwick Airport cleaning British Airways planes in the 1970s.
Simon could get swamped with travel freebies but is known as ' the man who
pays his way',as he doesn't accept any free travel or accomodation from the travel trade.
Complimentary Taittinger Champers , wines, beers, different bowl foods, canapes and desserts.
See their website for the list of winners.

Updated 13th October 2025 Permalink

Sunday 12 October 2025.

Sunday 12 October 2025.
RADHIKA DAS and JAHNAVI HARRISON live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
London-based Kirtan star Radhika Das and San Francisco-based mantra extraordinaire Jahnavi Harrison will join forces to co headline an unforgettable evening full of mantras, chanting and a few other surprises.
Is Jahnavi Harrison related to George Harrison?
No, Jahnavi Harrison is not related to George Harrison by blood. However, their lives are connected because she grew up at Bhaktivedanta Manor, a property George Harrison donated to the Hare Krishna movement in 1973. Jahnavi has described feeling a debt of gratitude to him for the environment where she was raised, which was filled with devotional art, music, and spiritual practices.
This should be an interesting event.
In 1968, musician Donovan traveled to Rishikesh, India, with The Beatles to study Transcendental Meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. While there, Donovan taught the group a finger-picking guitar style that inspired many songs on the White Album (or The Beatles album), such as Paul McCartney's \"Blackbird\". The visit was a highly productive songwriting period for The Beatles at the now-famous Beatles Ashram.
By coincidence Donovan was playing a show in Richmond , Surrey today.
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The venue was totally rammed sold out.
Not one of those free religious shows, as most have paid £40.
The start was delayed due to the big queues.
I would say over half the crowd were Indian females.
Hardly anyone drinking alcohol so bar staff had a quiet night
The show started at 8.20pm and was on for two hours 20 mins.
The main two artists - male and female - are sat on the floor .
They each play solo then they also are both together .
They are backed by over a dozen musicians and female singers.
There is a big screen showing animals etc.
Multi cameras were filming the entire show
Hare Krishna was mentioned a few times.
It was very quiet and respectful during the spiritual talks.
It got very lively for some bits as folks stood up and clapped and sang loudly along .
Hands in the air giving praise, or clasped together in prayer.
Mantra chants
The crowd loved it all....an interesting different evening for me.
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Saturday 11 October 2025.
NENA live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
German pop icon NENA is best known for her massive worldwide hit ' 99 Red Balloons' from the mid 1980s.
In 1984 , it spent three weeks at number one in the UK charts
Audiences can look forward to a live show lasting two hours, featuring hits and gems from NENA's vast repertoire spanning over four decades, all brought to life by her nine-piece band.
Her current album, ‘Licht’, is an energetic pop album full of brilliance and the soundtrack for new beginnings. With every note and in every line, ‘Licht’ offers hope, lightness, and depth of heart. Whether it’s folk-inspired acoustic guitar or electronically dancing synthesizer beats,
Nena returns to the UK for the first time in 15 years for two shows at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on October 11th and O2 Ritz Manchester on October 12th as part of her UK and European Tour.
Nena has sold over 25 million records I get career.
Support comes from QUEEN KWONG.
Queen Kwong is an American indie rock band founded in Los Angeles, California. The band was founded by multi-instrumentalist Carré Kwong Callaway, the band's sole singer and songwriter who was discovered at age 17 by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails.
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Level 3 is closed tonight, but all the other levels look full.
Half the crowd appear to be German .
ISSA BLOCH on stage at 7.15pm for their 30 mins set.
A female singer , with male on the DJ turntable backing tracks.
German Europop dance sounds , that went down well with the crowd.
QUEEN KWONG on stage at 8.15pm for their 30 mins set.
Two females on stage , playing guitar and bass.
Certainly a bit more edgy and moody than the first support , but the crowd didn't take to them at all.
NENA and band on stage at 9pm and play for a full two hours.
Nena is backed by nine musicians , including three backing vocals - 2 x F and 1 x M.
A nice stage production as the two keyboards and drums are on five foot risers, and there is a platform in front of them that Nena sings from on a few songs, and shows images and lights at the front.
Nena is aged 65 now , but still in rock chick mode with black leather bomber jacket and tight black jeans.
Nena is full of energy as she dances around the stage .
After 30 mins she sang a song in the stalls standing area as she walked through her adoring fans .
There is a bit of stage banter in English and German , but nearly all the show was in German .
' 99 Red Balloons ' is such a perfect pop record, even when it's sung in German.
Last two songs of the main set were...
Leuchtturm / ( and 60 seconds snippet of Blitzkrieg Bop)
99 Luftballons / ( and 60 seconds snippet of Hey Jude)
Nice simple catchy pop rock , that was enjoyable to watch.
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Friday 10 October 2025.
BLOOD INCANTATION live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Blood Incantation is an American progressive death metal band from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2011.
The band will be touring the UK & Europe to promote their fourth studio album' Absolute Elsewhere'.
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It is a near sell out crowd tonight.
Maybe a 90% male crowd who are buying up all the various t-shirts merch..
Lots wearing those 80s style jean jackets, with band patches on them.
SIJJIN arrived on stage at 7.30pm for their 30 mins.
Sijjin means a place at the bottom of hell in Islam.
A trio playing a brutal blend of old-school death and thrash metal.
The very gruff vocals were not my cup of tea .
ORANSSI PAZUZU arrived on stage at 8.15pm for their 45 mins set.
Oranssi Pazuzu is a Finnish psychedelic black metal band formed in 2007.
Full tilt psych metal noise merchants , with a manic guitar player .
Again the very gruff vocals were not my cup of tea.
Lots of lights and strobes for all three bands tonight.
BLOOD INCANTATION arrived on stage at 9.30pm for their 75 mins set.
The band first play the new album in full , then a few older tracks.
Pulverising fast guitar heavy riffs and headbanging from all the band members .
The technical precision of the band members are top notch.
Again the vocals were a bit too gruff for me, but that's death metals style.
The short set seemed to baffle many of their fans, who wanted more.
An enjoyable aural assault from all three bands, but the gruff vocals from all three
bands , meant i dont think i made out any of the words all night.
Full BLOOD INCANTATION setlist played tonight...
The Stargate [Tablet I]
The Stargate [Tablet II]
The Stargate [Tablet III]
The Message [Tablet I]
The Message [Tablet II]
The Message [Tablet III]
The Giza Power Plant
The Vth Tablet (Of Enûma Eliš)
Meticulous Soul Devourment
Obliquity of the Ecliptic

Updated 11th October 2025 Permalink

Thursday 09 October 2025.

Thursday 09 October 2025.
LEDISI live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Ledisi ( now aged 53), is an Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter, music producer, author, and actress.
Ledisi will be promoting her 13th studio album , which is a tribute to Dinah Washington.
As part of a 20 date UK & European Tour.
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Not sold out tonight, but maybe 1200 are here.
A great mix of cool black and white folks who look like they frequent The Jazz Cafe.
A DJ is playing tunes when the artists not on stage
AMAHLA arrived on stage at 8pm for her 25 mins set.
She was backed by a guitarist.
The Ivor Novello-nominated artist stands apart for her incredible voice and poignant sociopolitical songwriting. Her talents have earned her a mentor in Nile Rodgers of CHIC, extensive critical acclaim and a devoted following. Amahla’s voice moves through R&B, jazz, pop, folk and soul music effortlessly
Her set included a nice cover of 'Ain't No Sunshine'.
LEDICI arrived on stage at 9.05 pm for her 80 mins set.
Ledici was backed by a four piece band and female backing vocals .
She looks much younger than her 53 years.
Ledisi is similar to Macy Gray in that she is a neo-soul artist, but Ledisi is known for her lush, articulate vocals and more traditional, polished sound, whereas Macy Gray is famous for her unique raspy voice and a more quirky, old-school soul/funk-influenced style. Both are talented female vocalists in the R&B/soul/ gospel arena.
The crowd are gently nodding and swaying along.
Highlights included ' Love Never Changes', ' Pieces of Me', 'Anything For You' and ' I Blame You'.
An enjoyable show.
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Wednesday 08 October 2025.
WANKERNOMICS live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Australia’s favourite workplace duo return with their brand new show ‘Just Touching Base’. Since launching in 2023, they have become something of a phenomenon with their unique blend of observational comedy and dark satire.
So find some extra bandwidth, synergise your stakeholders and pop some time in the diary for their most outcomes-focused, value-added, best-practice, deep-dive yet into the realities of the working world.
They return to London in April 2026 for two shows at The Palladium.
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It is stalls seated tonight, maybe 1000 out of 1200 tickets sold.
Lots of suited folks, who look like they have come straight from the office.
The show is on for 90 mins over two sets of 55 mins and 35 mins.
The stage is set up like an office , with a big screen .
Anyone who has worked in an office would recognise everything here.
The duo had success at the Edinburgh fringe this summer. Australian comedy duo James Schloeffel and Charles Firth have gone the extra mile by giving their show its own logo, a middle finger that raises flamelike on a screen in their workplace presentation. The pair play consultants, here to navigate us through – and often just swear incessantly about – the hellscape of office politics, meaningless business jargon and interminable meetings.
Skits and familiar phrases about everything office related ....
Boring Team Meetings
Moving Forward
Signing Leaving Cards
Core Values
We Need To Touch Base
Acronyms
Key Deliverables
Department Re-Org
PowerPoint Presentations
Zoom Meetings
Stakeholders
Office Politics
Value Added Solutions
Document Management
Excitable OTT Linkedin Posts
Your Call Is Important To Us
Putting Customers First
Staff Feedback
Mission Statement
An enjoyable show.
The show was all over by 9.30pm ,so the duo could sell books and sign them in the foyer after the show.

Updated 8th October 2025 Permalink

Tuesday 07 October 2025.

Tuesday 07 October 2025...3pm to 6pm...
ALDI - Press Day - London W1.
Around 100 press folks and influencers are here.
One i spoke to had come down from Manchester for the day.
Aldi fitters and staff have spent the entire previous day on Monday dressing this venue.
It looks amazing ...Toys and Homeware sections.
The bar here is full of Aldi spirits and wines and beers etc.
My fave was a Roasted Pineapple Gin.
We have a smaller bar , with their award winning champers that retails for a mere £14.95...total bargain .
Aldi's Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut was named World's Best Champagne at the World Champagne Awards 2025, also winning a gold medal at The Drinks Business Global Champagne Masters 2025 and being listed as the best budget bottle in The Independent's 2025 champagne taste tests. This award-winning, affordable champagne is made from a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.
The Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut is noted for its complex and rich flavour profile.
Aromas: Ripe apple, soft red fruit, and delicate floral notes.
Flavours: Apple strudel, toasted nuts.
Characteristics: A classic blend with enhanced complexity and length from cellar aging.
This win highlights Aldi's ability to offer high-quality, award-winning champagnes at accessible price points.
Another smaller bar had their canned cocktails
All are 10% to 14% and taste great.
We had Espresso Martinis ( only £1.99 in store ) and Cosmopolitans.
A few food stations for tasters.....
Christmas food selection , including pigs in blankets.
A fave for me was the Ballycastle Buttercream Mince Pies.
A full veggie selection.
A full cheese selection.
A full desserts, cakes , pastries , ice-cream etc selection.
The Pistachio Tiramisu was a fave for me.
All guests got a lovely goodie bag with several items in , including a 75cl bottle of Monsigny champers and
a 70cl bottle of Ballycastle Country cream .
Have ever noticed how other supermarkets keep a few product prices down with ' Aldi price match stickers ' but Aldi never have to say that to any other supermarket .
ALDI - quality products at great prices.
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Monday 06 October 2025.
NICOLE SCHERZINGER live at The Royal Albert Hall.
Nicole Scherzinger is returning to the UK for a very special one-off performance in October. Her first major solo show in the UK in 13 years and first full show at the Hall, this highly anticipated An Evening With Nicole Scherzinger will bring together beloved hits from both the worlds of the West End and pop music alongside a live band.
I have seen her perform short solo sets at a couple of private events.
I saw her in 2009 with her ex act PUSSYCAT DOLLS when a certain LADY GAGA was the support act.
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Tonight was totally rammed sold out , including choir seats behind the stage and the upstairs gallery standing.
Lots of gay men here as expected, who can afford the tickets.
Tickets in the floor arena and stalls were a whopping £150 and £125 ,
plus booking fees.
Guests spotted here included ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER ,BEVERLEY KNIGHT and ALEXANDRA BURKE.
NICOLE was advertised as coming on stage at 7.30pm , so everyone was in their seats early then they announced at 7.40pm saying the show was delayed and NICOLE eventually came stage on at 8.20pm for her 95 mins over two sets of 35 mins and 60 mins.
She was backed by 17 musicians, who sounded really good.
5 x band
2 x female backing vocals
6 x strings
4 x brass
NICOLE had three dazzling costumes tonight, with the encore having her in a raunchy body suit.
Nicole has a fantastic , powerful voice as she sung mainly cover versions.
Plenty of chat between tracks , to rest her voice.
The first set was more like in a Shirley Bassey vibe, then the second set had a couple of tracks from her stint in Sunset Boulevard , a stunning version of ' Purple Rain' and the encore had a couple of Pussycat Dolls hits, including ' Don't Cha'.
A really good good show, from a classy performer .
Full NICOLE setlist played tonight....
SET 1
Don't Rain on My Parade ( Jule Styne cover)
I Put a Spell on You ( Screamin’ Jay Hawkins cover)
Diamonds Are Forever (Shirley Bassey cover)
You Raise Me Up (Secret Garden cover)
Reflection (Christina Aguilera cover)
Losing My Mind (Stephen Sondheim cover)
Maybe This Time ( Liza Minnelli cover) ( showed off her Olivier and Tony Awards )
SET 2
I Am What I Am (Gloria Gaynor cover)
Bullshit (Original song sang for the first time.)
Stickwitu ( The Pussycat Dolls song)
With One Look (Patti LuPone cover)
As If We Never Said Goodbye (!Patti LuPone cover)
Purple Rain (Prince cover)( extended version with crowd sing-a-long )
ENCORE
Show Off (Sutton Foster cover)
Buttons (The Pussycat Dolls song)
When I Grow Up (The Pussycat Dolls song)
Don't Cha (Tori Alamaze cover) ( see video on Facebook)
Don't Hold Your Breath

Updated 6th October 2025 Permalink

Sunday 03 October 2025.

Sunday 05 October 2025.
The new series of Later with Jools Holland starts on BBC 2 tonight.
Headline act is ROBERT PLANTS SAVING GRACE.
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Saturday 04 October 2025.
70th Birthday Party in High Barnet ,North London.
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Friday 03 October 2025.
8- BIT BIG BAND live at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Grammy Award-winning contemporary symphonic Jazz orchestra, The 8-Bit Big Band formed to celebrate and reimagine video game music’s most beloved hits, rearranged in exciting and creative new ways in order push the envelope of how we experience the music from these legendary soundtracks as a standalone body of musical work.
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It is stalls seated tonight , so maybe 1000 folks are here .
Many here do look like nerdy video games players.
8 BIT BIG BAND arrived on stage at 8pm for their 1 hour 45 mins set.
There are around 25 musicians on stage, including 13 brass and 8 strings and woodwind , along with a band, conductor and a male and female singer who both perform a couple of tracks each.
Most of the tracks played are instrumentals.
Originally gaining popularity through their YouTube channel they perform a with a lush collection of horn, woodwind, and string sections; your standard-fare drum set, guitar, upright and electric bass; as well as more unusual instruments, such as the Japanese wood flute, the shakuhachi. This sheer volume of participants, as well as their incredible musicianship and technical ability, have the effect of expanding nostalgic little digital experiments into sweeping symphonic arrangements, a sound somehow familiar and uncanny, and an absolute joy to hear.
The group is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and band leader Charlie Rosen, who conducts, arranges, and performs the band’s interpretations of classic and new video game songs. Rosen, who plays more than 70 instruments himself, has orchestrated and performed on many on- and off-Broadway productions and television shows.
The conductor chatted a lot between songs and said some tracks were in Super Mario Brothers 1 and Mario Kart 64.
The brass and strings created a lovely big orchestral sound.
The crowd gave this enjoyable show a full standing ovation.
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Thursday 02 October 2025.
MAN WITH A MISSION live at Shepherds Bush Empire
Man with a Mission is a Japanese rock band which was formed in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, in 2010.The band currently consists of five band members, with stage names of Tokyo Tanaka (vocals, leader), Jean-Ken Johnny (guitar, vocals, rapping), Kamikaze Boy (bass guitar, backing vocals), DJ Santa Monica (DJ, sampling) and Spear Rib (drums)..Their distinguishing feature is that all of the members wear differently designed wolf masks during both their concerts and their music videos. Many of their singles have been used as theme songs for a variety of anime, live-action movies, and video games.
Shepherds Bush Empire is the opening show on their UK & European Tour.
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Levels 2 and 3 are closed unsold but still maybe 1000 folks are here.
Maybe 10 % are Japanese fans tonight.
Signs everywhere....WARNING.... No photos No videos
HANDS LIKE HOUSES arrived on stage at 7.40pm for their 35 mins.
They are an Australian rock band who are more popular in USA than the UK....as well as at home of course.
Their fifth studio album, 'Atmospherics' was released on 14 February 2025, marking a return with a double album concept.
They played a really good rockin' set that went down very well.
Singer sung two songs between fans in the stalls standing area, and
danced with the fans there , who loved it.
MAN WITH A MISSION arrived on stage at 8.35pm.
They played for 85 mins over two sets of 35 mins and 50 mins.
They show their comedy skits on the big screen during the 10 mins interval, which the crowd loved
The band keep their wolf heads on all throughout the show.
Sounding like a fusion of Linkin Park, Rage Against the Machine, Skindred and Sum 41, Man with a Mission deal in the sort of rock that gets played on the radio all day long and the audience hang onto every note. Man with a Mission offer up a multitude of huge riffs and choruses , as the crowd waved their arms aloft side to side.
Their turntablist adds electronic bleeps and bloops.
Both bands were really good tonight.
For the final bow, they allowed photos and videos.

Updated 2nd October 2025 Permalink

Wednesday 01 October 2025.

Wednesday 01 October 2025...5pm to 9pm...
GRAVITY MAX - showcase - Southside Shopping Centre , Wandsworth High Street , London SW18.
This truly massive venue used to be a Debenhams store.
It has retro games, 9 hole golf, bowling lanes, e - darts , pinball, shuffle board and many more but the highlight is a stunning indoor e-karting track that runs around the venue over two levels.
We get a quick show round , then we have two 8 mins sessions on the karts which was really good .
We had half a dozen different complimentary cocktails and prosecco, but there was also wines, beers ,Guinness available...no food.
This event was much better than expected.
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Tuesday 30 September 2025 ....6.15pm to 9.15pm...
HARD ROCK CAFE - showcase - Piccadilly Circus , London W1.
I went to the big opening launch party for this venue six years ago in Sept 2019 where KEANE performed.
They are showcasing their various spaces for hire .From a private room holding 50, to the full venue that can hold 650 standing . Always great to see all the music memorabilia on the walls of the entire venue.
Very interesting for me to see the white tuxedo jacket that Sid Vicious wore when he recorded the video in Paris of his hit cover single version of ' My Way'....I presume it is the original?
Around 70 or 80 guests here in their Legends private space .
A DJ was playing tunes in the background, and we have two dancers in robot costumes....also a magician and mind reader .
Complimentary drinks and food included two different cocktails, prosecco, wines, beers and the usual Hard Rock Cafe food of half sized burgers , canapes and brownies .
All guests got a goodie bag on departure.
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Updated 1st October 2025 Permalink

Monday 29 September 2025.

Monday 29 September 2025....7.15 pm to 8.45pm...
LATER WITH JOOLS HOLLAND live recording at Alexandra Palace Theatre, North London.
BIFFY CLYRO ( two tracks)
JACOB COLLIER ( two tracks and interview )
JAMES MORRISON ( one track and interview )
JUSTIN CURRIE ( interview about his book )
JUST MUSTARD ( one track )
KWN ( one track)
A lovely venue , which has stunning views of London. The audience of around 200 are seated in seats upstairs, and it looks exactly the same as Level 1 at Shepherds Bush Empire, as you look down on the floor where the acts are all set up.
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Sunday 28 September 2025.
As expected for the 50th anniversary of punk.
THE SEX PISTOLS featuring FRANK CARTER will be playing more shows in 2026.
The first show confirmed is at The Isle of Wight Festival.
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Sunday 28 September 2025.
W.A.S.P. live at Hammersmith Apollo .
W.A.S.P. are bringing the 2025 Album ONE Alive World Tour to Hammersmith. ...Armored Saint will also join as special guest.
W.A.S.P. will perform their entire debut album from start to finish plus classics from the bands catalogue.
I have seen W.A.S.P five times before, with the first time in 1986 , when they headlined Hammersmith Odeon...have also seen them headline Shepherds Bush Empire and The Astoria.
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There is space in the stalls and circle so I would reckon around 3000 tickets out the 5000 capacity are sold.
Lots of overseas accents heard here as the band are popular in mainland Europe.
Oddly W.A.S P. are not selling any merch tonight , even though many rock fans always buy a t - shirt...some good revenue lost.
ARMORED SAINT arrive on stage at 7.30pm for their 50 mins set.
The five piece Armored Saint were around in the 1980s.
John Bush (aged 62 ) is still on vocals. He came to prominence in the 1980s as the lead singer and lyricist of Armored Saint, a heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. In 1992, he joined thrash metal band Anthrax, with whom he remained until 2005 and briefly rejoined in 2009–2010. Bush has also been active with the reformed Armored Saint intermittently from 1999 to the present.
They played a good set , and John Bush said was over the moon to be playing the famous venue , and called it Hammersmith Odeon.
W.A.S.P. arrived on stage at 8.55pm for their 85 mins set.
We have a very nice stage production as there are loads of lights , a dozen slogans on banners behind them and three big screens showing videos from their heyday .
Blackie Lawless still has that superb chopper bike handlebars type outrageous oversized microphone.
The show was a fantastic throwback to the glam metal hair days of the late 1980s.
Top notch uptempo rock n roll .
Full W.A.S.P. setlist played tonight....
Intro track over the pa - The Doors with sirens and full lights
I Wanna Be Somebody
L.O.V.E. Machine
The Flame
B.A.D.
School Daze
Hellion
Sleeping (In the Fire)
On Your Knees
The Torture Never Stops
Encore:
The Big Welcome
Inside the Electric Circus / I Don't Need No Doctor / Scream Until You Like It
The Real Me (The Who cover )
Forever Free
The Headless Children
Wild Child
Blind in Texas

Updated 28th September 2025 Permalink