Thursday 18 April 2024.

Thursday 18 April 2024....I went to two events today... EXPERIENCE SALON PRIVÉ LONDON www.salonprivelondon.com - Visit their website here for more info and to buy tickets Salon Privé London: the ultimate luxury car event at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. For three days only from 18th to 20th April 2024, immerse yourself in the world of luxury cars – both classic and modern – and enjoy an unforgettable experience surrounded by automotive excellence. At the heart of the event is the ‘Concours de Vente’ – a carefully curated selection of 75 rare historic automobiles, which are all for sale. From Aston Martins to rare and coveted Jaguars, this year’s Concours de Vente is a treasure trove of motoring marques. Thursday... 11.15am Porsche 911 Turbo Cavalcade 11.45am Supercar and Manufacturers Parade 12.15pm Racing Heroes, A Future in Motorsport with Jodie Kidd 15.00pm Concours de Vente Parade 17.45pm Porsche 911 Turbo Grand Depart This year, each day of Salon Privé London presents its own unique celebration with a gathering of Porsche 911s to kickstart the event on the first day. Next, it's the turn of McLaren to add further glamour & style to Ladies' Day by Boodles, PLUS the World's largest gathering of Aston Martin Valkyries. On Saturday, we welcome one of the UK's leading private members' club, Drivers Union. With each one presenting a display of 30 cars, it's another reason not to miss this fabulous event. The venue is just 10 mins walk from Sloane Square tube station. ---------------------- The sunshine is out for the opening day today. It is pretty much the opening day of The London Outdoor Summer Season of events . Over 4000 guests are here , at this stunning location. SHARLENE SPITERI from TEXAS was here The classic cars and supercars are gleaming. The cars sounded fantastic when started up. Luxury brands are showcasing their wares. A really enjoyable day out. See my Facebook page for some videos and photos. Press folks had some complimentary Pommery champers , wines , Pimm's and beers. then ANGELS OF THE NORTH at Shepherds Bush Empire. The Angels of the North on a UK tour? Oh, uh-huh. Join Geordie drag superstars Ginger Johnson, Michael Marouli and Tomara Thomas for a heavenly brand-new live show. ------- I can remember when drag shows were in the back room of dodgy pubs for 30 people , but these days it is big business , as this trio are playing 11 theatre shows in the UK , then 5 theatre shows in Australia . There are over 1500 excitable folks here tonight The show was on for 1 hour 45 mins over two sets of 60 mins and 45 mins. A nice touch was they had a chap signing in the corner, and they are selling loads of merch. As well as being pure entertainment from start to finish, there was a clear structure to proceedings, with the premise being that our three heroines are Alan's Angels, with the trio tasked by Alan Carr on the big screen , to find out the culprits behind the disappearances of Cheryl, Denise Welch and Charlotte Crosby and things unfolding in camp and captivating fashion as both the group numbers and solo routines fired on all cylinders. Everything from Michael Jackson to Celine Dion and Catherine Tate's Bernie the nurse to Barbara Cartland were used as inspiration , while the group numbers included a nun themed Sisters are Doin' It for Themselves, a powerful take on Chicago's Cell Block Tango, including a change of lyrics to mention Geordie institution Greggs and the highlight, the queens' high energy star turn in Drag Race girl group banger Don't Ick My Yum. Angels of the North was a show that ticks all the boxes. It has unreal costumes, local references aplenty, brilliant songs, fantastic staging and most importantly, an incredible cast, who, as well as oozing star quality, charm and personality, were clearly blown away by the wealth of support for them. The evening evening with some line dancing , and the trio beating up their two male dancers who were were wearing Ant and Dec masks, while Let's Get Ready To Rumble eas played in the background , as Ant and Dec handed over the crown of Best Known Geordies to the trio. A very enjoyable show. --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- Wednesday 17 April 2024...6pm to 9pm.. BRIXTON ACADEMY - venue showcase. Nice to be back on the buzzy Brixton area again. Around 100 press folks here for this preview. Brixton Academy has been closed for 16 months after two people died at a concert there in Dec 2022. They have spent over a million pounds on giving it an upgrade while it has been closed. We got a full tour of the entire venue by the venue stage manager and an AMG chap. It became a gig venue in 1983. I saw New Order there in 1983. I have been to over 100 shows there since then. The entire circle has nice new individual seats. There is a new carpet in the stalls standing area. There is lots of extra CCTV. There will be a full welfare team and more medics than before, and twice as many security. The front area entry will be all cordoned off with barriers, and ticket goers will be told to walk around the venue , to join the queue at the back of the venue. Lots of painting has been done, but overall the venue structure looks the same , including the backstage areas. We went backstage , where one of the dressing rooms is named after KEITH FLINT from The Prodigy (R.I.P.) We walked on the stage , and walked through the load in /load out doors at the rear middle of the stage, that The Sex Pistols used for their own stage entrance , when I saw all of their five shows there in 2007. We get complimentary bottles of water, but no complimentary booze , even though the 13 venue bars are fully stocked and ready to go. Brixton Academy first proper show , with a couple of tribute bands , with restricted numbers entry , after it's enforced break will be this Friday 19 April. I will be there .

Posted 18th April 2024