Tuesday 23 April 2024.

Tuesday 23 April 2024. LAINEY WILSON live at The Forum. 31 year old American female country music singer-songwriter plays the first of two sold out shows at this London venue on her UK tour. Wilson has received seven Country Music Association Awards, including winning their top honour Entertainer of the Year in 2023. She has also received a Grammy Award and six Academy of Country Music Awards. She will play tracks from her four studio albums. Lainey played a staggering 162 shows in 2023. --------- They say you’ve truly made it when your audience starts dressing like you. There was a sea of cowboy boots, stetsons, denim, fringe and, of course, flares as far as the eye could see. Hillbilly hippies were everywhere, such is the influence of Lainey Wilson, country music’s rising superstar. What was also noticeable was the wide range of her audience: with a good gender balance, plus families with kids and younger couples alongside the usual diehard country music fans. The vibe felt celebratory and fun. Sitting near me is Will Hodgkinson who is a journalist and author and the chief rock and pop critic for The Times newspaper and contributes to Mojo magazine.He has written for The Guardian,The Independent and Vogue.Hodgkinson presents the Sky Arts TV show Songbook, in which he interviews contemporary songwriters. I missed the 30 mins support act - HARPER O'NEILL . LAINEY WILSON and her all-male band arrived on stage at 9pm and played for 1 hour 40 mins. A nice stage production with lots of lights. She is a big name in America , so she can afford two personal security ...one in the pit and one side of stage.....to keep a close eye on her. Lainey is a full on good ole wholesome long haired country girl, as she transports us to Southern America of rodeos, trucks and gasoline ,with her very distinctive country voice. After 45 mins she sat by the edge of the stage and signed posters and album covers for the fans Near the end of the main set Lainey did a neat cover of ' What's Up' by 4 Non Blondes , which went down well, and other highlights included ' Watermelon Sunshine', ' Wait In The Truck', ' Things A Man Oughta Know ' and 'Heart Like A Truck '. An enjoyable country music show. ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------- Monday 22 April 2024. Blimey.....pure robbery. £8.95 for a pint at the new venue in Manchester. I hope there is a Wetherspoons nearby. Punters awaiting the opening of Manchester's new £365million Co-op live arena this week have been left outraged and disgusted by a leaked bar menu that suggests the cost of a pint in the venue will be £8.95. The arena, which was set to officially open with a Peter Kay gig, (both his shows there postponed by several days due to power issues), will have the largest maximum capacity of any UK venue indoors, capable of holding 23,500 people at a time. That's slightly more than The 02 Arena in London. This weekend at an official test event featuring Rick Astley, some fans were incensed after the venue cut 4000 tickets from the show at the last minute, leaving revelers stranded. --------------------------- --------------------------- Sunday 21 April 2024. Top 10 Best Selling Albums in USA in 1981. 10) Back in Black – AC/DC (Atlantic) 9) Crimes of Passion – Pat Benatar (Chrysalis) 8) Moving Pictures – Rush (Mercury) 7) Escape – Journey (Columbia) 6) 4 – Foreigner (Atlantic) 5) The Jazz Singer (Orig. Soundtrack) – Neil Diamond (Capitol) 4) Double Fantasy – John Lennon / Yoko Ono (Geffen) 3) Kenny Rogers’ Greatest Hits (Liberty) 2) Paradise Theater – Styx (A&M) 1) Hi Infidelity – REO Speedwagon (Epic)

Posted 22nd April 2024