Saturday 01 June 2024.

Saturday 01 June 2024...Champions League Final . Real Madrid v B Dortmund....Wembley Stadium. Up to 30,000 people will be able to enjoy “bands and live entertainment” on Victoria Embankment and MOD gardens before large screens show the match at 8pm. There is no live screening or proper highlights on BBC or ITV. Another 20,000 will be able to gather in Trafalgar Square for drinks and food but there will be no screening of the football there over fears of disorder. Wembley Arena will also be screening the match live. More than 2500 stewards and security will be on duty at Wembley Stadium after the disorder at the Euro 2020 Final, when around 2000 got in without tickets. ---------- Fan Meeting Point at Victoria Embankment. We were there 6pm to 10.30pm. It is a much bigger event than expected as roads are closed, barriers everywhere , hundreds of security and police everywhere , inc drug sniffer dogs. The set up is like the New Years Fireworks. Lots of people and a lively atmosphere and we are with The Real Madrid fans watching the game. Must be at least 15,000 fans here. Pre- game entertainment was Spanish themed. There are three big screens showing the game. The German fans were well away in Hyde Park. Thankfully we had decent weather , and no rain. Real Madrid 2 B Dortmund 0 . The game came to life in the second half. A very nice event , and very unusual for the organisers to put on big screens and such a big event , when the English National team or an English team are not involved. --------------------------------- --------------------------------- Thursday 30 May 2024. I went to two events tonight. 6.45pm to 8.15pm. BEYOND FASHION - private view - Saatchi Gallery , Duke of Yorks Square , Kings Road, Chelsea , SW3. Beyond Fashion showcases the work of acclaimed fashion photographers from around the world. The works demonstrate how fashion photography has moved past the simple presentation of product lines to reflect on the reality of our lives, to explore our aspirations and to push at the boundaries of creativity....tickets from £6. Over 200 fashion folks at this huge gallery. Complimentary Belmont champers , gin n tonics and beers. then AIR live at The Royal Albert Hall. This was the first of their two sold out shows here. The iconic French duo, AIR will play their widely celebrated album ' Moon Safari' in its entirety for the first time across a European Tour. Celebrating its 25th anniversary last year, the release of 'Moon Safari' catapulted Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel to the uppermost rung of electronic music’s ladder and left an indelible imprint on pop culture at the end of the 20th Century. The album birthed hit singles in ‘Kelly Watch The Stars’, ‘All I Need’ and ‘Sexy Boy’, sold millions of copies around the world, and pushed Air into headline status at major festivals. 25 years on, it’s not hard to reason why Moon Safari has stood the test of time. --------- The venue is rammed solid sold out. AIR arrived on stage at 9.05pm for their 1 hour 40 mins set. The duo and a drummer appear on stage. Lovely stage as they play within a disco portacabin . The Parisian duo, Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel, were dressed in immaculate white and performed from inside a bright, glowing rectangular box of video screens and lights – the command post for the show. In fact, at one point, the screens actually did transform into the deck of a spaceship as planets flew by, and they took us on a journey through their space-age lounge music. Like the audience , they are coolness personified . Not sure if it was a good idea to play the 'Moon Safari' album first , as that meant the big hits were Inc ' Sexy Boy ' and ' Kelly Watch The Stars' were played very early in the show. The second set was full of their dreamy Best Of. A very enjoyable show. Full AIR setlist played tonight ... MOON SAFARI album set. La femme d'argent Sexy Boy All I Needv(Reworked version) Kelly Watch the Stars Talisman Remember You Make It Easy Ce matin‐là New Star in the Sky (Chanson pour Solal) Le voyage de Pénélope BEST OF set. Radian Venus Cherry Blossom Girl Run Highschool Lover Surfing on a Rocket Don't Be Light Encore: Alone in Kyoto Electronic Performers

Posted 31st May 2024