Saturday 11 January 2025.

Saturday 11 January 2025. THE SMYTHS + BILLY BLAGG live at Shepherds Bush Empire. Two top tribute acts return to the same venue where I saw them this time last year. It will be The Smyths 1000th show. -------- Level 3 is closed and Level 2 is half empty , but the stalls standing and Level 1 seats areas are rammed full ,so must be around an impressive 1400 tickets sold. Good to see folks of all ages here . BILLY BLAGG arrived on stage at 8.15pm for his 45 mins set. His manners and rants are just like the real Billy Bragg. Highlights played in a good set included 'To Have and to Have Not', ' Sexuality', 'Between The Wars', ' The Milkman of Human Kindness' and he finished with a mega ' A New England'. THE SMYTHS arrived on stage at 9.20pm and they played for 95 mins. Everyone here is singing those great lyrics from The Smiths The first 30 mins is pretty much lesser known tracks. Lots of The Smiths classics played later in the set. Included this time were a couple of Morrissey gems. Sadly , they did not play ' Panic ' tonight. A very enjoyable show. Full SMYTHS setlist played tonight.... Meat Is Murder ( The Smiths cover) Barbarism Begins at Home ( The Smiths cover) The Headmaster Ritual ( The Smiths cover) Rusholme Ruffians (The Smiths cover) What She Said ( The Smiths cover) I Want the One I Can't Have ( The Smiths cover) Nowhere Fast ( The Smiths cover) Suedehead (Morrissey cover) The Last of the Famous International Playboys ( Morrissey cover) William, It Was Really Nothing ( The Smiths cover) There Is a Light That Never Goes Out ( The Smiths cover) Sheila Take a Bow ( The Smiths cover) Ask ( The Smiths cover ) Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now ( The Smiths cover) This Charming Man (The Smiths cover) Bigmouth Strikes Again ( The Smiths cover) Encore: That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore ( The Smiths cover) How Soon Is Now? (The Smiths cover) ----------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------- Saturday 11 January 2025. Very sad news that SAM MOORE has died aged 89 . He was part of the legendary soul duo Sam & Dave. I saw them in Sept 1979 on my first visit to USA . As part of an amazing three act bill. The Orpheum Theatre , Boston (2700 capacity ) The Clash Sam & Dave The Undertones -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Friday 10 January 2025. LAURENCE JONES live at 229 Great Portland Street, London W1. Liverpool born blues rock guitarist LAURENCE JONES is playing a massive 32 date UK tour in early 2025. This London show is the second on the tour. As part of The Blues Festival at this venue. For Laurence, every performance matters due to his battle with Crohn's disease. Crohn's main symptoms include urgent visits to the toilet each day, as you have colon issues. The worst cases will have a stoma bag procedure. He channels his pain into the blues and it shows in his music. www.agmp.co.uk - Visit their website here for full tour info and tickets. -------- The venue looks pretty full on this freezing cold evening. Support band Miguel Montalban and the Southern Vultures were formed in 2019 and were on stage for around 40 mins. Miguel certainly dresses like a rock star, and displayed soulful vocals paired with some nice guitar virtuosity. Some good tracks played from their recent recordings. LAURENCE JONES and band arrived on stage at 9.20pm and played for around 80 mins. The trio sound tight and perfect all throughout their set. The five string bass from Jack Alexander Timmis can be heard clearly all through the show, which is pretty rare. Laurence may only just be in his 30s, but he has been playing all over the place for over a decade, so there’s a confident swagger about Jones which is impossible to dislike. His infectious smile, down-to-earth manner, and amenable personality get you beaming as he speaks between tracks. Pretty much every song has got some superb blues guitar solo, whether it's with a guitar pick or finger pickin'. He is promoting his recent album 'Bad Luck & The Blues'. A really good show by this mesmerising blues guitarist. Highlights included... Don't You Leave Me This Way Thunder In The Sky Bad Luck & The Blues Voodoo Child ( dedicated to his hero Jimi Hendrix) Woman Encore : Foolin' Me ( dedicated to Francis Rossi , as he supported Status Quo at the end of 2024) -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Friday 10 January 2025. Happy Birthday to ROD STEWART who is 80 today. Lucky to have seen him live over 20 times since the 1970s.

Posted 9th January 2025