News and Reviews: 1st December 2011
30 Nov 2011.Deep Purple With Orchestra + Cheap Trick live at The 02 Arena,London.Really looking forward to this gig as i have lots of history with both these classic rock bands.I have seen Deep Purple loads of times inc half a dozen with Richie Blackmore in the 1970s.I first saw Cheap Trick in 1979.
Deep Purple played to a three quarters full Wembley Arena on their last arena tour and tonight the upstairs Level 4 is closed off as empty.8,000 tickets sold which is pretty much only half the capacity here.No doubt it will look good on the cover for the "Live At The 02 Arena" dvd.
Up first are Cheap Trick who play a brilliant full 65 mins set.A few covers and their own gems inc "I Want You To Want Me","If You Want My Love","The Flame" and mega versions of "Surrender" and "Dream Police".As usual loads of different guitars used and dozens of guitar plectrums thrown out to the crowd.An excellent support set.
Deep Purple have a 30 plus member orchestra with them on this UK tour and every band sounds better when they add an orchestra including Deep Purple.At times pure magic.
They are on stage for 1 hour 55 mins.The first section is really good with "Highway Star","Strange Kind Of Woman" and "Woman From Tokyo".Nice use of the big screens and lights.
Its well known that each member of the band has a solo spot but tonights show in the middle part of the set seems like the Don Airey show as he appears to have a full keyboard solo every other song.Total muso pomposity.
Thankfully the show gets better again with superb versions of "Perfect Strangers","Space Truckin" and of course the mighty anthem "Smoke On The Water".Encores were covers of "Green Onions" and "Hush" and then their own "Black Night".Overall a great show by both bands.
29 Nov 2011.I went to three good events tonight.
First was 6.30pm to 7pm for the launch party of The Halcyon Gallery at 144 New Bond Street,London W1.
Popped in here for a freebie glass of champers.The gallery has moved into these nice new premises.Sir Bob Geldof is here.Older smart crowd as expected.Had to move on the next event that was a mere 100 yards around the corner.
then
7pm to 9pm was The Christmas Lights Switch On at The Stella McCartney Store,30 Bruton Strret,London W1.Lots of photographers and folks inside and outside the venue.
A cool fashion crowd and lots of freebie Laurent Perrier champers,cocktails,mulled wine and mince pies.
Jennifer Saunders said a few words in her Ab Fab voice.
Also here was Stella herself and great to see daddy Sir Paul McCartney and his new wife,Emma Bunton,Richard E Grant,Pam Hogg,Alexa Chung,Nick Grimshaw and Miss Dynamite.
For a store party it was excellent.
then
9.30pm to 11.45pm was the OK Magazine Christmas Party at Floridita,Wardour Street,London W1.A big crowd here for this popular glossy celebrity weekly mag.Lots of girls all glammed up.A couple of the TOWIE girls are here.Chef Aldo Zilli is here.I miss the two songs by Escala and three songs by Bucks Fizz as they must have come on quite early.
Oceans of free booze running here all night.
OK Christmas Parties always have Baileys with ice which is yummy.Loads of other cocktails etc going.This means its easy for the dj to get folks on the dancefloor to let their hair down.There was a fun photo booth too.I got a couple of nice bulky goodie bags on my way out.A great party.
28 Nov 2011.I went along to a couple of good events today.
12.45pm to 4.15pm.William Hill Sports Book Of The Year Award at Waterstones,Piccadilly,London W1.
Folks from BBC,ITV and SKY are here doing interviews.
Freebie beers,wines,mulled wine and canapes for all.
Host was BBC Sports presenter John Inverdale.
All the seven shortlisted authors are here.
Rugby player and last years winner Brian Moore handed out the prize to the winner.A bit spooky this being the day after the suicide of footballer Gary Speed as the winner was a book about a German national footballer(goalie) who stepped in front of a train in 2009.
Winner = A Life Too Short:The Tragedy Of Robert Enke.
Others shortlisted.
Among The Fans(author spent a year following fans of different sports and their different behaviour etc).
Into The Arena(The World Of The Spanish Bullfight).
The Ghost Runner(John Tarrant a 1956 Marathon runner).
Engage(Matt Hampson rugby player now in a wheelchair after a scrum collapsed on him).
Racing Through The Dark(David Millar Tour De France cyclist who was caught cheating as a doper).
32 Programmes(an English football fan moves to America and his wife tells him he can only bring 32 of his 1134 football programmes.He tells why these 32 made the cut).
We all got a nice goodie bag where you could pick any three of the seven shortlisted titles.
then
7pm to 11.30pm was the launch of The Nokia Lumia Phone.
Nokia bringing together world renowned producer and DJ deadmau5, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and the worlds leading 4D projection artists for a unique collaboration that will use Londons iconic Millbank Tower as the canvas for a spectacular audio visual show featuring world exclusives of new tracks from deadmau5.
The one-off event will see deadmau5 perform in front of Londons iconic Millbank Tower to a backdrop of spectacular 4D projections on the full length of the 120 metre building, making for an event that pushes the boundaries of live audio visual performance.
Using the latest state of the art visuals and echoing the head turning design of the first Nokia with Windows Phone device, the amazing show will use the 800 windows that make up the skyscraper as the canvas for a stunning spectacle. This is the first time a projection of this scale has been seen in the capital, and the first time it has been matched with a live music performance.
7pm we got on the boat at Embankment Pier.Around 400 on it with a mix of Nokia staff and guests and media.Some faces here inc Jodie Harsh,Nat Weller and Jade Jagger.
Lots of freebie Jacquart champers,beers,wines,bowl food and canapes.Just before 8pm we move slowly to Tower Bridge
and back and see The River Thames by night.Looks so nice.
Just before 9pm we pull up in front of The Millbank Tower where around 1000 members of the public are stood.
We watch the visually stunning show from the boat in the middle of the river.Deadmau5 has set up a full stage on the first floor balcony and plays for around 40 mins with his image blown up above him on the building and the rest of the light show covering the top part of the tower.
Then at 10pm we leave the boat for the afterparty at Alitude 360 at the top of The Millbank Tower.Freebie champers,cocktails,beers,wines and canapes here.Deadmau5 is doing a full dj set and the crowd by the stage are really getting into it.I departed at 11.30pm even though it was on until 1am.
Nokias slogan for this campaign is "Everything
Different" which this excellent and unique event was.
Altitude 360 London is situated in the heart of Westminster in London's famous SW1, right next to the London Eye, The Houses of Parliament and The River Thames. The venue commands stunning views over all of London and her prominent landmarks.
27 Nov 2011.Bill Bailey live at The Hexagon,Reading, Berkshire.
Another comedian out on a huge UK tour.A nice modern all seated venue here with good views from all angles.Bill was on stage for 2 hours 15 mins over two sets.
Lots of musical interludes as Bill plays guitar,keyboards and other instruments as he does wacky cover versions of well known songs.
Lots of funny bits and rants on various topics.Very good.
He plays Shepherds Bush Empire on 11 Dec 2011.