News and Reviews: 12th March 2012
11 March 2012.Emmy The Great + Amanda Applewood live at The Queen Elizabeth Hall,London.Back again here for another show as part of "The Women Of The World Festival" at The Southbank Centre.I really love this venue.
Proper tiered cosy seating and the sound and views are perfect.I wish more bands would play here.
Up first is Amanda Applewood.A decent 30 mins of indie pop tunes.Yet another female in a long dress.Emmy The Great also wore a long dress.
The venue is a decent three quarters full and is pretty much Emmy The Greats biggest ever headline gig so it is a big deal for her.
The show lasted 85 mins.
There are twelve people backing her.Four band members,four female strings and four female backing vocalists.I only know her from a great Christmas themed album she did with Tim Wheeler of Ash a few months ago.Tonight she said most of the set was based on her second album "Virtue" that came out last year.There was some cute banter between songs.Everything ticked along nicely but nothing really grabbed.The best bits were when the string section and backing vocals kicked in at full tilt like with final song "Fade Into You" which is a Mazzy Star cover.
10 March 2012.Sinead O'Connor + Elizaveta live at The Queen Elizabeth Hall,London.
Another show as part of The Women Of The World Festival at The Southbank Centre so Sinead is a perfect choice.This show was at the cosy QEH that has just 900 plush seats.Totally sold out as Sinead should really be playing next door at the bigger RFH.
Up first we have Elizaveta.She said she hails from Russia.Classical piano with some pop opera vocals.Dressed in a lovely full length gown and sporting huge headwear.Her 40 mins set went down well.
What can you say about Sinead?.One of the most outspoken female artists out there.Opinions on the Roman Catholic Church and other things have marked her out as a bit of a nutter.She is now on her fourth marriage.
I first saw her in 1987 as a support act.
With a fantastic seven piece band who sounded great and well rehearsed as Sinead is on a world tour to promote her ninth album "How About I Be Me(And You Be You) that has got lots of good reviews.
The 1 hour 40 mins set was a total return to form.Sinead is barefoot from the start.
Versions of "The Emperors New Clothes" and new single "The Wolf Is Getting Married" were superb.
Sinead was in her element with an adoring loyal crowd that must make a change from all the haters she gets.Other gems were "Three Babies" and "4th And Vine".A brilliant version of her big hit "Nothing Compares 2 U" got a full standing ovation and the main set closer "The Last Day Of Our Acquaintance" was another gem.
Encores included "Jackie" and an emotional cover of John Grants "Queen Of Denmark".
Tonight Sinead was great.
09 March 2012.Annie Lennox + Emeli Sande + Katy B + Jess Mills live at The Royal Festival Hall,London.
This show was titled EQUALS LIVE.A call for Equality Around The World as part of The Women Of The World Festival.
Like last year Annie Lennox does a good job as hostess with introducing the artists and the speeches between acts but last year she sang eight songs and tonight she only played two.
The other female acts were all good.
Up first is Jess Mills who is signed to Island Records and is rated by the likes of NME.She sings five songs in 25 mins.Wearing a lovely flowing dress and with a great sound very in the Florence And The Machine mode.Good stuff.
Then it is Katy B whose album "On A Mission" got great reviews last year.Six songs in 30 mins including biggies "Katy On a Mission" and "Lights On".
Then Emeli Sande who i saw supporting Coldplay in Dec 2011 and her debut album hit the number one spot last month.A great seven songs in 35 mins including "Daddy",a cover of Coldplays "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall",also "Next To Me" and "Heaven".
A fantastic voice and the crowd loved her.
Finally was Annie Lennox.Her first song was a cover of Charles Aznavour "She" and then "Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves" which had the other three singers on the bill join her on stage.An evening of quality female acts.
08 March 2012.Jayhawks + Chuck Prophet live at The Barbican,London.
Up first was Chuck Prophet who when he was in his band in the 1990s Green On Red got critical acclaim but not big record sales.He played a good 40 mins set based on his 12th studio album "Temple Beautiful" and ended his set with a great version of "You Did".
During their heyday in the first half of the 1990s, The Jayhawks perfected a captivating sound that seamlessly blended the elegant folk-rock of the Byrds, the adventurousness of Buffalo Springfield, the hippiebilly soulfulness of the Flying Burrito Brothers and the soaring harmonies of the Beach Boys.
On stage for 95 mins for their first London show since 2001.They are promoting their 8th studio album "Mockingbird Time".Loads of great harmonies pretty much for every song.In fact some songs both the singers sung all the lyrics of all the song together.Chuck Prophet joined them for a couple of songs.Encores included
"Tampa To Tulsa" and "Waiting For The Sun".
A good gig.
07 March 2012.7pm to 9pm.I was at the launch party for Fifi Lapin at Juicy Couture,Bruton Street,London W1.
As expected mainly females here at this female designer store just a few yards from Stella McCartneys.Lots of nice freebie champers, cocktails and cupcakes for all here tonight.
Juicy Couture has joined up with Fifi Lapin, the world's most stylish "haress" on a fancy new capsule collection featuring all sorts of cottontail cuteness.Sketchbooks and greeting cards and silk scarves—particularly the bright red neckerchief covered in vignettes.
A nice goodie bag with one of the sketchbooks and a 30ml Juicy Couture fragrance.
See www.juicycouture.com
06 March 2012.Minster Exchange, Mincing Lane, London EC3R 7PP. Nearest tube stations are
Monument, Bank, Tower Hill and Fenchurch Street.
This cool bar and restaurant was so impressed by my review of their downstairs space relaunch a couple of weeks ago they invited me back for a complimentary meal for two which was very nice of them.
For me the 12 oz steak with peppercorn sauce was very tasty as was the spiced fishcakes and king prawns.They threw in some free drinks as well so a really nice evening.
Happy Hour everyday 5 to 7pm - 50% off Selected Wines, £10 off Champagne, £4.50 Cocktails, £5.00 Champagne Cocktails, £3 Becks Vier Pint, £3 Becks Bottle and 50% off Platters.
Minster Exchange has recently undergone a renovation on the conference facilities and now offers the ultimate multi-functional event space for any hospitality occasion.Offering the ideal venue for a private board meeting, conference, fine dining experience in the beautiful restaurant, or simply an informal gathering with colleagues in the spacious bar. With facilities such as a separate bar, dance floor, kitchen, cloak rooms, full audio-visual equipment and projector screens, the self-contained meeting areas can be adapted to suit the changing demands required for different events. Catering for up to 400 people, the event team will do all the planning on your behalf.
Suitable for: Business lunches • Christmas parties • Client entertaining • Champagne and canapé receptions • Day delegate • Formal dining • Meetings • Networking events • Private hire • Product launches •Quiz nights • Sporting lunches and dinners • Summer parties • Themed events • Wedding receptions.
See www.ballsbrothers.co.uk
Radiohead play The 02 Arena on 08/09 Oct 2012.
These will be their first UK shows since 2008.
Bumped into those nice folks from video clips website www.winkball.com at Simple Minds.
Check me waffling on about Simple Minds by clicking on their website.
Enter Simple Minds in search--then view wall---select page 3--then select number 9 photo.
Very sad to hear that guitarist Ronnie Montrose has passed away age 64 due to cancer.
The debut album by his band Montrose in 1973 is one of the greatest rock albums of all time
and featured a young Sammy Hagar on vocals.
02 March 2012.Simple Minds live at The Roundhouse,London.
Totally sold out show here for Simple Minds who are one of the most successful Scottish bands of all time with over 60 million album sales.
Another band i have a lot of history with as i have seen them over a dozen times since 1980 including a huge headline show at Milton Keynes Bowl in 1986 to some 50,000 fans.
This European tour was called "5x5" where they played five songs off their first five albums that came out in the period from 1979 to 1982.
Remastered versions have just been released.
This was before they hit their big success.
A great Friday night atmosphere here tonight.
On stage for 2 hours 15 mins over two sets of 60 mins and 75 mins.The hardcore Simple Minds fans like this period over the more commercial period that came after these albums.Good tracks played included "I Travel","Life In A Day","Love Song",
"The American","Promised You A Miracle","Someone Somewhere In Summertime".Encores started with the fab instrumental "Theme From Great Cities",
then "Chelsea Girl","Glittering Prize" and "New Gold Dream".Singer Jim Kerr getting everyone to easily sing loudly along with hands aloft.
A really good show.
Some of their biggest hits were not played as they were not on the first five albums.
"Dont You Forget About Me" was a movie soundtrack single and not on any studio album and "Waterfront" and "Aive And Kicking" were both on later albums.Simple Minds have released 16 studio albums in the 30 plus years career.