News and Reviews: 16th May 2012
15 May 2012.Barry Manilow + Jeff Stevenson live at The 02 Arena,London.Up first is comedian Jeff Stevenson who does a good 25 mins.It must be tricky being a warm act to the Barry Manilow hardcore but lots of quickfire jokes seemed to do the trick and he went down well.
Barry Manilow back in London only a year since he played four shows at this venue with an orchestra.
I went along to one of those shows.
Wisely he has kept it to only one London date this time as half a dozen unsold blocks upstairs.
Looks like he over here this time to promote the live dvd of last years shows.
In the mid 1970s he made a couple of brilliant pop singles "Mandy" and "I Write The Songs" and so he is a bit of a guilty pleasure because of those tracks.
Barry on stage for 1 hour 45 mins.Now aged 68 and the plastic surgery clearly visable.His very loyal fans give him a standing ovation after every song and cheer wildly even though he has charged them £100 plus booking fee to sit in Block A front stage area.
He has just completed his 1000th show in Las Vegas.
Free glo-sticks for all by the seats so plenty of them being being waved all night.
Three big screens used and a decent stage show.
His easy on stage banter always goes down well with his female fans.Good songs played included "Could It Be Magic","Looks Like We Made It","Cant Smile Without You","Bring On Tomorrow","I Made It Through The Night" and then "Mandy" which was great as an old video of him playing it in 1975 was shown on the big screen as he played it below.Then "Copacabana" and my other fave "I Write The Songs".
Encores were "Its A Miracle" complete with streamers and then "One Voice".
He is not everyone's cup of tea but he puts a good show with some good tunes.
14 May 2012.10th Anniversary show of The Queen musical "We Will Rock You" at The Dominion Theatre,London.
This musical was slagged off good and proper by all the critics when it first came out but here we are ten years later and it has sold a staggering 6 million tickets at this theatre alone and 7 million tickets at other productions of it around the world.
Got in the red carpet press area to catch the celebs coming in.Got some decent photos.Over 30 well known faces here including Brian May,Roger Taylor,Ben Elton,
Mike Rutherford,Nick Mason,Martin Kemp and others that i have listed in the aftershow page.
The story takes place in a tongue-in-cheek future where originality and individualism are shunned, and a lone "Dreamer" appears who can fulfill a prophecy that will enable the return of rock 'n roll.
A fantastic atmosphere in this theatre that holds some 2500.The script has plenty of funny lines in it and it is updated yearly with current topics.The guy that played Curly Watts in Coronation Street is in it.Loads of Queen classics all through the show played by a live band that still features ex Whitesnake bassist Neil Murray.Queen have the number one selling UK album ever with 5.8 million sales of "Greatest Hits Vol 1".
Still a very popular band indeed.
I was lucky enough to have seen Queen with Freddie Mercury loads of times from 1973 onwards.
Tonights show lasted nearly 3 hours over two sets.I had seen it a few times before but it is still great fun.
The last four songs were a highlight and it felt like a proper rock gig as everyone standing and singing and waving their freebie glo-sticks in the air for "We Will Rock You","We Are The Champions" then Brian May came on to play live guitar to "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "The Show Must Go On".For that final song Roger Taylor came on playing his drums.
Then some speeches by Brian May and Ben Elton and they introduced the producers to the stage.One was a complete surprise as it was movie legend Robert De Niro.
It was an excellent show.
See aftershow page for this event.
Rush to play UK arena tour in 2013
Wed May 22nd Manchester Arena
Fri May 24th London, O2 Arena
Sun May 26th Birmingham, LG Arena
Tues May 28th Sheffield, Motorpoint Arena
Thurs May 30th Glasgow, SECC
Tickets are pretty expensive...£75 and £50 plus booking fee from www.livenation.co.uk
New album "Clockwork Angels" out 11 June 2012.
13 May 2012.Man City 3 QPR 2.Last game of the season.
Live on SKY TV 3pm.
Just when you think it could not be more dramatic.
Man City score twice in the last five minutes to be crowned champions ahead of Man Utd.
No wonder the premier league is the best in the world.
Every weekend was great games and surprising results.
Thankfully Stoke scored a second goal to draw against Bolton so Bolton go down instead of QPR.
A lucky escape for us.Hopefully Mark Hughes and co can do much better next season.
The Psychedelic Furs are to play a London show after their Hop Farm Festival,Kent date.
5th July 2012
The Garage, Highbury, London
24 hour ticket hotline: 08700 603 777
Online bookings: www.seetickets.com
Tickets £20.00 (plus booking fee)
10 May 2012.10cc live at The Royal Albert Hall,London.
This was the last date of their UK tour to celebrate their "40th anniversary".
10cc were massive in the early 1970s with 13 Top 40 singles between 1972-1978 including three number ones
which were Rubber Bullets(1973),I'm Not In Love(1975) and Dreadlock Holiday(1978).
I saw them a few times back in the 1970s including including a headline show at Wembley Arena.
Also i was at the legendary Rolling Stones Knebworth Festival show in August 1976 where 10cc were the main support band above Lynyrd Skynyrd and Todd Rundgren so that gives you an idea how popular they were.
On stage for 2 hours 10 mins over two sets of 30 mins and 1 hour 40 mins.
Graham Gouldman is the only original member now as Godley and Creme left over 30 years ago to be big time pop music video directors.
First set was acoustic songs by Graham Gouldman who had made a name for himself in the 1960s before 10cc as a hit songwriter, penning "Heart Full of Soul" and "For Your Love" for The Yardbirds,"Bus Stop" for The Hollies and "No Milk Today" for Herman's Hermits.He played them all tonight.
The second set was the full band with all the hits.
They had so many catchy tunes it was unreal.
10cc all shared lead vocals back in the day so one of the band sing the higher pitched vocals tonight.
Gems played included "Wall Street Shuffle","The Things We Do For Love","I'm Mandy Fly Me","Life Is A Minestrone","Art For Arts Sake","Silly Love","Donna"
then original member Kevin Godley came on to sing two tracks then it was "The Dean And I" then Paul Carrack came on to help out with "I'm Not In Love" then it was "Dreadlock Holiday" and for the encores Kevin Godley came back on for a vocals only reprise of "Donna" and then he got behind the drums for another hit "Rubber Bullets".A really enjoyable show.
09 May 2012.I went to two launch events tonight.
First was 6.45pm to 8pm for the Sam Faiers "Living Life The Essex Way" book launch at Zenna Bar,Dean Street,W1.
Sam is one of the girls from the popular "The Only Way Is Essex" tv prog.My kids watch it but its not my cup of tea.I do however quite like the idea they can all make a few quid with their minimal talent.
Freebie cocktails for all in this basement bar.
Sam is here signing copies which retail at £12.99.
Sam lifts the lid on her childhood, her rise to fame and her beauty regime, as well as her dating rules, dealing with instant fame, the men in her life and what really goes on behind the scenes on the hit ITV2 show.
then 8.15pm to 11pm.
it was the launch of Scandinavian fashion website www.nelly.com at Aqua,5th Floor,Argyll Street,W1.
A big crowd of 400 or 500 were mainly competition winners from fashion mags and websites and a few press folks.Very lively here as lots of young females.Lots of free booze and canapes all night.www.nelly.com had a massive display of mainly female clothes and shoes here.The amazing thing here was 300 of the guests,yes 300 got a voucher for a free pair of shoes.
I ordered a pair so hopefully they will come soon.
One of the bar staff told me they put £14,000 behind the bar for the booze so well done to www.nelly.com for splashing the cash.An excellent party really.
Nelly.com started it's business in Sweden in 2004. Nelly.com is a e-commerce website with a focus on fashion and beauty. In total there are over 750 different brands in the company’s product range which mostly caters for men and women between 18 and 35.
08 May 2012.Dexys live at The Shepherds Bush Empire,London.
This show sold out pronto two months ago without much advertising as such.It is all seated including the floor stalls area.
I saw Dexys Midnight Runners three times between 1979-1981 in their early 1980s heyday when they had two massive number one singles with "Geno"(1979) and "Come On Eileen"(1981).
I also saw their brilliant reunion show at the Royal Festival Hall in 2003.
This show was to promote the release of their first new
studio album for 27 years "One Day I'm Going To Soar" that comes out next month.
It is a long set of 2 hours 10 mins on stage with the first half all of the new album and the second half all the classic oldies.
There was a big screen showing images and the band included Mick Talbot on keyboards.Kevin Rowland is still a very dapper dresser in a zoot suit,big wide tie and spats looking very Cotton Club/Kid Creole.
The new album was not as lively as older Dexys tracks and apart from a couple of tracks it never really got me that excited to be honest although i love the pure soul passion that Kevin Rowland has put into it.Everyone here is really behind him and gave him a standing ovation and loud cheers at the end of the new album part.There are loads of music critics from most of the big newspapers here.
Some songs have narrative with his second singer which lead into a theatrical music hall type feel to the show.The oldies are just fantastic as they are more uptempo with the violin and trombone.The trombone for
"Tell Me When My Life Goes Green" is just magic.Other gems were "This Is What She's Like","Liars A-E","Old",
"Burn It Down","I Couldn't Help If I Tried" and a superb extended version of "Come On Eileen" that got the crowd jumping.
A great show overall even if the new album tracks may take a few listens to get into.
07 May 2012.Brit Floyd live at The Royal Albert Hall,London.
I saw this quality Floyd tribute band twice last year at this venue and The 02 Arena and they are back again with another massive tour and a brand new show titled "A Foot In The Door - The Best Of Pink Floyd".
On stage for a nice long 2 hours 40 mins over two sets.
The sound is perfect and the circular screen showing images blends perfectly with the brilliant light show.
Syd Barretts sister introduced the trio of Syd related songs near the start of the set.So many great Floyd songs one after the other.It was well paced too as the second set featured a Roger Waters section.The last two songs "Comfortably Numb" and "Run Like Hell" were incredible.A really good gig.
Full setlist.
Shine On You Crazy Diamond...Learning to Fly..See Emily Play..Terrapin...Astronomy Domine...Money...High Hopes...The Happiest Days of Our Lives...Another Brick in the Wall Part 2...Pigs (Three Different Ones)...
Echoes...Time...The Great Gig in the Sky... Have a Cigar...Wish You Were Here...One of These Days...Hey You...Is There Anybody Out There?... Nobody Home...Vera
...Bring the Boys Back Home...Comfortably Numb.
Encore was Run Like Hell.
See www.britfloyd.for full tour info.
06 May 2012.2pm.QPR 1 Stoke 0.
QPR really needed to win this game as last game of the season next week is away to Man City.
We were 4th from bottom when millions was spent on new manager Mark Hughes and new players yet before this game we are still 4th from bottom and now relegation beckons.
Pretty amazing as we scored near the end and Bolton lost their two goal lead against West Brom to draw.
We stay just above the bottom three but it could still go tits up next weekend.
Had a quick chat with ex Clash guitar legend Mick Jones who was with rock n roll jeweller Stephen Webster.
Another season ticket holder Sex Pistol Glen Matlock was away in Paris for the weekend.
While there will be loads of great events going on around the time of The Olympics look at who the folks in charge are trying to get to play.
The Who's Roger Daltrey has confirmed that organisers of the London 2012 Olympics asked whether drummer Keith Moon – who died in 1978 – would be able to take part in this summer's celebrations.
In an interview on US TV show Jimmy Kimmel Live! earlier this week, the frontman joked that the band's management had responded to the invitation by suggesting they try contacting the deceased rocker themselves by holding a séance.
Perhaps its the same person that asked The Sex Pistols would they could they turn up to an Olympics ceremony and mime on the back of a truck while waving to the crowd............Priceless.
04 May 2012.Imelda May + Severed Limb live at The Royal Albert Hall,London.
Rockabilly comes to this posh venue.Up first we have Severed Limb from South London playing some skiffle/rockabilly for 40 mins.Instruments used included washboard,double bass and a stand up drummer with a kit comprising of just snare and bass drums.
They went down well with the crowd.
Imelda May is very popular in her native Ireland where in Dec 2011 she headlined The 02 Arena in Dublin and was joined by Bono for a couple of songs.
She is over the moon tonight is sold out.
On stage for 1 hour 50 mins with tracks from all three of her rockabilly based albums.She looks great in a 50s type red dress that is showing off her baby bump.
Good tracks played included "Kentish Town Waltz" and "All For You".After an hour it shifted up a couple of gears and got louder and rockier which got the crowd up and dancing for tracks like "Inside Out","Let Me Out" and "Mayhem".
For the encores a record company chap came out and presented her with a disc for 400,000 worldwide sales of her latest album "Mayhem" then covers of "Baby I Love You","Tainted Love" and a couple of Elvis Presley classics sealed a good show.
Sad news that Beastie Boy Adam Yauch has lost his battle with cancer aged only 47.
I saw some great Beastie Boys gigs in their heyday.
Run DMC,Whodini,LL Cool J,Beastie Boys Hammersmith Odeon , London 12.09.1986.First ever UK shows.
Run DMC,Whodini,LL Cool J,Beastie Boys Hammersmith Odeon , London 13.09.1986.2 superb sold out rap shows
Run DMC,Beastie Boys Brixton Academy , London 24.05.1987 great tension filled sets by both acts .
Beastie Boys + Prodigy + Foo Fighters + Echo And The Bunnymen ,Reading Festival , Berks 29.08.1998 Prodigy did a totally awesome show that totally blew away Beastie Boys .Foo Fighters did another great set
03 May 2012.Bruce Forsyth live at The Royal Albert Hall,London.
Bonafide British showbiz legend Sir Bruce Forsyth now aged 84 celebrates his 70 years in showbusiness.Yes 70 years.He started out when he was just 14.
He became known through the series Sunday Night at the London Palladium, going on to present very popular television series such as The Generation Game, Play Your Cards Right, The Price Is Right, You Bet! and Strictly Come Dancing, the last of which he still presents with Tess Daly.
In December 2007, his catchphrase 'Nice to see you, to see you, nice' was voted the most popular UK catchphrase by the British public. On 24 February 2008, the BBC featured an 85-minute programme celebrating the star's 80th birthday, entitled "Happy Birthday Brucie!"
This show was his first in London for 14 years and his first ever at The Royal Albert Hall as before he always performed at The Palladium.
He had an album out last year on EMI called "These Are My Favourites" which are easy listening rat pack covers and well known ballads and plays a few songs from it tonight.He also played some decent piano.
He was backed by a 30 piece orchestra.
On stage for 2 hours 25 mins over two sets.The show was split 50/50 singing and comedy.A big screen showed all the show.You can see why he is one of the UKs most loved entertainers with lots of jokey banter and audience participation.He looks incredible for his age and still can dance a bit and he still does a tap dance routine.
Lots of stories about legends he has worked with.He said he all time fave was Sammy Davis Jr.
There really was a ton of laughter tonight.
The whole show was really enjoyable and the full standing ovation at the end was well deserved.
02 May 2012.New Order live at Brixton Academy,London.
First of two shows at this venue as part of a UK tour.
One of those gigs where it seems half the crowd stay in pubs near the venue and then all pour in at 9pm.
Another band i have a lot of history with as i saw their legendary predecessors Joy Division five times in 1979/1980 and i saw New Orders first ever London show at The Forum way back in 1981.
The band arrive on stage at 9.25pm and play for 95 mins.
Sadly their iconic bassist Peter Hook is not in this line up due to arguments and egos etc.There is a big screen showing their old videos and other images.Singer Bernard Sumner still looks an awkward front man and he will not be winning any best vocalist awards.
Thankfully New Order have loads of great dance anthems that mixed in with an impressive light display just work a treat.
It is pretty much a greatest hits set with no new material.
Tracks like "Regret" and "Ceremony" are great.Other goodies like "True Faith","The Perfect Kiss" and a superb "Blue Monday" got everyone dancing.The last song of the main set was a brilliant "Temptation" before the encores of two Joy Division classics "Transmission" and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" which brought the house down.
A really good gig.
Full setlist.
Elegia, Crystal, Regret, Ceremony, Age of Consent,
Love Vigilantes, Krafty, Round and Round, Bizarre Love Triangle, True Faith, 586, The Perfect Kiss, Blue Monday, Temptation.
Encores:
Transmission (Joy Division cover)
Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division cover)
See the upcoming news page for exclusive news on a Glen Matlock gig in December and The Sex Pistols Experience Thames Boat Trip Gig in June.