News and Reviews: 21st March 2019
Wednesday 20 March 2019...I went to three events today...1.30pm to 4.15pm
Final day of IFE at Excel, East London.
The International Food & Drink Event (IFE) is a celebration of 1,350 innovative, global and
cutting-edge food & drink manufacturers.
A massive event as over 5000 visitors a day.
Showcasing are food brands, snack brands, cakes n pastries brands, Choc brands, soft drinks brands,
alcoholic drinks brands,ice-cream brands, along with kitchen equipment and related manufacturers.
Lots of samples are given out for us to try and you end up taking home a bag of food n drinks.
then
5pm to 8pm
VISIT SCOTLAND - showcase at Boisdale, Canary Wharf, London E14.
Around 100 guests here at this nice venue.
Thirteen stands from top hotels in Scotland are showcasing including Trump Turnberry.
Stunning four star and five star hotels set in stunning locations in the cities and the countryside.
Certainly feels like i should plan another visit to Scotland...maybe a gig like KISS in July...
Three raffle prizes of a one night hotel stay in one of the hotels with travel included but none of
my group won anything this time.
Complimentary wines and canapés for all guests.
then
9pm to 11.30pm
HIPAY PARTY at Namco Funscape County Hall , London SE1.
HiPay is an independent global payment service provider based in France.
Around 200 guests here at this venue where tonight you can have free use of 200 arcade machines,
14 bowling lanes, table tennis, pool tables, bumper cars etc.
A dj is playing tunes from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s.
Complimentary guinness, lagers, ciders, fish n chips, burgers, giant sausages and canapés.
A fun event.
www.hipay.com
Visit their website here for more info.
Tuesday 19 March 2019.
PICTURE THIS + ETHAM + CHARLOTTE live at The Forum, London.
Picture This are massive back home in Ireland where at the end of March they become the first band
to play five nights at the 13,000 capacity Dublin Arena.
They are touring to promote their second album.
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Picture This sold out Shepherds Bush Empire on the last tour and tonight is sold out and they
return to play The Roundhouse at the end of the year.
CHARLOTTE arrived on stage at 7.30pm and played for 30 mins.
A decent enough 30 mins set from this singer-songwriter.
ETHAM arrived on stage at 8.20pm and played for 30 mins.
A decent enough 30 mins set from this singer-singwriter.
It was a good idea to put the supports name on the big screen all through their sets.
By the time the headliners arrive on stage the venue is full of Irish folks.
PICTURE THIS arrived on stage at 9.20pm and played for 80 mins.
They had a big screen showing nice pre-recorded images.
Lots of females here screaming away for the singer.
Lots of Irish flags on display and chants of "Ole, Ole, Ole".
The band were very well rehearsed and the mainly under 30s crowd sang along loudly.
Their pop rock sound is like The Script or Maroon 5 so doubt the critics will like then.
Highlights included "One Drink" and "Take My Hand".
Pretty obvious they will be at Wembley Arena or The 02 Arena in a couple of years.
An enjoyable show.
Full setlist played by Picture This tonight...
Modern Love
If You Wanna Be Loved
You & I
Everything I Need
Nevada
Dance Away With Me
Hurt Nobody
Life Of The Party
Addicted to You
More Than Just Tonight
Let's Be Young
This Morning
Never Change
Everything Or Nothing
Encore:
Jane
One Drink
When We Were Young
Take My Hand
Monday 18 March 2019...6pm to 11pm...
BRITISH KEBAB AWARDS at The Park Plaza Hotel, Westminster Bridge, London SE1.
A bigger event than you would imagine as there is a massive crowd of around 1000 here.
As expected it is around 90% male guests.
Labour Party leader JEREMY CORBYN was here to present an award and promote the
British Kebab industry even though he does not eat meat.
There are over 20,000 kebab outlets in the UK that provide around 200,000 jobs.
Just Eat and Cobra Beer were the main sponsors.
6pm to 7.30pm was the reception with wines,Cobra beers, canapés and tubs of Ben n Jerry's ice-cream.
7.30pm to 11pm was the awards along with a three course dinner with wines, Cobra beers and coffee.
Starter - Sheekh Kebab, Malai Kebab, along with sides.
Main - Roast Lamb with sides.
Dessert - Vanilla Ice-Cream and Chocolate.
The awards were given to winners from different regions and various suppliers.
There were a couple of Turkish acts singing some traditional songs.
www.britishkebabawards.co.uk
Visit their website here for more info and a list of winners.
Sunday 17 March 2019.
Check out this amazing bunch of gigs i was going to 40 years ago this week as a 19 year old.
Bill Haley Rainbow Theatre, London 17.03.1979
David Essex Hammersmith Odeon, London 24.03.1979
Gang Of Four,Stiff Little Fingers,Human League,Fall,Mekons Lyceum Theatre, London 25.03.1979
Journey,Pat Travers Band Hammersmith Odeon, London 26.03.1979
Skids,Dole Marquee Club, London 28.03.1979
Eddie And The Hot Rods,Members Rainbow Theatre, London 30.03.1979
Buzzcocks,Patrick Fitzgerald Hammersmith Odeon, London 31.03.1979
Motorhead,Nutz,Girlschool Lyceum Theatre, London 01.04.1979
Graham Parker And The Rumour Hammersmith Odeon, London 03.04.1979
Elton John Drury Lane Theatre, London 05.04.1979
Siouxsie And The Banshees ,Human League Rainbow Theatre, London 07.04.1979
Damned,UK Subs,Specials Lyceum Theatre, London 08.04.1979
Sunday 17 March 2019.
Happy Birthday to BILLY CORGAN who is 52 today.
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Sad news that DICK DALE has passed away.
Dick Dale, "the King of the Surf Guitar" and a pioneering guitarist that inspired a generation of musicians,
has died at the age of 81.
California Rocker first reported that Dale died Sunday. His bassist Sam Bolle confirmed Dale’s death to the Guardian. No cause of death was revealed, but the guitarist suffered from health issues in recent years. In 2010, Dale said he was battling rectal cancer, and in an interview that went viral, Dale said in 2015 that “I can’t stop touring because I will die” due to medical expenses stemming from cancer treatment, diabetes and renal failure. “I have to raise $3,000 every month to pay for the medical supplies I need to stay alive, and that’s on top of the insurance that I pay for,” Dale said at the time.
I saw him play The Garage in London in 1995.
Saturday 16 March 2019.
TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE + THE RECORD COMPANY live at The Forum, London.
Trombone Shorty is best known as a trombone and trumpet player but also plays drums, organ, and tuba.
He has released several albums and has worked with many big names including U2 and Jeff Beck.
Support act The Record Company have released two albums.
The Record Company is a Grammy nominated American rock band from Los Angeles, California. The members are Chris Vos (guitar, lead vocals), Alex Stiff (bass, backing vocals), and Marc Cazorla (drums, backing vocals). Their music is influenced by blues musicians like John Lee Hooker,early punk bands like The Stooges, and rock bands like The Rolling Stones. Their sound incorporates slide guitar, distorted bass, a Ludwig drum kit and the vocals of Chris Vos.
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A bit of a surprise that tonight is a near sell-out show.
THE RECORD COMPANY arrive on stage at 7.45pm and played for 45 mins.
A crap name for a band i thought, but my friend thought it was a great name.
This blues rock trio have a nice sound going for them.The gritty slide guitar, fuzzed-out bass,
and driving drums along with some nifty harmonica made for a good support set.
TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE arrive on stage at 9pm and play for 90 mins.
A nice stage production and there are nine on stage including two female backing singers.
A great live sound with a potent mix of funk, jazz, rock ’n’ roll, soul and blues.
Trombone Shorty is aged 33 and is a charismatic front man as he mixes vocals with his great trombone.
Seeing him at full tilt with the sax player as the band grooved away was great to watch.
There were a couple of cover versions in the set too.
An enjoyable show.
Friday 15 March 2019...I went to two events tonight...
6pm to 7pm
DANNY CLIFFORD photo exhibition "Rock Stars Don't Smile " - private view -
Heath Street Baptist Church, 84 Heath Street, Hampstead, London NW3.
As a world-renowned Rock and Roll photographer, Danny Clifford has spent his career as a fly-on-the-wall to the most iconic musicians of the last 40 years. From his big break as Bob Dylan's official photographer in the 1970s, through his close working relationship with Queen, The Who, The Rolling Stones and Amy Winehouse to name but a handful, the stories he has amassed over the years are just as vivid, colourful and dramatic as his photographs. With the title quote from a near-miss scuffle with Liam Gallagher, this is an exhibition of limited edition prints, previously untold stories and an access-all-areas insight into Danny's extensive archive.
Danny is a bit older than me but i have bumped into him loads of times over the past 40 years although
for the last decade he has been kind of semi-retired.
Around 60 classic photos are on display in this stunning setting, with many having a great narrative.
A picture of Keith Moon with a young Zak Starkey.
Danny had dinner with Keith Moon on the day he died.
Quite a few people here i know.
Zak Starkey and John Coghlan turned up when they were on display in Henley-On-Thames last month.
The gallery is 100 yards from Hampstead tube station.
It is on here until 11 April 2019.
Complimentary prosecco and beers for all guests.
www.dannyclifford.com
Visit his website here to check out some of his great photos.
The front page photo is of Danny, aged just 20, taken by Bob Dylan on Bob Dylan's private jet in 1978.
then
7.45pm to 11.15pm
NO. FIFTY CHEYNE - restaurant press review - 50 Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, London SW3.
This restaurant is hidden away just a few yards from the homes of Mick Jagger, Bryan Adams and others.
Originally opened in 2003 by Sally Greene, who’s also the Founder Director of The Old Vic and proprietor of Ronnie Scott’s, she’s just finished taking the restaurant through a nine-month renovation that will see it reborn as No. Fifty Cheyne.
In the kitchen, she’s recruited Iain Smith who was previously Head Chef at Social Eating House so it’s clear that this is going to be much more than a friendly neighbourhood restaurant. Dishes are set to include the likes of ‘Belted Galloway beef ragout with spatzli, spicy sausage and rose harissa’ and ‘Cornish monkfish, roscoff onion, potato straws with roast chicken broth’. There are plans for a big Sunday menu too which will allow guests to pre-order their favourite roasts such as a whole suckling pig, a rib of beef or a whole salmon.
The ground floor restaurant will seat around 70 and on the upper floor there’s also going to be a 50 seat cocktail bar and ‘drawing room’. Set on Cheyne Walk there are views of the Thames and Cheyne Gardens too so, all in all, this is shaping up to be a very interesting new incarnation of a Chelsea favourite.
The restaurant is full and there is a great buzzy vibe.
The new decor feels like you could be at The Chiltern Firehouse.
We each had a full three course meal along with champers, wines and coffees.
For mains we shared a full Chateaubriand steak which is cooked with a thick cut from the tenderloin filet.
The sharing price is £85 but it was superb and the side dishes will cost extra...the chunky chips were amazing.
Our French waiter (Albert?) was so attentive and really helped the evening along by fussing over us.
Normally the evening would have cost £220 for two so it is pretty steep due to the prime Chelsea location.
We really had a great five star evening here.
www.fiftycheyne.com
Visit their website here for more info on the venue.
For the next week they are having a 50% off food soft opening.
Friday 15 March 2019.
Last night, SHOWSEC were declared Best Security Company at the Event Production Awards 2019.
Recognising and celebrating the hard work and achievements put into the outdoor and live events industry, the Event Production Awards have become the most prestigious event industry awards ceremony of the year.
SHOWSEC are at a few London music venues including Hammersmith Apollo and Shepherds Bush Empire.
Thursday 14 March 2019...I went to two events tonight....
6.30pm to 7.30pm
OPERA GALLERY - private view - 134 New Bond Street, London W1.
Around 100 guests here at this gallery.
Opera Gallery is proud to present Transformation, a solo exhibition off 22 new works by one of Spain’s most acclaimed portrait artists Lita Cabellut. The third highest selling artist in Spain, Lita Cabellut’s paintings are collected by many public figures including Halle Berry, Hugh Jackman and Gordon Ramsay and have been the subject of numerous high profile international exhibitions.
Complimentary Pommery champers for all guests.
www.operagallery.com
Visit their website here for more info.
then
8pm to 10.30pm
ASHBURN RESTAURANT & BAR - launch party - Holiday Inn, 97 Cromwell Road, London SW7.
Around 150 guests at this well known hotel brand that is nearer to Gloucester Road than South Kensington.
Nestled in the charming area of Kensington, just off Gloucester Road, Ashburn Bar & Dining offers a warm, inviting atmosphere to share great food and good wine with friends and family.
Open all day, seven days a week, serving brunch, lunch and dinner.
With a focus on pure, simple honest food, International favourites made from the freshest ingredients that are both generous and delicious.
Complimentary prosecco, wines, beers, bowl food, burgers, fish n chips and desserts for all guests.
www.hikensingtonforumhotel.co.uk
Visit their website here for more info.
Thursday 14 March 2019.
FOUR English teams in The Champions League Quarter-Finals draw held tomorrow (Friday).
For the first time in 10 seasons, four teams from one country will compete in the last eight of the Champions League.
Liverpool's victory over Bayern Munich in the last 16 means England will now provide 50% of the quarter-final teams in Europe's top club competition, with Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham the other Premier League sides present....pretty amazing.
Thursday 14 March 2019.
Sad news that DANNY KUSTOW, the guitarist best known for his work in the Tom Robinson Band, has died.
The news was confirmed by Robinson on Facebook, where he said that Kustow passed away in hospital in the early hours of Monday morning.
I saw him play many great gigs with Tom Robinson 40 years ago.
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Happy Birthday to JONA LEWIE who is 72 today.
Jona Lewie is an English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his 1980 UK hits "You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties" and "Stop the Cavalry".
Wednesday 13 March 2019.
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND live at Hammersmith Apollo, London.
I am back to see their second show at this venue.
Last night i was stalls standing and tonight i am front circle.
Pretty much the same kind of crowd, including lots of Americans.
Their UK & European booking agent Rod MacSween is here again.
The merch stand is doing a roaring trade again.
Again it is a mammoth set of 2 hours 45 mins on stage.
INCREDIBLY THE ENTIRE SET WAS DIFFERENT TO THE NIGHT BEFORE.
I spoke to a hardcore fan who said they rehearse 100 songs for each tour.
The drummer was again amazing and that kit of his was just perfection.
Oddly his drum solo was accompanied by a flute solo???
Quite a few of the songs ended up being 10 mins of muso twiddling.
For me they are a great live band to watch but i wouldn't buy their albums.
Building up great connections with their fans over radio play has paid off for them.
Another enjoyable show.
Full Dave Matthews Band setlist played tonight...
You Never Know
That Girl Is You
Seven
Warehouse
Again and Again
Dancing Nancies
Say Goodbye
Save Me
Everyday
Here on Out
Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel cover)
She
Crush
Gravedigger
So Much to Say
Granny
Jimi Thing
Sexy M.F. (Prince cover)
Grey Street
Encore:
Ants Marching
Wednesday 13 March 2019.
Happy Birthday to singer-songwriter NEIL SEDAKA who is 80 today.
Happy Birthday to U2 bass player ADAM CLAYTON who is 59 today.
Tuesday 12 March 2019.
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND live at Hammersmith Apollo, London.
DMB play the first of two shows at this venue.
DMB are an American band who can headline arenas and stadiums back home.
They sold out two nights at Madison Square Garden in November 2018.
These Hammersmith shows are the only UK gigs on their European Tour.
They headlined The 02 Arena in 2010 and 2015.
Their only Top 40 hit single in the UK was "The Space Between" in 2001.
They are known to play lengthy shows of 2 hours 30 mins plus.
The group's most recent album, 2018's Come Tomorrow, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, making Dave Matthews Band the first group to have seven consecutive studio albums debut at the peak.As of 2018, the Dave Matthews Band has sold more than 100 million tickets since its inception and a collective 91 million CDs and DVDs combined.
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As expected there were loads of Americans in the venue tonight.
A nice atmosphere as it is stalls standing tonight.
Also here was legendary live music booking agent Rod MacSween (DMB are one of his acts).
DMB arrived on stage at 7.40pm and played for a mammoth 2 hours 45 mins.
A nice big stage production with lots of lights and a big screen mixing live footage with pre-recorded images.
All the band are top notch musicians as they mixed rock, funk, jazz, pop etc with nice sax and trumpet.
Singer/guitarist Dave stuck to what he does best: pouring all of his energy and talent into creating often-freewheeling live renditions of a grab bag of songs from a career that spans 25 years.
They also slip in a couple of good cover versions at each show.
They are well known for never playing the same setlist twice.
The show ticked along nicely and the long set was enjoyable.
Full Dave Matthews Band setlist played tonight...
Seek Up
Don't Drink the Water
Do You Remember
Louisiana Bayou
Fool to Think
You Might Die Trying
Samurai Cop (Oh Joy Begin)
Time of the Season (The Zombies cover)
Stand Up (For It)
Recently
The Space Between
Can't Stop
Lying in the Hands of God / American Baby Intro
You and Me
Minarets
Funny the Way It Is
#41
Pantala Naga Pampa
Rapunzel
Encore:
Sister
All Along the Watchtower / Stairway to Heaven (Bob Dylan/Led Zeppelin cover)
Tuesday 12 March 2019.
SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE opened 25 years ago today as a fully fledged gig venue
with an invite only show by Soundgarden on 12 March 1994 which i attended.
I have been to hundreds of gigs at this great venue.
Type Shepherds Bush Empire in my venue search to see the bands i saw here from 1994 to 2002.
Also four bands before that in the 1970s when Old Grey Whistle Test specials were filmed there.
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Happy Birthday to PETER DOHERTY who is 40 today.
Happy Birthday to Blur's GRAHAM COXON who is 50 today.
Happy Birthday to Iron Maiden's STEVE HARRIS who is 63 today.
Happy Birthday to singer-songwriter JAMES TAYLOR who is 71 today.
Sunday 10 March 2019...6pm to 9pm...
My band GUN CONTROL with me on drums had our first rehearsal of the year in North Acton.
We went through the ten songs we played at our comeback gig and started work on two new songs.
Sounded pretty good considering it was our first meeting since the gig four months ago.
Hopefully we can sort out our next gig in Acton around April/May.
Saturday 09 March 2019.
DODGY + BABYBIRD + TONY WRIGHT live at Shepherds Bush Empire, London.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of their breakthrough, gold-selling second album, Homegrown, 90s indie legends, Dodgy will playing the record in its entirety on a headline tour. They’ll also be joined by ‘You’re Gorgeous’ singers, Babybird and Terrorvision frontman, Tony Wright.
I saw Dodgy three times in the 1990s including a show where they supported Neil Young.
Dodgy had five Top 20 UK hit singles in the 1990s.
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Level 2 and 3 are closed as around 800 tickets sold out of 2000.
Lots of boozed up folks here reliving the Brit Pop era of the 1990s.
TONY WRIGHT arrived on stage at 7.25pm and played for 30 mins.
He played an acoustic set with plenty of Yorkshire humour.
The final track was Terrorvision's big No 2 hit 'Tequila' from 1999.
Good to hear it but it sounds better when the band play it.
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BABYBIRD arrived on stage at 8.05pm and played for 40 mins.
Babybird who are still fronted by Stephen Jones played a confusing set.
Never one of the trendier bands of the 1990s, he was full of confrontation tonight.
The darker lyrics and his sharp tongue throwing barbed criticisms at the crowd between songs.
Big hit "You're Gorgeous" was performed half heartedly and when he left the stage he was still moaning.
They were giving out a freebie five track cd by Babybird at the merch stand.
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DODGY arrived on stage at 9pm and played for 90 mins.
The crowd knew quite a lot of the songs so sang loudly along to them.
Great to hear their hits "Going Out for the Summer" and "Good Enough".
During the encore they dedicated a song to Keith Flint.
A good set.
Full Dodgy setlist played tonight....
Staying Out for the Summer (acoustic with crowd singalong)
Big Brown Moon
This Is Ours
Homegrown
Staying Out for the Summer (Homegrown album played from here)
Melodies Haunt You
So Let Me Go Far
Crossroads
One Day
We Are Together
Whole Lot Easier
Making the Most Of
Waiting for the Day
What Have I Done Wrong?
Grassman
Encore:
In a Room
If You're Thinking of Me
Good Enough
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Straight after their set they went to the merch stand to meet their fans and sign stuff.
Saturday 09 March 2019.
The MICHAEL JACKSON debate continues..do we still play his music or not?
Check out the full show on YouTube from MICHAEL JACKSON live at Wembley Stadium on 16 July 1988.
I was at this amazing show which was the first of his seven Wembley Stadium shows that summer.
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Happy Birthday to MARTIN FRY from ABC who is 61 today.
Happy Birthday to guitarist JIM CREGAN who is 73 today.
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Friday 08 March 2019.
Happy Birthday to GARY NUMAN who is 61 today.
Thursday 07 March 2019...I went to two events tonight...
6.15pm to 8.15pm
PHILLIPS GALLERY - auction - 30 Berkeley Square, Mayfair , London W1.
A nice buzzy crowd as maybe 200 guests are seated and 100 are standing.
Around 20 phone bidders too at the sides.
29 lots for their 20th Century & Contemporary Art Sale from 7pm to 8pm.
A mad contrast that sometimes i struggle to get my head around.
When you wander around the West End you will always see a few homeless people and
people begging for your small change and then you go to an auction like this and someone
can spend millions on a painting.
Lots went from just over £50k to the highest which was a staggering £13.5 million for a
painting by Gerhard Richter (oil on canvas from 1963).
Complimentary Ruinart champers for all guests.
then
10.30pm to 12pm
WAITRESS - press/vip - opening night party at The Crypt, Trafalgar Square, London WC2.
A big crowd of over 300 guests here after the show that was held earlier at The Adelphi Theatre.
All the cast turned up here but didn't see any of the main guests who attended the show earlier including
Cuba Gooding Jr, Sir Michael Caine, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and Beverley Knight.
Canadian musician David Foster (has worked with many bands over the past 40 years) was on hand to support his fiancée Katherine McPhee as the leading lady wowed audiences on the opening night of the hit musical Waitress.
A dj is playing tunes in the background.
Complimentary prosecco, wines, beers, bowl food, canapés and slices of various cakes.
We left at midnight but it was on until 1am.
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About Waitress -
The musical is based on the 2007 film of the same name, written by Adrienne Shelly. It tells the story of Jenna Hunterson, a waitress in an abusive relationship with her husband Earl. When Jenna unexpectedly becomes pregnant, she begins an affair with her gynecologist, Dr. Jim Pomatter. Looking for ways out, she sees a pie contest and its grand prize as her chance.
Thursday 07 March 2019.
THE ROLLING STONES have partnered with Swedish brand Happy Socks, launching a limited edition spring/summer 2019 sock collection inspired by the British rock band's iconic tongue and lip logo. Happy Socks took to Instagram to reveal the collaboration, posting 'It’s finally time to step into the spotlight with one of the greatest bands of all time: The Rolling Stones. The collection, available in stores and online, features their iconic artwork with a colourful twist for an electric selection of patterns'.
Wednesday 06 March 2019.
KEITH URBAN + KERRI WATT live at The Forum, London.
Keith plays a warm up show before headlining The 02 Arena a couple of days later.
Keith is massive in America and has sold more than 20 million albums and has won four Grammy Awards.
He is on a world tour to support of his eleventh studio album 'Graffiti U' (released in 2018)
The UK shows are his first over here for a decade.
Keith is married to actress Nicole Kidman.
Keith has just completed an arena tour of Australia and New Zealand.
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Not many people under the age of 30 here for this night of new country rock.
Support act KERRI WATT arrived on stage at 7.45pm and played for 30 mins.
Kerri is a Scottish singer-songwriter who played tracks from her debut album.
She certainly looks great , with her long blonde hair, slim tall model type body and hot pants.
Some decent songs that went down well with the crowd.
Oddly enough from a distance she looked like Nicole Kidman.
KEITH URBAN arrived on stage at 8.40pm and played for a nice long 2 hours 10 mins.
This is the first time i have seen him live and i don't know any of his material.
He is a lot more popular live than his record sales as he has not had any Top 40 hits in the UK.
A nice stage production with a big screen showing pre-recorded images.
Lots of easygoing and friendly stage banter from Keith that his loyal female fans love.
Support act Kerri Watt joined him for one song.
Near the end he played three songs on a small podium in the floor standing area that was great.
Lots of good solid catchy songs where he sounded a bit like a country rock version of Bryan Adams.
Ticker-tape fell over the crowd for the last song of the main set.
An enjoyable show.
Wednesday 06 March 2019.
Happy Birthday to DAVID GILMOUR who is 73 today.
Tuesday 05 March 2019...I went to two events tonight...
6.30pm to 8pm
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM - showcase - South Kensington, London SW7.
Walking towards this iconic building you look up and see what a huge impressive building it is.
Around 100 guests here with three quarters of them being female.
At 7.15pm we get a 30 mins tour of the museum and it's many spaces for hire.
They cater small events of 40 guests up to 1200 guests in the main entrance area.
It feels a bit like that great film " Night at The Museum".
Complimentary Rose champers and canapés for all guests.
then
8.30pm to 12pm
SOLO AGENCY - showcase - Notting Hill Arts Club, London W11.
Over 150 guests here for this invite only event which is nice and buzzy.
SOLO are one of Europes top live music booking agents as bands currently on their roster include
Spice Girls, U2, Madonna, Phil Collins, Genesis, Sting, The Police, Iggy Pop, Blondie and many more.
Solo was formed by music biz legend John Giddings who has been around for over 40 years.
John also puts together The Isle of Wight Festival each year...John is here tonight...
Tonight John is showcasing five of the lesser known acts that Solo look after.
All the five bands played for around 25 mins each.
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BANG BANG ROMEO arrived on stage around 9pm.
Big powerful vocals from their female singer and they played their great track "Shame on You".
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GET CAPE WEAR CAPE have released several albums since 2006.
They had a female violinist which added nicely to their sound.
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ROTHWELL arrived on stage at 10.15pm for her set.
Another female with a great voice.She played her excellent track "Darling".
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LOCK arrived on stage at 10.50pm for their set.
This female trio played simple catchy pop and were really enjoyable.
Amazingly they had two female cheerleaders dancing throughout their set.
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WILD FRONT from Southampton arrived on stage at 11.25pm for their set.
Some good songs with a great guitar sound and nice harmonies.
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Complimentary bottles of Heineken lagers for all guests throughout the evening.
Monday 04 March 2019.
BILL BURR live at The Royal Albert Hall, London.
Bill Burr (now aged 50) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, voice actor, writer, musician,producer,podcaster,and social critic. He has released six stand-up specials. Outside of stand-up, he is known for hosting the Monday Morning Podcast, appearing on Chappelle's Show, playing Patrick Kuby in the AMC crime drama series Breaking Bad, and creating and starring in the Netflix animated sitcom F Is for Family. He also co-founded the All Things Comedy network.
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ADAM ROWE from Liverpool opened the show for a 15 mins set.
He had some funny material and went down well.
He has some live clips up on YouTube.
BILL BURR arrived on stage at 8.40pm and performed for 1 hour 40 mins.
By the time he had come on stage the venue was totally rammed sold out.
The cameras were here to film the show for his next Netflix special.
A basic stage with just him and a microphone along with a stool and some water.
Thankfully he is not PC and it is full tilt no holds barred at any subject with a fair amount of swearing.
Subjects included white feminists, Michelle Obama, #metoo, mens behaviour , family arguments,
sexist stuff, firefighters & first respondents, airplane travel, English football, war heroes,
Stephen Hawking, blow up dolls, getting rid of the family dog and much more.
Lots of funny LOL bits and the crowd gave him a full standing ovation at the end.
Very enjoyable.
Monday 04 March 2019.
Shock news that KEITH FLINT co-vocalist/dancer in The Prodigy has passed away...aged only 49.
The Prodigy’s Keith Flint has died aged 49. The dance legend was found dead in his home in Dunmow, Essex, this morning. An Essex Police spokesperson said: ‘We were called to concerns for the welfare of a man at an address in Brook Hill, North End, just after 8.10am on Monday.
I saw The Prodigy live around a dozen times,they were always fantastic and really got the crowd dancing.
Visit YouTube to watch their great videos and live concert clips.
Check out the video to "Firestarter" where Keith's menacing look and vocals dominate.
Six of their seven studio albums were No 1 in the UK charts.
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In an Instagram post,Prodigy band member Liam Howlett added: “The news is true. I can’t believe I’m saying
this but our brother Keith took his own life over the weekend".
“I’m shell shocked, fuckin angry, confused and heart broken.”
Monday 04 March 2019.
Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ movie will be out on DVD and Blu-Ray from today and the disc will include the complete recreation of the Live Aid performance, only seen in part in the movie.
The film has been a worldwide success and has taken a billion dollars at the box office.
Saturday 02 March 2019.
SPURS 1 ARSENAL 1 at Wembley Stadium...12.30pm kick-off.
Tottenham's Premier League match against north London rivals Arsenal on 2 March will take place at
Wembley because their new stadium is still not ready.
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A massive near sell-out crowd with over 81,000 here including 3,000 Arsenal fans.
We are up in Level 5 where there are just a couple of unsold blocks.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saw a last-minute penalty saved by Hugo Lloris to cost Arsenal victory and ensure Tottenham retained a crucial advantage over their arch-rivals in the battle for a top-four place after a dramatic north London derby at Wembley.
Harry Kane's contested penalty put Spurs level with 16 minutes left after Aaron Ramsey's coolly taken 16th-minute goal threatened to inflict a third successive league defeat on boss Mauricio Pochettino for the first time in his reign.
Arsenal were then handed a golden opportunity to close to within one point of Spurs after Davinson Sanchez fouled Aubameyang, but the striker's tame penalty was easily saved low to his right by the diving Lloris.
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