Sunday 20 August 2023.

Sunday 20 August 2023. Women's World Cup Football Final in Australia. SPAIN 1 ENGLAND 0 ...live on tv from 11am. Over 10 million folks are expected to watch it live on tv in the UK. Spain were the better team, but great England got to the final. ---------------------------------- ---------------------------------- Saturday 19 August 2023. DEVO live at Hammersmith Apollo. A London show on their farewell 50th anniversary world tour. This show sold out over a month in advance. I saw Devo twice in 1978 at Hammersmith Odeon when they were supported by The Members. I bought their debut album on Marble Vinyl in 1978 when it was released back then. That album reached number 12 in the UK charts, but other singles and albums did not make the Top 40. They have played rare London shows at The Royal Festival Hall, Shepherds Bush Empire and The Forum over the past 40 years , but this will be the first time since 1978 that i am seeing them. DJ support comes from RUSTY EGAN (The Rich Kids, Visage, Skids etc) ---------- All the pubs near the venue were very busy before the show. The venue is totally rammed solid sold out for tonight's show. Most of the crowd seem to be males in their 50s and 60s, and Devo themselves are in their 70s. Lots of different accents here tonight, as it is Devo only English show on their European Tour. Several folks here i know, including those that have trekked from Bristol and Brighton. The merch stand is selling their iconic red cone hats for £30. DJ RUSTY EGAN is the support on stage playing some cool tunes , including Talking Heads, OMD, Soft Cell and he even managed to sneak in 'Fade To Grey'. Rusty told me that all his set will be up on MixCloud. DEVO arrived on stage at 9pm and played for 85 mins. The five members arrive on stage dressed all in black , and during the show we see them wearing their iconic red cone hats, yellow boiler suits and some space jackets. There is a massive screen along the entire back of the stage, showing great images. 'Whip It' is played fairly early on...Pearl Jam have covered it in the past. Their quirky version of (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction ' is great as ever. Devo classics 'Uncontrollable Urge' and 'Mongloid' were top notch. Devo were well rehearsed and very tight, and it was a great show. Full DEVO setlist played tonight... Video - Rod Rooter Now Don't Shoot (I'm a Man) Peek-a-Boo Going Under That's Good Girl U Want Whip It Planet Earth Video - Carl Sagan (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (The Rolling Stones cover) Secret Agent Man (P.F. Sloan cover) Uncontrollable Urge Mongoloid Jocko Homo Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA Gates of Steel DEVO Corporate Anthem Video Freedom of Choice Gut Feeling Slap Your Mammy Beautiful World (with Booji Boy) -------------------------------- -------------------------------- Friday 18 August 2023. THE WEEKND live at Wembley Stadium. Due to overwhelming demand, Canadian artist The Weeknd has added a THIRD London stadium show to the UK and Ireland leg of his After Hours Til Dawn Global Stadium Tour. This European tour is in support of his 2020 LP, 'After Hours', and his 2022 album 'Dawn FM'. The Weeknd has had three number one albums in the UK. The Weeknd has had 15 x Top 10 singles in the UK, including a number one. Support acts will be Kaytranada and Mike Dean. It was 10 years ago in 2013 that The Weeknd played to just 1000 folks at The Electric Ballroom, Camden. The show tonight is a massive 90,000 sold out, and the last night of The Weeknd European Tour, that was an incredible 29 stadium shows. ------------ MIKE DEAN arrived on stage at 6.15pm for his 30 mins set. DJ and producer played some tracks from his albums. He was wearing a giant silver cape / coat , behind his keyboards. A bit of vocals, but mainly instrumentals. KAYTRANADA arrived on stage at 7pm for his 40 mins set. DJ and producer played some tracks from his albums. Again it was a bit of vocals, but the instrumental tracks were dancier. THE WEEKND arrived on stage at 8.25pm and played for 1 hour 55 mins We are in the gold circle ,that tonight is a huge three quarters of the pitch. The extended stage extension to the b-stage is a full 90% length of the pitch. The stage production looks incredible. The set is a vast metallic cityscape, filled with over a dozen ruined landmarks – St Paul’s Cathedral, Toronto’s CN Tower and the Empire State Building among them – which belch out fire or shoot violet-coloured lasers above the crowd at strategic moments. But most of the action takes place on a runway that stretches nearly the full length of the pitch, which also belches out fire at strategic moments, and comes illuminated by dozens of spotlights that either point skywards or focus on the audience, illuminating huge sections of the stands, which are already illuminated by the crowd themselves, equipped with Coldplay-inspired flashing wristbands on arrival. The walkway is decorated with an immense inflatable moon/sun dangling over its far end and an even more immense model of the Hajime Sorayama-designed robot featured in the video for 2011’s Echoes of Silence. The song doesn’t feature in the setlist, but no matter: the model slowly rotates, shoots coloured lights from its eyes, and provides a focal point around which 20 female dancers, clad in white robes and veils , move in slow concentric circles. Oddly they have even sold seats behind the stage, as so much action takes place on the runway. Also the four screens are not in the usual front of stage places, but in semi-restricted view areas. The main man wears a metallic face mask for the first half of the show. The three or four songs i know including 'Call Out My Name' are played in the second half of the show. I think it was 'House of Balloons ' that had a 60 seconds snippet of Souixsie 'Happy House'. A few tracks appeared to be shortened versions. Halfway through the show it started to drizzle, then for the last 30 mins it rained heavy , and got soaked. The overall atmosphere was fantastic, and it was a very enjoyable show to watch , even though I didn't really know many of the songs. Full setlist played by THE WEEKND tonight.... Tape & Video Intro - Dawn FM Take My Breath Sacrifice How Do I Make You Love Me? Can't Feel My Face Lost in the Fire (Gesaffelstein & The Weeknd cover) Hurricane (Kanye West cover) The Hills Rolling Stone (Played at the end of "The Hills") Kiss Land Often Crew Love (Drake cover) Starboy House of Balloons Heartless Low Life (Future cover) Reminder Party Monster Faith After Hours Out of Time I Feel It Coming Die for You Is There Someone Else? I Was Never There Wicked Games Call Out My Name The Morning Save Your Tears Less Than Zero Blinding Lights Tears in the Rain Creepin' (Metro Boomin cover) Popular (The Weeknd, Playboi Carti & Madonna cover) In Your Eyes Moth to a Flame (Swedish House Mafia & The Weeknd cover)

Posted 19th August 2023