Tuesday 29 August 2023.

Tuesday 29 August 2023. Another chance to see this classic mockumentary film from 1984. BBC1 11.40pm - THIS IS SPINAL TAP I have seen them play rare shows at The Royal Albert Hall and Wembley Arena. -------------------------------- -------------------------------- Monday 28 August 2023. NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL - Day 2 - 12.30pm to 8.15pm. A lovely sunny day , and the crowd seemed much bigger than yesterday as its the main day. I did pretty much the same as yesterday by visiting the two main stages that have live music. First was The Powis Square stage in the gardens there....today were lively singers playing 30 mins each. I was there 1pm to 3.30pm and had some complimentary CIROC VODKA cocktails here. The mad walk to the second venue was busier than yesterday with some mental human crowd bottlenecks in All Saints Road, as the sound systems there were all busy and lively. Eventually got to Emslie Hornimans Pleasance Park stage at 4.30pm for backstage access and complimentary CIROC VODKA cocktails, Red Stripe lagers, jerk chicken & rice & coleslaw and Jamaican snacks.Nice to be seated at a table outdoors for an an hour, and away from the crowds. We have our all important toilets without any queue here too, as it was funny seeing seeing all the private flats and houses dotted around the carnival area letting out their toilets for £3 a go. At 6.05pm LISA MAFFIA & ROMEO played a 25 mins set, with a dj as backing. Both are ex members of UK garage outfit So Solid Crew. So Solid Crew are a British UK garage and hip hop collective originating from Battersea, London, which achieved wide success in the early 2000s. The group consisted of many members, the most notable being Asher D (Ashley Walters), Lisa Maffia, Harvey and Romeo. So Solid have been credited for being pioneers in the UK music scene.By turning UK garage from a dancey-genre to one that was darker and more MC-oriented, and gaining mainstream success, they inspired London youth to experiment with their own darker sounds, leading to what would become known as grime music. They performed a real good lively set that included Top 10 singles 'They Don't Know' and 'Haters', along with their number one single in 2002 '21 Seconds'. From 7pm to 8pm i watched the end of the floats & dancers parade at a very busy Ladbroke Grove. I saw three lots of scuffles/fights today, the first two were black guys just being a bit aggressive in the crowds barging through, and the third was two girls pulling each other's hair in a proper fight, where some police had to get involved as they wouldn't let go of each other's hair. Overall another great day at Carnival. ------------------------------- ------------------------------- Sunday 27 August 2023...I went to two events today... NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL - Day 1 - 11.15am to 5.30pm... A million plus people will party each day for this world famous street festival. Lots of floats and dancers in colourful outfits, and lots of great food stalls. Acts will playing on some of the stages. In 2017 at Carnival i saw Nigerian Afrobeats singer WIZKID play a 30 mins set in a park. Just six years later on 29 July 2023 he headlined Tottenhams Football Stadium. I have been to NHC many , many times since the 1970s. I can remember the 1990s when i would do three days at Reading Festival Fri, Sat, Sun, then come back Monday morning, have a quick shower then head to Carnival on the Monday. ----------- Picked up AAA press laminates at noon , which came in handy for complimentary CIROC VODKA cocktails at their bar in the park for The Powis Square Stage as we listened to the dance systems. We were there noon to 3pm then saw some of the amazing floats and other sound systems. A few drops of rain, but that quickly stopped. The noise and colour and atmosphere was fantastic, and we didn't see any trouble. Bumped into a few friends, which was a bit random considering the big crowds. From 3.45pm to 5.30pm we were at Emslie Hornimans Pleasance Park. Our passes were valid for the artists area so more complimentary CIROC VODKA cocktails, Red Stripe lagers , along with chicken, rice and coleslaw and Jamaican snacks. SHAGGY was here as he was due to play 20 to 30 mins with DJ backing here at 6pm. I ended up missing him to trek through the mental crowds to get to the Shepherds Bush area. We had a great day here. then DELTA GOODREM live at Shepherds Bush Empire. Australian singer-songwriter is playing a UK & European Tour. She is one of Australia's most popular singers, with multi-million album sales. ---------- Level 3 is closed and there is space in the stalls so maybe 1200 folks here. Delta Goidrem and band arrive on stage at 8.10pm and play for a nice long two hours. Delta looks the part in her red trouser suit , long blonde locks and big friendly Aussie smile and personality. Delta played piano on several songs, and jumped in a couple of times too. Delta kicked her high heels off halfway through the show. Delta is a great performer who engages well with the crowd. The songs are pretty much singalong soft rock. During the show, two male fans were invited on stage , and it ended being a marriage proposal, and he said yes. A very enjoyable show. Full DELTA GOODREM setlist played tonight.... Wings Innocent Eyes The Power Lost Without You In This Life Keep Climbing Almost Here If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher cover) Predictable Solid Gold Out of the Blue Paralyzed Smile (Nat King Cole cover) Dear Life Sitting on Top of the World Neighbours Theme (Barry Crocker cover) Together We Are One (Fan request) Love Is in the Air (John Paul Young cover) (Snippet following onstage proposal) Last Night on Earth (Fan request) Butterfly (Fan request) Not Me, Not I The River (Fan request) Hearts on the Run Dancing With a Broken Heart / I Believe In A Thing Called Love (The Darkness cover) Back To Your Heart Encore: Play Born to Try Believe Again

Posted 28th August 2023