New year

Sorry again the blog has been neglected, so better start with the end of last year.

I saw Blue, who were really, really good. Even though any respect I may have had about Lee has completely gone due to Celebrity Big Brother. I went with my sister who hadn't been able to see them back in the day as they split before the tour. She enjoyed herself which was all that matter, and the Roulette album is actually pretty good.

I saw 5ive in Bournemouth, who were amazing! Again well worth the wait. They played all the hits and only a few rows from the front it was great. Up close I felt like I was 15 again, which doesn't happen very often now a days. I am glad I got to see them, and shut that door.

Then in December I went to the O2 for the last gig of the year.... The Big Reunion Christmas party, so I have never seen 5ive and then saw them three times in one year perfect. 
The Christmas party had a great vibe and atmosphere, I love Christmas anyway and this felt like a massive party. The bands did a similar set to the gig at the Hammersmith and then Christmas songs, as far as gigs go it was so much fun and I would love bands to do more Christmas party gigs.

Can't think about much else at the end of last year. Been doing a lot of fun stuff for work. Most of it can be found www.etcmag.net

So 2014....a lot of musicals - Wicked, Singin' in the Rain, Warhorse. Gigs wise I have Foals and McBusted (I know don't judge).

But running is taking a step forward this year next month I am doing the Brighton half marathon, I am very nervous, feel the jump from 10 miles to 13 miles is a leap. And with Christmas the training has been difficult so bit nervous but hoping I, at least, enjoy the experience.

In March I am doing a 10k Race for Rowan, and in October I am doing the 5k Speed of Light in Bournemouth which I am really looking forward to.

And the Great South Run again, I said never again but I want to see if I can beat my time, and it is the 25th anniversary. A lot of running,  and all for charity Macmillan and Rowans Hospice.

Very exciting and hopefully I'll keep the blog posts going this year.

To donate to my charities - http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/runcharlierun

Pink, The Truth About Love Tour; The O2, London; 25/04/2013

If this were a one word review of Pink's performance at the O2 it would simply be - Wow!

I went into the concert liking some of her songs but came out absolutely in love with the singer and performer.

When a singer launches onto stage with the aid of a bungee rope and is caught by three topless men you know you are on to winner.

From start to finish it was just a very energetic concert. Pink was more acrobatic than pop star puppet.

The moves she performed during the song Sober, were just phenomenal. She was suspended in a egg shaped cage which at one point saw the male dances holding on to it as it spun with Pink holding so gracefully on to their arms on the outside.

I read some reviews that during the more energetic moments she was miming, but even so when she sung during the acoustic part her voice was melodic and breathtaking even though she had to cancel the first night of the tour in Birmingham due to a respiratory infection, her voice was pitch perfect.

During Try she not only recreated the dance from the video but performed mid-air in a tangle of rope like something from Cirque du Soleil, with the most impressive abs. Yet she is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen.

It is quite amazing to think that Pink has been going for 13 years most of my teenage years and yet I never really came under the spell of the rebel, feminist singer.

She is a little bit of a dork doing the worst dance moves she could think of and encouraging the audience to do the same. 

Pink seems like a genuinely nice person who bent down and signed autographs for the crowd at the front and interacted with people shouting and throwing presents.

The crowd seemed to be mainly old fan going crazy for You Make Me Sick and Just Like a Pill and less so for the newer songs on the album.

It is also the only gig I have ever been to that had end credits, with a behind the scenes video of Pink preparing for the tour as well as her beautiful daughter Willow.

I am just so glad that I saw Pink live in concert it was unlike anything I had ever seen before and I have been to quite a few concerts. I enjoyed every minute of it and think even if you aren't the biggest Pink fan you will be after seeing her I certainly did.

A Telegraph review said: "That these were performed with the same genuine enthusiasm as the hits from her last album (her seventh but first to make number one in America), is a testament to Pink’s talent, and explains why she continues to sell records. Ten-year-old songs don’t sound dated because she has maintained the same energy and sass that she created them with." and I couldn't agree more.



Set List

* Raise your glass
* Walk of Shame
* Just Like a Pill
* U and Ur Hand
* Leave Me Alon (I'm Lonely)
* Try
* Wicked Game (Chris Isaak cover)
* Just Give Me a Reason 
* Trouble 
* Are We All We Are
* How Come You're Not Here 
* Sober 
* Chaos & Piss (Guitar instrumental)
* The Great Escape (Acoustic)
* Who Knew (Acoustic)
* Fire and Rain  (James Taylor cover)
* F**kin' Perfect 
* Most Girls / There You Go / You Make Me Sick 
* Slut Like You
* Blow Me (One Last Kiss) 

Encore - So What

Steps, The O2, London, 19th April 2012

Before this gig when I told people I was seeing Steps I was met by laughs, jeers and just basic disbelief.

Thing is a lot of their songs remind me of when I was younger and at school as they rose to fame in the late 90s when I was in my early teens.
My sister was a massive fan and so was my gig friend.

I will admit I was excited about this gig and when I saw our seats I was quite happy, we were at the front of a block on the side and had a great view.

The band had two support acts Shock Lady who was poor, just singing covers but she had an MC Mr Smith with her who was excellent.
Then there was another woman, I can't remember her name she was foreign and mimed...plain awful!

Anyway the crowd weren't here for them, they were here for Steps, and when they played a montage of the 'good' old days the crowd went crazy, well if you have seen the Living show you will know they all hated each other.

Then they came on through tubes to Here and Now and the O2 went mental.

I will admit though that I was surprised how many gay guys there were, I knew Steps were camp but I didn't realise just how large their gay audience was.

The band played all the hits complete with dance moves, my sister didn't realise they had so many, I on the other hand could remember the moves for One for Sorrow, Better Best Forgotton and Deeper Shade of Blue.

I have never been to a gig with such an electric atmosphere with everyone dancing, when the band performed Tragedy it was great to see everyones hands in the air dancing the dance moves.

Each of the singers also had a go at a solo performance., I'm sorry but Lisa mimed, her mouth kept moving but no sound came out. Faye's was very camp but fantastic, and Lee's was excellent, I never realised what a great voice he had. Of course Claire just blew everyone away with her superb voice.

We did have a laugh and my sister really enjoyed her second gig ever, although we found out that they were filming it for the Living show I just hope we aren't on there dancing like crazy people.

Steps were just fantastic, cheesy and a whole lot of dancing and laughs.

Ok so they may not be the coolest band I have seen but they were funny and it felt like a girls night out. I just hope the Living show doesn't show them at each others throats.

Set List

* Here and Now
* You'll be Sorry
* Deeper Shade of Blue
* Last Thing on My Mind
* Better Best Forgotton
* 5, 6, 7, 8
* Summer of Love
* Better the Devil you Know
* Lee solo - Moves Like Jagger & Rihanna's S&M
* Faye solo - One Night Only
* H solo - Don't Stop Believing
* Lisa solo - Heaven/Lately/Beautiful People (yes Lately Lisa's own song)
* Claire solo - I Surrender
* It's the Way You Make Me Feel
* Heartbeat
* When I said Goodbye
* One for Sorrow

Encore
* Stomp
* Chain Reaction
* Dancing Queen
* Tragedy

A lot to come

I have had a busy couple of weeks which I am compiling at the moment into blog posts. One on the amazing Take That, one on a piece I wrote last year for the Chichester Observer, one on Guns in the Afternoon a Western film club. I think that's it but obviously I'll stagger the posting don't want to give away too much at once do I.

So first of all I thought I would do a brief piece on Glee. I saw it at the O2 at the end of June and it was amazing! All the gang were there and they performed for just over an hour which was a bit of a disappointment. They came out to Don't Stop Believing and did hit after hit, such as Slave 4 U, River Deep, Mountain High and Kurt and the girls did the Single Ladies dance.

Amber Riley (Mercedes)  and Naya Rivera (Santana) have amazing voices, they can hit the right notes and have voices that can fill the whole of the O2 two fold.

Of course Lea Michelle (Rachel) has an amazing voice and I really think she would be a great Elphaba in Wicked. Really though I think it is a shame they didn't do Light up the World or Thriller/Heads will Roll. As they are some of the best songs over the two seasons.

The Warblers and Blaine made an appearance and although I didn't like them in the show (they freaked me out a bit) he was excellent live, such a great voice that it's a shame he doesn't get to sing more in the show.

Unfortunately Gwyneth Paltrow, Mr Schuh or Sue were there although there were videos of Mr Schuh and Sue which were hilarious.

Of course I have to save the best until last Brittany S. Pears (Heather Morriss) had comic timing to the second and when you see her dance live you can see how she has had a great career as a dancer on the I am.... Sasha Fierce World Tour with Beyonce, phenomenal.

Not as in depth as some gig reviews but Glee Live!

Crazy, crazy, crazy!

Since I started my new job I have had a busy few weeks. On my first day I saw The Rifles at Southampton, not ideal when you have a two hour commute, they were really good though.

It was fairly quiet for a bit then I had my friends hen weekend, cocktail making, clubbing and dinner at Jamie's Italian. For the first time I had a Cosmo and it was really tasty. We had a competition, racing how to make a cocktail, I raced the hen to make a 'woo woo' fairly easy vodka, schnapps and cranberry juice. I got very nervous and got most of the vodka on my hands, but we drew so I had to drink a flatliner... Tabasco, sambuca and tequila AWFUL! My mouth burnt. It was a really good weekend though.

Then the weekend after it was my birthday and Denis did the Stockholm marathon again, then it was my birthday and I spent the day with Denis just chilling.

It's been fairly quiet but last Wednesday I went to a gig at the Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth. I saw Warpaint, a four piece girl band from America who I first heard on Fearne Cotton's show as part of the Music Generator. They played most of the songs from Fool album including Warpaint and Undertow, they were just beautiful live, such a harmony to their voices. They are not big at the moment but they will be. I could imagine them maybe being on a Twilight soundtrack some of their songs have a tortured quality to their songs that would fit perfectly alongside Paramore and Anya Marina. They are playing a lot of festivals so if you can go see them live make sure you do.

Then on Saturday I went and saw the matinee performance of Glee at the O2. I will admit I am a gleek! They played for about an hour and fifteen minutes which was a bit of a disappointment but overall they were really good. Amber Riley who plays Mercedes has a phenomenal voice and Santana (Naya Rivera) was exceptional, especially when they sung River Deep Mountain High. Lea Michelle was also amazing, her voice would not be out of place in Wicked, I really think she could play Elphaba in Wicked and be just a good as Idina Menzel. A bit different from Warpaint but more of a show than a gig and they were all really good.

On Sunday it was my friend's wedding but there will be a separate post on that.

Kylie Minogue, The O2, London, 8th April 2011

*** SPOILER *** If you are seeing Kylie and don't want to know any details do not read on!!!


Right you have been warned...


This is the third time I have seen Kylie but only the second tour, this time it was the Aphrodite: Les Folies tour and from the on-set it looked as if no expense had been spared. Reportedly £15 million was spent on the show, and with costumes from Dolce and Gabbana it was well worth the money.


The show opened with Aphrodite, the graphics on the background was of people swimming under water and was very realistic, it felt as if they would fall through at any moment.


The set was one of a Greek theatre and this show was full of drama.

I'm not sure if it was because there was standing and I was in the standing part but this tour felt more like a party than the X2008 tour. It seemed as if Kylie was a lot more relaxed and really enjoyed herself, although during one song it looked as if she was crying but with happiness I hope, maybe it was the nice sunny weather making her feel at home.


As well as a lot of songs from the new album Aphrodite, she played her all time classics that got the crowd singing and dancing.


The crowd danced the whole time but more so when she performed classics such as What do I have to do, Better the Devil you know and my all time favourite Confide in Me.  I have never heard her sing it live, but it was amazing. My other favourite Kylie song is Love at First Sight, however, this time she mixed it with Can't beat the feeling, I will admit I didn't like it that much, so I was a little disappointed.


The sets and videos were fantastic, she truly is a creative genius! Everything is planned to the last detail and makes the show amazing. Kylie also has an amazing singing voice, during a brief interlude she took a request from the audience and sung Hand on my Heart, she got it wrong the first time but on the second try it was fantastic.

For Cupid Boy Kylie had a video featuring her gorgeous boyfriend Andres Velencoso (above)... you can see why.... GORGEOUS!! If I couldn't see my boyfriend every night what better way to set a remind then huge screens.


Kylie also was visited by a angel during the set during her own song Looking for an Angel, which was followed by Eurythmics' There Must Be an Angel, it was heavenly!
Nearing on two hours she sung and danced her heart out with the help of backing singers Roxy and Lucy. She is truly exceptional. The whole atmosphere was just amazing, it was a true party feeling. People even were dancing on their way out, although very reluctantly (leaving not dancing).


The finale.... well what can I say, she finished with All The Lovers, but I heard that some tickets were for a Splash Zone and we soon found out why. She has streams of water shooting up from the stage and during the song people were up dancing on ropes above her head and the stage came out like a fountain. It was fantastic. Here is someones video on YouTube.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfxlhjgUhzU

If you have never seen Kylie but get the opportunity to, DO! She's called the showgirl for a reason and I really think she should claim her crown off Madonna and be crowed the true Queen of Pop.

All photos are mine.