Date Night Shows

New Vic Theatre Open Day 2017

One of our favourite local theatres is the New Vic in Newcastle-under-Lyme. We headed there recently for their Open Day. They haven’t had one for four years, and we have never been backstage at the New Vic before. We made the mistake of only getting there an hour and a half before closing. There was so much to see and do that a full day would have been more sensible.

A lot of the experiences on offer had to be pre-booked. We had made a list of three things that we hoped to see in the time available. However, the two bookable ones were already full. Somehow, the lady managed squeeze us on to the 3.30pm prop store tour. We also booked onto a Foley workshop at 3.15pm which was the only other thing still available.

The prop store is across the way in a separate building that we’ve not been into before. It wasn’t all that much of a tour. In reality, the lady just gave us a brief introduction and then left us to explore, which was great fun. There are all sorts of cool props sitting in there from productions going years back. It really is an Aladdins Cave. One wall is stacked high with every conceivable type of chair, and all manner of tables for whatever period a play should be set in.

Is that our table from home?

We even spotted a folding table that was remarkably similar if not the same to one that we had at home! Also sitting there was the small hot air balloon that was used for Around The World in 80 Days. All manner of puppets, signposts, and even a tiger costume were to be found! After around ten minutes of exploration, however, we headed back to the theatre. Children were being given a gold coin from a treasure chest for completing a trail, in honour of Treasure Island being this year’s Christmas show.

Although we couldn’t go on the tours, they had done a self-guided tour. This went into many of the backstage areas. It started around the Vom, a word we were more than familiar with after the Olympics. We saw all of the little hiding places that were situated around the circular corridor. All manner of staff and props can be found here during the performances.

Intriguingly, we saw the trap room, which led underneath the stage where things were lifted above ground from. We had missed out on the tour, but happened to see that they had started their tour inside the theatre. We decided to head to one of the entrances, where we stood to watch the demonstration of the trap working, by lifting a treasure chest from below.

A brief taster of the Foley Workshop

It was time for our Foley workshop now, in the Youth Theatre. There were 21 of us in the workshop, which was more than double the earlier ones apparently. What we hadn’t realised when we booked was that it was a 45 minute workshop. That was the whole time we had left before it closed. As she started to hand out a radio script, we decided to make our excuses and leave.

We then backtracked to where we had left off the self-guided tour, in a whole set of backstage rooms leading off from the theatre. The first room was the Atrium, where actors would rest. In here, two women were demonstrating stage booze and stage blood. We spent ten minutes chatting with them about the techniques they used to make non-alcoholic drinks that look like alcohol as cheaply as possible. The other lady showed us how they make blood, and the methods that actors transport it around so that they have it when needed.

The workshops are a very creative space

The next room contained a set designer (Lis Evans) and many mini-models of recent sets that have been produced at the theatre including Around the World in 80 Days and The Snow Queen. Amy asked a few questions, including about the trap doors. From here, we went into the workshop, where some of the props for Treasure Island were being made. It was cool to see how the staff have made it rather homely with pictures on the walls, and tools everywhere, not to mention the intriguing props.

A display of puppets really caught our eye, including a large cat head from The Borrowers. Amy was allowed to play with a bird from Robin Hood, and a cool dragon which actually breathed fire in the show! The final room was the costume department, filled with sewing machines and many recognisable costumes. The first one we spotted was the fat suit used in The Merry Wives. We also spotted costumes from Diana of Dobsons, Dracula, and The Snow Queen.

Wanna look like a pirate? Oh arrrr!

The best bit was when we spotted a Treasure Island backdrop set up. Unknown to us, there were two costumers waiting to dress people up like pirates for a photo. We were lucky enough to get professionally dressed in a matter of minutes. I even had a clip-on earring! It was great fun, and we got some fantastic photos! It was gone 4pm now, when the Open Day closed. However, we got talking to one of the costumers, and she was happy to chat to us for ages about how they make certain costumes and all of the things that they have to take into account.

On the way out, we spotted for the first time the lovely little garden they have around the back there that you don’t normally get to see. Although it was only an hour and a half, it was well worth going. We both regretted not having more time there.

Have you been behind the scenes at a theatre? 

Water Fools by ilotopie @ Central Forest Park 28/07/2017

Appetite Stoke have pulled it out of the bag again with this year’s outdoor spectacular, Water Fools by ilotopie. We have to say that we felt like fools heading out to Central Forest Park in torrential rain, with ponchos and brolly at the ready. However, the show more than made up for the British summer’s traditional unpredictability. Or should that be predictability, since you can bet your life it will rain should you plan to spend a specific evening outdoors!

ilotopie is a theatrical company from the South of France, who have been brought to Stoke-on-Trent as part of the Appetite programme, which aims to increase experience of the arts in the area. Their show, Water Fools, is set completely on water. In this case, the lake at Hanley’s Central Forest Park. We’ve never seen anything quite like it before, have you?

The crowds lined the embankment on fold-up chairs, coping admirably with the adverse weather conditions. It looked from behind like the most popular fishing lake of all time, since everyone was in their waterproofs! Soon enough, darkness fell, and the show began. Boats made their way across the lake, each controlled by a bizarre character. A cyclist, a binman, a pregnant lady, an old man – they were all there.

Is that a car floating on the water?

Even more impressive was the floating car, beeping its horn excitedly as it made its way across the lake. It soon became engulfed in smoke. With no narration, we relied on the power of mime to tell the story. However, this isn’t the sort of show where understanding the storyline is of much importance. This is spectacle, and of the highest level.

A giant bed, like those used in the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony, floated across the lake. An operatic female with a rather extravagant dress on top of a giant hamster wheel certainly had the wow factor too.

The closest thing to a followable sequence of events was the pregnant female’s transition from pregnant, to pushing a pram, to holding her children by the hand, and finally standing behind a fully grown soldier, presumably her child. There is also a joust of sorts between two mythical looking characters, one wearing angel wings that burst impressively into flames. A long boat was an inspiring sight.

Dazzling fireworks to finish a dazzling evening’s entertainment

The end of the show was a cavalcade of colour, with a dazzling fireworks display that heightened the senses. The surrealism of the characters floating around the lake – the car, the opera singer, the mythological warriors, and the old man, whose hair had now been set on fire, added to the confusion. We’d given up on the storyline, if there even was one, and just sat back to enjoy the ride. Spectacles like this are becoming commonplace in Stoke-on-Trent, and this should only go to prove the city’s worthiness for UK City of Culture 2021.

Did you go to see Water Fools? What did you think?

The Jacksons @ Haydock Park Racecourse 07/07/17

Have you ever been to a concert at the races? We recently headed to Haydock Park Racecourse in Merseyside to see The Jacksons. It was third time lucky for us with the Jackson family. We have previously had tickets to see both Michael and Janet. Of course, Michael died, and Janet was going to have a baby when we had tickets for each of them. As well as the concert, there was a full card of horse racing starting from 5.50pm. Parking is easy and free in a field close to the exit.

We only arrived in time for the 7.20pm race, and wanted to have a bet. There was hardly any time at all to decide who to bet on, but we quickly chose Lincoln Rocks. We then had a quick run around to get the best odds, finding one that had it down for 4/1 compared to all of the others being 7/2. Having not discussed how much to bet, we went for £5. We’re not big spenders! We went to the front of the fence to watch the race. To be fair, our horse started off in the lead but ended up being knocked back to fourth position. Gutted.

The racing was cool but the music was the main event

We noticed that a few people had already started crowding around the music stage, and wanted a good view for The Jacksons the most, being as though that was the main reason we were here. The barrier was full, apart from the far sides, but we got a good position on the second row. It wasn’t mega busy behind us for quite a while, so went off to have another bet, putting £5 on Grey Diamond to win the 7.50pm race. It had quite high odds, like 20/1 or something, though it wasn’t a surprise with that in mind that it came in around last.

There was an 8.20pm race, but it was getting busier now so we didn’t bet. We watched on the big screen though, and both of us would have lost had we bet. We’d already lost £10 too. Just as The Jacksons started, it started to rain, and continued to rain throughout the entire set. As far as rain goes though, it wasn’t too bad, as it was pretty warm and very fine, so we didn’t get soaked.

The Jacksons are celebrating their 50th year together, and it was certainly a thrill to see them. They had a full band behind them, and Tito played guitar throughout. Jermaine added bass on some of the band’s earlier hits too. Despite being in their 60’s, the brothers still looked every bit the Motown icons that they are in sparkly black leather outfits, and still knew how to pull off those famous dance moves.

They really miss their little brother

The big screen behind them showed vintage footage of them with their little brother Michael. At times, it got quite emotional, especially with I’ll Be There, and Jermaine’s version of Gone Too Soon. The setlist contained all of the Jacksons classic tracks, including a medley of their very earliest tracks that saw the family explode onto the world’s TV screens and radios, and having such a long-lasting impact on music history. Tito also did a couple of tracks off his new solo album.

Marlon had thrown his towel to the audience earlier on, and it was caught by a woman near us. Near the end of the show, he did the same again. It was during a massively extended version of Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground). I launched up into the air and grabbed it, bringing it low to me as soon as possible, whilst people squabbled behind me, wondering where it had gone. After a short break, I quietly said to Amy, ‘I’ve got the towel, put it in your bag quick!’. Amy was flabbergasted, as she hadn’t thought it had landed anywhere near me!

The setlist

The setlist was Can You Feel It?, Blame It On The Boogie, Rock With You, Enjoy Yourself, Show You The Way To Go, Lovely One, I Want You Back, ABC, The Love You Save, Dancing Machine, Never Can Say Goodbye, I’ll Be There, Gone Too Soon, When The Magic Happens, Get It Baby, Can’t Let Her Get Away, This Place Hotel, Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’, Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground), Encore – State Of Shock.

Are you a fan of The Jacksons? What’s your favourite song of theirs?

RIP Chester Bennington

We couldn’t quite believe the news we just read about the suicide of Chester Bennington, Linkin Park’s lead vocalist. We had only seen Linkin Park live less than two weeks’ earlier. The following review was already written, and ready to post. The show we saw was to be Linkin Park’s last ever show. It adds a much greater poignancy to our memories of the night, yet the following words were written before hearing the news. RIP Chester. You were a beautiful soul who touched the hearts of many people. We will miss you.

Linkin Park @ Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham 06/07/2017

We recently took a trip to the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham to see nu-metal legends Linkin Park. Our tickets were in the closest block to the stage, but was a bit of a side-on view. There was actually two standing areas, with a barrier separating them. I’m guessing the front section was more expensive, like a golden circle. This kind of thing is always pretty annoying to see. Linkin Park were one of Amy’s favourite groups in her teenage angst years, so it was great to get to see them live.

The staging wasn’t over elaborate, and it was pretty dark. However, it kind of suited the music, and felt strangely more intimate, despite the size of the arena. Known for their nu-metal classics, they have taken on a much poppier style with their latest record, and their fans aren’t happy in the main. However, they didn’t seem to mind too much tonight, with most songs getting a warm response from the crowd.

It was their older tracks, however, that got the loudest response by far. It is so cute when Amy does the screaming bits from those tracks, as it just seems like a juxtaposition with her usual feminine demeanour. One of the nicest moments was when the lead singer paid tribute to the victims of the Manchester attack, and said that he has worn some bee earrings ever since.

Chester gave his fans the personal touch

He then made his way down to the crowd to perform the moving song One More Light, and a couple more songs whilst in the midst of the mega fans at the front. He then proceeded to give each one a long hug before making his way back on to the stage. They finished off with many of their classic older tracks, which was a great end to a phenomenal show.

The setlist was Talking To Myself, Burn It Down, The Catalyst, Wastelands, One Step Closer, Castle of Glass, Good Goodbye, Lost in the Echo, Battle Symphony, New Divide, From The Inside, Invisible, Waiting For The End, Breaking The Habit, One More Light, Crawling, Leave Out All The Rest, Somewhere I Belong, What I’ve Done, In The End, Faint, Encore – Sharp Edges, Numb, Heavy, Papercut, Bleed It Out.

Were Linkin Park the soundtrack to your youth?

Love Supreme @ Glynde Place 02/07/2017

Our fourth festival trip of the summer was to Glynde Place for the Love Supreme Festival. We visited on the Sunday to see acts such as George Benson and Gregory Porter. It was an absolutely scorching hot day. Love Supreme has the usual setup for festivals to be honest, with little out of the ordinary. Stalls, a few funfair bits, bars, and food vans, as well as a music stage, two tents, and a bandstand. It was the music, however, that provided a day out to remember.

La Mambanegra were the opening act on the Main Stage, with their infectious latin rhythms. They were all the way from Colombia. Most people were sitting on the grass initially. The band were really good, and got everyone dancing, however. Many people headed to the front to practice their salsa moves.

Blue Lab Beats were humbled by how well they were received

Over in the Arena, a decent sized crowd were watching Blue Lab Beats. These are a couple of humble young lads. One of them plays the guitar, whilst the other, with blue Marge Simpson hair, is a DJ. It was a rather chilled out set that the appreciative crowd really enjoyed. Back on the Main Stage, the Hot 8 Brass Band were on. This band are from New Orleans, and have been nominated for a Grammy award. It might have been the sweltering heat, but we didn’t get into them at all. We ended up leaving before the end.

Inside the Big Top, the largest of the tents, we caught a jazz singer with a very classic jazz sound called Charenee Wade. Back on the main stage, we saw St. Paul and the Broken Bones. They are a very polished soul band from Birmingham, Alabama. We felt they would have been very enjoyable were it not for the heat.

An unexpected highlight of the day was Miles Mosley and the West Coast Get Down in the Arena. An amazingly accomplished upright bassist, his band are incredibly tight, and perform a great mix of jazz and funk. Kamasi Washington was a long-time band member, and he joined them on stage for a couple of songs. Their closing track, Abraham, really sounds like a hit in the making.

Kamasi Washington – a jazz aficionado’s dream

After his short guest slot in the Arena, Kamasi Washington performed on the main stage. Kamasi Washington is very orchestral, and musically gifted. However, it probably wasn’t the most engaging of sets to a non jazz aficionado. His dad was a special guest.

With a stroke of luck, the people on the barrier right in front of us left at the end of Washington’s set. Therefore, we were able to get in on the barrier for George Benson, which was amazing as he was the main reason we were here. Now 74, he had apparently been unwell today. You really couldn’t tell as he came out and gave a spellbinding performance that really showed he deserves his legendary status.

He opened up with a jazz guitar piece that really showed off his unique guitar style that has won so many plaudits. We had a couple more instrumentals throughout the set, including the classic Breezin’. However, the rest of the set was hit after hit. He seemed to be doing a bit of a Bruce Springsteen, with four pages to his setlist. We caught him choosing the songs at random, much to the confusion of his band at times. However, Benson can read a crowd like no other. His choices were just perfection.

George Benson – a legendary performer

Give Me The Night was one of the highlights, with its iconic two note guitar riff, and scat backing vocals that the guitar follows along to. Despite not being the last act (though he was billed as headliner), Benson went off and did an encore performance of On Broadway. Vocally, he started off rather quiet. However, he built up steadily to unbelievable heights, coping with three key changes on Lady Love Me. It was amazing, especially for his age. It was a truly delightful performance.

The final act on the Main Stage was Gregory Porter. Despite his recent success, Porter isn’t someone we have ever really got into before. However, he was quite simply sensational. As well as being an incredibly charismatic performer, with his balaclava and jockey hat combo, his voice is one of the most emotionally charged of his generation. Many of his songs could almost bring you to tears if you listen hard enough. In particular, the first half of his set was stunning, with great song after great song.

Gregory Porter – a show of two halves

The second half was also entertaining. However, and this might not have been an issue for the jazz aficionados in the crowd (it was a jazz festival after all), the latter part of the set was much more self indulgent, and muso-friendly. Solo after solo, long drum breaks, and band introductions took their toll on our attention span. This was a shame, as up to that point we had been captivated. It almost felt like the set was the wrong way around. Rather than the start being a warm up, it was more so that the end was a cool down.

Love Supreme didn’t just close up afterwards, with music continuing into the early hours. We decided to check out Incognito’s DJ set in the Arena before setting off for home. Incognito are a dance act that have had a long and successful career, particularly in the early 1990’s. The set was very enjoyable. People were dancing away, but you could tell they were on their last legs by now. It was the end of a long sunny Love Supreme weekend for many.

Did you go to Love Supreme? Who were your highlights? 

Phil Collins: Not Dead Yet, Live @ BST Hyde Park, London 30/06/2017

Phil Collins played the biggest show of his comeback tour at BST Live, in London’s Hyde Park. In the interests of disclosure, we saw Taylor Swift here a couple of years ago. The venue was so bad that we said we wouldn’t go back. However, for Phil Collins, we made an exception. Luckily, the venue is much improved. As well as two great music stages and a bandstand, you can pose for 360 degree selfies in the Samsung booth, get as many free Coke Zeros as you like in the fun Coke area, and even play in the Barclaycard playground.

Starsailor were the opening act on the Great Oak Stage, and they had just started playing Alcoholic as we arrived. We started off at the side of the stage where the view wasn’t too bad (of the lead singer at least), but the sound was a bit muffled. The problem is that they cordon huge parts of the park in front of the stage for those who are willing to pay a load extra. This makes it really hard to get a good view in general admission. We decided to check out other vantage points so we knew our best plan of attack for Phil Collins. As it was still relatively early and civilised, we managed to get a position just behind the people on the barrier near to the middle. The very middle view was blocked off by a huge VIP bar, which is just ridiculous.

Starsailor and KC and the Sunshine Band got us warmed up

Starsailor did a fantastic set, including a short cover of Come Together. They finished by dedicating Good Souls to the victims of the Manchester and London attacks. It was actually the fourth time we have seen them live, but the first since 2008. Their setlist was Alcoholic, Best Of Me, Come Together, Tell Me It’s Not Over, Four To The Floor, Silence Is Easy, Good Souls. We stayed put, ready for the next act, KC and the Sunshine Band, who I was mega excited about seeing. The huge band played in front of a colourful and exotic backdrop. Their show was more 80’s than pretty much anything we’ve ever seen.

KC himself strutted up and down the stage with a radio mic, looking every bit like an aerobics instructor. However, the whole thing was so much fun, and they played classic after classic. Flamboyant costumes and feather boas were the order of the day. Their setlist was Queen Of Clubs, Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground), Boogie Shoes, Please Don’t Go, Give It Up, Brick House, That’s The Way (I Like It), (Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty, Get Down Tonight, Movin’ Your Body.

New Power Generation were celebrating Prince

Straight after their set, we raced over to the Barclaycard Stage. Prince’s former group New Power Generation had just started their set. They timed it so that only one stage was playing at once, which was good. As a result, we arrived half way through first song Sexy MF. This show was ridiculously funktastic, and a complete joy to watch. Two great new singers took vocal duties. In some ways, this set was even more enjoyable than when we saw Prince himself live. There was more of an air of celebration about it. NPG were kind of a side project for Prince during a contract dispute with his record label. They were responsible for some of his most famous tracks, mainly of an urban slant.

Many were performed, including Cream, Gett Off, and an emotional singalong version of Nothing Compares 2 U. Their setlist was Sexy MF, Pop Life, Cream, Sign O The Times, Hot Thing, Nothing Compares 2 U, Money Don’t Matter 2 Night, Head, Uptown, 7, Housequake, Gett Off. They were actually scheduled to do two sets, with a break whilst Mike and the Mechanics were on stage. I had wanted to go back and watch the second set. However, we ended up getting back to the position near to the front where we were earlier. Amy wanted to stay there, rather than risk losing this great view for Phil Collins.

Mike and the Mechanics provided many highlights

Although we love them, we saw Mike and the Mechanics at the Victoria Hall earlier this year. Therefore, we took this opportunity to get a ridiculously overpriced frankfurter hot dog. We also had a go of a golf challenge, where you had to use a double golf club. If you managed to get a hole in one, you got a free VIP upgrade. We had three attempts, and our first one was really quite close. Our next two weren’t quite as good. We were quite impressed about getting our space back for Mike and the Mechanics. We were initially a bit further across and cramped up, until someone moved from pretty much our exact spot, so we jumped back into it.

They were fantastic, and we still caught over half of their performance, starting with rousing new song Let Me Fly. The Living Years and Over My Shoulder were highlights of the day. The setlist that we heard was Let Me Fly, A Beggar On A Beach Of Gold. The Living Years, Over My Shoulder, All I Need Is A Miracle. Blondie were up next, and predictably great. It was the third time we have seen them, the others being at Blackpool Opera House, and V2014. Debbie Harry, who is nearly 72, came on stage wearing a bee horn helmet, to perform One Way Or Another. She wore a long coat that said Stop F*cking The Planet on the back. Heart Of Glass was the perfect way to close their classic heavy set.

Blondie are still rock and roll personified

The setlist was One Way Or Another, Hanging On The Telephone, Fun, Call Me, Rapture, Fragments, Long Time, Atomic, Too Much, Maria, Heart Of Glass. Images of Phil Collins flashed up on the big screens to get everyone in the mood. At 8.50pm, Phil took to the stage. It was a remarkably un-rock and roll entrance, making his way slowly with the aid of a walking stick to an office chair where he sat for the entire show. In fact, the tour is called Not Dead Yet, Live. Despite this, it was one of the best gigs I have ever been to. The songs were just fantastic. This was despite the disappointment of cutting six songs from the setlist he has been performing at the Royal Albert Hall, most guttingly Against All Odds.

Phil Collins: classic after classic

After his retirement over a decade ago, I thought this moment would never arrive. In the end, it was well worth the wait. He can’t play the drums anymore, but he can certainly sing every bit as good as in his heyday. His band were just sensational, and included his own 16-year old son Nicholas, on the drums. He got the honour of doing the famous drum roll in In The Air Tonight. Every song was joyous, from Another Day In Paradise, to the uplifting Dance Into The Light. Separate Lives had a woman next to us bawling her eyes out. He even treated us to two Genesis tracks, though it was rather a shame that Mike Rutherford didn’t join him on stage.

His one song encore hardly seemed worth leaving the stage for. It did provide the first time on this tour that he has performed a song whilst standing, however. The setlist was Another Day In Paradise, Something Happened On The Way To Heaven, Wake Up Call, Follow You Follow Me, I Missed Again, Hang In Long Enough, Separate Lives, In The Air Tonight, You Can’t Hurry Love, Dance Into The Light, Invisible Touch, Easy Lover, Sussudio, Encore – Take Me Home.

Are you excited about Phil Collins’ return to the stage? Have you ever been to BST Hyde Park?

It was a scorching hot day at the O2 Arena, and fairly busy and bustling in its atmosphere. Of course, this had to be the day for an indoor music festival! The reason for our visit was to see Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow. However, it was part of an all day event called the Stone Free Festival. This meant we got the chance to see a few other great bands as well. We arrived in time to see 90’s Scottish rockers Gun, famous for their cover of Word Up. However, it took absolutely ages to get through the heightened security. Better to be safe than sorry though, in times like these. We were given a free leaflet/programme which stated the stage times, and headed straight towards indigo at the O2 to see Gun.

It was pretty busy inside but we made our way through the crowds of burly rockers, all dressed in their favourite band t-shirts, to find a pretty decent view. We had missed the first couple of songs but arrived during one of their best-known tunes, Better Days. They followed this with the classic, Word Up. Gun did a really good set. The songs we heard include Better Days, Word Up!, Hold Your Head Up, Favourite Pleasures, Steal Your Fire, Shame On You, (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!). Afterwards, we had to judge if we would be able to get back in again if we left, as we wanted to check out the merchandise. It was mainly all band t-shirts, with no programme available.

Amy missed The Answer to take advantage of the O2 Arena’s tenth birthday celebrations. I went in though, and found a position right at the front of the stage to watch a couple of their songs. Annoyingly, I think Amy would really like them. The songs I saw were On And On, I Am What I Am, Thief Of Light, Spectacular, Come Follow Me. At the end of The Answer’s set, some people relinquished their seats on the Balcony. I jumped into the first two I could find, moving again when some became free further across the row in front.

Having had (Don’t Fear) The Reaper in my classics folder for many years, I was excited to see Blue Oyster Cult on their 45th anniversary tour. Luckily, Amy arrived just before they started. Annoyingly, all she had ‘won’, as I suspected, was a half price voucher for climbing the O2 Arena! How crap! She found it easy to get back into the venue but they had blocked off the Balcony upstairs. Therefore, she had to run for it when the security guard’s back was turned! Blue Oyster Cult did a very long set. The main problem for us was tiredness. Our lack of sleep, the heatwave, the dark lighting, and comfy seating, combined to make us almost drop off to sleep.

Singer and guitarist Buck Dharma looked a bit like Bono from up above. They started by playing their debut album in its entirety. I must say that it wasn’t the most exciting set of songs in the world. Things picked up after this, as they started to play their best-known songs, including the punchy Godzilla. Amy couldn’t believe this hadn’t been included in the movie. They finished of course with the classic (Don’t Fear) The Reaper, dedicated to Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, which was great. We managed to head downstairs and get a place right at the front at the side to watch their two song encore. The atmosphere was much better than upstairs.

Their setlist was Transmaniacon MC, I’m On The Lamb But I Ain’t No Sheep, Then Came The Last Days Of May, Stairway To The Stars, Before The Kiss A Redcap, Screams, She’s As Beautiful As A Foot, Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll, Workshop Of The Telescopes, Redeemed, Burnin’ For You, Buck’s Boogie, Godzilla, (Don’t Fear) The Reaper, Encore – Tattoo Vampire, Hot Rails To Hell. Upon exiting indigo at the O2, we went straight into the O2 Arena. It was here that the rest of the entertainment was taking place. Lots of European Rainbow fans had made the trip to London for the show, including a couple of blokes who asked me to take their photo.

We had brilliant seats in the lower tier of the second block from the stage. We have seen the first act, Sweet, not all that long ago, at the Victoria Hall in Stoke-on-Trent. Amy loved it, and even got a plectrum thrown up to her. With original main man Andy Scott at the helm, it was great to see the glam rock giants perform in a big venue. They started with some of their more credible rock songs. It led me to think it would be a very different show catered to the rock crowd. However, a medley of Wig Wam Bam and Little Willy put paid to that theory. As Andy Scott said though, everyone sings along to those songs, no matter what t-shirt they are wearing.

It was an enjoyable set, if not quite at the heights of seeing them from the side of the stage like last time. They also suffered a bit from support act sound problems. The setlist was Action, New York Groove, Hell Raiser, The Six Teens, AC/DC, Set Me Free, Teenage Rampage, Wig Wam Bam/Little Willy, Love Is Like Oxygen, Fox On The Run, Encore – Blockbuster, Ballroom Blitz.

The sound problems were well and truly sorted by the time headline act, Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, arrived on stage. Their entrance was to Land Of Hope And Glory and a guitar instrumental of Over The Rainbow. The guitar maestro, formerly of Deep Purple before starting up his hugely successful side project Rainbow, has spent the last two decades performing medieval folk music. It was gratifying, therefore, to see him return to his rock roots after some successful shows last year. The set was a mix between Rainbow songs and Deep Purple songs, all sung fantastically by talented Chilean Ronnie Romero. The writer of many 80’s rock ballads, including two of Rainbow’s biggest hits, Russ Ballard, was brought out on stage to join the band on one of his, the all-time classic Since You’ve Been Gone.

Blackmore’s guitar playing was phenomenal. He played with gusto effortlessly, despite being in his seventies and suffering from arthritis. Truly one of the all-time guitar greats. He showed off some fine acoustic playing on Deep Purple’s Soldier of Fortune. He barely said a word though, preferring to stand at the back dressed in black. Despite a bit of a lull in the middle of the show, when the band seemed to take turns to have extended instrumental solos, there were an amazing amount of classic songs in the setlist tonight that more than made up for it. Two iconic guitar riffs were amongst the final songs of the evening. Black Night had the crowd air-guitaring along, and the most famous riff of all time – Smoke On The Water, was given the honour of finishing this fantastic show.

The setlist was Spotlight Kid (Rainbow), I Surrender (R), Mistreated (Deep Purple), Since You Been Gone (R), Man On The Silver Mountain (R), Soldier of Fortune (DP), All Night Long (R), Difficult To Cure (R), Child In Time (DP), Stargazer (R), Still I’m Sad (R), Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll (R), Black Night (DP), Encore – Burn (DP), Catch The Rainbow (R), Smoke On The Water (DP).

Have you ever been to an indoor music festival? Is classic rock your thing?

Guns ‘N’ Roses @ London Stadium 16/06/2017

We headed to the Olympic Stadium for the second time within two weeks, to see Guns ‘N’ Roses do their first UK show with the original line-up since 1993. We arrived relatively early, so we got a seat in the lower tier of the stand. In fact, we were in almost exactly the same place we were at for Depeche Mode a couple of weeks previously. Almost everyone was wearing a band t-shirt, as rock concerts often dictate. A guy in a kilt held his young daughter on his shoulders. She had one of those foam hands giving the middle finger, reminding us of a little girl in Darlington on our Jail Break. Whilst dressed as a bunny and a chicken in aid of charity, a father said to his daughter as we were about to leave, “what do you say to the Easter Bunny?”. She replied with the middle finger!

There were two support acts for the show, with the first being Tyler Bryant and The Shakedown. We saw them last year supporting the Axl Rose fronted AC/DC. Their setlist was Weak & Weepin’, Criminal Imagination, House on Fire, Aftershock, Got My Mojo Working, and Lipstick Wonder Woman. After an enjoyable set from them, we had The Kills. Fronted by an androgynous female, they seemed to have some technical difficulties at the start which may have cut in to their set time. They seemed to do a very short set indeed. Their setlist was Heart of a Dog, Kissy Kissy, Hard Habit To Break, Doing It To Death, and Whirling Eye.

Not In This Lifetime? Oh yes it is!

Guns ‘n’ Roses built up the excitement with the help of big screens and loud gunshot sounds. I must admit it did put us on edge a little bit after our horrific experience in Manchester less than a month ago. Soon enough, the classic line-up of Axl Rose, Slash, and Duff McKagan bounded on to the stage. The tour is called ‘Not In This Lifetime’, after the band’s response when asked if they would ever reunite. Well, they were definitely there, reunited, and whether or not they get on these days, they gelled superbly. Welcome to the Jungle was an early highlight, with Axl’s performances clearly reinvigorated by his spell with AC/DC last year. Axl did quite a few costume changes, often wearing his trademark bandana, and checked shirt around his waist.

At one point Axl came out in some weird Union Jack themed outfit. Slash wore his iconic top hat for the whole night. There were lots of singalong moments throughout, especially with Sweet Child O’ Mine and the closer, Paradise City. November Rain was the great lighters in the air moment, with a grand piano rising from the walkway part of the stage. I’d assumed Axl was playing it out of view until Amy pointed out where it was! Surely one of the most epic rock ballads of all time. They did a completely mind-blowing show, which also had a smattering of covers of bands like The Who, Pink Floyd, The Misfits, and Soundgarden, whose singer sadly killed himself recently.

The setlist

Guns ‘N’ Roses put on a superb show. We can only hope that they manage to stay together, and maybe even write some new material. That is probably a step too far however. The setlist was It’s So Easy, Mr. Brownstone, Chinese Democracy, Welcome to the Jungle, Double Talkin’ Jive, Better, Estranged, Live and Let Die, Rocket Queen, You Could Be Mine, Attitude, This I Love, Civil War, Yesterdays, Coma, Slash Guitar Solo, Speak Softly Love (Love Theme From The Godfather), Sweet Child O’ Mine, My Michelle, Wish You Were Here, November Rain, Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door, Nightrain, Encore – Black Hole Sun, Patience, The Seeker, Paradise City.

Are you a Guns ‘N’ Roses fan? Have you seen them in their heyday, or on this reunion tour? 

One Love Manchester @ Old Trafford Cricket Ground 04/06/2017

As you may know, we had a terrifying experience at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester recently. The last thing we expected was the kind gesture that Ariana Grande made to the attendees and the people of Manchester. She put on a huge outdoor concert called One Love Manchester, to raise money for the victims of the attack. All of the attendees of the original show were invited to attend for free. Despite the fact that we were in London on that day, we made a special effort to get all the way to Manchester for the show.

The event took place at Old Trafford Cricket Ground. We’ve been here to see a few concerts in the past, having seen REM twice, and Richard Ashcroft. On arrival, there was a lot of people in the area. Many were wearing bee-themed outfits, including Amy who had bought a t-shirt with bees on it. The bee has become a symbol of the unity of the people of Manchester against terrorism. Many have even got tattoos with the design, including Ariana Grande herself.

We were given the choice to stand or sit down, and we decided to go for the seating option. The view was a bit side on, but we could at least see. The bloke next to us managed to sneak through into the Golden Circle area at the front. It turned out that this was for the attendees of the original show like us. We hadn’t known, so were a bit gutted we went for seats. The first sign of action from the stage was a bunch of dignitaries, including Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham, the Bishop of Manchester, and representatives of the emergency services. They led us all in a one minute’s silence.

This is the Place indeed

Then we saw the fantastic Manchester poet Tony Walsh. He repeated his inspirational poem This Is The Place, which he had read at the vigil. People around us were getting very excited to see Paddy McGuinness and Ariana Grande’s brother Frankie up in the stand next to us. Another unexpected surprise was the first act, Marcus Mumford, of Mumford & Sons. After leading us in another minute’s silence, he performed the song Timshel. Next up was Take That, who performed Shine, Giants, and Rule The World. I desperately wanted to go down to the golden circle area. Loads of people were just strolling in and getting wristbands. For some reason, Amy was just being really stubborn.

Our fellow Stokie, Robbie Williams was up next. After posing with the three remaining members of Take That, including a blonde Gary Barlow, he launched into a vocally poor version of Strong. He had changed the words to ‘Manchester we’re strong’, but he looked really half-arsed in like a tracksuit and a Justin Bieber hoody. It sounded like he could barely sing. That was part of the problem with being quite far away from the stage. It was evidently the emotion of the occasion that was getting to him. We just couldn’t tell from where we were. He also did Angels, though again it wasn’t vocally great. A steward up the top was going crazy with his dancing, giving a real feel good atmosphere to proceedings. It livened us up a bit.

Is that LIAM GALLAGHER? Argh. It’s Justin Bieber.

The only big act we hadn’t seen before was Pharrell Williams. He opened with Get Lucky, and then performed Happy with the help of Miley Cyrus. Miley stayed on stage to perform a song called Inspired. The crowd was going wild for someone up in the crowd that we were sure was Liam Gallagher. Unfortunately, it turned out from the photos to be Justin Bieber! Sorry Liam. During Niall Horan from One Direction’s first song, Slow Hands, we decided to head down to the golden circle. It was brilliant! We had a much better view, and a nice souvenir wristband too! Niall also performed This Town. We were mega impressed with him. Unlike Bieber, Horan can play an acoustic guitar very well indeed, and did both songs on his own I think.

Memories of happier times just prior to the attack came flooding back

Ariana Grande’s manager, Scooter Braun came on stage next to read a speech off his phone. He introduced Ariana herself to the stage. It was quite emotional watching her perform Be Alright and Break Free. Memories came flooding back of last Monday night. Pink confetti burst out during Break Free. Amy grabbed a big piece of it and wrapped it around her, including her ‘ears’ that she was wearing. Stevie Wonder then performed a song on the big screen, before Little Mix came to do an impressive version of Wings, in rather skimpy outfits. Another unexpected act was Ariana Grande’s support act from last Monday, Victoria Monet. Ariana joined her on stage to sing an moving version of her song Better Days.

Lots of emotional moments

Ariana stayed on stage to perform a very emotional (a theme) version of Where Is The Love? It is one of our favourite songs, and very apt on this occasion. They got everyone to raise a finger in the air. Will.I.Am had a bit of a blunder though, occasionally mixing Manchester with London. We let him off due to the attack in London the previous night. Ariana then introduced one of her favourite ever singers, Imogen Heap. She performed a quirky, heartfelt song called Hide and Seek at the grand piano, mixing in a bit of Jason Derulo’s Whatcha Say. Then we had the Parrs Wood High School Choir, who had released a charity cover of Ariana’s My Everything. Ariana joined them, and their twelve year old soloist could barely contain herself.

Another surprise was Mac Miller. It wasn’t particularly exciting to see him, but it meant that Ariana got to perform one of our favourite Ariana songs, The Way, as it features him. She didn’t perform it on her tour, so it was a real treat. She let him do one of his own called Dang! Not really the highlight of the show. Miley Cyrus was back out next, to do a duet of Don’t Dream It’s Over with Ariana. Ariana seemed to struggle with the words at the beginning, but Miley helped her along. Ariana stayed on to sing Side By Side. She told us that she had originally planned a different setlist but one of the victims Mums had persuaded her to play the hits.

Lots of the songs were picked for their positive messages

Katy Perry was next, and did a poignant acoustic version of Part Of Me in an extravagant white coat and mini dress. She then did an amazing version of Roar, which really got the crowd going. Justin Bieber followed her. It was the only time the show had a lull on stage between acts. The egomaniac obviously wanted to keep everyone waiting. We were gutted to see him come out with an acoustic guitar, as the talentless little git can’t play to save his life. Last time we saw him, he said Manchester couldn’t handle him after he stormed off because his little girl fans couldn’t help scream at him.

His set was really creepy, with Bieber telling the crowd to repeat ‘we adore you’ or something. The songs he played were our least favourite of the show of his we saw, Love Yourself and Cold Water. He performed them to the same three or four chords over and over, which weren’t even the correct chords. He also messed up the chords on a few occasions, and the singing was tuneless. We are a little bitter towards Bieber after his behaviour last time he came to Manchester.

Ariana then performed Love Me Harder before introducing Amy’s, and possibly mine too, favourite act of the night, Coldplay. They joined Ariana with a brilliant cover of Don’t Look Back In Anger first off. It has become something of an anthem in the city after the attack. It kind of put paid to the Oasis reunion rumours though. Then, they had three songs to themselves, and they blew most of the acts out of the water. It helped that they followed Bieber of course. They opened with another Manchester classic, Sit Down by James, which they brilliantly segued into Fix You, one of their most emotional songs.

Coldplay were the highlight of the evening (apart from Ariana of course)

On a couple of occasions, we got confetti cannons which were perfectly timed with the music. One was stars, and the other was little confetti bits that came out like a rainbow of colours. They also performed Viva La Vida, and Something Just Like This. They really did uplift the crowd. Ariana had teased a surprise, and after Coldplay left the stage, it went dark and another set of musicians were soundchecking. We heard the unmistakeable guitar sound of Oasis! Looking at the stage, we became convinced that it was Noel Gallagher that we could see in front of us. And we already thought we had seen Liam! The excitement was intense. Soon after, the name Liam Gallagher flashed up on the screen.

There was a slight disappointment that we weren’t getting the long awaited Oasis reunion. Still, we were seeing Manchester’s most famous star performing live again. He opened up with a blistering performance of Rock and Roll Star, before his new single Wall Of Glass. Lastly, Chris Martin joined him to perform another touching song, Live Forever. Ariana Grande was then joined on stage by many of the other artists for her performance of One Last Time. She finished the show herself with a moving rendition of Over The Rainbow. It kind of felt too early to finish, despite it being on schedule.

It was a most emotional night, surrounded by all of those who had been through these traumatic events with us. Amy hugged a teenage girl who was upset after being at the concert last week. It is hard to believe that such a huge and successful event was put on at such short notice. It is a credit to all of the stars who turned up (apart from the creepy Bieber). What a great way to show defiance to terrorism and evil in the world, and help so many people begin to heal the mental scars that will remain after the previous show.

Did you see any of the worldwide coverage of this amazing event? Who was your favourite act? 

Depeche Mode @ London Stadium 03/06/2017

This weekend, we went to watch Depeche Mode perform at the London Stadium (formerly the Olympic Stadium). This has been the first time since the London 2012 Olympics that we have ventured inside this stadium. We did go for a walk around the Olympic Park last year though.

Our tickets were general admission, which meant that we could choose to stand or sit in the lower tier. There were still plenty of good seats left by the time we got there. We sat in the second or third block along, which gave us a decent view. There was a bit of a wait as the music didn’t start until 7pm. First, support band The Horrors came on. The lead singer was dressed in a sparkly gold top, and they put on a decent show. We wouldn’t say it was captivating though, but we did know a couple of the songs.

Then it was time for the main event. Depeche Mode performed a really triumphant show.  This was the only UK show of their Spirit Global Tour. Lead singer Dave Gahan was on fine form, coming out on stage wearing a red jacket and matching waistcoat. He reminded us of a cross between Freddie Mercury and Salvador Dali. Even a trip on the stage early in the set didn’t faze him. The start of the set contained a lot of the excellent new album, with Barrel Of A Gun thrown in to really get the party started.

Everyone was having a brilliant time

Main songwriter Martin Gore also got a fair few moments to shine, particularly on A Question Of Lust, which had everyone singing along even after Dave Gahan returned to the stage. Recent single Where’s The Revolution is already seemingly a fan favourite, while Everything Counts and Enjoy The Silence whipped the crowd into a frenzy. A bloke and his young daughter sat in front of us, who were both having an amazing time. It really shows the cross-generational appeal of the band.

During the long encore, they covered David Bowie’s Heroes in their own inimitable style, and finished with their classics I Feel You and Personal Jesus. The setlist was Going Backwards, So Much Love, Barrel Of A Gun, A Pain That I’m Used To. Corrupt, In Your Room, World In My Eyes, Cover Me, A Question Of Lust, Home, Poison Heart. Where’s The Revolution, Wrong, Everything Counts, Stripped, Enjoy The Silence, Never Let Me Down Again. Encore – Somebody, Walking In My Shoes, Heroes, I Feel You, Personal Jesus.

A fantastic show from a band that doesn’t really get the recognition that they deserve in their home country. The mood was dampened at the end on hearing about the London Bridge terror attack that had happened whilst we were at the show. It has come far too soon after our own terrible experience in Manchester the week before.

What’s your favourite Depeche Mode song?