Photograph by Ian D. Hall.
Originally published by L.S. Media. May 25th 2011.
Possibly Canada’s greatest export outside of tourist images of Niagara Falls, the seminal and influential progressive rock band Rush, arrived on British soil after a four year wait. Thrilling fans in Sheffield, Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham and all points in between, Rush finally arrived at the o2 Arena, London and continued the good work that has seen them rightly praised by critics and fans alike.
Originally published by L.S. Media. May 28th 2011.
Mikhail Bulgakov is not a name that runs easily off the lips and there will be many who will not have had the pleasure of reading anything by possibly one of the greats of Ukrainian literature which is a shame for his adaptation of Black Snow by Keith Dewhurst is one of the most perfect satirical take on the life within theatre and its allusions to nationhood.
Richard Marx at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.
Originally published by L.S. Media. May 29th 2011.
Richard Marx is rightly considered one of the best examples of American contemporary Rock, his records are much loved by his legion of fans and his in so much demand that he writes and produces music for a multitude of other acts who clamour to be aligned with him. However he doesn’t tour this side of the Atlantic that often, and it’s a great shame as he treats his audience like old friends and always has time for them. That thankfully was put right as he bounced on stage at the Philharmonic Hall to applause that’s usually reserved for the likes of Jon Anderson.
Photograph by Ian D. Hall.
Originally published by L.S. Media. May 30th 2011.
For Roger Hodgson to come to Liverpool and play at the Philharmonic Hall is one of those rare moments in time that if you are a lover of good, honest and well crafted songs delivered with style, humour and grace then no matter what you had to be there. Roger last toured Liverpool in the late 1970’s when he was still part of the phenomenal British band, Supertramp.
Originally published by L.S. Media. May 31st 2011.
A band’s second album, as the phrase goes, is their most difficult, for their first they have been writing all their life. For the Sparrow and the Workshop trio, this could be the case, as any follow up to 2010’s release Crystals Fall would have to be gigantic in the extreme and have some critics actually turn on their hearing aids to appreciate what a phenomenal job the band have done in writing Spitting Daggers.
Originally published by L.S. Media. May 31st 2011.
Journey are, and always will be associated with the idea of stadium rock. They are heavy, musically talented and highly enjoyable to listen to and thanks (or not, depending on your own point of view) to the television programme Glee are easily recognisable to a newer, younger audience.
In 2007, the band saw the arrival of Arnel Pineda with his boyish good looks and a voice to match, fans that were still debating Steve Perry’s absence from the band were soon arguing on whether Arnel was in fact just as good as the main man that gave the world the voice behind such hits as Don’t Stop Believing, Anyway You Want It and Open Arms. The debate wasn’t helped by Journey re-recording some of these classic tracks for the Revelation album in 2008.
Photograph by Ian D. Hall.
Originally published by L.S. Media. June 7th 2011.
Foreigner are quite rightly held up as an example of the best within the world of A.O.R music, with a pedigree of music that stretches back over 30 years. It can be seen as still an alien type of music for British fans to attend, however, whether it’s Stadium Rock or Adult Rock, either way it’s still entertaining and as a concept deserves as much attention as Punk or Prog.
Originally published by L.S. Media. June 7th 2011.
Occasionally, a live album comes along that fires the imagination and leaves you with a warm glow inside. Miles and Erica Live 2010/11 is an acoustic album of fantastic simplicity that showcases the talent of The Wonder Stuff‘s Miles Hunt and Erica Nockalls and gives a wonderful insight into the artists’ mind when they tour with a back catalogue and strip it back to the point where the songs take on a different life and a different vibe, this gives any band a more human face and the final result is one of superb achievement.
Originally published by L.S. Media. June 7th 2011.
There can be nothing more annoying for a music enthusiast, especially one who covets every new release, every special or live album that a band may decide to put out for their “loyal fans” then when a group of such high regard as Iron Maiden put out the ever increasing compilations.
Whether it’s to cash in before the Heavy Metal behemoth’s come back to the U.K. or if it’s through a genuine need to inform their fan base of what they have achieved in the last 20 years, From Fear to Eternity does little to get the excitement and Rock juices going.
Originally published by L.S. Media. June 7th 2011.
One of the problems with bringing out a new album at the start of a tour is that no matter how good it might be regarded in years to come, the first chance that audience members get to hear it, is when’s raw and unfiltered. The live bugs have not been eased out of the set and the band can seem cold, aloof and uncaring about the years of support they have received from their fans and although that is most certainly not the case with Journey, in some eyes it can be damaging.