Monthly Archives: August 2012

Jon Fratelli, Psycho Jukebox. Album Review.

Originally published by L.S. Media. August 2nd 2011.

Jon Fratelli has spent the last few years watching his band The Fratellis come from seemingly nowhere to become terrace sing-a-long heroes with their catchy music and Vaudeville-like lyrics. Although they divided critical opinion with their two studios albums, their popularity has remained high with tracks such as the infectious Chelsea Dagger and the sleazy Cuntry Boys and City Girls turning up in clubs and its heavy rotation at football and N.H.L. matches.

Since 2009, Jon Fratelli has been working on new material which has culminated in his debut solo album Psycho Jukebox.

Jon Fratelli, Psycho Jukebox. Album Review. full post

(341 words, 1 image, estimated 1:22 mins reading time)

Angels in White, Gig Review. Echo Arena, Liverpool

Originally published by L.S. Media. July 30th 2011.

In 2010, the Liverpool Summer Pops was treated to a display by an all female group called Angels in White that was as stunning as it was gracious. By no means can it be considered easy to open for the then headliners Jools Holland, nor can it be straightforward to have comparisons drawn against you with other female bands that have dominated the charts for the last 20 years.

Angels in White, Gig Review. Echo Arena, Liverpool full post

(362 words, estimated 1:27 mins reading time)

An Interview With Alan O’ Hare.

The clanking of tea cups and sandwich plates being scurried around to the patrons of Lucy in the Sky restaurant is somehow a comforting wall of sound as I wait for Liverpool singer songwriter Alan O’ Hare. Like the restaurant, Alan O’ Hare has been busy beyond belief. A new album to launch which was warmly received by all, various gigs to perform at with one of Liverpool’s finest bands, The Trestles and which Bido Lito magazine call “Purveyors of heart-on-your-sleeve pop rock” and now the upcoming launch of another new song in the form of the quirkily titled Oscar Wilde (Stole My Morning).

I don’t have to wait long, Alan is caught up in traffic but I don’t have time to even take a sip of my tea from the overworked waitress as Al bounds over to me, trademark grin upon his face and looking for all intense purposes as if he received the best news in the world ever but had been told to keep it too himself.

An Interview With Alan O’ Hare. full post

(2677 words, 1 image, estimated 10:42 mins reading time)

Sharon Corr, Gig Review. o2 Academy, Liverpool.

photograph by Ian D. Hall

Originally published by L.S. Media. August 23rd 2011.

As one of the members of the multi-selling Irish band The Corrs, Sharon Corr has thrilled her fans with her fantastic ability of playing the violin and writing some of the bands memorable songs and hits and with Sharon having released her debut solo album, Dream of You last autumn, her loyal audiences in Britain finally got the chance to catch this incredible musician in a live environment perform some of the tracks and some old favourites.

Sharon Corr, Gig Review. o2 Academy, Liverpool. full post

(403 words, 1 image, estimated 1:37 mins reading time)

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes. Film Review.

Originally published by L.S. Media. September 1st 2011.

Cast: James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Andy Serkis, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo,

Rise of the Planet of the Planet of the Apes will surely go down as one of the finest films from the summer of 2011. It was certainly up against some good opposition from the Marvel comic- franchise with their surprisingly good Captain America and the last in the series of films involving everybody’s favourite teenage wizard, however with a story line that had fans of the original Charlton Heston movie salivating over their popcorn there can be only be only one true winner.

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes. Film Review. full post

(600 words, estimated 2:24 mins reading time)

Red Hot Chili Peppers, I’m With You. Album Review.

Originally published by L.S. Media. September 1st 2011.

The longer the Red Hot Chili Peppers left it, the harder it could have been to get back to the stage the group were at when they announced they were taking time out after their gargantuan and gut busting double album Stadium Arcadium. The length of time to record the album, the subsequent drawn out success of the tour and the departure of guitarist John Frusciante from the fold would have all taken their toll and broken lesser bands.

Red Hot Chili Peppers, I’m With You. Album Review. full post

(371 words, 1 image, estimated 1:29 mins reading time)

Down Our Street, Theatre Review. Unity Theatre, Liverpool.

Picture from Liverpool Daily Post

Originally published by L.S. Media. September 2nd 2011.

Cast: Micky Finn, Terry O’Shea, Mark Allen, Ruth Laird, Louise Thomas, Laura McEwan, Clair Griffiths, Dave Crosby, Ami-Lee Price, Charlie Griffiths.

For tears, laughter, a genuine dollop of nostalgia and long buried memories, audiences could not go far wrong to catch Brian McCann’s musical play Down Our Street.

Although only running for three days at the Unity Theatre, the play is sold out with no room to spare as audiences were treated to the birth of a town and an industry that supported the growth and presided over some of the bad times that sometimes inevitably follows it.

Down Our Street, Theatre Review. Unity Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(437 words, 1 image, estimated 1:45 mins reading time)

Big Finish Productions Celebrate 150 Doctor Who Audio Plays.

Originally published by L.S. Media. September 4th 2011.

For Doctor Who fans the last six years have been a cornucopia of story-telling, three Doctors, enemies by the bundle, including the welcome return of the Master, The Cybermen and of course the Doctor’s greatest enemy and the universes greatest threat The Daleks. These 21^st Century episodes have become some of the most highly rated stories created for the long running B.B.C. T.V. series and it seems the programme has never been more popular.

Big Finish Productions Celebrate 150 Doctor Who Audio Plays. full post

(862 words, 1 image, estimated 3:27 mins reading time)

Queen, The Works. Album Review, (2011 Re-mastered Edition)

Originally published by L.S. Media. September 5th 2011.

If the mid seventies can be defined as the golden period of producing records of quality by Queen, then the period after their foray into the world of disco and their first adventure into creating music for a major film can surely defined as the re-birth of a legend. From the time that The Works came out till the untimely passing of charismatic vocalist Freddie Mercury, the band never put a foot wrong in the studio and brought out album after stunning album with songs that captured the imagination, courted controversy and broke the fans hearts when it was over.

Queen, The Works. Album Review, (2011 Re-mastered Edition) full post

(521 words, 1 image, estimated 2:05 mins reading time)

Queen, A Kind of Magic. Album Review, (2011 Re-mastered Edition)