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The Damned, Gig Review. 02 Academy, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Darkness falls early as Winter’s grip takes hold, a kind of bleakness can be felt crawling through the souls of those who seek a musical thrill, who require the artistic fix and the bite of passion in which to ward off the tendrils of despair; darkness falls, we Wait for the Blackout, and then in a bright burst of light, a flash of coronal mass ejection, darkness is abated for a while, we look to the heavens for answers and find only one possible solution, that The Damned have found a way to light the sky and the way forward.

Peter Bellamy, The Maritime Suite. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

For some the thought of not being recognised in their lifetime for their talent can constitute a drama, a performance of ideals that they might see going begging. This approach can be soul destroying, it can leave a mark on those coming up behind, perhaps influenced by the artist, a cycle of regret can be seen to take place, not realising that occasionally in the sadness of passing, comes a greater moment of beauty, of knowing that what you created will live on beyond your years and take hold of the future, and those that live with in its sphere, with pleasure.

Molly Green, Boogie To The Beat. Single Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

None of us dance to the same beat, the minor variations in what makes us take a tumble on the party floor of life is in the end what makes us unique, our flavours, our choices, whether to try our hand at Disco, or to continue living it up to salsa theme or grooving to melody of a Jazz combo, it is our own dance, it is the Boogie to the Beat we must endure.

The Snow Queen, Theatre Review. Everyman Theatre, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Cast: Danny Burns, Lloyd Gorman, Barbara Hockaday, Nikita Johal, Adam Keast, Greg Last, Nicola Martinus-Smith, Jamie Noar, Lucy Thatcher, Francis Tucker.

Children of all ages always eagerly await the first drifts of Christmas snow, a winter picture postcard from our past never seems to fit right without the unique flakes falling against the backdrop of a street light and the crisp sound, that first exquisite crunch of Wellington Boot on the overnight gift that the turning of the year brings us, it may be a time of memory, of quiet solitude in thanks but as The Snow Queen knocks at the door, what cannot be avoided is the chance to laugh, smile till the face takes on a permanent position of glee, and to relax in the company of actors and extenuated by superbly played music and genuine affection to entertain.

Collateral, 4 Shots!. E.P. Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

 

Believe the haters and nay-sayers and they will have you doubting your faith, that the confidence of your own heart and understanding is deemed to be faulted, to be viewed with suspicion, that scepticism is a god and that pure enjoyment on your scale is nothing short of an empty vessel, a tin can shouting to the wind and receiving nothing but scorn for its valour in the face of those who see fashion as their domain. Believe your own gut intuition, take what others say with reservation, see their point of view but don’t take their dogma as your own guideline.

Beans On Toast, A Bird In The Hand. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

If A Bird In The Hand is worth two in the bush, then in the labours of Beans on Toast it must hold an entire menagerie, a cornucopia of brightly feathered introspections and meanings that hold the attention of his listeners and fans with no exception.

Ed Harcourt, Beyond The End. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

Beyond The End is a realm in which few grant themselves the luxury of witnessing, so wrapped up in the now, in taking pictures and recording facts of the currently in vogue, they forget that all soon turns to dust, that in the land of the loved lyric and painted words, it is perhaps the tune that endures longer, patient and appreciated; they say that nothing is beyond the finish line of our existence, and yet, as renowned composers of the past have long since been able to demonstrate, their work has lived on past the tolling of any iron bell.

Mersey Wylie, The Skin I Live In. E.P. Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

In opening up our souls to love we find ways in which to deal with the darkness that stalks our everyday existence, it might be one that makes us breathe a little harder, our pulse that dwells otherwise unhindered to spark with fire, fury and beauty, we might fall, we could rise, whatever happens we must heed that which speaks to us inside and perhaps find a way to stride like a giant through castle halls and say that no matter what is thrown at us we can deal, we can be assured of hope with The Skin I Live In.

Doctor Who: The Witchfinders. Television Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Cast: Jodie Whittaker, Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole, Mandip Gill, Alan Cumming, Siobhan Finneran, Tilly Steele, Tricia Kelly, Arthur Kay, Stavros Demetraki.

Some incarnations of The Doctor impress you from the very beginning, some take time to grow on you, in a world that has become increasingly impatient and demands results straight away, it is only to be expected that there are fans who might display a little less rationale when it comes to seeing their favourite character portrayed against the stereo-type they have built up in their own mind, expected but still disappointing, understood but concerned that they cannot see beyond their field of perceived vision of what makes a hero.

Assassination Nation. Film Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Cast: Odessa Young, Hari Nef, Suki Waterhouse, Abra, Colman Domingo, Bill Skarsgard, Joel McHale, Anika Noni Rose, Bella Thorne, Maude Apatow, Cody Christian, Danny Ramirez, Susan Misner, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Noah Galvin, Lukas Gage, Jeff Pope, Joe Chrest, J.D. Evermore.