… and finally
in the news tonight,
for those
who are waiting for the B.B.C.
poem of the day
but don’t wish to know the result;
then look away now…
Ian D. Hall 2018
Author Archives: admin
The Nova Flares. E.P. Review.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
If there was an award for ergonomic design, of spacious interlude and a towering view across the palatial and regal within music, then it could be argued that Jason Wagers and his music under the banner of Nova Flares would surely win hands down. The setting of the Progressive undertones flowing freely with the textured might of instrumental harmony always deserves such freedom to explore, it is after all the only healthy option, the only sensible choice in which to stand.
Innocent. Television Review.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Lee Ingleby, Daniel Ryan, Adrian Rawlins, Hermione Norris, Angel Coulby, Fionn O’Shea, Nigel Lindsay, Eloise Webb, Samuel Edward-Cook, Zahra Ahmadi, Hannah Britland, Christine Cole, Tony Gardner, Nicholas Asbury, Elliott Cowan.
To serve time, in any capacity, for a crime you didn’t commit; has to be arguably the most soul destroying, most seething with rage and contempt for your peers that you will ever feel, the emotions run high, the anger always at boiling point, and with no way to let off steam because you are locked away. The system, corrupt and dishonest, shakes your belief to the very core and no matter how hard it is to keep face, to show the world you are not beaten, the illusion of being Innocent soon slips away; society exacting its pound of flesh in revenge for the misdeeds you didn’t commit.
Death In Paradise.
We scream to the heavens
and plead with the pit
below…
…but I find no solace
in either, death in paradise, life
in purgatory, Milton thanks me
for the memory but I have no
recollection of his face,
I can never be brave enough
to light his candle and see
the reflection of pain
and madness in copperplate grind, production and feel
damns our day, in memory, in shadows, in shadows…
…whisper goodbye and good purchase
for your songs, for your psalms…
…whisper
Siobhan Miller, Gig Review. Epstein Theatre, Liverpool.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
In the voice of a siren, a person can feel their cares gently swept away, they can be swayed by the temper and the tempting and the listener is always grateful for the experience, forever in debt to the swirling thoughts of the tempest and the chance to feel the beauty in the combination of the rage and the placid call to which the siren sings.
I Feel Pretty. Film Review.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 5/10
Cast: Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Tom Hopper, Rory Scovel, Adrian Martinez, Emily Ratajkowski, Aidy Bryant, Busy Philips, Lauren Hutton, Sasheer Zamata, Angela Davis, Caroline Day, Anastagia Pierre Friel, Gia Crovatin.
When the message is absolutely spot on, when the meaning is clear and embracing and yet the scrawl of writing in which it appears dominates and without favour, you tend to forget the significance, the power of what is being said and instead you focus upon the negative. It is not right of course, it is unashamedly poor form to do so, but in the end being human is all we are, and whilst I feel Pretty is a laudable idea, noble even, the near cliched way it was handled leaves it as a film to be admired from a distance but avoided at all costs up close and personal.
Eddi Reader, Gig Review. Epstein Theatre, Liverpool. (2018).
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
There are those that will always make a great marriage, a union which is reflected in the way the other side of the pair will always look to the other with hope in their eyes and love in their hearts; celebrated Scottish vocalist and musician Eddi Reader is that kind of performer and human being to whom the relationship with the audience is more than special, it is a marriage of souls and mutual appreciation to which continues to flourish and resonate each time she appears on stage.
Joan Armatrading, Not Too Far Away. Album Review.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
No matter where you look now, or in the company you keep, there is always a voice that is loud and demonstratively clear that proclaims that there is no depth to the music that sits in the days we share, that it is almost a void of emotional attachment that people don’t wish to acknowledge, the thought perhaps of the very act of exploring and enjoying new music from even the more established names of the world, being one in which is in the bounds of the traitor and the deserter to what went before.
Peggy James, Nothing In Between. Album Review.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
There is the extreme, the sense that you can give everything, all that you can and reap every reward possible, or pay scant regard, ignore the world and the stories being told and place yourself inside a box, cocooned, cushioned and deaf to the cries, the love, the fear and the heartbreak; you either embrace the world with every possible sinew in your soul bursting at the seams, or you become aloof, broken, alone and a faded memory, for there is Nothing In Between that can fill the void.
Don McLean, Gig Review. Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool. (2018).
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
We can all but dream of having the inscription and moniker “Legendary” attached to our name, to be remembered for bringing joy, a wealth of art perhaps, to have done something so epic that it will live past our own lifespan and be a reflection, a calling card for future generations to live up to. Rarely does that identifying mark truly expand upon the brilliant and dazzling first sense of illumination, but when it does, then you cannot but help feel awe when in the presence of such finery in the suit of a fellow human being.