Author Archives: admin

Avatarium, Hurricanes And Halos. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

Beauty without arrogance must be allowed room to be savoured, the sense of the silence at the heart of the tornado, the whisper of love between two angels and a well thought of demon, beauty must be seen but not worshipped, it must be cared for but not taken for granted and once it has the attention of all who see it for the natural state it is, then no matter what, no matter the demon and the angel involved, what you have is Hurricanes And Halos and both are as attractive as each other and both startle when confronted for the first time.

Avatarium, Hurricanes And Halos. Album Review. full post

(379 words, 1 image, estimated 1:31 mins reading time)

Jenny Lascelles, Backbone. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

The sound of the sweet can be the most heavenly, there is a sense of innocent wonder that reflects in the voice of such an artist, the listener entranced by the thoughtful phrase, the word of the charming and considerate; yet along knowing that inside the sweet is lioness, a roar from the jungle which whilst might not heard at close hand, still echoes far and wide and shows the other animals in the domain not to mess with the queen.

Jenny Lascelles, Backbone. Album Review. full post

(401 words, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)

Inspector George Gently: Gently Liberated. Television Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

Cast: Martin Shaw, Lee Ingleby, Heather Carroll, Lisa McGrillis, Lorcan Cranitch, Steven Elder, Don Gallagher, Simon Hubbard, Emma Rigby, Victoria Bewick, Anamaria Marinca, Maria Stockley, Robert Lonsdale, Derek Hutchinson, Paul Warriner, Rachel Teate, Christopher Tembey.

 

A television series can too often outlive its life expectancy, the natural story that drew the viewer in coming to a stuttering halt and becoming less than the perfect ideal viewing it once was proudly claimed to be. In some cases though what might have been perceived as the final adventures of a much loved character might not be enough, the finale of a person’s life left hanging, stuck in the rounds of congratulations and non-committal farewells. Such was the fate of Martin Shaw’s Inspector George Gently, left dangling after a successful case cracked, there really was a couple of more hurrahs left in the soul but none seemed forth coming.

Inspector George Gently: Gently Liberated. Television Review. full post

(475 words, estimated 1:54 mins reading time)

Honeybug, Gig Review. The Cavern, International Pop Overthrow. 2017.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

The sound of the electronic and the mastery of the keyboard is such that it will always gather a crowd to its door; it is the synth heaven that people remember with fondness, especially those whose musical appreciation was kicked off by what followed Punk as mainstream music. A sense of the otherworldly always seems to accompany the genre, a feeling of science fiction made real and one that arguably dominated the 80s with overwhelming power but also managed to keep the flag flying, even in a different form as the 90s and the new century took over.

Honeybug, Gig Review. The Cavern, International Pop Overthrow. 2017. full post

(396 words, estimated 1:35 mins reading time)

Lloyd And Daly, Gig Review. The Cavern, International Pop Overthrow, 2017 (Saturday).

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

The international Pop Overthrow remains one of the really great festival ideas to make its way to the Liverpool spotlight; the home of British popular music the perfect venue, the sense of graft and hard work overwhelming, yet for each band, for every artist, there is the goal of performance. For Lloyd and Daly, not only did they take The Beatles stage to task earlier in the week but on the busy Saturday, the day when the music gets deep, down and dirty, when the weekend kicks off and the social butterflies and serious music lovers intermingle amongst the memorabilia and the memory.

Lloyd And Daly, Gig Review. The Cavern, International Pop Overthrow, 2017 (Saturday). full post

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

Scum And Villainy.

It has been impossible to ignore,

the shouts of derision,

the media insanity and lacking balance,

of course the people of Mos Eisley spaceport

would have dearly loved

to vote in someone with integrity

like old Ben Kenobi

but he could not be trusted,

better stick with Lord Vader,

a comfortable pair of hands,

a firm tight grip

on the situation

and in the end

it’s not like we fall for the rhetoric,

we are decent citizens

and have no interest in the scum

Scum And Villainy. full post

(103 words, estimated 25 secs reading time)

Fairport Convention, Gig Review. Music Room, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

The bus rolls on, it does so because Time has need for the company it keeps and in such bands as Fairport Convention, Time understands that the message, the song, is far too important to not allow it to be heard or to be shared live. Music is not only exists to ease the suffering, to use in times of rememberance or to make those who seek to dominate society uncomfortable, it is there to be gathered around and used to make people smile, to make them enjoy life  and Time, whilst sometimes being a peculiar beast, revels in the joy that can be heard.

Fairport Convention, Gig Review. Music Room, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool. full post

(500 words, estimated 2:00 mins reading time)

Doctor Who: Extremis. Television Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Cast: Peter Capaldi, Pearl Mackie, Matt Lucas, Michelle Gomez, Corrado Invernizzi, Francesco Martino, Ronke Adekoluejo, Jennifer Hennessy, Ivanno Jeremiah, Joseph Long, Alana Maria, Laurent Maurel.

 

The truth we seek, for the vast majority of times we find we cannot handle the revelation, that for all our sophistication and 21st Century thinking, we are still creatures often afraid of the dark and superstitious of what the light might bring; that we huddle together to plot the downfall of one because they bring knowledge that might disturb our tranquillity and comfort. In the veritas we seek but in the extreme and revolutionary we become as blind as those who refuse to bear witness.

Doctor Who: Extremis. Television Review. full post

(453 words, estimated 1:49 mins reading time)

Hilary’s Step.

The final step,

the heart pushing

beyond

the rib cage

and the icy breath

short stabbing

inhalation,

exhale, laboured

fighting,

screaming for air,

the lungs near

collapse now

join Hilary’s Step

in man’s decline,

a monster,

once tamed, now

breathing no more,

dead, gone, the folly

of climbing the mountain.

 

Ian D. Hall 2017

Permanent link to this post (57 words, estimated 14 secs reading time)

Iron Maiden, Gig Review. Echo Arena, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Steve Harris at the Echo Arena, Liverpool. May 2017.

Time is never to be wasted, it can be played with, it can amuse for a while and cause mischief, holding hands with it can either leave you feeling secure and protected or experiencing the pain of being ravaged, the sharp toothed tiger of Time plunging its teeth its teeth like a vampire cat, bleeding you dry. Time should not be wasted and therefore by logic we should not go looking for those wasted years…we should and must just feel the frenzy of excitement, the emotion, the fury, the whirl of cool when a long lost band comes back and delivers pound for pound one of the finest sets on stage in thirty years.

Iron Maiden, Gig Review. Echo Arena, Liverpool. full post

(577 words, 1 image, estimated 2:18 mins reading time)