Picture from Liverpool Live
Cast: Nicola McAuliffe, Paul Kemp, James Holmes, Tina Gambe, Emma Gregory, Fiz Marcus, Benedict Sandiford, Martin Wimbush, Janet Harrison.
From the mind of one of the most unique of British playwrights, comes one of the most fascinating pieces of theatre to have been envisaged and produced and given that certain inspired finish that only Yorkshire born Alan Bennett can write is the play The Lady in the Van.
L. S. Media Rating: *****
Cast: David Morrissey, Julia Ford, Mark Arends, Ken Bradshaw, Richard Bremner, Neil Caple, Matthew Flynn, Gillian Kearney, Syrus Lowe, Gavin Marshall, Shaun Mason, Nathen McMullen, Eileen O’Brien.
It may not have been an easy process taking one of the great works by William Shakespeare, however in Macbeth, David Morrissey, Julia Ford and Gemma Bodinetz and all those that make up the team at the Everyman Theatre, the Liverpool public put their collective trust in the final big scale performance that will be held at this iconic Liverpool theatre before the extensive redevelopment that’s due to start.
Originally published by L.S. Media. May 17th 2011. 
Kate Bush has long been considered an enigma, part immense talent that has inspired so many other artists and fans alike, part recluse, never really giving too much away to the point that some critics and reviewers become exasperated and ignore the music behind the woman.
It is to Kate’s credit that she has survived for so long in a business that can cruelly tear people apart just for not releasing a new album every couple of years. Kate herself hasn’t recorded a new album since 2005 with the release of the sensual Aerial and although there are rumours of a brand new set of songs that will be unleashed onto the British public at some point, Kate has decided to revisit older works and give them a new edge.
Originally published by L.S. Media. May 17th 2011.
It’s rare to come across an album that is so cool that you listen to it a couple of times just to make sure your ears weren’t playing tricks on you the first time round. Conceived by Miles Hunt of the Wonderstuff, Shared 2, is as it sounds, a collaboration between some of the U.K’s best musicians and although you may not have heard of some of the artists, when you hear the album it will encourage you to go and seek out these guys and hear them in their natural setting.
picture from Liverpool Live.
Cast: Finbar Lynch, Luke Griffen, David Ricardo-Pearce, Yasmine Akram,Youssef Kerkour, Lisa Kerr, David Rintoul.
Following on from last year’s highly intelligent and well worked play The Chronicles of Long Kesh that dealt with those imprisoned during the troubles in Ireland comes Playwright Richard Bean’s The Big Fellah, a strong and powerful play takes a long term look at the I.R.A. and the fall out between a group of people across 30 years in New York.
Mike and the Mechanics. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.
Originally published by L.S. Media. May 22nd 2011.
Mike and the Mechanics have been away a long time. At one time the band was the epitome of good music, thoughtful, creatively intelligent lyrics that would make the heart ache and the soul sing. Now seven years after the last album Rewired, they can officially be thought of being back to their best and amongst the highlights of the AOR scene to come to Liverpool this year.
Originally published by L.S. Media. May 25th 2011.
For the second time in the space of six months Mike Peters strode onto the Liverpool Academy stage and wowed a crowd that for all intent purposes takes him to their heart as if he was from L1 and not from Prestatyn.
Back in January it was as lead vocalist for the reformed Big Country of which Mike was an avid fan and who was especially proud to front on the night as an invited guest for the much missed Stuart Adamson. On his return a few months later it was with his own band and one of the finest to come out of North Wales, The Alarm.
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.
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.