Brick up the Mersey Tunnels, Theatre Review. Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. June 18th 2011.

Cast: Roy Brandon, Eithne Browne, Carl Chase, Suzanne Collins, Davy Edge, Adam Keast, Andrew Schofield, Francis Tucker.

For the fifth time in as many years Brick up the Mersey Tunnels arrived at the Royal Court Theatre to a great fanfare and armed to the teeth with well loved gags and up to date topics that would make any other show seethe with jealousy.

Not for nothing has Brick Up…become a firm favourite with audiences throughout Liverpool and beyond with fans of the hit show coming back time and time again to witness the range of comedic talent that runs through the heart and soul of the show.

Brick up the Mersey Tunnels, Theatre Review. Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(405 words, estimated 1:37 mins reading time)

Whitesnake, Gig Review. Wolverhampton Civic Hall.

David Coverdale. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.

Originally published by L.S. Media. June 18th 2011.

It’s not for nothing that David Coverdale and Whitesnake are continually lauded as one of the fine rock acts of all time, both for their recording history but also for the minimalist but truly jaw dropping live sets. What other bands of the genre make up for in their set by using special effect after quirky special effect, Whitesnake just get down to business and entertains and drags kicking and screaming every bit of energy from every crowd that comes to their shows.

Whitesnake, Gig Review. Wolverhampton Civic Hall. full post

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

Black Country Communion, 2, Album Review.

Originally published by L.S. Media. June 18th 2011.

It’s not many bands that can bring out two exceptional albums within the space a few short months, however Black Country Communion are not just any band.

Made up of one of the great guitarists of British Rock in the shape of Glenn Hughes, the much lauded and technically superb Joe Bonamassa, the son of the one of the legends of Rock, Jason Bonham and the appointed, by none other than Alice Cooper, Caligula of keyboards Derek Sherinian, Black Country Communion start album 2 the way they left off on the first offering, heavy, loaded with stand out tracks and just enough humility that will endear them forever to the public who buy the album.

Black Country Communion, 2, Album Review. full post

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

Panic Room, Gig Review. Robin 2, Bilston.

Photograph by Ian D. Hall

Originally published by L.S. Media. June 20th 2011.

When people think of the state of current Progressive Rock bands that can hold their own and in some cases easily beat the established guard with a superb written lyric and subtle use of a well placed time sequence, most watchers of the genre might point to the phenomenal The Reasoning or their fellow High Voltage peers Touchstone.

However in the last few years some of the remnants of fellow Prog kings Karnataka have been quietly bidding their time, starting afresh and have delivered two top rated albums in the form of Panic Room.

Panic Room, Gig Review. Robin 2, Bilston. full post

(444 words, 1 image, estimated 1:47 mins reading time)

Queen, News of the World. Album Review (2011 Remastered Edition).

Originally published by L.S. Media. June 28th 2011.

As part of the next batch of re-releases to celebrate Queen’s 40th anniversary celebrations, Universal Music have released four studio albums and the soundtrack from the film Flash Gordon.

In 1977 the band released News of the World with much expectation after the mixed reviews the band got over their previous release A Day at the Races. If there were any doubts or misconceptions about the forthcoming album during the summer of 77 then by the time the first songs hit the airwaves in the autumn of that year they were soon forgotten and omitted from people’s memories as the double A side of We Will Rock You/ We are the Champions stormed up the charts to a peak of number 2 in the British singles charts and number 4 in America.

Queen, News of the World. Album Review (2011 Remastered Edition). full post

(489 words, 1 image, estimated 1:57 mins reading time)

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

Originally published by L.S. Media June 29th 2011.

Queen’s remarkable ability of writing and producing a new album every year showed no signs of stopping as they approached the latter end of 1978. Prolific even for the time they were nurtured in, the band had spent the last few years churning out classic albums and some great quality tunes time and time again. The year 1978 was no different, after reaching a high note, critically and commercially with News of the World, the band sought to retain the position at the top of the Rock family tree with the eclectic and all most free spirited Jazz.

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

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

Queen, The Game. Album Review (2011 Remastered Edition).

Originally published by L.S. Media. June 29th 2011.

The start of the 1980’s saw Queen return to recording and publishing music after what seemed an eternity for them without an album to showcase for their fans. A lot had happened in the intervening period, a change of Government, Punk icon Sid Vicious had died and disco for a short while reigned supreme in the charts and in cinemas.

Queen, The Game. Album Review (2011 Remastered Edition). full post

(448 words, 1 image, estimated 1:48 mins reading time)

Queen, Flash Gordon Original Soundtrack. Album Review, (2011 Re-Mastered Edition)

Originally published by L.S. Media. June 29th 2011.

After the marked success of Queen’s previous eight studio albums, it seemed quite natural for the band to be offered the prestigious chance to provide the soundtrack for the Science Fiction movie Flash Gordon. The comic book turned television and now celluloid blonde herowas finally getting the big screen treatment and was too star Sam J. Jones as the eponymous champion of the oppressed alongside British stars Brain Blessed, Timothy Dalton and the Canadian actor Melody Anderson.

Queen, Flash Gordon Original Soundtrack. Album Review, (2011 Re-Mastered Edition) full post

(391 words, 1 image, estimated 1:34 mins reading time)

Queen, Hot Space. Album Review, (2011 Re-mastered Edition)

Originally published by L.S. Media. June 29th 2011.

Every band, regardless of their genre, long standing or ability will eventually make the album that shows they are fallible to their fans and elevates everything else they do to another level. With Queen that album has long been considered to be the 1982 studio release Hot Space. Its arrival had long been coming with elements being heard on The Game, Jazz and the lamentable Flash Gordon. However Hot Space plumbed new depths as the band finally departed from their roots completely and delved full force into the world of disco and pop music.

Queen, Hot Space. Album Review, (2011 Re-mastered Edition) full post

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

Queensryche, Dedicated to Chaos. Album Review.

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

Dedicated to Chaos is the new album from Queensryche, always touted as one of the finest bands to come out of Seattle, and unfortunately for the best Prog Metal band in existence the album actually describes the album perfectly. Coming on the back of the highly rated, imaginative and committed album American Soldier, Dedicated to Chaos seems a very poor and stunted relation.

Queensryche, Dedicated to Chaos. Album Review. full post

(359 words, 1 image, estimated 1:26 mins reading time)