Stephen Langstaff at the o2 Academy. Photograph by Ian D. Hall
Originally published by L.S. Media. December 23rd 2011.
L.S. Media Rating ****
If there is anyone left in Liverpool that doubts the talent and ability of Stephen Langstaff then it would be easy to say they really have no idea of how good this man is, it would be even easier to show them why their misconception of Stephen is wrong and to take them to a gig and let them change their mind naturally.
Photograph by Ian D. Hall
Originally published by L.S.Media. December 23rd 2011.
L.S. Media Rating *****
The anticipation amongst the near capacity crowd in the o2 Academy was electric. This was a date that had been keenly looked forward to amongst the music lovers of Liverpool since the news had broken that Space were going to reform and play an end of year gig in the city.
Through the smoke and sweat, Tommy Scott, Jamie Murphy, Franny Griffiths, Phil Hartley, Ryan Clarke and Allan Jones came striding out with grins on their faces, a purposeful look in their eyes and a determination to prove once again why this city has missed them and the incredible music they perform.
Originally published by L.S. Media. January 1st 2012.
L.S. Media Rating **
Cast: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, Tom Wilkinson, Michael Nyqvist, Vladimir Mashkov, Anil Kapoor, Josh Holloway.
Style over substance; perhaps significantly so to the point that Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is a feast for the eyes but will eventually leave you feeling empty and a little unfulfilled. The fourth in the highly successful franchise is no doubt a perfect vehicle for Tom Cruise. As with the action films that he has made, he seems to revel in being the hero, an action man who really does the genre justice and like Steve McQueen before him, does his own stunts to the point where many a seasoned stunt double would balk at the idea of hanging off the world’s tallest building.
Originally published by L.S. Media. January 9th 2012.
L.S. Media Review. ****
You only need one word to describe the Dodgy album, Stand Upright In A Cool Place, you could search through every edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, every thesaurus possible and spend hours looking for that one perfect platitude and it will all boil down to the same thing…stunning!
It’s not just the songs themselves that make up this exquisite album it’s the sound that seems to traverse musical boundaries whilst retaining the beauty of the band. Like last year’s awesome release by The Waterboys An Appointment With Mr. Yeats, by doing something against the grain has propelled the band into an area that their music will thrive and no doubt be remembered just as fondly as their Brit Pop era.
Originally published by L.S. Media. January 15th 2012.
L.S. Media Rating *****
There was a certain degree of crossing over from the old year into the new at The Unity theatre. Not only was the wonderful The Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor being performed in the Unity One but upstairs in a bare space that encompasses Unity Two, the audience were treated to the kind of visual fast paced, anarchic display of comedy that is so underused, so brilliantly written and so quick that it leaves you breathless and desiring more and more.
Originally published by L.S. Media. January 25th 2012.
L.S. Media Rating *****
What would be on your ultimate juke box? If you are a rock fan, a lover of great guitars, crashing drums and lyrics that melt the heart whilst simultaneously making you join in the drum beat with your heart pounding out a rhythm that no other person can fathom, then more than likely you have the top ten albums of all time tattooed on your arm and index-linked and time stamped in your brain.
Originally published by L.S. Media. January 25th 2012.
L.S. Media Rating *****
I admit my musical relationship with The Doors is not what it could have been. I didn’t appreciate the American band at all. The reason for this rather glib demonstration of lack of musical compatibility is down to a girl I used to date who had the most overpowering and dedicated crush on Jim Morrison. No not a crush, she lived, breathed and dreamt of him, not a problem, that didn’t bother me. It was being called Jim that got me down about the band…for the record my name is not Jim!
Originally published by L.S. Media. January 26th 2012. 
L.S. Media Rating *****
Lacuna Coil stands out as Italy’s finest export since lasagna, well…certainly since music from that country stopped being all about opera. The group’s sixth album, Dark Adrenaline is everything you could want from the band as it brings a lighter, even more enjoyable edge to their usual dark gothic style whilst retaining the ethereal beauty that encompasses their music.
Originally published by L.S. Media. January 27th 2012.
L.S. Media Rating *****
Rumours of Fleetwood Mac are surely more than a set of musicians and vocalists that covers the songs of the 70’s and 80’s super-group. They are, quite possibly, the reason why the music is still so loved and why thousands of people are willing to part with their money and turn up en-mass to hear songs that capture over two decades of musical brilliance and inspiration.
Originally published by L.S. Media. August 22nd 2012.
L.S. Media Rating ****
Alan O’ Hare was one of the members of one of the finest bands to come out of Liverpool in the last ten years. As part of The Trestles, they didn’t just make good music, the exemplified a growing disaffection with the world and their debut album was one of the most important made by a Merseyside band in years.
When The Trestles went their separate ways, to those that loved the music, it felt as though a voice was being lost to the high pitch babble that is force fed on occasion from reality television programmes.