Doctor Who, The Butcher Of Brisbane. Big Finish Audio Play 161.

Originally published on L.S. Media. July 9th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating ****

Cast: Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Mark Strickson, Sarah Sutton, Angus Wright, Rupert Frazer, Felicity Duncan, Daniel Weyman, Daisy Ashford, John Banks, Alex Mallinson.

There are Doctor Who villains who pop up as regular as clockwork, their participation in any adventure much looked forward to and anticipated with the outlook of childhood glee. There are then those who come along every so often, sometimes they contribute greatly to the overall story but you don’t miss them as much, and then there are those that only appear the once, their backstory hinted at but the writers of Doctor Who never revisit them. The listener is devoid of any further knowledge of the foe the Doctor has faced.

Doctor Who, The Butcher Of Brisbane. Big Finish Audio Play 161. full post

(589 words, 1 image, estimated 2:21 mins reading time)

Patti Smith, Banga. Album Review.

  • Originally published by L.S. Media. July 9th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating ****

There is no doubting the sincerity in Patti Smith, a woman of true artistic worth who performs music as if she were a female version of Allan Ginsberg or Jim Morrison. A true poet who happens to produce great music as if it was considered to be a mortal sin to be someone who can produce art in many fields, if it was, do you think someone like Patti Smith would care? She would shrug her shoulders and go out produce something of absolute genius such as her latest album, Banga.

Patti Smith, Banga. Album Review. full post

(413 words, 1 image, estimated 1:39 mins reading time)

Dexys, One Day I’m Going To Soar. Album Review.

Originally published by L.S. Media. July 9th 2012.

L.S. Media ****

Kevin Rowland and Dexys have been out of the public eye for a long time now, the last studio album by the band that formally went by the name Dexys Midnight Runners was way back in 1985. However the band that stormed the charts with hits such as Come On Eileen and Geno are now back and with a truly artistic and well written album titled One Day I’m Going To Soar.

Dexys, One Day I’m Going To Soar. Album Review. full post

(399 words, 1 image, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)

The Amazing Spider-Man. Film Review.

Originally published by L.S. Media. July 9th 2012.

Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Dennis Leary, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Irrfan Khan, Chris Zylka, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, C. Thomas Howell, Hannah Marks, Stan Lee.

Oh what a tangled web we weave…

Spider-Man is dead…long live Spider-Man…The latest Marvel comic book adaptation is an old familiar favourite, so familiar that it’s just about a decade ago since the world was introduced to the world’s best web-slinger in the form of Toby McGuire.

The Amazing Spider-Man. Film Review. full post

(676 words, estimated 2:42 mins reading time)

30 Years Of Bananarama. Album Review.

First published by L.S. Media. July 10th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating ***

For modern audiences Bananarama might be a bit of anachronism, a trio of female singers who sound good…well there has been plenty of them over the last thirty years and you would be entitled to say so what?

Bananarama though were different, they had something that the other female singers, they can’t be called girl bands as when do any of them ever pick up an instrument in anger, today have forgotten, for they had bundles of attitude which endeared them to their early fans and they maintained that popularity when they were taken up the Stock, Aitkin and Waterman processing plant.

30 Years Of Bananarama. Album Review. full post

(494 words, 1 image, estimated 1:59 mins reading time)

Rush, Clockwork Angels. Album Review.

Originally published by L.S. Media.  July 11th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating *****

When Rush are on top form, which is pretty much most of the time, they are simply unstoppable. The three Canadian musicians are so well respected that for almost other Progressive Rock band to take five years between recording and publishing studio albums would be sacrilege and could spell long term disaster for the group.

Rush, Clockwork Angels. Album Review. full post

(484 words, 1 image, estimated 1:56 mins reading time)

Newton Faulkner, Write It On Your Skin. Album Review.

Originally published by L.S. Media. July 12th 2012. .

L.S. Media Rating ****

Sometimes you miss the boat on the start of a musician’s career and you kick yourself for it. Newton Faulkner is one such case in point. With two albums under his belt already, Newton Faulkner is already considered a rare talent. His third album, Write It On Your Skin, confirms the platitudes and detailed examination of his song writing style.

Newton Faulkner, Write It On Your Skin. Album Review. full post

(411 words, 1 image, estimated 1:39 mins reading time)

Blink 182, Gig Review. Liverpool Echo Arena.

Mark Hoppus of Blink 182. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.

Originally published by L.S. Media. July 13th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating ****

One year on from when the three musicians that make up the popular American Rock band Blink 182 should have been on stage at the Echo Arena, Liverpool, Travis Barker, Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus  stepped up from behind the falling blackout curtain and proceeded to give the audience an absolutely thrilling show.

Blink 182, Gig Review. Liverpool Echo Arena. full post

(484 words, 1 image, estimated 1:56 mins reading time)

Broken English, Gig Review. 02 Academy, Liverpool.

Broken English. Photograph By Ian D. Hall

Originally published by L.S. Media. July 14th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating ****

There is something particularly engaging about the band Broken English. It may be the that four of the group have roots that spread far beyond these shores, it might be that for all the bluster and appeal of a Saturday night out in town, sometimes you catch a little gem of a band that makes you smile for no reason or it may just be that they are a very good band to catch live.

Broken English, Gig Review. 02 Academy, Liverpool. full post

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

High Violet, Gig Review. o2 Academy, Liverpool.

The High Violet. Photograph by Ian D. Hall

Originally published by L.S. Media. July 14th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating ***

The o2 Academy, Liverpool has been blessed in the last couple of weeks with some very good support bands. Sometimes these bands are overlooked as the entrée before the main filling, the bread you fill up on before the well served steak is presented to an awaiting audience. In High Violet they really should be considered much more than an appetiser, they have the real chance of making some very big waves in the years ahead of them.

High Violet, Gig Review. o2 Academy, Liverpool. full post

(398 words, 1 image, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)