Sofie Jude, My Elusive Heart. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

There are few genres of music that polarise opinion more than Rock/Opera. Music lovers usually refer to the album Bat Out of Hell when they want to show how good it can be when the right combination of perfect voice and right songwriter/producer are beside them, for arguably the immense, silky voice of Meat Loaf has never been better when he had the deftness of music skill in Jim Steinman plugging away beside him, nor perhaps when that double act was complimented by the addition of the terrific Ellen Foley as female vocalist on some of the tracks.

Sofie Jude, My Elusive Heart. Album Review. full post

(460 words, estimated 1:50 mins reading time)

Kim Simmonds And Savoy Brown, Goin’ To The Delta. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

There are many acts that record with a certain style, a strut, the swagger of belief and self-confidence and they are of course right too, it is what makes them sound so bold, inviting and immensely enjoyable when playing their music. Perhaps none fit this assuredness, the reliability of self-imposed perfection than Savoy Brown and the man who formed the group Kim Symonds. Coming on the back of the 2011 acclaimed album Voodoo Moon, Kim Simmonds invites the fans on a tour of the soaring Blues and marriage between inventive lyrics and the constant that resides within reinvention in the new album Goin’ To The Delta.

Kim Simmonds And Savoy Brown, Goin’ To The Delta. Album Review. full post

(420 words, estimated 1:41 mins reading time)

Billy Kelly, Everyone’s A TV Star Tonight. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

A life through a cold mechanical lens; caught on the bright lights of an intrusive camera with no contract to sign or even a say in how your image is used and for what purpose.  Footballers, media representatives, even some that make the notes and songs we hum along to when the mood invariably takes us have an image to protect, but for the ordinary person, the individual on the street casually walking along minding their own business, a million trained eyes are watching, scrutinising and wondering if you are going to commit an act of behaviour so shocking that it might just be on a television programme for mass entertainment at some point.

Billy Kelly, Everyone’s A TV Star Tonight. Album Review. full post

(430 words, estimated 1:43 mins reading time)

Much Loved Artistic Director Of The Unity Theatre To Retire.

Graeme Phillips, Unity Theatre’s Artistic Director has announced his retirement after 33 years at the acclaimed Hope Place venue. A seasoned well-respected member of Liverpool’s artistic community, director, designer and mentor to many local, regional and national theatre companies; he will step aside in July 2015.

Much Loved Artistic Director Of The Unity Theatre To Retire. full post

(578 words, estimated 2:19 mins reading time)

Women’s Football: Great Britain 1-0 New Zealand. London Olympics 2012.

The glitz and glamour of the opening ceremony to the 2012 London Olympics is still two days away but try telling that to the two sets of women representing Great Britain and New Zealand in the football tournament.

Just one look at the faces on the footballers’ faces would be enough to confirm the passion and the absolute pride in taking part in the opening game of the Olympics. The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff may have seemed like a strange place to start a major games, especially with Team GB being comprised of a virtually English team with a couple of Scottish players thrown into the mix for good measure and balance.  However, even if the crowd was not as full as it would have been for some of the famous games that have taken place in the Welsh capital, there was no denying that it provided an excellent venue to kick off London 2012.

Women’s Football: Great Britain 1-0 New Zealand. London Olympics 2012. full post

(833 words, estimated 3:20 mins reading time)

The Netherlands Beat Argentina In The Women’s Hockey Final. London Olympics 2012.

The woman’s final of the 2012 Hockey tournament saw the Olympic holders Netherlands take on the team that took Germany apart in Athens in 2004, the impressive and dominant Argentina.

The Netherlands were aiming to emulate the great Australian team of 1996 and 2000 and become only the second woman’s side to retain the Olympic gold medal spot. The Netherlands would have surely been buoyed by the sight of their male compatriots thrashing the Great Britain side the night before in the Riverbank Arena and although many would have had Argentina down as strong favourites, there would have been no doubting the resolve in the Dutch line up.

The Netherlands Beat Argentina In The Women’s Hockey Final. London Olympics 2012. full post

(870 words, estimated 3:29 mins reading time)

Germany Retain Olympic Crown In Men’s Hockey Final. London Olympics 2012.

First published by L.S.Media. August 12th 2012.

All things being equal, this was probably the best final possible. The Olympic gold medal holders against the best team in the competition, Germany V the Netherlands, the tension and the excitement were palpable and electric. No matter the sport, no matter the tournament, The Netherlands V Germany is a fixture that has history, a little slice of the needle that makes sport so interesting and vital.

As the two national anthems rang out over the Riverbank Arena, there couldn’t have been anyone who present inside the arena or watching on television around the world who was not chomping at the bit and eager for the game to start.

Germany Retain Olympic Crown In Men’s Hockey Final. London Olympics 2012. full post

(749 words, estimated 3:0 mins reading time)

Glover And Stanning Win Britain’s First Gold of 2012.London Olympics 2012.

First published by L.S. Media. August 1st 2012.

It’s possible; actually more than likely, to believe that Eton Dorney will not see history made like this ever again.

Great Britain has a built a reputation over the life time of the Olympics for their prowess in the rowing. For years the men’s teams, double skulls, fours and eights have run the gauntlet of winning gold after gold. The women’s team has never produced a gold medal, now in Heather Stanning and Heather Glover, the bubble of international women’s rowing has finally been burst and the two women also have the honour, the greatest accolade of being the first British participants to get the top prize in this year’s Olympic Games.

Glover And Stanning Win Britain’s First Gold of 2012.London Olympics 2012. full post

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

South Korea Win Third Gold In The Archery At Lords. London Olympics 2012.

Originally published by L.S. Media. August 3rd 2012.

Although the interest for the British archers had finished short of making into the final session at Lords, the crowds stayed in abundance to see the final part of what has been an enthralling competition.

The archery has been near enough dominated by the South Koreans and the Asian countries and the last eight line up in the men’s individual event see only two people from outside the Eastern archery empire. The men’s finals had been dramatic all the way through but only the most hopeful of souls could have imagined either the Netherland’s Rick Van der Ven or the Ukraine’s Viktor Ruban make inroads to what should be a comfortable win for the Japanese or the Koreans.

South Korea Win Third Gold In The Archery At Lords. London Olympics 2012. full post

(451 words, estimated 1:48 mins reading time)

Great Britain’s Tim Brabants Gives All In Olympic Final. London Olympics 2012.

Originally published by L.S. Media. August 8th 2012.

Amongst all the glory, the heartbreak and personal stories that the Olympic Games has thrown up in the last ten days or so, none can be incredible as Great Britain’s canoeist Tim Brabants.

There will be other athletes who have come back from injury to compete and make their countries proud of them, no matter their placing in an event, but when your injury requires surgery on the very part of your body that is needed to succeed at you chosen sport then all you can do as a spectator is cheer them on even harder for just having the courage to get back into a canoe again.

Great Britain’s Tim Brabants Gives All In Olympic Final. London Olympics 2012. full post

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