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)

Ashton Eaton Leads At Halfway Stage In Men’s Decathlon. Olympics 2012.

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

It ended as a day of disappointment for Britain’s legion of athletics fans as Daniel Awde’s challenge to the men’s Decathlon crown ended in frustration and injury during the first half of the two day event.

After a cracking start by the Briton in the 100 metres event, in which he ran a personal best time and lay seventh by the end of all four heats, the crowd at the Olympic Stadium, which has been incredibly vocal was hushed by the sight of Daniel Awde limping in obvious pain out of the sandpit in the long jump. He had already red flagged twice and his final jump left him short of pushing Ashton Eaton and Trey Hardee who were already looking like running away with the overnight leader board.

Ashton Eaton Leads At Halfway Stage In Men’s Decathlon. Olympics 2012. full post

(334 words, estimated 1:20 mins reading time)

Great Britain’s Women’s Hockey Team Lose Semi-Final To Argentina.

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

The sound of the two national anthems rang out over the Riverbank Arena on a sultry evening in East London. The 27th meeting between Argentina and Great Britain was the much anticipated match of the day as the two sides vied for a place in the final of the women’s Olympic Hockey final.

Great Britain’s women’s team has never made an Olympic final; their best placing was third at the Barcelona Games of 1992. Argentina for their part has made an Olympic final but came undone against a very good Australian side in 2000. The game had all the early indications of being a classic game between the two sides.

Great Britain’s Women’s Hockey Team Lose Semi-Final To Argentina. full post

(761 words, estimated 3:03 mins reading time)

Del Amitri, Gig Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

The very nature of a seated gig, the chance for the music lover to sit and take in a set of musicians in a relaxed manner is one that doesn’t always suggest that an audience is going to do anything for most of the night but smile, perhaps take a picture or two as keep sakes of hopefully a good night out and generally let the stress of the day wash off them as if being hosed down by the makers of any soap bar. They might get up off their chairs towards the end of the evening when the big hits come rolling out, the provocative spellbinding finish in which audience and artist can be as one in mutual adoration of a well-played out gig, rarely does an audience stand throughout, the worries of age and tiredness forgotten for a couple of hours as they revel from first note to last teasing goodbye.

Del Amitri, Gig Review. Empire Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(548 words, estimated 2:12 mins reading time)

The Musketeers, Commodities. Television Review. B.B.C.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Cast: Tom Burke, Howard Charles, Santiago Cabrera, Luke Pasqualino, Peter Capaldi, James Callis, Maime McCoy, Tamla Kari, Julian Bastida, Andres Williams, Anna Skellern, Jim High, John Warnaby, Tomas Masopust, Ryan Cage.

Charged with upholding the King’s Law at all times, the morality of their actions can sometimes be too much of a burden to bear at times and never more so for The Musketeers as they are ordered to bring Emile Bonnaire to Paris to explain his actions, his actions which delve into the historic start of modern Empire building in Europe and the price paid by many for the profit of one man in the third episode, Commodities .

The Musketeers, Commodities. Television Review. B.B.C. full post

(577 words, estimated 2:18 mins reading time)

Ian McNabb And Cold Shoulder, Gig Review. The Crossing, South And City College, Birmingham.

Ian McNabb, Birmingham 2014. Photograph by Ian D. Hall

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

When worlds collide…the sound of an audience seemingly made of people from all over the Midlands’ city centre and its outlying areas such as Kings Heath, Selly Park, Edgbaston and Harbourne, their distinctive and homely twang ringing out inside the hall of the South Birmingham College called The Crossing declaring with an assuredness that you would only expect to hear in the venues of his home town that there is only one Ian McNabb, worlds don’t just collide become a brilliant hybrid of Birmingham audiences natural love of rock and the pure music devotion and Scouse allegiance that Ian McNabb brings to every show.

Ian McNabb And Cold Shoulder, Gig Review. The Crossing, South And City College, Birmingham. full post

(523 words, 1 image, estimated 2:06 mins reading time)

Dominic Crane, Gig Review. The Crossing, South And City College, Birmingham.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

For anybody growing up in Birmingham in the 1960s, 70s and 80s and who moved away, coming back to the city only on the odd occasion is almost like visiting an alien world, a world that has changed beyond recognition in the days when the old Bull Ring Market dominated the skyline, when records were bought in handy shaped brown bags containing 10 singles for a pound, even if you didn’t know what you were getting till you unwrapped them like some weird and sometimes fruitful version of Pass The Parcel, and where walking down Digbeth High Street and up towards Deritend only meant that you were running the gauntlet of watching Trevor Francis or Alan Curbishly play at St. Andrews or you were on your way to take in some music at the Old Institute or The Dubliner.

Dominic Crane, Gig Review. The Crossing, South And City College, Birmingham. full post

(639 words, estimated 2:33 mins reading time)

The Treatment, Running With The Dogs. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Cambridge in the annals of music is not always noted for its association with the heavier side of Rock. The city which stands beside Oxford as the powerhouses and symbols of the English University system is more at home with being the birthplace of Progressive Rock giants Pink Floyd and of the late Syd Barrett, pop icons such as Olivia Newton John and the formation of Katrina and The Waves also feature heavily in the thoughts of those trying to work out how musically the city’s heritage is interwoven with the rest of the country.

The Treatment, Running With The Dogs. Album Review. full post

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

ME and Deboe, Gig Review. Zanzibar Club, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Just knowing that somewhere in the darkened hall of Zanzibar, the two women who make up the superb ME and Deboe, Mercy Elise and Sarah Deboe, are mentally going through the notes of the songs that are going to perform is enough to send the shiver of musical anticipation rushing through the veins and capillaries, the sense of the thrill to come running up and down your spine and the sliver of expectation to go into meltdown.

ME and Deboe, Gig Review. Zanzibar Club, Liverpool. full post

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