The Automatic, Gig Review. Birmingham Academy.

Originally published by L.S. Media. March 27th 2010.

The band that became a phenomenon at the start of the summer of 2006 came back to Birmingham for the first time in a while and turned a damp British evening into a night of high energy and hot, steamy excellence.

The Automatic opened the night with the single Interstate from the recently released album Tear the Signs Down before giving the energetic crowd their first taste of the superb lyrics and frenzied guitar playing that would dominate the evening’s set list with the superb Recover and internaly angst ridden and certain journalistic bashing Magazines.

The Automatic, Gig Review. Birmingham Academy. full post

(310 words, estimated 1:14 mins reading time)

Jethro Tull, Gig Review. Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.

Photograph by Ian D. Hall

Originally published by L.S. Media. April 1st 2010.

One of most prodigious bands to have made the long trek from the late sixties as jobbing musicians to international superstars made a welcome return to the Liverpool Philharmonic this week and wowed old and new fans alike with a set list full of tracks from an extensive and much loved back catalogue.

Jethro Tull, Gig Review. Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. full post

(382 words, 1 image, estimated 1:32 mins reading time)

Malcolm McLaren, A Personal Eulogy.

The world of music mourned one of its more colourful and charismatic characters yesterday as the news broke that Malcolm McLaren had died. For those of us who were around during the time of the Sex Pistols, New York Dolls and those associated acts like the Clash, it came as a hell of a shock as the man seemed indestructible.

Innovate, dangerous to the establishment and completely and utterly charming are just some of the words I could use to describe this intelligent and outspoken man.

Malcolm McLaren, A Personal Eulogy. full post

(435 words, estimated 1:44 mins reading time)

Shakespears Sister, Gig Review. o2 Academy Liverpool.

Photograph by Ian D. Hall.

Originally published by L.S. Media. April 17th 2010.

Although Siobhan Fahey has been around the music scene since the early eighties, (originally with the pop friendly girl group Bananarama and then with the critically successful Shakespears Sister), the opening night of the tour seemed like the start of new career for this artistically creative woman.

Coming on stage, dressed in a silver, futuristic sci-fi outfit, she wowed everybody present by producing one hell of a gig. Opening the set with the vocally strong Heroine and Goodbye Cruel World Siobhan banished any fears of how she would come across on stage by being enigmatic and a true performer in every sense of the word.

Shakespears Sister, Gig Review. o2 Academy Liverpool. full post

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

The Alarm, Direct Action. Album Review.

Originally published by L.S. Media. April 18th 2010.

Once more The Alarm release an album full of social commentary, hard hitting lyrics that will make you stop and think and above all, music that will make you want to sing along and go with the flow.

The album Direct Action seems like a wonderful reminder of the band’s previous releases, not only in name, but in the way the band have pieced the tracks together to show how little society has moved on in the years since the band unleashed their debut album Declaration onto an unsuspecting public in 1984.

The Alarm, Direct Action. Album Review. full post

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

Meat Loaf, Hang Cool Teddy Bear. Album review.

Originally published by L.S. Media. April 19th 2010.

Almost 40 years since his first foray into the music business, larger than life showman Meat Loaf has released his 11th studio album, bizarrely titled, Hang Cool Teddy Bear.

More importantly it the fourth studio album that the singer has had no collaboration with Jim Steinman, and in parts it shows that however much Meat Loaf is a talent in his own right, the one person who truly understands him and the best out of out of him is Steinman.

Meat Loaf, Hang Cool Teddy Bear. Album review. full post

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

Sweet, Sweet Lies, Gig Review. Mojo Bar, Liverpool.

photograph by Ian D. Hall.

Originally published by L.S. Media. April 21st 2010.

There are so many young talented bands currently doing the bars, clubs and smaller venues at the moment that you can easily get lost in the maze of angst ridden lyrics, fading, dashed dreams and get soaked in the sweat of hope and insecurity.

One such band that won’t have any of those problems is Brighton’s six piece, Sweet, Sweet Lies , whose very presence at Mojo’s dwarfed others who would have felt lost in the close confines of the narrow stage and proximity to the enthusiastic audience.

Sweet, Sweet Lies, Gig Review. Mojo Bar, Liverpool. full post

(303 words, 1 image, estimated 1:13 mins reading time)

Idlewild, Gig Review. The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton.

Photograph by Ian D. Hall.

Originally published by L.S. Media. April 24th 2010.

There is only one thing better than catching a band on top form for a gig and that is to see them at few venues during the tour and know for certain that the band have been on fire for the vast majority of it.

Idlewild played Liverpool during the Summer Pops last year and since then they have been busy recording and promoting the latest studio album Post Electric Blues. With that in mind, it is nothing less than stunning to see them play with such dedication to the music and to the audience, some who have travelled the country with them, never letting up on their devotion to arguably one of the finest bands to have survived the late nineties music scene.

Idlewild, Gig Review. The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton. full post

(365 words, 1 image, estimated 1:28 mins reading time)

The Bad Shepherds, Gig Review. Pacific Road, Birkenhead.

Originally published by L.S. Media. April 26th 2010.

Perhaps it is appropriate that The Bad Shepherds are touring at the moment, for nobody would have possibly enjoyed the nod to creativity of The Bad Shepherds to folk up classic punk tracks than Malcolm Mclaren who sadly passed away earlier this month.

In salute to the man behind the Sex Pistols the band opened up an evening of skilful toned down music with the fitting song Anarchy in the U.K. and The Smiths’ lament Panic. There will be those that have never really been fans of The Smiths but to hear this particular song being played by the genius insanity that is Adrian Edmondson would have been a joy to behold.

The Bad Shepherds, Gig Review. Pacific Road, Birkenhead. full post

(341 words, estimated 1:22 mins reading time)

Chronicles Of Long Kesh, Play Review. Everyman Theatre, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. April 30th 2010.

Cast: Billy Clarke, Chris Corrigan, Marty Maguire, Andy Moore, Marc O’Shea, David Craig, Paul Boyd, Conleth White, Paul Burke, Elaine Barnes, Deidre Ashe.

Carefully mixing humour with the despair and hope, The Chronicles of Long Kesh is possibly one of the most important plays to have come to Liverpool.

Superbly written by Martin Lynch, the play deals with the dark days of the seventies and early eighties when the troubles in Ireland were hitting new lows and the relationships between neighbours were more than strained.

Chronicles Of Long Kesh, Play Review. Everyman Theatre, Liverpool. full post

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