Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Cast: Michael Cavanagh, Will Burn, Maria Hutchison, Faye Caddick, Stephen Kinsella, Ian Gray, Elaine Stewart, Yahya Baggash, Peter Durr, Alan Bower.
The price of having it all, of truly understanding everything, is far too high, especially if you have to make a pact with the Devil to achieve it.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Cast: Cathy Tyson, Chereen Buckley.
Homelessness is such a serious issue in 21st Century Britain that it should be considered a national crime, an offence by successive governments upon the people of the land to who have been let down, systematically and without hope. We are sold a pup, an image of fecklessness of people making this particular choice for themselves and that the statistics are wrong, that people are not homeless, they are just beggars, idle cheats and scroungers; this image is so far removed from the truth that it is impossible not to see the pain and division it causes, not just between the haves and have not’s bit in what was even the tightest of bonds, between mother and daughter, father and son.
The Proclaimers, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. October 2015. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9.5/10
There was an expectant hush that gathered momentum as the wave of the Philharmonic Hall’s house lights were slowly turned down to a point where sunshine could not have penetrated even the deepest unforgiving shadow. Yet through the gathered together dark, the heart beats of eager musical premonition lit up and took notice, the strength of such force welling up and the tangible, almost pregnant explosion of what was to come almost feeling as if this was not a concert given by maestros of the popular music scene but of Gods walking on stage; such was the clamour to be audibly heard in the whispered voices of the venue’s audience.
Pete Williams at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. October 2015. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Nerves are something you wouldn’t associate with Pete Williams, however genuine affection for a crowd’s enjoyment is something that comes across in waves, not just as a solo performer, or part as a band. Whether it is his own fused cocktail or the ever impressive Dexys but afterwards, where to many it matters just as much, away from the stage, in the even harsher glare of the spotlight when people can corner you and shake your hand and get a thousand questions in; the smile remains open, it flourishes with greeting and makes what has been on stage even more impressive.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
The laughter inside the Philharmonic Hall would have been bordering on the intense as Bill Bailey regaled his fans for the second night running, yet tucked away but as bold as anything inside the newly opened Music Room of the hallowed Philharmonic Hall, a different type of evening was taking place, one that flowed with a touch of the regal, the harmonious fusing of haunting vocals and instruments and all times the serenity of the Folk machine. With Bella Hardy in Liverpool for one night only there really was no comparison to be made; the sweet lingering voice of Ms. Hardy was always going to be the most captivating event to be fortunate to witness.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
It had been arguably many years since the last time many in Liverpool had seen Bill Bailey live so for that huge swathe of audience it would have been a huge moment of excitement to see his new show after the much adored Tinselworm tour. The Tinselworm tour was a packed out special at many arenas and which had seen Bill play in big cavernous rooms, so it was a real treat for all concerned to see one of their favourite comedians in a smaller more intimate setting.
Liverpool Sound and Vision rating: * * *
Cast: Simon Jones, Chris Boyd, Madeline Hall, Kepla, Nathan Jones.
The Unity has been well established as a community theatre for many years. All varieties of people who want to act, write, direct and produce shows have most likely done so here. So it is with great interest that the Unity are doing something a little different in terms of theatre diversity and what we call theatre.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Cast: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Monica Bellucci, Ralph Fiennes, Dave Bautista, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Andrew Scott, Rory Kinnear, Jesper Christensen.
The old familiar music, the killer instinct, the brutality and scenes of torture to be endured, a world in crisis which hangs by a single thread and a pristine tuxedo filled with the best that MI6 has to offer, Bond is back, this time though, as the saying goes, it really is personal.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Cast: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Olivia Coleman, Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw John C. Reilly, Ashley Jensen, Jessica Barden, Angeliki Papoulia, Ariane Labed, Roland Ferrandi, Ewen MacIntosh, Roland Ferrandi, Garry Mountaine, EmmaEdel O’Shea, Garry Mountaine.
There are films that engross you, that pull you in from the very start, the intrigue of the dynamic opening, that no matter how the film progresses from that point, no matter the connection made between film-goer and intended meaning by the writer and director, you are already living and breathing in the black celluloid dystopia on offer, such is the surreal quality of life and of The Lobster.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 7.5/10
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Levi Miller, Garrett Hedlund, Rooney Mara, Adeel Akhtar, Nonso Anozie, Amanda Seyfried, Kathy Burke, Lewis MacDougall, Cara Delevingne, Jack Charles, Tae-joo Na.
The astounding J. M. Barrie’s mischievous creation, the noble and forthright Peter Pan, is so beloved, not just in the U.K. but all over the globe, that it really is not surprising just how much affection the character garners and just how many films and stories that stay in the mind. It is a character that offer offers everything to the child’s imagination and as such stays within the heart of the adult when such things as fantastical pirates, fairies, crocodiles and flying boys should perhaps be left to fade away into the world of half remembered dreams.