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Stereophonics arrive on stage without the aid of any OTT graphics or over-hyped audio/visual presentations, just four men strolling on stage to a packed crowd at the LG Arena. Even Kelly Jones was without his signature leather jacket and aviators but the gravely-voiced Welshmen promised “a mix of some new, some old, and some really old songs”. I think it was fair to say that the evening was about the music. |
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Political correctness is basically a term for minimising social offense. Thankfully, there’s none here tonight. Stephen Lynch, the King of YouTube musical comedy is in town to sing the kind of songs you laugh at in private, maybe in the pub, but never in polite society. Think of him as the Marilyn Manson of melodic humour. If it’s there to be poked as a subject for human shock value in song form, then it’s fair game, and nobody does it better than Lynch. |
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I am surrounded by mostly middle aged men in leathers shouting longingly for ‘MSG, MSG!’ No, I’m not at the queue for the Big Wok all you can eat buffet, I have gone to see the Michael Schenker Group in Dudley. The German wunderkind guitarist, who debuted with The Scorpions at the age of seventeen and then shot to fame as guitarist for UK rock legends U.F.O, has returned to these shores with his band for what is reputed to be the ‘sober tour’. For a man who has a long history of personal problems, mostly alcohol related, including selling his own tour bus on an internet auction, and who once put an end to U.F.O reunion talks by hitting vocalist Phil Mogg over the head with a metal chair, this is a significant claim. |
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On a very cold December evening and still nursing the hangover from the night before I headed to the Birmingham O2 Academy to see one of the iconic indie bands of my youth Shed Seven. There aren't many bands still around that I was really into when I was young but these guys keep their loyal fans happy with their fairly regular Yule-tide appearances! |
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Birmingham’s Town Hall is a peculiar place. The venue has just over 1000 seats, and on first impressions, you would expect to see some re-enactments of classic Shakespeare on the intimate stage to an audience of literature lovers and theatre fanatics – but not tonight. I’m here to see singer-songwriter Scott Matthews, who released his second album ‘Elsewhere’ on Island Records in summer this year. |
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Despite the bill reading on paper like a misheard snippet of Black Country conversation, this colossal meeting of like-minded alchemists Sunn o))) and Om was quite possibly the hottest doom ticket in Birmingham for this year, and continues the time-honoured tradition of Capsule leading the way for top-drawer decibel abuse. The signs around the venue virtually imploring people to pop in earplugs gave as good an indication of what to expect as does the collective past exploits of the artists playing tonight. |
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The NEC has been made a little smaller with the back blocks curtained off, but the remainder of the seats are filled for a musical form of pre-Christmas panto. Tonight’s support is local legend Roy Wood, a cross between Ozzy Osbourne and Billy Connolly... |
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Like buses, you wait 30 years for a Specials gig, and then two come one after the other in quick succession. I find myself in the enviable position of witnessing the two best gigs of the decade by the same band within 6 months. The last time was their homecoming concert at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry and they left me truly awe inspired |
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Birmingham Town Hall is sold out tonight and there are even a scattering of people sitting behind the performers in the choir seats. It's a diverse audience with a good spread of ages, genders and clothing styles -- everything from a three piece suit to a Motorhead t-shirt! |
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There has been an issue collecting my ticket for the show, which luckily, after 20 minutes, was resolved by the accommodating duty manager for the venue, to whom I am very grateful. This in turn meant I only caught the last segment of Steel Panther's set another reason to be very grateful for all the ticket palaver. It maybe that I am in dire need of a humour transplant but I don't get the attraction of Steel Panther; however I am fully aware that I am in the minority considering the audience's response this evening.. |
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First it was Take That, then the Boyzone comeback, tonight was the revival of Spandau Ballet and they didn’t try to be anything but the band that started out all those years ago. |
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Walking through the doors of the Wulfrun I heard Malefice kick off with their opening song a little ahead of the scheduled start time posted on the internet. I was eager to catch the whole set as I had been mightily impressed with them at another gig earlier in the year…..and I am glad to say they did not disappoint this evening. |
