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There is nothing better than good old knees up and a boogie-woogie on the piano to celebrate Christmas, 2009. Jools Holland recently brought his Rhythm and Blues orchestra to the Birmingham NIA and they didn't fail to disappoint. The show is well known to be an annual event amongst fans. Jools is renowned for his New Orleans bopping elegancy and I was excited to witness how the orchestra would collaborate along side him. |
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I must confess to going to see Andrea Bocelli with zero preconceptions. I knew he was an opera singer of international standing but was otherwise ignorant of his works. I didn't even realise he was blind until reading the program. I did, however, know he was incredibly popular by dint of his filling the National Indoor Arena to its 10,000 capacity with not inexpensive tickets so it was fair to say everyone else in the building knew his work intimately. |
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I haven’t been this excited about a gig for a long time; probably because I never thought I would see this band live, let alone with both Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham on stage together. Fleetwood Mac have had various personnel changes over the past forty two years with the one constant being their giant drummer, Mick Fleetwood. |
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I am a big Steely Dan fan. I think Fagen and Becker are amongst the greatest songwriters of our generation, who are often overlooked and underrated. Their recorded work of the 1970’s is timeless, edgy, well-crafted and beautifully produced, the albums that followed that along with Fagen’s solo work is clever and polished. I suppose you are waiting for a but… well I guess there is: I am not convinced this genius translates especially well to the stage.. |
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Entry to tonight’s gig was difficult, due to the box office staff trying to force me to have both a ticket and photo-pass (which I had to sign for). After some considerable explanation the photo-pass was taken back and I made my way to my seat, which was centre-stage and offering a superb view. The stage had been brought forward making the NIA quite cosy, but even so there were empty seats. |
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I’ll happily admit that this isn’t the usual kid of gig that I go to, but as a child I would listen to Jean Michel’s albums, and watch his fantastic outdoor shows on TV. When I found out that he was playing the not-so-enormous National Indoor Arena, I figured that it’d be rude not to go and relive my childhood, especially as I had the pleasure of bringing my dad, who was attending only his second ever gig - his first being The Rolling Stones at Birmingham Town Hall sometime in the 60’s. |
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Prog is a dirty word. It suggests over-indulgence, pretentiousness and, more often than not, organs. But one band that always managed to balance the stigma of the concept album with the cool-factor of being a rock band were Pink Floyd. This balance is probably why the Floyd were, and still are, so popular around the world. So popular, in fact, that a troupe of Australians have made a career out of impersonating them. |
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I’ll be honest; prior to this gig I had very little knowledge of Kenny Rogers and his music. All I knew was that he was a massively famous country music singer and song-writer. I’d heard a couple of his songs but think my lack of knowledge is mainly down to my age. A quick search of the ever-unreliable Wikipedia tells me he is not just a singer but a photographer, record producer, actor and entrepreneur. He has also had over 70 hit singles across different genres in his career. I know from personal experience that he has collaborated with the likes of Dolly Parton and Wyclef Jean, of all people. With this in mind, I head out to the NIA in anticipation of seeing something special.. |
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This is my first time at the NIA and I really don’t know what to expect from tonight’s gig. I haven’t been to a sit-down performance in a very long time and it makes a nice change – there’s no standing at all and I anticipate a much different atmosphere from what I’m used to. As I walk to my seat I am stunned by the number of JLS fans here tonight; it seems everywhere I look there’s a young girl in a JLS top... |
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Sitting in the cavernous NIA, my overriding feeling was: "Do the Kaiser Chiefs deserve to play a venue as big as this?" Steadily declining critical acclaim and suspicions of 'one-trick pony' status suggest not, but judging by the rapidly filling floor and excited chatter, perhaps they do. It would be up to the Leeds foursome to prove me wrong and rock the hordes of fans streaming into the room... |
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I know what you are thinking - a Cliff Richard concert; a review of the most mocked man in showbiz. An easy target for criticism, like shooting a big fish in a small barrel. Well, hold on to your hats, I went in an ardent sceptic and came out just a non-believer... |
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As the lights went down and the cloth was lifted from Elton's piano, there was a roar of applause. Sir Elton John made an unpretentious appearance on what has to be the most pretentious stage I have ever seen. The floor was marble effect which reflected the giant letters spelling out his name, massive screens at the back of the stage, his red piano was on an illuminated star with his band behind him. The opening track was Bennie and the Jets... |
