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Dave Matthews Band are probably the biggest band on the planet that most of the UK population have never heard of! Having sold close to 35 million albums they are listed in the Top 100 highest selling music acts of all time. Their last five albums all debuted at No.1 in the US charts. So tonight's gig to a mere 3000 enthusiastic punters could be considered an intimate affair compared with the stadiums and amphitheatres the band usually perform in. |
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Considering Lenny Kravitz seems to be out of favour with the British music industry at the moment and the price of the tickets seems expensive for the Civic Hall; there is a great turnout for the show. There is nearly an hour’s pause between the support act and the start of Kravitz’s performance, but when the show kicks off, the memory of waiting around is soon wiped. The darkness is lit up with an excessive display of strobes, whilst the audience erupt into cheers and shouts of Lenny. Then, the band launch into Freedom Train, with its pounding introduction, and you can tell, instantly, that Kravitz has collected together a fine ensemble of musicians. The appearance of Lenny Kravitz, sends the crowd into a frenzy, his vocals sounding fantastic and his charismatic presence oozes sexuality and musical prowess. |
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A warm summer night in Wolverhampton. A sell out gig for one of the most exciting bands in world at the moment and a night that I will remember for the rest of my days, for more reasons than one... |
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You may have been mistaken that The Saturdays are just another boring girl pop group, with typical washboard stomachs, perfect hair, fabulous wardrobes and average singing voices. Well you would be wrong... |
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This is the first night of McFly’s ‘Up Close and This Time it’s Personal’ tour and the Wolverhampton Civic absolutely rammed with teenage girls. Once again I must take my hat off to the Birmingham Live! team – I’m in the front row of the balcony seating, directly above the sound desk. I’ve got a perfect, unobstructed view of the stage. |
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I arrive at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall at around 7.15pm, with just enough time to grab a typically over-priced beer and soak up the atmosphere – it’s one of intense anticipation from the crowd, which is quickly filling to its capacity of just over 3000 people... |
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The singer – who’s vocal range contrast between opposite ends of the spectrum - from sweet little songbird through to the power of a roaring lion – then sauntered her way through her album playing all of the fans favourites from ‘Warwick Avenue’, ‘Rain on your Parade’ and ‘Stepping Stone’. For me the highlight was her last track before the encore – Mercy. From the moment the booming base line kicks in the hairs simply stand up on the back of your neck. Then comes the vocal “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah” and as the audience belts it out and Duffy reciprocates it really becomes one of those great gig moments where you and the singer seem to connect in one glorious musical moment. |
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As soon as doors open, the Civic is taken over by an army of leather jacket clad men, the sea of Motorhead t-shirts making it clear what’s in store for Wolverhampton tonight. Danko Jones are up first, the Canadians getting the night off to a great start; their hard rock sound fitting right in with the rest of the line up. Unfortunately, a huge queue in the Little Civic next door for tickets and guestlist wristbands results in a large chunk of the crowd being absent for these guys... |
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Despite a heavy blizzard and a slight hiccup with the passes for tonight’s show, I still manage to catch the second half of Amon Amarth’s set. I can see I am not the only person to have been held up by the weather or put off by the early start (doors opened at 5.30pm!), as the venue is barely half full at this point... |
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I arrive at The Civic Hall this evening knowing what to expect, as I pull up I witness a sea of bright coloured, badly constructed fancy dress costumes. Everyone from police, presumably based on the song “Cops and Robbers” straight through to girls wearing brightly coloured knee socks, fairy wings and scribble on their faces (no reference to anything)... |
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It's been a long time coming for Elbow but it seems their moment has finally arrived. With their fourth album, "The Seldom Seen Kid", scooping this year's much-respected Mercury Prize they now embark on their most successful tour and tonight, in Wolverhampton, they prove beyond any doubt that they're worthy of the acclaim.... |
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After the huge success of their number one album ‘The Age Of Understatement’, I approached tonights gig with great expectations. Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner and The Rascals’ Miles Kane joined forces back in March for their first gig in Brooklyn to bring us The Last Shadow Puppets. I entered the Civic Hall, thinking the gig would be packed with 13 year old ‘Fluorescent Adolescent’s’. However, I was plesantly surprised to find that it was actually swarming with members of ‘the older generation’. Maybe the Shadow Puppets aren’t ‘rave’ enough for our teenage population?... |
