Month: July 2020

REVIEW: Eurovision Again: 1999 starring Charlotte Perrelli, Selma, Sürpriz and Doris Dragović

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WHEN?: Eurovision Again: 1999 took place on 18/7/20 and Eurovision Again is at 8pm every 3rd Sunday

2020 is the first year without a Eurovision Song Contest since 1955 and lockdowns caused by Covid-19 have seen the rise in popularity of synchronised watching of past competitions on social media on the third Saturday of every month.

  • Read on for reasons including why Eurovision Again has become an 8pm Saturday fixture in the monstagigz calendar 

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GIG REVIEW: Blake Patrick Anderson

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WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2

WHEN?: 25/7/20

WHERE?: via internet

SETLIST: Reach; Creep: To You; Waiting For You; Take On Me; Yesterday; My Heart; She Used To Be Mine; Stay; Break My Heart Again; I Wish I Had A River; For All Of Us; A Song For Our Time

Blake Patrick Anderson is one of our favourite musical theatre performers and so it has come as a pleasant surprise during lockdown to discover that he’s also a talented singer/songwriter.

  • Read on for reasons including why we’re comparing him with Gary Barlow and Elton John

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PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for August 2020 starring Jesus Christ Superstar: The Concert

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  1. Jesus Christ Superstar: The Concert at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Outdoor theatre is back at one of our favourite venues, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, with 70 performances from 14/8/20 of a concert version of one of the shows most successfully staged there. Tyrone Huntley (pictured above, Leave To Remain and The View UpStairs) joins the cast and was nominated for an Olivier for a previous production of the show at this venue. We’ll be reporting from the previews about what the experience is like. Tickets

  • Read on for reasons including Juliet Stevenson at the Donmar, Andrew Scott at the Old Vic and an album by Declan McKenna

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SONG OF THE MONTH: Say Something by Kylie (July 2020)

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WORTH A LOOK?: ****

OUT: now

Both Dua Lipa and Lady Gaga have enjoyed rapturously received returns to releasing music in 2020 during a curious pandemic period when their euphoric and uplifting dance albums have proved just the tonic that the world is looking for.

  • Read on for reasons including everything we know about Kylie’s new album Disco

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AWARDS: MONSTAS: Best New Play of 2020 so far

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We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2019 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2020 so far and what’s to come. Temple, Oddshaped Balls, The Ferryman, The Inheritance and Appropriate are previous winners in this category.

  • Read on for our top 3 best new plays of 2020 so far and our hopes for the next three months

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ALBUM OF THE WEEK: Beyond The Pale by Jarv Is (week beginning 19/7/20)

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WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2

OUT: now

TRACKLIST: Save The Whale; Must I Evolve?; Am I Missing Something?; House Music All Night Long; Sometimes I Am Pharaoh; Swanky Modes; Children Of The Echo

The first Pulp album we fell in love with (His’n’Hers) contains a track that pinpoints the exact moment when summer dies (David’s Last Summer), ‘the whole sound of summer packing its bags and preparing to leave town’.

  • Read on for reasons including how Cocker’s new band Jarv Is bring the best out of him since his 90s rise

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SONG OF THE WEEK: Meet Again by LP Giobbi featuring Little Boots (week beginning 18/7/20)

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WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2

OUT: now

We saw Little Boots (pictured above) twice in May 2012 (once headlining at XOYO and once supporting the Scissor Sisters at 02 Shepherds Bush Empire) and since that happy fortnight we’ve not seen her perform live again.

  • Read on for reasons including Little Boots’ thoughts on her next album

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AWARDS: MONSTAS: Our Best Musical of 2020 so far

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We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2019 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2020 so far and what’s to come. Funny Girl, Groundhog Day, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Eugenius and Vulvarine: A New Musical are previous winners in this category.

  • Read on for our top 5 best musicals of 2020 so far and our hopes for the next three months

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SONG OF THE WEEK: Get Yourself Together by Dr Robert and Youth

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WORTH A LOOK?: ****

OUT: now

‘I’ve known Youth for 20 years or so. We live up in the same mountain here in southern Spain in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. I’m not mad on industrial, metal dub and trance so it seemed only right and proper that, at weird times like this, I would do something unthinkable, like work together with Youth’, says Blow Monkeys frontman Dr Robert.

  • Read on for reasons including why you should seek out this lockdown collaboration

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AWARDS: MONSTAS: Our Best Theatre Actress of 2020 so far

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2019 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2020 so far and what’s to come. Sheridan Smith, Jade Anouka, Imelda Staunton, Sharon D. Clarke and Monica Dolan are previous winners in this category.

  • Read on for our top 5 best theatre actresses of 2020 so far and our hopes for the next three months

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