Month: July 2022

Ms Humdrum’s picks for Victorious Festival, Portsmouth starring Self Esteem, Suede and James

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum

WHEN?: Friday 26 to Sunday 28 August 2022

This year, in stark contrast to other years, the Humdrums are not chasing the main acts at this year’s south coast seaside festival. I’m sure Stereophonics, Paolo Nutini and Sam Fender will do a great job bringing the crowds in, but this time, it’s the smaller acts lower down on the bill, retro acts and the comedy which we are really looking forward to. 

  • Read on for reasons including Self Esteem, James and Suede
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GIG REVIEW: Lady Gaga Chromatica Ball at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: Friday 29 July 2022, tour runs until 17 September 2022

SETLIST: Bad Romance; Just Dance; Poker Face; Alice; Replay; Monster; 911; Sour Candy; Telephone; LoveGame; Babylon; Free Woman; Born This Way; Shallow; Always Remember Us This Way; The Edge Of Glory; 1000 Doves; Fun Tonight; Enigma; Stupid Love; Rain On Me; Hold My Hand

We’re on the pitch for Lady Gaga’s 1st UK concert in 7 years and she immediately breaks the Pet Shop Boys’ golden rule of touring by opening with the 1st 3 of her 6 UK number ones.

  • Read on for reasons including how Lady Gaga walked through the crowd to dazzle on a mid-arena satellite stage
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ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Masquerade by Bananarama (July 2022)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

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

TRACKLIST: Favourite; Stay Wild; Velvet Lies; Masquerade; Running With The Night; Bad Love; Let’s Go Outside; Brand New; Need A Little More Time; Forever Young; Waiting For The Sun To Shine

Masquerade is, quite simply, Bananarama’s best album since their 1987 hits-packed, career-high Wow!

  • Read on for reasons including how to see the band on tour this summer
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9 reasons why we can’t wait for August 2022 starring Divine Comedy

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

  1. The Divine Comedy at the Barbican

Frontman Neil Hannon celebrates 30 years of his band by performing 10 of his albums in full across this 5-night residency in the Barbican in central London. The run begins on 31 August and continues on successive nights until Sunday 4 September. We last saw the band at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith in 2019 at a show which won our Best Gig monsta that year. Barbican residency review Tickets

  • Read on for reasons including Victorious Festival, a new play by Andrew Pollard and Bananarama gigs
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THEATRE REVIEW: Patriots starring Tom Hollander at Almeida Theatre

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2

WHEN?: Saturday 16 July, booking until 20 August 2022

Hollander is doubtless 1 of this country’s greatest living theatre and TV actors and here as Boris Berezovsky his performance is sweary, larger than life and unforgettable.

  • Read on for reasons including how The Crown author Peter Morgan has crafted something extremely clever
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GIG REVIEW: Nile Rodgers and Chic at BST Hyde Park

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By Neil Durham and Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: Sunday 11 July 2022, tour runs to 23 September 2022

SETLIST: Chic Cheer; Dance Dance Dance; Everybody Dance; I Want Your Love; I’m Coming Out/Upside Down; He’s The Greatest Dancer/We Are Family; Like A Virgin/Material Girl; Modern Love; Spacer; Lost In Music; Thinking Of You; My Feet Keep Dancing; Get Lucky; My Forbidden Lover; Let’s Dance; Le Freak; Good Times/Under Pressure/Rapper’s Delight

Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon credits guitarist Rodgers with saving the group in the 80s as he joins the band to play songs he collaborated on them with.

  • Read on for reasons including Rodgers’ thoughts on Madonna whose Like A Virgin album he produced
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GIG REVIEW: Duran Duran at BST Hyde Park

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum

WHEN?: Sunday 10 July 2022, touring until 11 September 2022

SETLIST: Wild Boys; Invisible; All Of You; View To A Kill; Notorious; Pressure Off; Union Of The Snake; Come Undone; Give It All Up; Hungry Like The Wolf; Friends Of Mine; Ordinary World; Tonight United; Planet Earth; Hold Back the Rain; The Reflex; White Lines; Girls On Film/Acceptable In The 80s; Save A Prayer; Rio

A lifelong Durannie. I mostly only sing along to the first two albums, plus a few extras I like. Yes, I’m one of those fans.

  • Read on for reasons including how Duran Duran are more acceptable now than they were in the 80s
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THEATRE REVIEW: Anything Goes starring Kerry Ellis, Denis Lawson, Simon Callow & Bonnie Langford at the Barbican

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Aline Mahrud

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

WHEN?: Saturday 9 July (matinee), runs to 3 September 2022 RUNTIME: 160 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)

There’s a seemingly unscripted moment at the final curtain call when Bonnie Langford completes the highest kick of the show, with her leg above her head, that makes you think about what could have been.

  • Read on for reasons including how this show is still ‘just the kick London needs to help it as theatres re-open’
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