GIG REVIEW

GIG REVIEW: The Bluetones at Wedgwood Rooms, Portsmouth

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

BY: Carron Stacey

WHERE: Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth

WHEN: 2/5/18, tour runs to 15/9/18

In 2016, Mr Humdrum and I saw The Bluetones at Shiiine On, Butlins. Maybe it was the nostalgia of my uni days, singing with my bestie to Slight Return, maybe it was the hangover from the night before dancing to Echo and the Bunnymen and The Wonder Stuff, I don’t know, but The Bluetones, supporting Shed Seven that year, were brilliant.

  • Read on for reasons including the link with This Life and The Walking Dead

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GIG REVIEW: Kim Wilde at KOKO

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE: KOKO

WHEN: 26/4, tour runs to 29/4/18

SETLIST: Stereo Shot; Water On Glass; Never Trust A Stranger; Kandy Krush; Cambodia; Birthday; Yours ‘Til The End; Another Step; Words Fell Down; Bladerunner; If I Can’t Have You; Rosetta; View From A Bridge; Chequered Love; You Came; You Keep Me Hangin’ On; 1969; Pop Don’t Stop; Kids In America

It’s rare for an act of Kim Wilde’s vintage (first hit 1981) to release a new album (Here Come The Aliens in March) that sits so well in a greatest hits set.

  • Read on for reasons including why you should look out for Scarlett Wilde

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GIG REVIEW: Saara Aalto at Under The Bridge

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE: Under The Bridge

WHEN: 25/4, tour runs to 10/11/18

SETLIST: Queens; Hån; Dance; Diva; Euphoria; Rise Like A Phoenix; Every Way That I Can; Rock’n’ Roll Kids; No Fear; Don’t Deny Our Love; My Touch; Domino; Calm After The Storm; Dance Like Nobody’s Watching; Con Te Partiro; Half A Heart; Wild Wild Wonderland; Monsters

The Eurovision Song Contest might mean a once-a-year event to you but for this year’s Finnish contestant Saara Aalto it is the culmination of a 14-year quest.

  • Read on for reasons including the highlights from new LP Wild Wild Wonderland

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GIG REVIEW: Sheridan Smith at the Royal Albert Hall

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHERE: Royal Albert Hall

WHEN: 24/4, tour runs to 29/4/18

SETLIST: Don’t Rain On My Parade; Crazy; I Smell A Rat; Addicted To Love; Dinner At Eight; Mad about The Boy; Superstar; City Of Stars; Hey Big Spender; Anyone Who Had A Heart; Take Another Piece of My Heart; Talking In Your Sleep; My Man; 9 to 5; This Is Me; And I Am Telling You; I Will Survive/Happy

Sheridan Smith takes a sip of what she assures us is water (not vodka), belches and observes: ‘I should have left that one back in Wolverhampton.’

  • Read on for reasons including why we think a second album’s on the cards

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GIG REVIEW: John Barrowman with Seth Rudetsky as pianist and host

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHERE: Leicester Square Theatre

WHEN: 13/4, runs to 14/4/18

We’ve always been big fans of John Barrowman but why have we never heard of the wise-cracking pianist and interviewer Seth Rudetsky who brings out the very best of the Torchwood star here?

  • Read on for reasons including how Barrowman’s first audition was his big break 

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GIG REVIEW: Sigrid at 02 Shepherd’s Bush Empire

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE: O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire

WHEN: 14/3, UK tour runs to 24/8

SETLIST: Go To War; Plot Twist; Schedules; I Don’t Buy It; Raw; Savage In Our Blood; Doing You A Favour; Watch Me; Dynamite; In Vain; High Five; Fake Friends; Credit; Strangers; Don’t Kill My Vibe

We’re not here to kill 21-year-old Sigrid Raabe’s vibe but for her Scandipop bangers although it soon becomes clear that there’s much more to her than those.

  • Read on for reasons including why Sigrid shed a tear towards the end of this gig

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GIG REVIEW: Erasure at the Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: **

WHERE: Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

WHEN: 23/2/18, tour runs to 26/8/18

SETLIST: Oh L’Amour; Ship Of Fools; Breathe; Mad As We Are; Just A Little Love; In My Arms; Chains Of Love; Sacred; Sweet Summer Loving; I Love Saturday; Victim Of Love; Phantom Bride; World Be Gone; Who Needs Love Like That; Take Me Out Of Myself; Blue Savannah; Atomic; Drama; Stop!; Love You To The Sky; Always; Here I Go Impossible Again; Sometimes; A Little Respect

We first saw Erasure at this very venue, then called the Hammersmith Odeon, more than 30 years ago.
  • Read on for reasons including why the Eventim Apollo atmosphere was so odd

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GIG REVIEW: Ed Sheeran at the IndigO2

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

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

WHERE: IndigO2

WHEN: 19/2, on tour until 10/11/18 including 4 gigs at Wembley Stadium this summer

SETLIST: Castle On The Hill; Eraser; The A Team; Don’t; Dive; Bloodstream; Happier; Tenerife Sea; Galway Girl; Feeling Good; How Would You Feel?; Photograph; Perfect; Nancy Mulligan; Thinking Out Loud; Sing; Shape Of You; You Need Me, I Don’t Need You

An unforgettable gig is always about its details rather than its headlines.

  • Read on for reasons including the last time Ed played the Indig02

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GIG REVIEW: Áine Cahill at the Union Chapel

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE: Union Chapel, supporting Billy Lockett

WHEN: 15/2/18

SETLIST: Shoot Me Down; Blood Diamonds; Plastic; Pretty Boy; Paper Crown; Psycho; Bad and Beautiful; Black Dahlia

‘Does anyone here know a Pretty Boy?’ Our new favourite singer is about to launch into her best song in the atmospheric surroundings of Islington’s Union Chapel.

  • Read on for reasons including how Devon brothers Tors were a fine support here

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