GIG REVIEW

GIG REVIEW: Marcus & Martinus at 02 Islington Academy

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHEN? Wednesday 5 March 2025, tour runs through 23 August 2025

SETLIST: Like It Like It; Die For You; Gimme Your Love; Follow Me; Wonder; When All The Lights Go Out; Wicked Game; Heartbeat; Together; Plystre på deg; Wild Love; Air; Love Flow; We Are Not The Same; Another Life; The Room; Girls; One Flight Away; Elektrisk; Unforgettable

We weren’t expecting that noise – it’s a long time since we’ve been to a sold-out gig where the teenage shrieking is that ear-splitting in response to every little move these 23-year-old Norwegian twins make on stage.

  • Read on for reasons including how the duo’s older material is treated with the greatest appreciation
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GIG REVIEW: Welly at Heartbreakers, Southampton

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By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum

WHEN?: Thursday 13 February, tour runs through 3 August 2025 with dates being added Tickets

I’ve reviewed these guys so many times, I don’t know how else to say “Go and see them!”

  • Read on for reasons including how Welly will sound Girls Aloud next album
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GIG REVIEW: Patti LuPone: A Life In Notes at London Coliseum

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ***** Tour continues through 24 May 2025 Tickets

Setlist: A Song For You; Come-On-A My House; Summertime Summertime; Ebb Tide; We Kiss In A Shadow; Teen Angel; Town Without Pity; I Wish It So; Some People; Lilac Wine; Alfie; Saratoga Summer Song; The Man That Got Away; Those Were The Days; On Broadway; Don’t Cry For Me Argentina; I Dreamed A Dream; The Ladies Who Lunch; Stars; Anything Goes; Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye; I Didn’t Know What Time It Was; Time After Time; Make You Feel My Love; Ready To Begin Again (Manya’s Song); Forever Young

This ornate London theatre has a 2,558 capacity and it’s testament to LuPone’s star quality during this biographical show in which she appears onstage with only 2 musicians that it feels much more intimate.

  • Read on for reasons including how LuPone’s star quality make this gigantic venue fizz with the intimacy of an off-Broadway dive bar
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GIG REVIEW: Culture Club, Tony Hadley & Heaven 17 at The 02

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: Sunday 15 December 2024, Culture Club tour runs through 21 June 2025

Setlist: White Boy; I’m Afraid Of Me; Take Control; You Know I’m Not Crazy; Boy, Boy (I’m The Boy); White Boys Can’t Control It; I’ll Tumble 4 Ya; Kissing To Be Clever; Love Twist; Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?; Church Of The Poison Mind; It’s A Miracle; Mister Man; Miss Me Blind; Stormkeeper; Changing Every Day; Black Money; Colour By Numbers; That’s The Way (I’m Only Trying To Help You); Victims; Time (Clock Of The Heart); Get It On; Karma Chameleon

Perhaps it was because this was the last night of this leg of the tour but we’ve seen Boy George and his band Culture Club live many times and this was the friendlist and chattiest we’ve ever seen him.

  • Read on for reasons including how this was the warmest and most interesting we’ve ever seen Culture Club
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GIG REVIEW: My Life Story at Camden Dingwalls

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2

WHEN?: Friday 13 December 2024, next date 14 March 2025

Setlist: Tits And Attitude; Motorcade; Broken; If You Can’t Live Without Me Then Why Aren’t You Dead Yet?; Running Out Of Heartbeats; Numb Numb Numb; Taking On The World; Walk/Don’t Walk; It’s A Girl Thing; Strumpet; Sparkle; #NoFilter; Penthouse In The Basement; Bubblewrap; You Can’t Uneat The Apple; Naked; 12 Reasons Why I Love Her

It’s 12 days to Christmas and 30 years since we 1st saw My Life Story support Cud at Exeter’s Lemon Grove, falling head over heels for their orchestral pop and suited and booted savoir-faire.

  • Read on for the very many more than 12 reasons why we love them
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GIG REVIEW: Welly at The MOTH Club, Hackney

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By Neil Durham

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

WHEN?: Wednesday 4 December 2024, tour runs through 15 Febuary 2025

Setlist: It’s Not Like This In France; Deere John; Soak Up The Culture; Shopping; Cul De Sac; Home For The Weekend; Jockey; Big In The Suburbs; Me And Your Mates

Q: What do Welly have in common with Pet Shop Boys, Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine, Cocteau Twins, The Jesus and Mary Chain and The Marine Girls?

  • Read on for reasons including how everyone needs to give their life a bit of Welly in 2025
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GIG REVIEW: Charli XCX at The 02

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHEN?: Thursday 28 November 2024, tour runs through 18 June 2025

Setlist: 365; 360; Von Dutch; Rewind; I Might Say Something Stupid; Club Classics; Unlock It; Talk Talk; Apple; So I; Spring Breakers; Girl, So Confusing; Welcome To My Island; Everything Is So Romantic; Speed Drive; Sympathy Is A Knife; Guess; 365; Party 4 U; Vroom Vroom; Everything Is Romantic; Welcome To My Island; 360; Dancing On My Own; Track 10; I Love It;

Charli XCX describes her biggest London gig to date as a moment she’ll never forget after she duets with Robyn and takes a back seat during an emotional encore including the kindred spirit’s Dancing On My Own.

  • Read on for reasons including how XCX absolutely convinced as an arena act
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GIG REVIEW: Shiiine On Weekender at Butlin’s Minehead Arena

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By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum

WHEN?: Friday 15 to Monday 18 November 2024

It’s been a week since the festival so it’s around this time that we have fully recovered and start to lament “this time last week…” As I write, this time last week, I was Day Raving at Bentley Rhythm Ace.

  • Read on for reasons including Bentley Rhythm Ace, Kula Shaker and Lightning Seeds
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GIG REVIEW: Bryan Adams at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: Tuesday 12 November 2024, tour travels to India, New Zealand, Australia, US, UK, Europe and runs through 5 July 2025

SETLIST: Kick Ass; Can’t Stop This Thing We Started; Somebody; 18 ’til I Die; Please Forgive Me; One Night Love Affair; Shine A Light; Take Me Back; Kids Wanna Rock; Heaven; Go Down Rockin’; It’s Only Love; You Belong To Me; Cloud Number 9; Rock’n’Roll Hell; The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You; Here I Am; I Will Always Return; When The Night Comes; When You’re Gone; Always Have (Always Will); Everything I Do (I Do It For You); Back To You; So Happy It Hurts; Run To You; Summer Of ’69; Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?; Cuts Like A Knife; Straight From the Heart; Hey Baby; All For Love;

You can tell Adams is a photographer because this is the most beautifully visualised arena show we think we’ve ever seen.

  • Read on for reasons including where else in the world you can catch this tour
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GIG REVIEW: Warmduscher at Papillon, Southampton

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum

WHEN?: 31 October and tour runs through 29 November 2024

Warmduscher appears to have reached the ranks of one of the bands we’ve seen the most, alongside Welly, Adam Ant, Duran Duran, Shed Seven and Peter Hook!

  • Read on for reasons including why A Humdrum Mum was viewing from the balcony not the moshpit
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