GIG REVIEW

GIG REVIEW: Bananarama at the Palladium

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHEN?: Thursday 4 April 2024, tour runs through 7 September 2024

SETLIST: I Heard A Rumour; Last Thing On My Mind; Movin’ On; Trick Of The Night; Cruel Summer; Masquerade; Move In My Direction; Love, Truth and Honesty; I Want You Back; Looking For Someone; Atomic; Supernova; Only Your Love; Preacher Man; Really Saying Something; Nathan Jones; Forever Young; Lost In Music; Stuff Like That; Look On The Floor; Favourite; Love Don’t Live Here; Feel The Love; Robert De Niro’s Waiting; Love In The First Degree; You Spin Me Round (Like A Record); Venus

Bananarama’s imperial phase may have ended after we saw them on their 1st tour headlining Wembley Arena in 1989 but you would never know it from this raucous celebration of their 40-plus years in pop.

  • Read on for reasons including what the secret of Bananarama’s longevity is
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GIG REVIEW: Dagny at the 02 Academy Islington

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: Wednesday 3 April 2024, tour runs through 24 August 2024

SETLIST: Same Again (For Love); Backbeat; Ray-Bans; Please Look At Me; Used To You; Bye Bye Baby; Highs And Lows; Pretty; Come Over; Strawberry Dream; Love You Like That; Heartbreak In The Making; Brightsider; Somebody

‘You know I play Norway all the time?’ It’s Dagny’s 1st London gig this year and she understands people have come a long way to see her and so she wasn’t expecting someone to shout ‘Norway’ when she asks this north London audience where they’re from.

  • Read on for reasons including everything we know about Dagny’s new single
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GIG REVIEW: Zara Larsson at Camden Roundhouse

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: Thursday 22 February, tour runs until 26 July 2024

SETLIST: Venus; I Would Like; Escape; Look What You’ve Done; Girls Like; Words; Never Forget You; Ruin My Life; The Healing; Symphony; Wow; None Of These Guys; Ammunition; You Love Who You Love; Ain’t My Fault; End Of Time; On My Love; Lush Life; Can’t Tame Her

We haven’t seen Larsson live since 2017 but we’re immediately struck by how strong her live vocals are even when she’s negotiating her staging’s stairways or sashaying with her 4 dancers.

  • Read on for reasons including how this is a crowdpleasing set showcasing Larsson’s many hits
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GIG REVIEW: Depeche Mode at The 02

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By Aline Mahrud

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: 27 January 2024, tour runs through 8 April 2024

SETLIST: My Cosmos Is Mine; Wagging Tongue; Walking In My Shoes; It’s No Good; Policy Of Truth; In Your Room; Everything Counts; Precious; Before We Drown; Home; Somebody; Ghosts Again; I Feel You; A Pain that I’m Used To; Behind The Wheel; Black Celebration; Stripped; John The Revelator; Enjoy The Silence; Waiting For The Night; Just Can’t Get Enough; Never Let Me Down Again; Personal Jesus

This is our 1st time seeing Depeche Mode since 1986’s Black Celebration and 1988’s Music For The Masses tours at the old Wembley Arena.

  • Read on for reasons including which new song made its live debut at this gig
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GIG REVIEW: Ginger Johnson: Ginger Johnson All The Way! at Soho Theatre

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHEN?: Tuesday 12 December, runs through 6 January 2024 RUNTIME: 70 minutes (no interval)

‘I’m not the world’s biggest fan of Christmas,’ confides Johnson at the start of this festive run of a show which is less jingle bells and more jingle hells.

  • Read on for reasons including how this RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner uses original songs to give us a peak inside her mind
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GIG REVIEW: Cian Ducrot at the Eventim Apollo Hammersmith

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: Tuesday 21 November 2023, tour runs through 28 June 2024

SETLIST: Victory; Mama; Heaven; Him; Endless Nights; Rest Of Our Days; How Do You Know; Hurt When You Hurt Me; All For You; Blame It On You; Step Dad; Everyone Who Falls In Love (Has Someone Else They’re Thinking Of); Part Of Me; Thank God You Stayed; I’ll Be Waiting

A year ago we reviewed Ducrot as support on Ella Henderson’s tour and tonight she returns the favour by appearing here to duet on their new Christmas single Rest Of Our Days.

  • Read on for reasons including how 2024 promises some big gigs in his native Ireland
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GIG REVIEW: Shiiine On Weekender 2023 at Butlins, Minehead

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By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum

WHEN?: 17 to 20 November 2023

Our seventh Shiiine (we only missed the first one) and it appears, musically, to have been the best! We review Wonder Stuff, Sleeper, Terrorvision, Inspiral Carpets, John Power, Jesus Jones, A Certain Ratio and Steve Lamacq’s Going Deaf for a Living talk plus DJ set.

  • Read on for reasons including Wonder Stuff, Sleeper, Terrorvision and Steve Lamacq
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GIG REVIEW: Madonna at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ***** RUNTIME: 120 minutes without interval

WHEN?: Thursday 2 November, tour runs through 24 April 2024

SETLIST: Nothing Really Matters; Everybody; Into The Groove; Burning Up; Open Your Heart; Holiday; Live To Tell; Like A Prayer; Erotica; Justify Your Love; Hung Up; Bad Girl; Vogue; Human Nature; Crazy For You; Die Another Day; Don’t Tell Me; Mother And Father; I Will Survive; La Isla Bonita; Don’t Cry For Me Argentina; Bedtime Story; Ray Of Light; Rain; Like A Virgin; Bitch I’m Madonna; Celebration

Madonna brings her director’s eye, her actress’s understanding of drama and her musician’s intimacy with her 40-year treasure trove of hits and deep cuts to tell the story of her life – and it’s everything we’ve always wanted from her and the best gig we’ve ever seen.

  • Read on for reasons including how this gig features the most devastating coup de théâtre we’ve ever seen
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GIG REVIEW: S Club at The 02

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By Aline Mahrud

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHEN?: Friday 27 October, tour moves to the US and Canada where it finishes 16 November 2023

SETLIST: S Club Party; Love Ain’t Gonna Wait For You; You’re My Number One; Natural; Sunshine; You; Stronger; Bring The House Down; Friday Night; Don’t Stop Movin’; Bring It All Back; Two In A Million; These Are The Days; Have You Ever; Alive; Reach; Never Had A Dream Come True; S Club Party

Bookending The Good Times Tour setlist with 2nd single and number 2 hit S Club Party gives the perfect idea of the vibe aimed for and achieved here.

  • Read on for reasons including how presenting as S Club 5 inevitably invites Steps comparisons
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GIG REVIEW: Victorious Festival 2023 day 3 starring Hard-Fi, The GO! Team, Dara O’Briain & The Freestylers

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By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum

WHEN?: Sunday 27 August 2023 (press pass)

Hard-Fi rock the Common Stage at their first festival in 11 years. Singer Richard Archer informs us that they usually specify to only play in places with a roof, but they let us off today, thankfully.

  • Read on for reasons including The GO! Team, Dara O’Briain and The Freestylers
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