GIG REVIEW

GIG REVIEW: Suede & the Manic Street Preachers at Alexandra Park

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHEN?: Thursday 18 July 2024, co-headline tour runs until 19 July 2024. Suede booking until 23 August 2024. Tickets Manics booking until 24 August 2024 Tickets

SETLIST: Manics: You Love Us; Everything Must Go; Motorcycle Emptiness; This Is Yesterday; You Stole The Sun From My Heart; To Repel Ghosts; Little Baby Nothing; Your Love Alone Is Not Enough; Elvis Impersonator: Blackpool Pier; A Design For Life; La Tristessea Durera; Walk Me To the Bridge; Kevin Carter; Orwellian; From Despair To Where; No Surface All Feeling; If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next

Suede: Turn Off Your Brain And Yell; Trash; Animal Nitrate; The Drowners; We Are The Pigs; The Only Way I Can Love You; Still Life; New Generation; Film Star; Antidepressants; Saturday Night; She Still Leads Me On; Shadow Self; The Wild Ones; So Young; Metal Mickey; The Beautiful Ones

The concept of a two-for-one deal is well understood and tonight a couple of bands who rose to UK chart-topping fame in the 90s each complete 17-song sets.

  • Read on for reasons including how this was a winning combination in a beautiful location with a bargain gig to ease the cost of living
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GIG REVIEW: Ricky Gervais & Friends at Leicester Square Theatre

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: (work in progress)

WHEN?: Monday 3 June 2024, running through 26 June 2024 RUNTIME: 70 minutes without interval

Released in 2023 Gervais’ comedy special Armageddon was the global number 1 most-watched show on Netflix but, as he explains here, it takes a great deal of nights like these to hone new material and see whether it lands before taking it out on tour proper.

  • Read on for reasons including what it’s like to see 1 of the world’s biggest stars at such an intimate work in progress gig
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GIG REVIEW: Echobelly at Lafayette, King’s Cross

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Aline Mahrud

WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2

WHEN?: Friday 31 May 2024

SETLIST: Today, Tomorrow, Sometime, Never; We Know Better; I Can’t Imagine The World Without Me; Iris Art; Father, Ruler, King, Computer; Fear Of Flying; Car Fiction; Worms And Angels; Insomniac; Natural Animal; On, Turn On; If The Dogs Don’t Get You, My Sisters Will; Scream; Great Things; King Of The Kerb; Dark Therapy

We 1st saw Echobelly on a balmy Sunday afternoon at Glastonbury playing 9th on the bill behind Oasis (8th), Chumbawamba (6th), Pulp (5th), Radiohead (3rd) and Blur (2nd).

  • Read on for reasons including how we’d love to see them again soon with a new album of material
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GIG REVIEW: Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey at the IndigO2

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

SETLIST: In The Name Of Love; Science Fiction; Lies; Lay Your Hands On Me; Runaway; If You Were Here; Shooting Star; Psycho Killer; The Gap; Day After Day; Sister Of Mercy; No Peace For The Wicked; You Take Me Up; Who Can Stop the Rain; Doctor! Doctor!; Hold Me Now; We Are Detective; Storm On The Sea; Love On Your Side

WHEN?: Friday 17 May 2024, tour runs through 28 July 2024

We tell Bailey before this gig that the 1st concert we ever went to was the Thompson Twins at the old Hammersmith Odeon, now the Eventim Apollo, on our 14th birthday 40 years ago and he’s genuinely thrilled.

  • Read on for reasons including how this is the most comprehensive set we’ve seen Bailey give
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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

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

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

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

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

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

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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