WORTH A LOOK?: ****
Suede haven’t released 2 songs in a row this thrilling since the double-punch of the classic Trash and Beautiful Ones in 1996.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHEN?: Saturday 30 July 2022, runs until 10 August 2022
My companion whispers in my ear at curtain down: ‘Best living actor in this country in a role of a lifetime’ and that does feel like a suitable 12-word summary.
By Aline Mahrud
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN?: Thursday 4 August 2022
SETLIST: Masquerade; Stay Wild; Intoxicated; Every Shade Of Blue; Move In My Direction; Velvet Lies; Looking For Someone; Let’s Go Outside Audience Q&A Stuff Like That; Bad Love; Brand New; Favourite; Look On The Floor; Waiting For The Sun; Forever Young; Running With The Night; Love In The First Degree
Bananarama may be best known as a trio but it’s easy to forget that they’ve actually been a duo – Keren Woodward and Sara Dallin – for 30 years.
By Aline Mahrud
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHEN?: Saturday 30 July, runs to 28 August 2022
This 3,500-seater venue has 3 times been host to our Best Gig monsta winner (in 2017, 2018 and 2019) but it just feels too big from our Circle seat to do justice to this film turned musical.
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.
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.
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!
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
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.
