Barcelona

THEATRE REVIEW: La Jaula De Las Locas (The cage of the crazy) at Teatre Tivoli, Barcelona

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: Saturday 11 March (matinee), runs through 23 April 2023 RUNTIME: 180 minutes (with a 20-minute interval)

We take our 4th row seats and notice steps leading down from the stage into the centre aisle and a terrifying fear about being invited onstage and interrogated in a language that is not native to us grips us.

  • Read on for reasons including how this Zaza – director Àngel Llàcer – compares with others we have seen including Graham Norton, John Barrowman and John Partridge
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9 reasons why we can’t wait for March 2023 starring Guys and Dolls at the Bridge Theatre

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  1. Guys and Dolls at the Bridge Theatre

This venue’s promenade performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Julius Caesar have been amongst some of the best theatre we’ve ever immersed ourselves in and so this similar new production of a musical which is 1 of our favourites offers a great deal to look forward to. Not least with a cast including Marisha Wallace (Oklahoma!, Young Vic) and Daniel Mays (The Caretaker, Old Vic). Runs 3 March, opens 14 March through 2 September 2023. Tickets Review

  • Read on for reasons including Self Esteem, Cian Ducrot and the return of Eugenius
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AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best Venue of 2022

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It’s been quite the year, it’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2022? Over the next month we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 16 categories for our 8th annual Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2022.

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GIG REVIEW: Sam Ryder at Sala Apolo, Barcelona

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHEN?: Tuesday 8 November, tour runs until 4 April 2023

SETLIST: Tiny Riot; Whirlwind; Somebody; Put A Light On Me; Deep Blue Doubt; You’re The Voice; All The Way Over; More; Everybody Wants To Rule The World/I Want To Break Free/September/The Way You Make Me Feel; SPACE MAN

Before this show we thank Ryder for turning around the UK’s Eurovision fortunes and ask him whether he will be playing a part in the 2023 event in Liverpool next May and he doesn’t yet know.

  • Read on for reasons including how we think Ryder deserves to take part in Liverpool 2023 for bringing Eurovision to the UK
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GIG REVIEW: Stereolab at Sala Apolo, Barcelona

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By Neil Durham

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

WHEN?: Monday 7 November 2022, tour runs to 3 December 2022

SETLIST: Supah Jaianto; Laissex Faire; Eye Of The Volcano; Refractions In The Plastic Pulse; U.H.F. – MF; Miss Modular; Mountain; Hamonium; I Feel The Air (Of Another Planet); Pack Yr Romantic Mind; Super-Electric; Gus The Mynah Bird; French Disko; Simple Headphone Mind

The 1st words lead singer Laetitia Sadier utters are: ‘F*ck the oligarchs’ and as we contemplate an imminent World Cup in a Quatar beset by human rights violations we can’t help but concur as FIFA counts its TV viewing rights receipts.

  • Read on for reasons including how it’s the bands politics that make us better appreciate them
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TOP 5: BARCELONA: A top 5 restaurants and bars to visit in Barcelona (August 2022)

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By Neil Durham

We’ve regularly visited the Raval district of this Spanish city a stone’s throw from Las Ramblas since the early 00s and what surprised us on our return post-pandemic was how some real culinary delights had sprung up in the neighbourhood since we’d been gone.

  • Read on for reasons including how a Barcelona restaurant has been named the 3rd best in the world
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GIG REVIEW: Suede at Razzmatazz, Barcelona

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: Thursday 19 May 2022, tour runs until 24 May 2022

SETLIST: Trash; Filmstar; Lazy; By The Sea; She; Beautful Ones; Starcrazy; Picnic By The Motorway; The Chemistry Between Us; Saturday Night; It Starts And Ends With You; Killing Of A Flashboy; Can’t Get Enough; The Power; Flytipping; We Are The Pigs; The Wild Ones; So Young; Metal Mickey; Animal Nitrate; New Generation

Most of the gigs we go to these days are in London by Tube and it’s a joy to be able to walk door to door on a balmy evening from Raval to Poble Nou in less than 50 minutes.

  • Read on for reasons including everything we know about Suede’s new album
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THEATRE REVIEW: A Chorus Line directed by Antonio Banderas at Tivoli Theater, Barcelona

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN? Wednesday 18 May, runs to 29 May 2022 RUNTIME: 135 minutes without interval

Two years ago Oscar-nominated actor Antonio Banderas revealed he was in negotiations to bring this Spanish language production of the classic musical to Broadway (see clip below).

  • Read on for reasons including why this Spanish production of A Chorus Line would be a Broadway hit
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TOP 5: BARCELONA: A top 5 restaurants and bars to visit

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

Two years ago we wrote a prequel to this listicle after a September 2019 visit to our favourite city and little did we know then that Covid-19 would mean we would not return until March 2022.

  • Read on for reasons including how a former El Bulli chef has opened a new restaurant in Barca’s Raval district
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