GIG REVIEW: Dua Lipa and Griff at The 02

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: Tuesday 3 May 2022, tour runs until 16 November 2022

GRIFF SETLIST: Say It Again; Walk; Forgive Myself; One Foot In Front Of The Other; Head On Fire; One Night; Shade Of Yellow; Black Hole

DUA SETLIST: Physical; New Rules; Love Again; Cool; Pretty Please; Break My Heart; Be The One; We’re Good; Good In Bed; Fever; Boys Will Be Boys; One Kiss; Electricity; Hallucinate; Cold Heart; Levitating; Future Nostalgia; Don’t Start Now

We arrive early at this venue because we want to see support act Griff who was named the Rising Star at 2021’s BRIT Awards and released her debut album last year.

  • Read on for reasons including how Dua Lipa made good on Levitating at this gig
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PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for May 2022 starring My Fair Lady

  1. My Fair Lady starring Amara Okereke at the Coliseum

We saw lead Okereke in both The Boy Friend (Menier) and Spring Awakening (Almeida) and so know how deserved this casting is. We last saw Martine McCutcheon’s triumphant take on this Lerner and Loewe classic in 2001 and it returns to the West End at the Coliseum 7 May through 27 August 2022. Tickets 1st preview review

  • Read on for reasons including Legally Blonde, Amy Adams’ West End debut and last Little Mix gig
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AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best Gig of 2020

It’s been quite the year, it’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2020? Over the last month we have shortlisted at least five nominees in each of 14 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2020.

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GIG REVIEW: Dua Lipa in Studio 2054

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

WHEN?: Via livestream 27/11/20

SETLIST: Future Nostalgia; Levitating; Pretty Please; Break My Heart; Untitled (with FKA Twigs); Physical; Boys Will Be Boys; Cool; New Rules; Prisoner (with Miley Cyrus); Un Dia (with J Balvin, Bad Bunny and Tainy); Fever (with Angèle); One Kiss; Real Groove (with Kylie Minogue); Electricity; Rocket Man (Elton John); Hallucinate; Don’t Start Now

Lipa, who was shortlisted for 6 Grammys this week, was originally slated to tour 2nd LP Future Nostalgia this spring/summer with 2 dates at London’s 02 Arena.

  • Read on for reasons including how to get tickets for that rescheduled tour

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AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best Album of 2020

It’s been quite the year, it’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2020? Over the next month we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 14 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2020.

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PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for September 2020 starring Talking Heads

  1. Talking Heads at the Bridge starring Monica Dolan and Imelda Staunton

Alan Bennett’s original series of monologues aired on BBC1 in 1988 to much acclaim with a second season debuting on the same channel a decade later. Two new scripts were written for a third BBC1 series in 2020 during which 10 of the originals were remade. To celebrate, the Bridge Theatre stages eight of the latest 12 in four pairs beginning 7/9 and running to 31/10 starring two winners of our Best Theatre Actress monsta Monica Dolan and Imelda Staunton. Tickets

  • Read on for reasons including Sara Pascoe at the Greenwich Comedy Festival, Andrew Scott and new Hurts 

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AWARDS: MONSTAS: Our Best Album of 2020 so far

We awarded 14 monstas for the best pop, theatre, TV and film of 2019 in December – and here we look at the cream of 2020 so far and what’s to come. Florence and The Machine’s How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, Lady Gaga’s Joanne, Lorde’s Melodrama, Saara Aalto’s Wild, Wild Wonderland and Sigrid’s Sucker Punch are previous winners in this category.

  • Read on for our top 5 best albums of 2020 so far and our hopes for the next three months

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ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa (April 2020)

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

OUT: now

TRACKLIST: Future Nostalgia; Don’t Look Down; Cool; Physical; Levitating; Hallucinate; Pretty Please; Love Again; Break My Heart; Good In Bed; Boys Will Be Boys

Spring 2020 was expected to see much-anticipated album releases from the likes of Lady Gaga, Sam Smith and Rumer but concern over how they they would land during a global coronavirus pandemic saw plans for them shelved, leaving the way clear for Dua Lipa’s sophomore collection.

  • Read on for details of where to see Ms Lipa on her UK tour in 2021

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PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t/couldn’t wait for April 2020 starring Dua Lipa

  1. Dua Lipa releases Future Nostalgia LP

Lipa makes the leap from theatres to arenas with the release of this second LP out 3/4/20 although it was actually brought forward a week after it leaked. Her May gigs at London’s O2 have been rescheduled. Tickets The album is very well named as the 11-song collection weaves 80s hooks into radio-friendly dance floor classics. The sound of a coronavirus-beating summer perhaps? Current single Physical is available to watch below.

  • Read on for reasons including Lady Gaga, Rumer, Jennifer Saunders, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Alphabeat

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