John Grant

ALBUM OF THE WEEK: Boy From Michigan by John Grant (week beginning 16 July 2021)

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WORTH A LOOK?: ****

TRACKLIST: Boy From Michigan; County Fair; The Rusty Bull; The Cruise Room; Mike And Julie; Best In Me; Rhetorical Figure; Just So You Know; Dandy Star; Your Portfolio; The Only Baby; Billy

We’re reminded of the close of 2 of our favourite albums of the 90s – Pulp‘s His’n’Hers and REM’s Automatic For The People – by the tenderness and tunefulness of final track here, Billy.

  • Read on for reasons including how to see Grant on tour in London and across the UK soon
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PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for June 2021 starring Constellations

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  1. Constellations starring Sheila Atim

We saw the original production of Nick Payne’s awards-garlanded two-hander in the West End starring Rafe Spall and Sally Hawkins in 2012. It was little surprise that this tale of a couple meeting with repeat scenes and meditations on multiple universes should also find Broadway acclaim with Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson and now it is ripe for return with original director Michael Longhurst. Opening on 18 June 2021 at the Vaudeville Theatre with Atim (Othello, Globe)) and Ivanno Jeremiah, couples will also include Russell Tovey (Angels In America, National Theatre) and Omari Douglas (Channel 4’s It’s A Sin). Tickets

  • Read on for reasons including In The Heights, Hairspray, Cinderella and Be More Chill
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9 reasons why we can’t wait for April 2021 starring the return of the Blow Monkeys

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

  1. Blow Monkeys release More Than A Miracle

It’s not easy being a band with a 40-year history that wants to write new material when the fans are familiar with hits as glorious as Digging Your Scene, It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way and Wait. The trick is to write material as memorable as the songs that broke you and the Blow Monkeys played a blinder with Time Storm, a song of the week for us last year. The follow-up More Than A Miracle out 16/4/21 is in a similar vein, doesn’t disappoint and sits well with the best of the band’s back catalogue. Album Journey To You follows in September. Tickets are on sale for UK dates in October including a London gig at 229. Read our interview with Dr Robert on this site in April.

  • Read on for reasons including Romeo And Juliet starring Josh O’Connor and Jessie Buckley
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LIVE REVIEW: Goldfrapp

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE: Camden Roundhouse

WHEN: 27/3

SETLIST: Utopia; Lovely Head; Anymore; Train; Ocean; Moon In Your Mouth; You Never Know; Dreaming; Slide In; Everything Is Never Enough; Become The One; Systemagic; Number One; Ride A White Horse; Black Cherry; Shiny and Warm; Ooh La La; Strict Machine

Goldfrapp last played in London when they headlined an Albert Hall gig in November 2014 and were joined onstage by kindred spirit John Grant to close the book on their downbeat, cinematic and folky Tales Of Us album.

  • Read on for reasons including what new album Silver Eye sounds like

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ALBUM REVIEW: Grey Tickles, Black Pressure by John Grant

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

OUT: 9/10

Tracklist: Intro; Grey Tickles, Black Pressure; Snug Slacks; Guess How I Know; You and Him; Down Here; Voodoo Doll; Global Warming; Magma Arrives; Black Blizzard; Disappointing; No More Tangles; Geraldine; Outro.

John Grant’s third album is not out until Friday but we’ve had a sneak preview and can give you the lowdown here.

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PREVIEW: 8 reasons to be excited about October

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

  1. New Hurts album Surrender

Hurts’ third album Surrender is out 9/10 and includes singles Lights (YouTube clip above, and Hurts’ best single since Wonderful Life) and Some Kind Of Heaven. We’ve also heard tracks Rolling Stone, Slow, Nothing Will Be Bigger Than Us, Weight Of The World and the title track and saw the band for the tenth time at their last UK gig at the Scala in June. We’d imagine this album would be their best because it’s the most pop. They play Brixton Academy in February. Tickets here.

  • Read on for reasons 2-8 including Medea, Years and Years, Teddy Ferrara, John Grant and Jeremy Hardy

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5 things we know about next John Grant album Grey Tickles, Black Pressure

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

  1. Lead track Disappointing is more pop than anything on Pale Green Ghosts

Does anyone have a better taste in female duet partners? We saw Grant three times last year: Glastonbury, Royal Festival Hall and duetting with Alison Goldfrapp at the Albert Hall. Sinead O’Connor appeared on last proper album Pale Green Ghosts and here former Everything But The Girl star Thorn is duetting (see YouTube clip above) on gorgeous lines like: ‘Francis Bacon, the Dolomites, ballet dancers with or without tights, Central Park on an autumn day, always stunning and never cliche.’ And if that sounds too Vogue Madonna, the chorus reverts to type (‘All these things, they’re just Disappointing …’) until the O’Connor-esque payoff (‘… compared to you.’) Musically, it’s a return to the jauntier elements of breakthrough Queen of Denmark album.

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