ALBUM REVIEW: Nothing’s Real by Shura

WORTH A LOOK: *****

OUT: 8/7

TRACKLIST: (I); Nothing’s Real; What’s It Gonna Be; Touch; Kidz’n’Stuff; Indecision; What Happened To Us; (II); Tongue Tied; 2Shy; White Lies; The Space Tapes.

It’s noon on Saturday the day after the Brexit result triggered David Cameron’s resignation and Shura is telling the audience at Glastonbury’s Other Stage that her entire set is about break-ups.

  • Read on for reasons why Nothing’s Real is this summer’s soundtrack

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ALBUM REVIEW: Detour by Cyndi Lauper

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

OUT: 6/5

TRACKLIST: Funnel Of Love; Detour; Misty Blue; Walkin’ After Midnight; Heartaches By The Number; The End Of The World; Night Life; Begging To You; You’re The Reason Our Kids Are Ugly; I Fall To Pieces; I Want To Be A Cowboy’s Sweetheart; Hard Candy Christmas.

Kinky Boots was a nominee in our monstas for musical of 2015 and Cyndi Lauper, who rose to fame in the 80s as a pop star rivalling Madonna, was one of its authors.

  • Read on for details of where Cyndi’s appearing on tour in the UK this year

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ALBUM REVIEW: Super by Pet Shop Boys

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

OUT: 1/4

TRACKLIST: Happiness; The Pop Kids; Twenty-Something; Groovy; The Dictator Decides; Pazzo!; Inner Sanctum; Undertow; Sad Robot World; Say It To Me; Burn; Into Thin Air.

30 years ago Pet Shop Boys’ debut hit (not their 1st single, actually) went to number 1 in the UK, US, Canada, Finland, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Israel, New Zealand and Norway.

  • Read on for details of the new Pet Shop Boys tour

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AWARDS SHORTLIST: Gig of the year

It’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2015? Over the next fortnight we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 11 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2015. Read on for the nominees for the monsta for gig of the year.

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LIVE REVIEW: Madonna

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE: The O2

WHEN: 1/12, European tour including 4 more UK shows runs to 20/12

SETLIST: Iconic; Bitch I’m Madonna; Burning Up; Holy Water; Vogue; Devil Pray; Body Shop; True Blue; Deeper and Deeper; Heartbreak City; Love Don’t Live Here Anymore; Like A Virgin; Living For Love; La Isla Bonita; Dress You Up/Into The Groove/Lucky Star medley; Who’s That Girl?; Rebel Heart; Music; Candy Shop; Material Girl; La vie en rose; Like A Prayer; Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend; Unapologetic Bitch; Holiday.

‘Nobody f*cks with the Queen.’ It’s the Queen of Pop’s 1st show of a two-night residency at the venue which last saw her defeated by a tied-too-tight cape at The Brits earlier this year and she’s taking no prisoners.

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PREVIEW: 10 reasons why we can’t wait for December

  1. Madonna tour

The undisputed Queen of Pop’s Rebel Heart tour arrives for two nights at The 02 from 1/12 and we’ll be reporting from there for you. This will be the 6th time we’ve seen Madge live and she’s reportedly more comfortable playing some of her oldest hits. Photograph via Facebook courtesy Madonna from Montreal copyright Kevin Mazur. Tickets here.

Read on for reasons 2 to 10 including Star Wars, Marina and the Diamonds, Guys and Dolls and Brian Cox

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LIVE REVIEW: Hurts

Worth a look?: ***1/2

Where: Scala

When: 16/6/15

Setlist: Surrender; Some Kind Of Heaven; Miracle; Somebody To Die For; Rolling Stone; Evelyn; Nothing Will Be Bigger Than Us; Weight Of The World; Blood, Tears and Gold; Wonderful Life; Sunday; Better Than Love; Illuminated; Stay.

A 12-strong choir joins Theo Hutchcraft and a newly bearded Adam Anderson on stage for their 1st London gig for 20 months.

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