music

GIG REVIEW: Culture Club, Tony Hadley & Heaven 17 at The 02

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: Sunday 15 December 2024, Culture Club tour runs through 21 June 2025

Setlist: White Boy; I’m Afraid Of Me; Take Control; You Know I’m Not Crazy; Boy, Boy (I’m The Boy); White Boys Can’t Control It; I’ll Tumble 4 Ya; Kissing To Be Clever; Love Twist; Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?; Church Of The Poison Mind; It’s A Miracle; Mister Man; Miss Me Blind; Stormkeeper; Changing Every Day; Black Money; Colour By Numbers; That’s The Way (I’m Only Trying To Help You); Victims; Time (Clock Of The Heart); Get It On; Karma Chameleon

Perhaps it was because this was the last night of this leg of the tour but we’ve seen Boy George and his band Culture Club live many times and this was the friendlist and chattiest we’ve ever seen him.

  • Read on for reasons including how this was the warmest and most interesting we’ve ever seen Culture Club
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GIG REVIEW: My Life Story at Camden Dingwalls

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2

WHEN?: Friday 13 December 2024, next date 14 March 2025

Setlist: Tits And Attitude; Motorcade; Broken; If You Can’t Live Without Me Then Why Aren’t You Dead Yet?; Running Out Of Heartbeats; Numb Numb Numb; Taking On The World; Walk/Don’t Walk; It’s A Girl Thing; Strumpet; Sparkle; #NoFilter; Penthouse In The Basement; Bubblewrap; You Can’t Uneat The Apple; Naked; 12 Reasons Why I Love Her

It’s 12 days to Christmas and 30 years since we 1st saw My Life Story support Cud at Exeter’s Lemon Grove, falling head over heels for their orchestral pop and suited and booted savoir-faire.

  • Read on for the very many more than 12 reasons why we love them
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AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best Gig of 2024

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

It’s been quite the year, it’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2024? Over the next month we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 17 categories for our 10th annual Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2024.

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GIG REVIEW: Charli XCX at The 02

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHEN?: Thursday 28 November 2024, tour runs through 18 June 2025

Setlist: 365; 360; Von Dutch; Rewind; I Might Say Something Stupid; Club Classics; Unlock It; Talk Talk; Apple; So I; Spring Breakers; Girl, So Confusing; Welcome To My Island; Everything Is So Romantic; Speed Drive; Sympathy Is A Knife; Guess; 365; Party 4 U; Vroom Vroom; Everything Is Romantic; Welcome To My Island; 360; Dancing On My Own; Track 10; I Love It;

Charli XCX describes her biggest London gig to date as a moment she’ll never forget after she duets with Robyn and takes a back seat during an emotional encore including the kindred spirit’s Dancing On My Own.

  • Read on for reasons including how XCX absolutely convinced as an arena act
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SONG OF THE WEEK: Big In The Suburbs by Welly (week beginning Saturday 16 November 2024)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

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

‘Don’t spend a lifetime looking for heaven when you can find it on the A27.’ Five-piece band Welly should know because they’re from Southampton and Brighton which are linked by that major road.

  • Read on for reasons including where to see Welly on tour in 2024 and 2025
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AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best Song of 2024

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

It’s been quite the year, it’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2024? Over the next 2 months we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 17 categories for our Oscars, or 10th annual monstas if you will, of 2024.

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GIG REVIEW: Bryan Adams at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: Tuesday 12 November 2024, tour travels to India, New Zealand, Australia, US, UK, Europe and runs through 5 July 2025

SETLIST: Kick Ass; Can’t Stop This Thing We Started; Somebody; 18 ’til I Die; Please Forgive Me; One Night Love Affair; Shine A Light; Take Me Back; Kids Wanna Rock; Heaven; Go Down Rockin’; It’s Only Love; You Belong To Me; Cloud Number 9; Rock’n’Roll Hell; The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You; Here I Am; I Will Always Return; When The Night Comes; When You’re Gone; Always Have (Always Will); Everything I Do (I Do It For You); Back To You; So Happy It Hurts; Run To You; Summer Of ’69; Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?; Cuts Like A Knife; Straight From the Heart; Hey Baby; All For Love;

You can tell Adams is a photographer because this is the most beautifully visualised arena show we think we’ve ever seen.

  • Read on for reasons including where else in the world you can catch this tour
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ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Tension II by Kylie Minogue (November 2024)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

TRACKLIST: Lights Camera Action; Taboo; Someone For Me; Good As Gone; Kiss Bang Bang; Diamonds; Hello; Dance To The Music; Should’ve Left Ya; Edge Of Saturday Night; My Oh My; Midnight Ride; Dance Alone

Minogue’s purple patch continues with this 17th album a mere 12 months after its predecessor perpetuating the Tension-era vibe of electronic dance music with a very commercial edge.

  • Read on for reasons including how and where to see Kylie on tour in 2025
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SONG OF THE MONTH: Warning Signs by Loreen (November 2024)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

The artist known in full as Lorine Zeineb Nora Talhaoui is the only woman to have won Eurovision twice and here releases an uptempo 3rd follow up to 2023 winner Tattoo and we hope there’s an album coming soon.

  • Read on for reasons including how to see Loreen on tour in 2025
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THEATRE REVIEW: The Devil Wears Prada: A New Musical starring Vanessa Williams & Matt Henry at Dominion Theatre

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: Tuesday 5 November 2024 and booking through 31 May 2025 RUNTIME: 150 minutes (includes a 20-minute interval)

This musical of a beloved 2006 film with a star turn by Meryl Streep goes down a storm at this cavernous venue particularly whenever Williams (City Of Angels, Garrick Theatre) as fashion editor Miranda Priestly emerges striking a pose through the stage’s trapdoor.

  • Read on for reasons including how you will be as absolutely swept up and bowled over by this as we were
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