Rina Sawayama

ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Hold The Girl by Rina Sawayama (October 2022)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

TRACKLIST: Minor Feelings; Hold The Girl; This Hell; Catch Me In The Air; Forgiveness; Holy (‘Til You Let Me Go); Your Age; Imagining; Frankenstein; Hurricanes; Send My Love To John; Phantom; To Be Alive

There’s no mistaking the ambition of Sawayama’s 2nd album and with an Elton John collaboration under her belt she will doubtless hope Hold The Girl builds on the success of her debut.

  • Read on for reasons including how to see Sawayama on tour this autumn
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9 reasons why we can’t wait for September 2022 starring Suede

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

  1. Suede live and new album Autofiction

Suede may have reformed in 2010 but they’ve never mattered to us in the same way as they did when we 1st saw them at Portsmouth Pyramids in 1993 – until now. Singles She Still Leads Me On and 15 Again show a flair and consistency we’ve not seen this century. New album Autofiction is released 16 September and we see them the night before at a special gig at PRYZM, Kingston. Tickets

  • Read on for reasons including The P Word, The Band’s Visit, Eureka Day and Self Esteem
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AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best Gig of 2021

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 2021? Over the next month we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 15 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2021.

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GIG REVIEW: Rina Sawayama at Electric Brixton

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

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

WHEN?: Tuesday 16 November 2021, touring until 9 May 2022

SETLIST: Dynasty; STFU!; Comme des garçons (Like the Boys); Akasaka Sad; Snakeskin; Cyber Stockholm Syndrome; Paradisin’; Love Me 4 Me; Bad Friend; Who’s Gonna Save U Now?; Tokyo Love Hotel; Chosen Family; Cherry; XS; LUCID; Free Woman

We’re 1 song into the show, the adoring crowd are chanting: ‘Rina! Rina!’ spurring the object of their affection to say: ‘This is how I know this is my home town.’

  • Read on for reasons including why everything’s in place for album 2 to go stratospheric
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AWARDS: winners of the 2020 monstas are …

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monstagigz readers have been voting throughout December for their favourite pop, theatre, TV and film of 2020 from our shortlists. Read on for details of our 2020 monstas winners …

2020’s Best Theatre Actor

  • Michael Balogun (Death of England: Delroy, The Olivier, National Theatre, pictured above) Review National tickets
  • Thank you to everyone who voted. Picture via Facebook courtesy National Theatre
  • Read on for reasons including the remaining 13 theatre, pop, film & TV winners
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AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best Album of 2020

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 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

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

  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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ALBUM OF THE MONTH: SAWAYAMA by Rina Sawayama (July 2020)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

OUT: now

TRACKLIST: Dynasty; XS; STFU!; Comme Des Garçons (Like the Boys); Akasaka Sad; Paradisin; Love Me 4 Me; Bad Friend; Fuck The World (Interlude); Who’s Gonna Save You Now?; Tokyo Love Hotel; Chosen Family; Snakeskin; Tokyo Takeover

Renowned for his encyclopaedic pop knowledge and his hits-filled back catalogue plundered in last year’s film Rocketman, none other than Elton John last month named this the ‘strongest album of the year this far’.

  • Read on for reasons including why you should get ready to fall in love with SAWAYAMA

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