You, dear reader, are given the chance to vote in 17 categories from October this year to tell us your favourite theatre, music, TV, film and podcast of 2025.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
We’re writing this from a holiday in Iceland where we’re planning a visit to Norway to see the Northern Lights and this 1st track written for Alison Goldfrapp’s 2nd album Flux couldn’t be more pertinent.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHEN?: Friday 23 May 2025, tour runs through 15 August 2025
AG Setlist: Ride A White Horse; Number 1; Dreaming; Believer; Find Xanadu; Reverberotic; Rocket; Ooh La La; Strict Machine; Fever
SS Setlist: Laura; Better Luck; She’s My Man; Tits On The Radio; I Can’t Decide; Lovers In The Back Seat; Running Out; Take Your Mama; Paul McCartney; Fire With Fire; Mary; It Can’t Come Quickly Enough; Sex And Violence; Any Which Way; Comfortably Numb; Invisible Light; Let’s Have A Kiki; I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’; Return To Oz; Filthy Gorgeous; Music Is The Victim
It’s the Friday night of a bank holiday weekend and we arrive at our seats early to see an extraordinary greatest hits support set from 1 of our favourite pop stars.
Ms Minogue’s Tension show arrives in London for 4 gigs at The 02 this and next month as part of a world tour which runs through 26 August 2025. Tickets We 1st saw her live on the Enjoy Yourself tour at London’s now-no-more London Arena in 1990 and have seen her since at the old Wembley Arena, Eventim Apollo Hammersmith, new Wembley Arena and many times at The 02 – but not since 2014. Our review
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
TRACKLIST: Too Much Music; Do The Television; Voices; I Used To Be In Love; Really Big Deal; Last Man Dancing; 8 Ball; Devil Came Down The Dancefloor; Mess Of Me; Doses; Radio Eyes; Diamonds Don’t Burn
SETLIST: Too Much Music; Really Big Deal; Any Which Way; Meltdown; Do The Television; Voices; Comfortably Numb; I Used To Be In Love; Creep City; Laura; Take Your Mama; Last Man Dancing; I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’; Devil Came Down The Dancefloor; 8 Ball; Destiny; Invisible Light; Filthy/Gorgeous
We’ve recently read Shears’ memoir Boys Keep Swinging and it’s a fascinating insight into the mindset of the former Scissor Sisters’ frontman who has struggled for inspiration.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
RELEASED: Friday 18 June 2021
There can be few things more joyous than a spoken word middle eight of a pop song and the interplay here between 2 of our favourite pop stars immediately ushers this to the front of the queue to be our favourite song of the week.
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHERE?: Scala
WHEN?: 15/8, tour runs to 24/8/18
SETLIST: Good Friends; I Can’t Decide; Big Bushy Moustache; Fit Ain’t One Thing; Laura; Sad Song Backwards; Everything I’ll Ever Need; Take Your Mama; Clothes Off; S.O.B; The Bruiser; Palace In the Sky; I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’; Creep City; Mississippi Delta
The line: ‘The Londoners are swell, and they seem like they adore me’ from new song Mississippi Delta is received rapturously here – and with good reason.
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
OUT: 8/7
TRACKLIST: Mastermind; Pretty Gardens; Thoughts Wasted; Lip Service; Ten Miles High; Whatever; Romantic Comedy; Nervous Sleep; Sitting and Counting.
Fans of Moloko’s breakthrough 1999 hit Sing It Back would do well to approach Murphy’s fifth solo album with caution.
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.
