Sophie Ellis-Bextor

GIG REVIEW: Sophie Ellis-Bextor at the Royal Festival Hall

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE?: Royal Festival Hall

WHEN?: 3/10, tour next year

SETLIST: Groovejet; Wild Forever; Catch You; Me & My Imagination; Youngblood; Love Is A Camera; Not Giving Up; The Sun’s On Us; Music Gets The Best Of Me; Bittersweet; Take Me Home; Young Hearts Run Free; Love Is You; Groovejet; Don’t Leave Me This Way; Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer; Murder On The Dancefloor; A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed

Perhaps it’s having a former Blue Peter presenter as a mother but Sophie Ellis-Bextor has always been refreshingly down-to-earth. So, when she describes tonight’s orchestral pop extravaganza as a ‘dream come true’, the qualification that: ‘All I had to do was pay for it’ comes as little surprise.

  • Read on for reasons including how you can see Sophie on this tour next summer

Read More

PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for October

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

  1. Dame Eileen Atkins in The Height Of The Storm

There’s Nothing Like A Dame and we loved the film of that name which starred Dame Eileen (pictured above) who appears here in this Florian Zeller drama with Jonathan Pryce (Game Of Thrones) at the Wyndhams 2/10 through 1/12. Tickets

  • Read on for reasons including Lady Gaga, Jim Broadbent, Dr Who goes Macbeth and Game Of Thrones in Hampstead

Read More

LIVE REVIEW: Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHERE?: KOKO

WHEN: 1/3

SETLIST: Wild Forever; Death of Love; The Deer And The Wolf; Unrequited; Don’t Shy Away; Cassandra; 13 Little Dolls; Mixed Up World; Today the Sun’s On Us; I Won’t Change You; Get Over You; Young Blood; Crystallise;  Love Is The Camera; Come With Us; Take Me Home; Lady; Groovejet; Sing It Back; Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer; Murder On The Dancefloor; Here Comes The Rapture

Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s most recent two albums have seen her step away from the dance floor where she made her name and try her hand at something a little more ambitious.

  • Read on for reasons including who Sophie’s surprise guest was

Read More

9 reasons why we can’t wait for March

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

  1. Sheena Easton debuts in 42nd Street

We’ve never seen 42nd Street but are very excited by the West End debut casting of Sheena Easton who we remember as far back in her career as 9 to 5 (see below) and her duet with Prince. Opens at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane 20/3 and booking through July. Tickets Picture via Facebook courtesy 42nd Street.

  • Read on for reasons including Goldfrapp, The Goat, Or Who Is Sylvia? and Marc Almond

Read More

THEATRE REVIEW: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHEN: 15/2 (matinee), runs to 25/2

WHERE: Sheffield Crucible Theatre

UPDATE 21/6: JAMIE TRANSFERS TO THE APOLLO IN LONDON’S WEST END IN NOVEMBER: Tickets

We’re big fans of band The Feeling and frontman Dan Gillespie Sells has written the score for this new pop musical which we predict will transfer easily into London’s competitive West End.

  • Read on for reasons including the true story behind Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Read More

LIVE REVIEW: Brian and Robin’s Christmas Compendium of Reason starring Duran Duran

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE?: Eventim Apollo

WHEN: 16/12

There can be few gigs quite like this annual event curated by Professor Brian Cox and Robin Ince, from Radio 4’s Infinite Monkey Cage, which we’ve seen for the last three years.

  • Read on for reasons including Sophie Ellis-Bextor singing Nothing Compares 2 U

Read More

MONSTAS SHORTLIST: Song of the year: 2016

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

It’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2016? Over the next fortnight we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 12 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2016.

  • Read on for the details of the 5 songs shortlisted for single of 2016. 2015 winner: Goodbye To Yesterday

Read More

ALBUM REVIEW: Familia by Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

OUT: 2/9

TRACKLIST: Wild Forever; Death of Love; Crystallise; Hush Little Voices; Here Comes The Rapture; Come With Us; Cassandra; My Puppet Heart; Unrequited; The Saddest Happiness; Don’t Shy Away

The single which launched this album, Come With Us, is, in our opinion, Ms Ellis-Bextor’s best since 2002’s Music Gets the Best Of Me.

  • Read on for all the gossip about Sophie’s February tour

Read More

9 reasons why we can’t wait for September

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

  1. Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart inhabit No Man’s Land

Our most read content of the year so far was shared by Sir Ian on his Facebook page and was a Shakespeare BFI Q&A with him in April. We’ve seen him many times filming Vicious at ITV Studios on the South Bank but never on stage in the theatre – until now and this Broadway transfer. Runs 8/9 to 17/12 at Wyndham’s Theatre. Picture via No Man’s Land. Tickets here.

  • Read on for reasons including The Fall, Billy Joel and Inside No 9

Read More