AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best Album of 2023

It’s been quite the year, it’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2023? Over the next month we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 16 categories for our Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2023.

Read More

ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Tension by Kylie (September 2023)

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

TRACKLIST: Padam Padam; Hold On To Now; Things We Do For Love; Tension; One More Time; You Still Get Me High; Hands; Green Light; Vegas High; 10 Out Of 10; Story

There were 18 months between the 1st time we saw Kylie live on the Enjoy Yourself tour at the now-no-more London Arena in Docklands in 1990 and the 2nd on the Let’s Get To It tour at the old Wembley Arena.

  • Read on for reasons including why this is 1 of the most thrilling points of Kylie’s musical career
Read More

SONG OF THE MONTH: Tension by Kylie (September 2023)

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

The title track from Kylie’s 16th album out 22 September proves Padam Padam, a song of the week for us in May and Ms Minogue’s biggest UK hit for 13 years, was no flash in the pan.

  • Read on for reasons including why we haven’t been this excited for a Kylie album since 2000
Read More

9 reasons why we can’t wait for September 2023 starring Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends

  1. Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends starring Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga

Last year’s televised show celebrating the work of the late great Sondheim was a real thrill and this month stars including Peters and Salonga perform some of the composer’s best-loved songs alongside Haydn Gwynne (The Welkin, National Theatre), Janie Dee (Follies, National Theatre) and Jac Yarrow (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, London Palladium). Runs at the West End’s Gielgud Theatre 16 September through 6 January 2024. Tickets Update: Performances now begin 21 September without Gwynne. Review

Read More

SONG OF THE WEEK: Padam Padam by Kylie Minogue (week starting Sunday 28 May 2023)

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

Today is Kylie’s 55th birthday and this comeback electropop song is her biggest hit single in the UK since Into The Blue made number 12 in 2014.

  • Read on for reasons including how this is Kylie’s best single for over a decade
Read More