The 02

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

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  1. Dear Evan Hansen arrives in the West End

The Tony Award-winning Best Musical written by The Greatest Showman‘s Pasek and Paul arrives in the West End in autumn next year at the Noel Coward Theatre. We’ll be reviewing the show’s Broadway production this week (we’re on Broadway, baby!) for clues about what to expect in London. We’re already big fans of the soundtrack with our favourite song below. Sign up for notifications about the UK production. Broadway tickets

  • Read on for reasons including Game Of Thrones, Harry Potter & Sheridan Smith 

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GIG REVIEW: Soft Cell: One Final Time at The O2

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By Carron Stacey

WHERE?: The O2

WHEN?: 30/9

When writing a gig review, I like to explain what sort of fan I am. I was 10 when Tainted Love came out. Of course I loved it. I loved all their 80s hits, loved the naughtiness of their debut Non Stop Erotic Cabaret album of the same year and liked a few of Marc’s solo ballads.

  • Read on for reasons including why Dave Ball’s synth’s Tainted Love “doink doink” was the memorable sound of the night

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ALBUM REVIEW: High As Hope by Florence And The Machine

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WORTH A LOOK?: ****

OUT: 29/6/18

TRACKLIST: June; Hunger; South London Forever: Big God; Sky Full Of Song; Grace: Patricia; 100 Years; The End Of Love: No Choir

Third album How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful was our favourite of 2015 and Florence And The Machine’s Glastonbury Festival set was our highlight of that year for us, so High As Hope has a lot to live up to.

  • Read on for reasons including how the bombast of their last album is turned down

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

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

  1. Sheila Atim headlines Old Vic 200th birthday

Our favourite venue marks its bicentenary with events around the 11/5/18 weekend including an open house, street party, variety night headlined by the Olivier Award-nominated Atim, who starred in Girl From The North Country here last year, and ball. We shortlisted Atim for our 2016 monsta for Best Theatre Actress for her star turn in the all-women Shakespeare Trilogy and she won our 2017 Best Performance Of A Song (see below). We’ve loved how Matthew Warchus has transformed the OV with an emphasis on gig theatre, family entertainment and work with messages. Tickets

  • Read on for reasons including Eurovision, Tears For Fears, Sir Ian McKellen  and Girls Aloud

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GIG REVIEW: Emeli Sande

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WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHERE: The 02

WHEN: 18/10, tour runs to 27/10

SETLIST: Hurts; Free; Where I Sleep; Lonely; Give Me Something; Every Single Little Piece; My Kind Of Love; Breathing Underwater; Happen; Heaven; Piece Of My Heart; Clown; River; Suitcase; Starlight; Beneath Your Beautiful; Read All About It; Celebration; Wonder; Babe; Highs And Lows; Next To Me; Little Bit Longer

We’re here because we wanted to see her for the first time at this year’s Glastonbury but missed her, such is the competition for attention at our favourite festival.

  • Read on for reasons including how this was a concert of two halves

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LIVE REVIEW: Pet Shop Boys

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WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHERE: London Coliseum

WHEN: 22/7 runs to 23/7

SETLIST: Inner Sanctum; West End Girls; The Pop Kids; In The Night; Burn; Love Is A Bourgeois Construct; New York City Boy; Se A Vida E; Twentysomething; Love Comes Quickly; Love Etc; The Dictator Decides; Inside A Dream; Winner; Home and Dry; Vocal; The Sodom and Gomorrah Show; It’s A Sin; Left To My Own Devices; Go West; Domino Dancing; Always On My Mind; The Pop Kids (reprise)

We’ve seen Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe at London venues as diverse as The 02, the old Wembley Arena, Clapham Common, Trafalgar Square and the Savoy Theatre.

  • Read on for details of the Pet Shop Boys new Super tour

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LIVE REVIEW: Little Mix

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WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHERE: The O2

WHEN: 27/3 (matinee), UK tour runs to 23/4, international tour finishes 27/8

SETLIST: Grown; Hair; Change Your Life; A.D.I.D.A.S; Wings; Lightning; DNA; Secret Love Song (Part 2); OMG; Crazy In Love medley; Salute; Little Me; Move; How Ya Doin; I Won’t; Love Me Like You; Weird People; The End; Black Magic

Welcome to the UK’s longest-running arena tour of 2016, a phenomenal 37 dates.

  • Read on for exclusive pictures from this gig

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LIVE REVIEW: a-ha

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WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE: The O2

WHEN: 26/3, tour runs to 7/5

SETLIST: I’ve Been Losing You; Cry Wolf; Move To Memphis; Stay On These Roads; The Swing Of Things; Cast In Steel; Crying In The Rain; Mother Nature Goes To Heaven; We’re Looking For The Whales; Velvet; Lifelines; Here I Stand & Face The Rain; Sycamore Leaves; She’s Humming A Tune;  Foot Of the Mountain; Hunting High and Low; Scoundrel Days; Sun Always Shines On TV; Under The MakeUp; Living Daylights; Take On Me.

We last saw a-ha six years ago on their farewell tour at Wembley Arena but in 2015 they released their fine new Cast In Steel album which they’ve taken on an international jaunt.

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