WORTH A LOOK?: ****
OUT: now
TRACKLIST: Will-o-the-Wisp; You Are The One; Happy People; Dreamland; Hoping For A Miracle; I Don’t Wanna; Monkey Business; Only The Dark; Burning The Heather; Wedding In Berlin
It seems a very Pet Shop Boys moment that, as the UK leaves the EU, the duo’s ‘Berlin album’ enters this country’s chart at number three.
2019’s Madame X collection made our Album of 2019 shortlist and was Madonna’s best since 2005’s Confessions. We were at her last London gig at The 02 in 2015 and are looking forward to the shift from arenas to theatres for this 15-gig run. Tickets The tour opened in the US in the autumn and, despite the late starts, promises much. We’re just glad we don’t have to be up early after what is shaping up to be a late night albeit in thrall to the Queen of Pop.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE? The O2
WHEN? 1/11, tour runs to 22/11/19
SETLIST: Salute; Power; Woman Like Me; Wasabi; Bounce Back; Only You; Black Magic; Strip; Told You So; Secret Love Song Pt II; The Cure; Joan Of Arc; Wings; Shout Out To My Ex; Woman’s World; Reggaeton; No More Sad Songs; Think About Us; Heartbeat; More Than Words; Touch
There’s a beautiful moment during this arena gig with an audience heavy on parents and young children where Little Mix celebrate their LGBT fans and have some words of hope and encouragement for those with mental health worries.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
Lady Gaga’s next single is Mark Ronson-produced and out on iTunes today (9 September).
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHERE: Royal Opera House
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.
