music
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An Evening Without Kate Bush – Review
She’s not there – but you are. By there I mean the Birmingham Rep theatre, and by she, I mean the inimitable Kate Bush, my heroine. But, and here is the crux, she might not be there, but the batshit brilliant Sarah-Louise Young is, and this is probably the nearest you will get to being in the company of the great Kate Bush today. Sarah-Louise’s one woman show, ‘An Evening Without Kate Bush‘ is one of the most uniquely entertaining shows you can watch in theatre today. It is funny, it is poignant, and as Kate, and herself presenting Kate, Sarah-Louise Young is just mesmerising. This is a show that…
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Stuart Maconie ‘With A Little Help From Their Friends’
The Beatles changed the world. But who changed theirs? This is the question that radio presenter, rock journalist and author, Stuart Maconie, is asking in his new book ‘With a little help from their friends.‘ Last week he stopped off at Birmingham Waterstones to talk about the book, and some of the one hundred people who were, in some way, important to the story of The Beatles. As both a huge Beatles, and Stuart Maconie fan, this was something I could not miss. As I expected, it was riveting and enlightening entertainment. The Beatles Changed the World I don’t think anyone can argue with that. It is a fact. They…
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The Rock chick – A style classic.
Kate Moss has long been a rock and roll queen. She has cultivated the friendships of music stars, from Beth Ditto and Ronnie Wood, to Oasis and the Osbourne’s. She had a long-standing, stormy relationship with Pete Doherty, the drug addled, but charismatic front man of the iconic band The Libertines, and formed a habit of performing star karaoke whenever an opportunity arose. During her time with Pete she was often found performing backing vocal for Babyshambles during the song La Belle et la Bete, and had a songwriting credit on the CD Shotters Nation. She then married rocker Jamie Hince of The Kills. Like all the great…
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Marie And Rosetta Is A Triumph
Sister Rosetta Tharpe was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist, who today is referred to as “the original soul sister” and “the Godmother of rock and roll.” Her influence on some of the greatest musicians of all time cannot be ignored, the likes of Tina Turner, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix all revered Rosetta and her incredible playing style that was the true start of electric blues. Yet when she died, at the early age of 58, she was buried in an unmarked grave, forgotten by all but those who had loved her most. Now, Marie and Rosetta revisits the Rosetta story, as well as that…
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Reviewed: Slade in Flame
It has been called the Citizen Kane of Rock and Roll movies, although, 5o years ago, when it was first released, it was received in a far less reverential way. Now, it has been re-released, and, on Wednesday I went to see what Slade in Flame was all about. I have to say, I absolutely loved it. It is not a cheery pop movie in the vein of ‘A Hard Day’s Night‘ or ‘The Young Ones’, instead, you get a dirty, gritty 1970’s film that has far more in common with the brilliant David Essex film ‘Stardust’. This is about how the music industry can pick up and then spit…
