• REVIEW: Educating Rita – York Theatre Royal

    Stephen Tompkinson and Jessica Johnson star in a new, critically-acclaimed production of Willy Russell’s award-winning play Educating Rita at York Theatre Royal from 31 August to 4 September. Celebrating it’s 40th Anniversary, Willy Russell’s play Educating Rita was a victim to the lockdown, but finally made its way to York…

  • REVIEW: Leeds Festival 2021

    REVIEW: Leeds Festival 2021

    It’s been some time since Halfway 2 Nowhere hit the mainstream but this weekend, we were fully immersed in the spectacle that was Leeds Festival. Friday and Sunday were an absolute triumph and whilst we couldn’t attend on Saturday, the early reviews and comments suggest the entire weekend was a…

  • LIVE REVIEW: The K’s – Jimmy’s, Liverpool – 10/8/2021.

    Things are back to some sort of normality. It feels like the world has turned full circle. The last band I should have seen prior to ‘Lockdown One’ was The K’s at Liverpool Arts Club in April, 2020. The gig happened, but I decided against it. So I couldn’t have…

  • Live Review – FestEVOL at Future Yard, Birkenhead, 31/7/2021.

    I am sure it was just coincidence that in the same week a major finance company crowned Birkenhead as the ‘Trendiest Town in the UK’, FestEVOL start the first of their triumvirate of local festivals in the town. When you’re hot, you’re hot I guess. And it’s not just the…

  • Live Review : The Sway – The Angus Tap and Grind, Liverpool – 30/6/2021.

    I hadn’t intended to review The Sway at The Angus Tap and Grind (henceforth called The Angus), but sometimes you have such a great time that you want to share the experience with others. This is one of those occasions. The Angus is a relatively new venue in Liverpool. Situated…

  • REVIEW: A Splinter of Ice – Original Theatre Company

    Ben Brown’s new production A Splinter of Ice, impresses at York Theatre Royal in July 2021. Moscow 1987 and the cold war begins to thaw. After declining his offer for more than 30 years, novelist Graham Greene travels into the heart of the Soviet Union to meet with his old…

  • PREVIEW: A Splinter of Ice – York Theatre Royal

    PREVIEW: A Splinter of Ice – York Theatre Royal

    All week at York Theatre Royal, A Splinter of Ice, takes over the main house with an intense, politically charged production that will appeal to the masses. Ben Brown’s new political drama A Splinter of Ice – at York Theatre Royal from 6-10 July – explores an unlikely friendship –…

  • NEWS: Tramlines Festival 2021 Confirmed For Events Research Programme

    NEWS: Tramlines Festival 2021 Confirmed For Events Research Programme

    Sold-out Tramlines Festival will go ahead at full capacity in Sheffield’s Hillsborough Park from July 23rd to 25th as part of Events Research Programme Sheffield’s Tramlines Festival 2021 today announces that it will join the third phase of the Government’s Events Research Programme, allowing the sold-out music festival at Hillsborough…

  • INTERVIEW- Wendy James.

    INTERVIEW- Wendy James.

    The epithet ‘icon’ is one that is too often freely thrown about. But when you’ve created some of the most instantly recognisable pop songs of the late 80’s and early 90’s; have Top Of The Pops performances that still cause a stir when reshown on TV; and when there are…

  • LIVE REVIEW: VLURE, Zee Davine – Future Yard, Birkenhead – 15/6/2021.

    Live music is back. Back at my favourite new venue. They’ve made a few changes to the Live Room at Future Yard in Birkenhead since I last attended one of their socially distanced gigs. The high tables built from colourful crates have been replaced by rows of smaller, numbered, wooden…

  • REVIEW: Miss Julie – York Theatre Royal

    REVIEW: Miss Julie – York Theatre Royal

    Following an acclaimed run last year, New Earth Theatre and Storyhouse brought the Storyhouse production of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie to York Theatre Royal from 22-26 June. Strindberg’s Miss Julie has been adapted by Amy Ng and is directed by Dadiow Lin. Sophie Robinson returns to the role of Miss…

  • SINGLE REVIEW: You Give Me Chills – The Vitrines.

    One of the great, yet-to-be-written books on modern music will have a title like ‘The Evolution of The Duo in Popular Music: 1970 – 2020’. The Seventies were all about Boy/Girl couples singing sugary love songs and ballads. The Eighties were characterised by moody synth-pop duos made up of ‘the…

  • NEWS: Summer of Love Season at York Theatre

    NEWS: Summer of Love Season at York Theatre

    York Theatre Royal is on the move again. Following the success of its Travelling Pantomime which visited 16 venues in the city at Christmas, the theatre is going global in its Summer of Love season. Following the conclusion of the “Love Season” currently on show at York Theatre Royal, the…

  • RELEASE: First Wave of Acts Announced for Live at Leeds in the City 2021!

    RELEASE: First Wave of Acts Announced for Live at Leeds in the City 2021!

    In the year that live music finally makes a comeback, Live at Leeds returns for a day full of the hottest breakthrough bands on the UK music scene, this time celebrating its 15th year as the North’s leading metropolitan new music festival.  Renowned as the first place to hear the essential…

  • ALBUM REVIEW: When Does It Become Real? – The Rah’s.

    In a week in which the news was dominated by local elections and politics, Prestonpans five piece The Rah’s released their debut album – When Does It Become Real? Unlike a Tory politician, I’m going to declare an interest. I have numerous reasons to wish great success upon the venture.…

  • REVIEW: Love Bites – York Theatre Royal

    REVIEW: Love Bites – York Theatre Royal

    Monday 17th May 2021. The day, some form of normality returned to the City of York as the city institution that is York Theatre Royal, reopened it’s doors. Love Bites kicked things off and Juliet Foster, Creative Director said it best in the programme, “I cannot think of a better…

  • RELEASE: Manic Street Preachers announce new album ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’

    RELEASE: Manic Street Preachers announce new album ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’

    Manic Street Preachers return with their 14th studio album ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’ on 3rd September 2021 released on Columbia/Sony and have announced a tour for this autumn. ‘Orwellian’ – the first track to be released (today – 14th May) – is classic Manic Street Preachers, dissecting the misuse of words against cascading, glacial melody. Manic Street Preachers on Orwellian: “The…

  • RELEASE: Tramlines Festival Launches Apply to Launch Scheme

    RELEASE: Tramlines Festival Launches Apply to Launch Scheme

    Emerging artists and bands can now apply to play at Sheffield’s biggest music festival as it continues to support new and undiscovered talent. Tramlines, Sheffield’s biggest music festival, has announced the opening of this year’s ‘Apply to Play’. The scheme offers a limited number of performance slots across various stages…

  • Doncaster Racecourse confirms star-studded summer line-up of music

    Live music is almost back and so is live sport, so what better way to get back into the swing of things than combining the two for one of your first big outings back! Doncaster Racecourse is known nationwide for getting stellar musical acts alongside their race days and have…

  • PREVIEW: Love Bites – York Theatre Royal

    PREVIEW: Love Bites – York Theatre Royal

    I can’t quite believe I’m typing these words right now, but…theatre is back! It feels like an age ago I attended Ghost Stories at the Theatre Royal in York, the last full-scale show we saw in 2020 (to be honest I think I’ve only just recovered!), but at long last,…