Recent Reviews and Recommendations

The venue was like a sauna but CSN were note... [more]

Event Date: July 1, 2009
Event Venue: Royal Albert Hall

The venue was like a sauna but CSN were note perfect. However much we know of each of their individual talents and their collective greatness they are still a revelation live.
The pre interval set was largely chilled out and melodic including many great covers (highlight for me Tim Hardin's Reason To Believe). In the second half they really rocked out with some inspired guitar from Stephen Stills and with Crosby showing he can still belt it out vocally.
A very long standing ovation may have been from a partisan crowd but it was very well deserved nontheless. [less]
by Alan C from Edgware

I only wish I had read the other reviews before... [more]

Event Date: June 24, 2009
Event Venue: Newcastle City Hall

I only wish I had read the other reviews before going!  It started off not too bad with Ricky's stories of his life but really went downhill when the comedians came on - what an absolute load of rubbish.  After the interval hoped that things couldn't get any worse.  Obviously not everybody had the same hope - there were a lot more empty seats for part 2.  What can I say about Black Onyx!  Their bit was totally outdated and cringeworthy.  Their comment was something along the lines of 'we are going to fit 10 minutes of great entertainment into 30 minutes haha' - more like we had a total of 10 minutes of entertainment in 3 very long hours! People were starting to leave throughout their act, we unfortunately endured the whole thing and were horrified to hear they were doing an encore.  Can anyone please tell me what is funny about someone dressed as a builder (?!!) producing a false leg and attempting to do Riverdance like a dad at a wedding??  The funniest thing was the guy playing his drum machine failed to notice it wasnt switched on anymore when he was playing it! A very disappointing night out.All Ricky was interested in was plugging the programme and his book.  The biggest laugh we had was in the car on the way home re-living  the low-lights of the show!! [less]
by M

What a disappointment! They don't live up to the expectations... [more]

Event Date: June 18, 2009
Event Venue: Derngate Northampton

What a disappointment! They don't live up to the expectations so either they've changed or I missed something.
With only three members of the band it was always going to be tough to fulfil the expectations but the singer / lead guitarist just doesn't have the range in his voice to do justice to about two-thirds of the numbers they performed. Yes the guitar work is outstanding and the drummer's good too but this isn't enough to do justice to the wonderful music of Queen.
My wife and I were both dissapointed as we've seen Magic - A Kind of Queen many times and understood GA GA were even better but sadly not. The theatre was nowhere near full so I guess others already knew what we found out. We've booked to go and see Magic to make up for a very dissapointing night out. [less]
by Tony from Milton Keynes

Jeff from Gateshead Saw the mighty Stackridge at The Cluny in... [more]

Event Date: April 23, 2009
Event Venue: The Cluny, Newcastle

Jeff from Gateshead

Saw the mighty Stackridge at The Cluny in April - the second time the West Country wonders have played this intimate Newcastle venue. It was just as good as the first had been the previous year, and was just as well received by the Geordie faithful. Mixing old favourites from the 1970s with new tracks from the forthcoming 'A Victory for Common sense' album it was another blistering set from the eight piece band. Stackridge are a quintissentially English band that cannot be pigeon holed - and they are all the better for that. If they are in your neck of the woods miss them at your peril ! [less]
by Jeff from Gateshead

Evan Christopher and Django a la Creole played a stunning... [more]

Event Date: June 15, 2009
Event Venue: Le Quecumbar

Evan Christopher and Django a la Creole played a stunning set high on emotional intensity on Monday night. What a way to finish this GB tour before heading off to record their next album! This was Le Quecumbar par excellence: as the music took hold, you could have been in simmering '30s Paris one moment, sweltering New Orleans the next. The combination of maestro of the clarinet Evan Christopher backed by such an accomplished rhythm section as Dave Kelbie and Sebastian Girardot with virtuoso guitar from David Blenkhorn provides a wonderful musical texture.
This is a wonderful match of Louisiana jazz and Carribbean influence to the Django Gypsy style with Duke Ellington and Hoagie Carmichael thrown in. The musical nuances are underpinned by a deep knowledge of the genre and deft musicianship. The whole event storms into life with the deep feeling and utter enjoyment of the music from all members of the group. [less]
by Chris from Horsham

Saw them in hafen y mor haven they were fantastic... [more]

Saw them in hafen y mor haven they were fantastic nearly wet myself with laughter would love to see them again really worth going to see then lets hope they get some gigs in north wales where i live. [less]
by Stephanie from Greenfield

What a story teller.. I cried laughing and can't wait... [more]

What a story teller.. I cried laughing and can't wait to see him again.
Don't think about it.. just book your ticket!!! [less]
by Househund

I visited my first live concert at C.I.A Cardiff, Dec... [more]

Event Date: June 5, 2009
Event Venue: York minster

I visited my first live concert at C.I.A Cardiff, Dec 21st 2008 and was disappointed, so it was with great trepidation I bought V.I.P ticket for the York concert. The whole concert was marvellous.
The V.I.P ticket gave me access to the after show reception. This was to be the high-light of my evening, to get near my idol, or possibly even speak to her. But disappoitment she did not attend the reception.
Is this how she treats her fans.??
These 2 concerts cost me nearly 1000 miles driving (not bad for a 72 yr oldie), plus over night accomodation.
Did I get value for money, questionable.
I have booked for Billericay Essex concert, and depending on the outcome, whether I will continue to support her concerts.

David Bailey [less]
by Moonraker

they were imense!! one of my absolute fav bands, and... [more]

Event Date: June 14, 2009
Event Venue: Download

they were imense!! one of my absolute fav bands, and they played plenty of classics, but had a few of their better recent songs!! would deffo see them again!!!! [less]
by Ryan D from Dorchester

I went to see HIltop after waiting aggggges for them... [more]

Event Date: July 1, 2009
Event Venue: O2 Academy Islington

I went to see HIltop after waiting aggggges for them to come to the UK. I'd never been to the Islington O2, so I was pretty excited to go.

I arrived to find a DJ on stage, good I thought, a nice bit of Hip Hop to get me in the mood.

Boy, was I wrong.

After playing a chavs idea of a Hip Hop set, complete with Dr Dre and every other peice of mainstream rubbish any punter would recognise, the DJ then proceeded to play Blur and Nirvana.

I'm sorry, I thought I was at a Hip Hop gig?

Clearly not...

The venue itself was THE WORST SMELLING VENUE EVER! I'm not joking when I say it smelt like everyone I was standing next to had messed their pants. It was worse than any festival toilets I've ever been in.

Ugghhhh...Disgusting....

After paying £1.90 for what must have been the smallest Coke I've EVER bought in my life (less then a quater of a can, and that was before I took out the ice) I stood around in the lovely catlle - sorry smoking pen waiting for Hilltop to show up.

I went back into the venue only to be squashed like a sardine as there was no floorspace in the venue. I also couldn't see, as I, unlike most of the Aussies at the gig am under 6ft.

Weak.

Then, when they finally got on stage at half past ten-ish, I had an hour to go before I had to get the tube so I left without seeing much.

I can honestly say that in terms of the venue - by far the worst gig I've ever been to. Hilltop Hoods were probably good - but to be honest, the karaoke crowd overpowered anything I heard through the speakers.

Worth £25 a ticket? (Incl. booking fee)

I think not.

O2 - you run the worst venues in the UK....SORT IT OUT! [less]
by Loki from Kent