Prince announces Leeds show plus three other around the UK

Edit EDIT 01/05/2014 18:40 We can see now all standing tickets are £65 + booking, there are generally three price bands for seats with the top ones being £125. There is no inner pit, its just general standing from all we have seen.

EDIT 30/4/14 14:40: We are seeing some tickets are priced at £125, we aren't sure at the moment what category these tickets are and if they are anything other than general admission ones. Chances are they are premium inner pit ones...


Prince has announced a return to the UK,  after his series of February guerilla gigs in London and Manchester sparked wild excitement.

These new shows are definitely going to feed speculation that he is set to be announced as the final headliner at Glastonbury. Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis, however, has said the final headliner will be “one of the biggest bands in the world at the moment”. Depends if Prince is defined as a band, the clever money is probably on Fleetwood Mac. Unfortunately.

Prince remains unpredictable however. His February shows – accompanied by an massive interview in Mojo magazine – were supposed to be promotion for the release of Prince’s new album, Plectrum Electrum. Yet there has been no sign of the record, despite it being announced more than a year ago.

These exclusive arena shows with 3RDEYEGIRL in Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Leeds are his first since his sold out residency at The O2 London in 2007.

This will be the first time Prince has ever performed in Leeds and is also the first time Prince has headlined a show in Birmingham and Glasgow in 19 years. His Manchester show follows two nights at the Academy in February.

Tickets for all shows go on sale Friday and are priced at £65 plus booking.

Exclusive 2 for 1 Offer on Foodies Festival, Tatton Park

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We are thrilled to offer the exclusive code JF241 on all category tickets for the Tatton Park Show. Now you really do not have any excuse. Simply click here and enter JF241..

The offer is valid right up to the show in July however tickets may be limited so dont missout, tickets from just £5!

UK’S LARGEST CELEBRATION OF FOOD AND DRINK BRINGS MASTERCHEFS AND TOP PRODUCERS TO TATTON PARK

Foodies Festival – Tatton Park, Cheshire – Friday 18th, Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th July 2014

www.foodiesfestival.com

Foodies Festival, the UK’s largest celebration of food & drink returns to Tatton Park in Cheshire on the 18th, 19th and 20h July for its fourth consecutive year. Each year the ever-growing festival sees tens-of-thousands of visitors flock from the surrounding areas to feast on a vast array of culinary activities, discover new produce and enjoy a day of fun and entertainment. Just Music and Just Families was proud to have been involved with the festival last year and our readers voted in a huge success.

This year Foodies Festival shall be operating a Free Shuttle Bus from Knutsford Train Station, making a visit to the festival easier for those using public transport. With Manchester and Liverpool less than 30 minutes away the festival looks forward to welcoming many new visitors this summer. 

Exhibition Director Sue Hitchen told us: “We’re delighted that Glynn Purnell, esteemed judge of Great British Menu will be joining us in the Chefs Theatre. Returning to my home town Knutsford is always very exciting for myself and Foodies Festival and with so many new features this year there’s sure to be something for everyone.”

Top Chefs
This year welcomes an extensive array of top chefs, including Glynn Purnell, head chef at Purnells and judge of BBC’s Great British Menu, MasterChef winner Mat Follas, former Coronation Street star and cheese maker Sean Wilson and returning to ‘The Street’ actor Charlie Lawson of Prestbury Farm Shop.
 
Coronation star Sean Wilson said “I am thrilled to be involved in the Foodies Festival at the beautiful Tatton Park this Summer. Being a fiercely proud Northerner it is always a pleasure to be asked to perform at a local event. I will be cooking some lovely Northern grub for all you foodie fans out there including our traditional Cheese and Onion Pie made with my very own award winning Lancashire Cheese.”

Glynn Purnell was very excited when we spoke “I am thrilled to be invited to such a fantastic food festival over the summer months. I just hope visitors can understand my accent as I will be cooking for people outside of Birmingham! I am looking forward to ‘Cracking some Yolks’ and spreading the word about my first book to the lovely people of Cheshire.” 

What’s New?
Exciting new features for 2014 include a spectacular Chocolate, Bake and Preserves Theatre, which will host top pastry chefs, chocolatiers, bakers, sugarcraft experts such as Lisa Marley of Cocoa Box and jam and preserve makers. Audience members will be invited to roll up their sleeves and lend a helping hand on stage.

A new Chocolate, Baking and Preserves Village will delight those visitors with a sweet tooth who can sample and take away products from chocolate and confectionary makers, bakers and cake makers, as well as jam and preserve makers. The Village is a haven for those who enjoy home baking, with a selection of stalls selling baking essentials and the latest gadgets.  

A brand new outdoor BBQ Arena will appeal to lovers of al fresco dining. A purpose built BBQ stage will feature hourly BBQ cooking demonstrations with BBQing experts giving top tips on how to get the most from cooking outdoors. Spectators will be invited to take part in BBQ challenges; meat-eating competitions and will even learn how to make a ‘BBQ cake’!

A new Chilli Food Market will excite those with a love for spicy foods with a range of chilli growers and artisan producers of sauces, sweets and jams. For those who can handle the heat a Chilli Eating Challenge takes place at 5pm daily.

The new Real Ale and Cider Farm offers an area for visitors to chill out on hay bales and strike up a conversation with our beer and cider expert Melissa Cole and fellow beer lovers. There’s a guitar behind the bar for those in the mood to get a sing-along started.
  
A new Feasting Tent at the heart of the festival becomes the social hub, where visitors will enjoy eating with chefs, friends and family at long banqueting tables.

Another exciting addition this year is the Vintage Tea Tent that will hold daily tea dances, alongside a Vintage Kitchen Market allowing visitors to pick up beautiful pieces to add to their own kitchens at home. 

Ticket Information

2014 Foodies Festivals tickets are now available from www.foodiesfestival.com or by calling 0844 995 1111.

Tickets:
1-day adult ticket for Friday £10.00
1-day adult ticket Saturday or Sunday £12.00 (£10.00 concession)
3-day adult ticket £18.00 (£15.00 concession)
1-day VIP ticket £38.00 (Friday VIP ticket £35)
Opening times: 10am until 6pm.

VIP tickets include a glass of Nyetimber English Sparkling Wine on arrival, access to the VIP tent throughout the day, a goody bag and priority entry to theatre and masterclass sessions as well as a private bar with refreshments throughout the day and great views of the entertainment stage.


All children aged 12 and under go free to all Foodies Festivals when accompanied by an adult.

Movies Review: The Other Woman, not sophisticated but fun

While the story isn't particularly original, and the movie tends to drift over the top into broad slapstick, this comedy wins us over due to the camaraderie between the characters. Most refreshingly, this is a film about women teaming up rather than scratching each others' eyes out. So it continually catches us off guard in all the right ways.

In Manhattan, lawyer Carly (Cameron Diaz) has finally met the perfect man in Mark (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). But just as their relationship is about to shift into something much more serious, she discovers that he has a wife, Kate (Leslie Mann), in the suburbs. Shocked, Carly and Kate realise that Mark is the person they should be angry at, so they team up to get even. When they discover that he has another mistress, Amber (Kate Upton), they recruit her to their plan as well. And then they find evidence that his business dealings are more than a little dodgy.

While the plot lends itself to a blackly comical approach, director Nick Cassavetes instead keeps everything silly and simplistic, letting the actresses overplay their scenes. Sometimes this results in something rather hilarious, but it also undermines any credibility the story might have. Mann and Coster-Waldau are the most guilty in this sense, chomping madly on the scenery. Instead, it's the way each character works together that brings the situations to life and keeps us laughing. Although a more confident approach to the material would have made the film much stronger.

So it may not be very sophisticated, but it's a lot of fun. Sure, the script contradicts its own point by providing the men these women surely must need (including Taylor Kinney as Kate's hot brother and Don Johnson as Carly's silver-fox dad). And of course there also has to be a sassy sidekick (a scene-stealing Minaj as Carly's knowing assistant). But for the most part this is a story of sisters taking control of their lives, which makes the film a cheerful antidote to the usual male-dominated movies.

Watch the trailer below..

Blondie Announce Special Sheffield Show

Pop culture icons Blondie will be heading north for a very special one off show at Sheffield O2 Academy on June 29.

Blondie have sold more than 40 million albums globally and repeatedly reaching the top of the charts over the course of four decades with such hits as “One Way Or Another,” “Heart Of Glass,” “Rapture” and “Maria.”

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees (2006) Blondie emerged from late ‘70s new wave punk scene in New York City.

They wrote great rock hooks and brilliant, ironic lyrics. Blondie have continued to be a powerhouse live act, attracting audiences literally around the world, becoming the most successful band to reunite from the class of ’77. Blondie where recently awarded the Godlike Genius accolade at this year’s NME awards.

This new date sees Blondie hitting the road following the release of their new two-disc package of music. Blondie 4(0) Ever which includes a greatest hits album and a brand new album ‘On Ghosts Of Download’, set for May 2014.

For Blondie it is not merely looking back but continuing to move forward. With a Deluxe Redux: Greatest Hits sees the band saluting its storied past by reprising eleven of its biggest songs in a set of new studio recordings that sound just as impeccable, fresh and fun as the first time we heard them. On Ghosts Of Download, the group brings their journey right up to date with 12 incredible brand-new tracks.

Blondie will perform months of concerts around the world in support of Blondie 4(0) Ever and will making a festival appearance at Glastonbury before headlining a special one off show in Sheffield this June.

Tickets are £37.50 and go onsale Friday 25 April at 9:00am.gigsandtours.com

Kaiser Chiefs announce new Leeds and London shows

Following the release of their hit new album Leeds boys the Kaiser Chiefs will be returning to the first direct arena next February. This is one of only two UK arena dates the band will play in the UK in 2015.

Tickets for the Saturday 14 February show go on sale this Friday, priced from £19.50.

Kaiser Chiefs have just spent two weeks at the top of the UK Album charts with their fifth studio album, Education, Education, Education & War. The album debuted at number one and held on to the position for a second week. Confirming this the band said "2 weeks at the top! We haven't been here for a while, it feels fantastic. Thanks to everyone who stuck by us. It's been emotional."

Of returning to the first direct arena, bassist Simon Rix said, "It's a great time for the Leeds music scene, there's a lot going on right now. We're so happy to be able to play the new Arena again, nothing can match the support we get from the Yorkshire crowds". 

It's a busy summer for Kaiser Chiefs with the band set to play at V Festival, T in the Park and Glastonbury alongside a number of European dates and a North American Tour. 

Expect to hear songs from their host of hit albums, including I Predict A Riot, Everyday I Love You Less and Less, Never Miss A Beat and Oh My God, as well as favourites from their No1 album, Education, Education, Education & War, including recent hit single Coming Home.

To book tickets for this event, visit www.firstdirectarena.com, phone 0844 248 1585, or book your tickets from the first direct arena box office, located in Trinity Leeds Customer Service Lounge, from 9.00am Friday 4 April.

Blondie Release 4(0) Ever - Fantastic new package

Blondie is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year with the release of a two-disc set, titled “Blondie 4(0) Ever,” featuring new music and a greatest hits collection.

The first disc, “Ghosts of Download,” is Blondie’s 10th studio album and will include brand new tracks produced by Jeff Saltzman. Guests on the 13-song album include members of the Gossip, Miss Guy, Systema Solar and Los Rakas.

The second disc, “Deluxe Redux: Greatest Hits,” features brand new studio recordings of such Blondie classics as “Heart of Glass,” “Rapture” and “One Way or Another.”

“Blondie 4(0) Ever” will be released on May 13 through Noble ID/ESMG. The group has a handful of U.S. tour dates slated for May and will be touring through Europe from June through August.

Those who pre-order the set through iTunes or Amazon will receive three additional “Ghosts of Download” bonus tracks. The iTunes pre-order, available now, comes with a free download of the new song “I Want to Drag You Around.” Fans who purchase the deluxe version will receive a amazing DVD of Blondie's 1977 CBGB performance and other exclusive items.

Blondie’s last studio album, “Panic of Girls,” was released in 2011. 

Fisherman Wife, revisited

We are nothing but fair here, so when we reviewed The Fisherman’s Wife restaurant in Headingly, Leeds, also known as Bryans, We documented the extremely poor service throughout. That were very keen to make amends and show this was just a very unfortunate and unique incident. We were invited to dine again and chose to do so at their Whitby outlet.

We are delighted to report that we experienced a very warm welcome, one that was especially accommodating as we were visiting with our one month old son. Taking of orders was timely and the waitress was very keen to ensure one of my dining companions had her vegetarian needs met. This was to such an extent that one of the veggie options on the menu as adjusted slightly to further accommodate them. Other orders of jumbo fish and chips etc.. turned out indeed to be jumbo, hot and fresh out of the pan. My wife’s seabass was elegantly presented and hugely enjoyed thought the (supplementary) accompanying salad was perhaps a little small.

All meals arrived together and service was prompt throughout. Chuck in a great view out to sea and up to the abbey and it’s one of the most agreeable ways to sample the nations favourite dish.  Full marks to The Fisherman’s Wife.

The lies of Northern Rail...

Exposing the lies of Northern Rail.

For years we have put up  with lame excuses, unfulfilled promises and appalling services and all for rising costs. Yes, Northern Rail claim, but we are improving stations at facilities. Well yes, my local station Castleford was recently victim to these improvements. Trues it’s never been the most attractive of stations but nevertheless has two large sheltered areas. One where around 16 people could sit and read the timetables or buy tickets. It offered additional space for around a dozen more pople. All under cover from the elements. There was a second shelter, with around 15 more undercover seats and plenty of room for any number of people with pushchairs or wheelchair users.

The new improvements see the large shelter completely removed and six seats installed in the open air in its place. There is a small shelter, seats around a dozen but no extra space and difficult for pushchairs or wheelchairs. The timetables and ticket machines are now out in the open. This is improvement, by my estimation,  around  50% less seating and around 80% less shelter. Well done Northern Rail.

Last Thursday however we exposed the lies of staff which led to delays for passengers, annoyance and frustration and not a single apology forthcoming. The 17.16 Leeds To Goole train is usually made up of three carriages, its often two but its supposed to be four. Only once since they promised four carriages two years ago has that happened. The 17.16 is a very busy train, it its regularly the case that people are left at Leeds as they physically cannot get onto the train.

On arrival at Leeds last Thursday, I noticed that the train wasn’t listed on its normal platform, it had moved from its normal one and was showing it would not stop at Woodlesford or Castleford, these are the first two stops on the line and ones the train has to go through and in the case of Castleford it actually HAS to stop there as it turns around. The driver and guard were very clear, this train would not stop at either station. The Northern rail blokes on the platform also confirmed this but there was a distinct whiff of BS flying about..

I decided to go to customer services on the bridge and ask them how could it be that it wouldn’t stop? He told me it would, that they would announce it would after it had left the station, it was just a ploy because the train was only two carriages long and they didn’t want people to get on it. Outrageous, many people took them at their word and didn’t board. I knew they were lying so got on and as it sent off – with seats and space available – low and behold the announcement that they would in fact, be calling at both stations after all….. No comfort to the many people waiting at Leeds for the next train – which incidentally I am told was also late and short form (as they call it) i.e. not enough carriages.

After such an episode of outright lies, why would we believe anything that they say.. I am not exactly backwards at complaining, such is there poor service and total ambivalence. Out of the last three communications I got one reply. One was actually a very serious request for access to CCTV which they didn’t even bother to reply beyond initial acknowledgement. 

I would be very interested in any examples of shoddy service, or lies that you have, I really intend to ensure Northern Rail are brought to task as they are totally incapable of running trains or in fact dealing with customers at all.

Movie Review: Noah - Horribly miscast.

Darren Aronofsky continues to ambitiously experiment with genres in this Old Testament blockbuster, but this is his first real misstep as a filmmaker, as the impressive parts simply don't add up. Still, there are flashes of genius as the epic struggle between good and evil is echoed both in the grand spectacle and within the characters themselves.

It starts with the original sin, which divides Adam and Eve's sons - brutal killer Cain and peaceful caretaker Seth - into warring factions. A few generations later, all that's left of Seth's righteous line is Noah (Russell Crowe), his wife (Jennifer Connelly) and three sons (Logan Lerman, Douglas Booth and Leo McHugh Carroll), plus an adopted daughter (Emma Watson). After he has a vision that God is planning to cleanse mankind with a flood, Noah consults his grandfather Methuselah (Anthony Hopkins) and builds an ark to save his family and all of earth's animals. He also gets help from the Watchers, rock-encrusted fallen angels who previously assisted Cain's descendant Tubal (Ray Winstone), who goes into battle mode to stop Noah.

All of this is inventively set in a post-apocalyptic landscape left in ruins after generations of fighting. And Noah is the last true believer tending to creation, refusing to eat meat (although he wears leather accessories) and ruling over his family like a tyrant. This of course creates various carefully scripted conflicts for his family over the months they're stuck in the ark. But the moralising is never as deep as it pretends to be.
That a simple biblical story is bloated beyond recognition isn't the problem. The script is badly overwritten, with simplistic characters (the women are only called upon to panic and shriek) and exaggerated dilemmas. And the casting is a mess. Despite decent performances, Crowe is far too blunt, Winstone too nasty, Lerman too pained, Booth too pretty, Hopkins just too much of a cliche.

That said, Aronofsky is incapable of making a boring movie. And the film is packed with wonders, including a riveting time-lapse creation account, impressively watery effects work and glorious Icelandic locations. But all of this is undermined by the melodramatic plotting, which neglects the dark, raw simplicity of a timeless legend about rebirth.

Movie Review: Rio 2 - One for the kids only, and only just.

After the snappy, clever 2011 original, this sequel feels rather lazy by comparison: it's still visually colourful and sometimes witty, but the overcrowded story is all over the place, mixing wacky slapstick and corny satire with a political message. And none of this is edgy enough to make it memorable, except perhaps the addition of one new character, a deranged poisonous frog with delusions of romance, voiced by the riotously operatic Kristin Chenoweth.

At the centre again are the rare blue macaws Blu and Jewel (Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway), who now have three feisty kids at their bird sanctuary in Rio de Janeiro. Then their human keepers Tulio and Linda (Rodrigo Santoro and Leslie Mann) spot another blue macaw deep in the Amazon, so Blu and Jewel fly off to investigate with their children and buddies (including Will.i.am and Jamie Foxx). Sure enough, this turns out to be Jewel's long-lost family, overseen by her father (Andy Garcia) and guarded by her heartthrob ex Roberto (Bruno Mars). But there's an evil logger threatening the rainforest, and Blu's old nemesis Nigel the cockatoo (Jemaine Clement) is out for revenge.

After the oddly flat prologue in Rio, the film kicks up a gear when it arrives in the jungle, where the imagery becomes far more dense and colourful, leading to some wonderfully outrageous musical numbers and raucous action sequences. The level of detail is impressive, as is the range of creatures thrown into the story. But the script never quite rises to this level of invention, once again simplistically putting the city-bird Blu in an alien natural environment, with added in-laws and ex-boyfriends. Much more fun is Nigel's interaction with his poison-frog sidekick, even if his subplot never builds any steam.

It's as if the filmmakers decided that keeping things hectic and nutty would make up for any real sense of character or story. Children probably won't mind much, since there's a visual vibrance to the animation and general goofiness all around. And the voice cast really go for broke, adding energy to every scene. But with everything in motion, there's nothing to hold our focus. So even if we end up caring about saving the rainforest, nothing has managed to spark our imagination.

Watch the trailer...

Michael Jacksons Xscape: Scrape that barrel dry..

A new Michael Jackson album has aired for the first time in a Knightsbridge hotel. Xscape is the self titled King of Pop’s second collection of 'new' material since his death in 2009.

In keeping with the secrecy that surrounded his every creative move when he was alive, we journalists were permitted to hear the album just once, after being scanned for electronic devices, but not allowed to know song titles or write anything constituting a review whilst there. Producers Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins, Stargate, Jerome “Jroc” Harmon and John McClain were named as those who had carried out what Jackson’s Epic Records head LA Reid called a “contemporising” of old vocals, but it was not revealed who had worked on which song.

“Michael left behind some performances that we take great pride in presenting through the vision of music producers he either worked directly with or expressed strong desire to work with,” said Reid.  Jerkins is the only producer who worked with Jackson in the flesh. The others have been brought in to give a modern, busy, largely electronic sound.

Unlike the previous posthumous album, Michael from 2010, there should be no controversy this time about whether the vocals are really his. Xscape ranges from presumably older songs delivered in the soft sweet tones of his Off the Wall period, to others utilising his more recent harsher bark.

It’s a dull and dated collection, and at eight songs it constitutes the bare minimum of what could be called an album. Either this means the barrel is now completely scraped or, more likely, Sony is holding plenty back for further lucrative releases.

Xscape is due for release on May 13 and should you feel so inclined available for pre-order at iTunes today.

Its a beautiful day: Michael Buble comes to Leeds Arena this Christmas...

Global singing sensation comes to the Leeds first direct arena for Christmas

After his perennial popularity resulted in phenomenal sales for his previous two tours, king of swing Michael Bublé comes to the first direct arena as part of a brand new UK Christmas tour.

Tickets for the Monday 8 December show go on sale this Friday from 9.00am, priced from £50.00.

Over 150,000 tickets were sold during a 10 date residency in London last summer, subscribers to Just Music will recall the amazing review we gave it, this was followed by a stellar sold out tour earlier this year. His last tour followed the release of his sixth studio album To Be Loved, which went straight to number after being released, and continues to chart in the top 20 almost a year after it was released.

Expect Bublé to play songs from his six albums, including hits from To Be Loved, Michael Bublé, It's Time, Call Me Irresponsible, Crazy Love and Christmas.

first direct arena Director of Sales and Marketing Tony Watson said "We are delighted to be one of three venues in Michael Bublé's announced December tour. Our arena is known for its fantastic sound and great atmosphere so we're sure Bublé fans old and new will have a fantastic festive time."

To book tickets for this event, visit www.firstdirectarena.com, phone 0844 248 1585, or book your tickets from the first direct arena box office, located in Trinity Leeds Customer Service Lounge up near Trinity Kitchen and Primark, from 9.00am Friday 4 April.

Muppets Most Wanted: Drop the Gervais and its OK

Where the 2011 reboot felt effortless in the way it recaptured that warmly anarchic Muppets humour, this sequel feels like it's working every step of the way. Yes, it's riotously silly and occasionally hilarious, but there are large chunks of the movie that just aren't funny at all, mainly because there's so much emphasis on the tangled web of a plot that the characters get lost in the shuffle.


It starts just as the last movie ended: the Muppets decide to do a sequel based on an idea from interloper Dominic (Ricky Gervais) to take their show on a world tour. But Dominic is actually in league with super-villain frog Constantine (Matt Vogel), who has just escaped from a gulag. So when the Muppet Show lands in Berlin, he orchestrates a swap: Constantine takes Kermit's place in the show, while Kermit (Steve Whitmire) is sent to Siberia under the watchful eye of guard Nadya (Tina Fey). Meanwhile, Interpol agent Jean-Pierre (Burrell) and CIA operative Sam Eagle (Eric Jacobson) are investigating a series of robberies mysteriously linked to Muppet performances in Berlin, Madrid and Dublin.

All of this builds to a head in London, where Constantine is staging an elaborate wedding to Miss Piggy (Jacobson) to distract from his real plan to steal the Crown Jewels. But this plot-strand feels predictable and limp compared to much more interesting character interaction. For example, scenes between Kermit and Fey are a lot more fun as they plan a musical revue with the inmates (and get Trejo and Liotta sing and dance!). And the escalating banter between Sam Eagle and Burrell is hilarious even as it indulges in cheap Euro-jokes.


By contrast, Gervais is never remotely funny, even in his own big song and dance number. And since the ensemble is scattered so far and wide, everyone on-screen feels like a supporting player. Still, these characters are enjoyable enough that we can't help but laugh. And playing spot the starry cameo is especially lively this time round. But the film reminds us that the Muppets are best when they're interacting with each other. And when we have no idea what they'll do next.