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

** EXCLUSIVE 2 For 1 Ticket Offer **

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.