In the Night Garden Live - dates and a Not Just Music Discount too!

This Summer the spectacular In the Night Garden Live show is back in the amazing family-friendly Showdome. With just 13 rows of seats, you’ll be close to the action wherever you sit and everyone gets a great view!

See Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy and Makka Pakka brought to life before your eyes with beautiful costumes, magical puppets, enchanting music, and breathtaking projections that make it feel like you're actually in the Night Garden.

There are two different shows to choose from. Each one lasts just under an hour and follows a different story.

In the Ninky Nonk show, Igglepiggle loses his blanket and all his friends help him find it.

In the Pinky Ponk show, Makka Pakka washes everyone’s faces, until his sponge gets stuck in Upsy Daisy’s megaphone!

All the characters appear in both shows, and both are equally popular. The stories are not linked. So you don't need to see both, and you can see them in any order.

Will you catch the Ninky Nonk or the Pinky Ponk?

London, Blackheath 26 May - 11 Jun
London, Richmond Old Deer Park 18 Jun - 2 Jul
Birmingham, Cannon Hill Park 9 Jul - 23 Jul
Manchester, The Trafford Centre 30 Jul - 20 Aug

Better still we can offer you a discount on ticket prices. You'll get £5 off your first order over £60, or 5% off orders under £60. In the Night Garden Live is a brillliant show - it gets 4.8 out of 5 stars on average and 95% of parents recommend it.

Get £5 off In the Night Garden Live

Josh Warrington Exclusive Rail discount codes and discount hotel deals for Leeds on 16 April

With Josh Warrington announcing his next fight at Leeds Arena for 16 April (more details to follow), we are delighted to once again having secured a number of exclusive discount codes for rail travel to Leeds (up to £15 off) and also lost of discounted hotel rooms across the city for the night before (if required) and the night of the fight. We have secured a fantastic range of discounts that simply cannot be beat anywhere, trust us, we checked!

This offer launched on 30 January 2016 and an exclusive booking period for members will expire on 15th February. Any remaining codes / discounts will be publicly available on this site.

To book please follow this link http://itaintjustmusic.blogspot.co.uk/ and use the case sensitive password emailed to you.

Reef: New UK Tour including York Show

REEF are back…..

In recent years the band have continued to play summer festivals and also added another successful UK tour at the end of 2013  along with recording what would be a last 2 songs with guitarist Kenwyn House at Distillery recording studios in Wiltshire . Approached by film director Heidi Greensmith to write new material for the forthcoming Vortex Pictures release "Winter", the band wrote the rock song 'Barking at trees' for the film and have backed it with the 2nd new song entitled "you got it" . Both songs were released on 7'' vinyl and cd single during November 2014.


Deciding to concentrate solely on his band "GOLDRAY' Kenwyn House played his last show with REEF at Donington Park on April 20th 2014. Auditions were held in London and Somerset that same month and in May 2014 it was announced that Jesse Wood (the Ronnie Wood band/Faces/Red Racer) was to be the new guitarist for REEF.

Since the arrival of Jesse, Reef are back stronger and better than ever, a live album recorded over 2 sell out nights at St.Ives Guildhall mixing a set of inspired new songs with all the loved classics, a rousing new single for new year, a cover of the Aretha Franklin gospel classic ‘How I Got Over’, all with legendary Reef LA based producer George Drakoulias at the controls, simultaneously recapturing and updating the sound of their classic multi-million selling No.1 Glow album.

They've been back on TFI Friday, and on BBC 1 on The One Show, with a 6 minute piece on their Story Of The Song section where the band revisit, re-play and, along with George, tell the full story behind their classic ‘Place Your Hands’.
  
Catch them live across the UK in March. Full details here..http://www.reefband.com/

Locally see them in York:
Tickets for REEF – YORK – Fibbers show:
Friday 18th March
Tickets - £17.50
Box Office No: 08444 771000 77 1000

Website - http://www.fibbers.co.uk/live-events/detail/reef/

Public Image Limited - UK Tour with Wakefield show announced.

Following on from highly successful 2015 dates in UK, Europe and North America John Rotten Lydon’s Public Image Ltd (PiL) have announced a further UK/Europe summer tour which calls in to Yorkshire following a fractious but superb 2013 show in Leeds.

The 22 date tour includes a return to London’s, Indigo at 02 on Saturday, June 4th (which PiL previously sold-out in December 2014). The tour takes in festival and club shows in Spain, Germany, Slovakia, Poland and Ukraine before heading to the UK.

The band will play at Wakefields Warehouse23 on Wednesday 25 May. For the rest of the dates and ticket details see www.pilofficial.com
 

Last year the band released their 10th studio album ‘What The World Needs Now…’ which peaked at number 29 in the official UK album charts and picked up fantastic acclaim from both press and public including us, describing the album as "treading new water whilst retaining that unmistakable angst and post punk rage".The album also peaked at number 3 in the official UK indie charts and number 4 in the official UK vinyl charts). ‘What The World Needs Now…’ was self-funded by PiL and released on their own label ‘PiL Official’ via Cargo UK Distribution.
 
Widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential bands of all time, PiL’s music and vision earned them 5 UK Top 20 singles and 5 UK Top 20 albums. With a shifting line-up and unique sound, John Lydon guided the band from their debut album ‘First Issue’ in 1978 through to 1992’s ‘That What Is Not’. After a 17 year hiatus, Lydon reactivated PiL in 2009 by taking them back on the road worldwide.

John Lydon, Lu Edmonds, Scott Firth and Bruce Smith continue as PiL. They are the longest stable line-up in the band's history.

Review: Creed - Upholding the Rocky Legacy

Those shaking their heads at yet another Rocky film should not the title and therefore focus of this film is not the aged (and looking particularly so in this – too much Warburtons bread methinks) Rocky balboa, more so Adonis (Michael B Jordan) the illegitimate offspring of Apollo Creed.

Freed from youth prison by Creeds wife, who takes him in and brings him up. Flash forward seventeen years and Adonis quits his job to emulate his father and become a boxer. So the tale of Rocky tutoring and training him as a light heavyweight whilst keeping the fact of Adonis’s father a secret…

There are similarities with the very first film in the Rocky Series. The rags to riches, fighting the good fight message. Of course it’s a boxing film, you wouldn’t be here reading this if you didn’t like that..but  its also about what you are fighting for. This message is delivered right from the off as we find Adonis in juvenile detention heading for a life on the crime ridden streets, dropping in and out of prison.

Both Jordan and Stallone deliver impressive performances and if this is the last film in the franchise, as the storyline suggests then Creed may just resurrect its own legacy, such is the engaging performance of Jordan. His love interest in the film gives direction and shows that the franchise is safe and at home in Rockys home town of Philadelphia. 

One criticism may be the opponent that Creed fights, real life boxer Tony Bellew who just isn’t as antagonistic and evil as Clubber Lang or Ivan Drago, it possibly makes the whole thing a little less comic book so it’s a minor criticism. The fight scenes shot in Liverpool appear highly realistic, having been ringside for a couple of title fights myself recently, you can almost smell the sweat and blood due to some outstanding cinematography. Some of the best cinematic boxing scenes are here in Creed.

This is an excellent boxing movie in its own right, fans of the Rocky series will love this for its callbacks, in personnel, locations and overall feel. Its undoubtedly a passing of the baton and just as we tracked Balboas journey through several memorable films so I feel we will with Adonis Creed

Review: The Hateful Eight - Tarantino Triumphs Again

The Hateful Eight is Tarantinos 9th directoral excursion onto celluloid and has the potential to be amongst  his greatest work. For clarity I am talking about Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown and Inglourious Basterds.

Hateful…uses essentially a stagecoach and an inn  for his tale of hangmen, and bounty hunters against a backdrop of the American Civil War. Yes there is blood, gore and liberal use of the N word but if this is going to offend then perhaps the sugar coated Disney Star Wars may be more your liking.

The storyline is simple but it’s a masterful piece of 70mm art, and told in a complex and utter compelling way with twists galore in its near 3 hour run time…the Hateful Eight find shelter in Minnies Haberdashery in the middle of an extreme blizzard. As events unfold, and true motivations are unravelled, merciless revenge, racial tensions, rage and integrity all come to the fore.

Once again Tarantino call on his trustworthy soldiers, Samuel L Jackson, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and new recruit Jennifer Jason Leigh as the increasing toothless Daisy Domergue collectively deliver a smart and satirical dialogue that truly brings the best out of them all. Arguably Russel as John Ruth delivers his greatest role to date.


Choosing the 70mm format for this outing was a genius stroke, delivering us deep into the freezing wintery landscapes of Wyoming. Legendary composer Enno Morricone, dipping into this format and genre for the first time in almost 40 years, supports the visuals magnificently, at times flowing and carrying the beautiful vistas, at others acting against the script, undoubtedly adding suspense and intrigue. I hope this sets a precedent should Tarantino choose to linger in this timeframe.

 Tarantino fans will know exactly what to expect from this kind-of-Western that owes more to a stageplay than a film. The story however flows much better, much simpler than, for example Django Unchained and is all the better film for it. Political and racial observations are still delivered through a masterful script which is beautiful in its simplicity. Tarantino triumphs again, glorious 70mm cineography with trademark dialogue, violence literally explodes on screen, entirely in keeping with the script and the direction of travel, like all his best films do. This film will support multiple viewings (I have seen it three times now) as all his best films do.

The Baby & Toddler Show returns to Manchester this March. With an unbeatable line-up of big name brands, unique innovative products, local companies and services and experts to give you a helping hand in parenthood and make sure you and your little one are happy, safe and importantly, on trend too!

This exciting time in your life has been all wrapped up at the show where you can meet lots of other like-minded mums-to-be and new mums and enjoy all this...

Save money and stretch your budget with unbeatable deals on the 150+ top brands and baby essentials.

We are told there are guaranteed best prices on car seats, prams, buggies and furniture - find all the big name brands in one place including Bugaboo, iCandy, Maxi Cosi, Silver Cross, Quinny, Mamas & Papas, UPPAbaby, Britax, Joolz, Cosatto, Babystyle, Orbit Baby, Mee-Go, Cybex, BeSafe, Bloom, Jané, Babyjogger, ickle bubba, Boori and many more

With so many products on show, including 100s of unique handy products you won't find on the high street, you can have a fabulous day out shopping and find the right products for you and your baby, for whichever stage you are at

Test, try, compare and buy - meet knowledgeable experts and have hands-on demos
Hear from expert speakers giving new & expectant parents everything they need to know on sleeping, feeding, budgeting, babywearing, nutrition, first aid and more

Best of all, save money!
Save 1/3 on tickets
Quote NBT18 at http://babyandtoddlershow.co.uk/manchester/
Adult tickets £8

We hope to be visiting and will be bringing you more previews and a full review in due course.

Springsteen - Ties That Bind - The River Collection Reviewed

Springsteen’s fifth album, and his only double studio offering, The River remains an important part of his back catalogue. Somewhat overlooked, it lives under the shadow of the likes of Born To Run and Born In The USA, but of all his projects it has perhaps the most interesting genesis. In 1979 he handed a single album – The Ties That Bind – into Columbia as his follow-up to Darkness On The Edge Of Town. Almost immediately he took it back again and continued working in the studio for a year. What eventually emerged commercially as his follow-up album was a 20 song, double disc offering, The River.


"I was trying to link this stuff up in a way where I thought I could save myself from my darker inclinations by moving into an imagined community where people were struggling with all of these things in a very real way, and that was the community I created on The River". – Bruce Springsteen

This new box set is far more than your usual compilation of off-cuts and spot the difference demos, it poses a question; was Springsteen correct in second guessing himself?

The Boss claims The Ties That Bind didn’t feel big enough, and wasn’t as exciting as his live shows, something he had yet to capture in the studio. If that was his modus operandi he certainly improved on his initial effort when The River was released. For the first time here, the commonly bootlegged The Ties That Bind has been released as originally intended alongside its big brother and 20 outtakes. This isn’t a fan’s interpretation of what the record would have sounded like, this is that single album as handed to Columbia in 1979, and now the real comparison can be made. Very few box sets of this type can claim to have such a compelling narrative at their core.

Is The Ties That Bind a better record? No, although it is more concise by its nature and contains a full band version of ‘Stolen Car’, which may be superior to the version found on The River. You can also understand why three songs were eventually omitted from the earlier track listing and replaced with the likes of ‘Out In The Street’ and ‘Independence Day’. It’s more than a curio though, as it gives an insight into the narrative Springsteen was trying to create. He wanted to populate his world with characters and also provide the music they would hear in bars and clubs at night. That’s what makes the fourth disc of outtakes here so interesting, eleven of these songs have never commercially seen the light of day before, and really they should have.

Of particular note is ‘Roulette’, which Springsteen concedes in the documentary portion of this box set, should have replaced ‘Crush On You’ on The River. There’s also ‘Stray Bullet’, which may well be one of The Boss’ finest ever songs, it’s almost amazing this kind of material was still sitting there in the vault. Indeed none of these outtakes are half formed ideas, the 20 songs on the fourth disc are perhaps best regarded as the flipside of the coin from The River, and they certainly work as an album in their own right.

Unlike other collections that are exhaustive, none of the material here feels like scraping the bottom of the barrel. it’s also worth remembering there are still River-era songs that no-one has heard. The context provided by the accompanying Thom Zimny directed documentary and its acoustic snippets, an incredibly lavish hardback book, replica lyric notebook, and two DVD’s of a live show from 1980, do mean a complete picture of the creative is provided though. Along the way even the most dedicated fan will discover new facts (‘Hungry Heart’ was written after meeting The Ramones), but unlike so many of these re-issues that are aimed squarely at the die-hards, I’d argue this provides value for money for anyone with even a passing interest in Springsteen. It’s a hefty price tag for any of the formats on offer, which is likely to dissuade some, however I’d happily sit and listen to this any day of the week, rather than 15 microscopically different versions of the same song which tends to dominate the content of similar box sets.

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens - Review "Massively Entertaining"

Appealing both to a new generation of viewers and fans of the series since the beginning, this 30-years-later sequel to 1983's Return of the Jedi is a thrilling adventure. Filmmaker J.J. Abrams has managed to capture the tone of the original trilogy while telling a story about young, vibrant new characters whose connection to the overall saga deepens intriguingly as events unfurl.


Over the past three decades, the Empire has regrouped, forming the First Order to crush the Old Republic for good. And the plucky Rebellion hasn't offered much resistance since leader Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) disappeared. The Empire's top henchman Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is searching for him just as diligently as the rebel leader General Leia (Carrie Fisher). But the real action is happening out of their grasp, as disaffected storm trooper Finn (John Boyega) teams up with rebel pilot Poe (Oscar Isaac) and then feisty scavenger Rey (Daisy Ridley) and expressive droid BB-8. Along the way, Han Solo and Chewbacca (Harrison Ford and Peter Mayhew) find themselves back in the fray. And everyone is startled when there's a strong stirring in the force.

Abrams beautifully recreates the scruffy, clanky mechanical atmosphere of the original trilogy, infusing scenes with witty banter and John William's soaring score to throw us right back into that familiar galaxy. This includes the saga's main themes: the temptation of power, how true heroism is often accidental, and the tension between parents and children. Combine this with a plot that propels itself with a series of unexpected adventures and battles, all centred on the characters, and the film taps strongly into the teen in all of us.

Newcomers Boyega and Ridley are solid in the leading roles as young people who think they know what they want to do with their lives, but have no idea what might happen next. Energetic, inventive and wildly gifted, they make terrific new heroes who fit seamlessly alongside the veterans. Ford and Fisher bring layers of time to their iconic roles. Isaac shines as a rogue good guy. And Driver nicely balances his conflicted villain.

In the end, the film manages to have all of the whizzy visuals you could possibly want from a fantasy epic, but with added character depth and thematic resonance. And for fans of the original trilogy, there's a lot more here, including constant echoes of memorable moments from the classic films. Sometimes this may feel a bit overdone, perhaps because Abrams is such a superfan himself, but it adds an extra kick to the film that's already one of the most skilfully made, massively entertaining movies of the year.

New Voice judge Paloma Faith - wears better skirts than Tom Jones

Did you know much about the show before you joined?
I was aware of it but I don’t watch television, so I didn’t know too much about it. I also had my own preconceived perceptions of these types of shows. I didn’t believe a TV show would cultivate the creativity that it actually does. The only bad part, format-wise, is having to get rid of people. It’s really difficult. I’ve got an extremely talented team. That will teach me for being greedy! They are all misfits and I can’t even contemplate losing any of them.


How are you different from previous female coaches on The Voice UK?
I don’t like female comparison. I feel every human being is different regardless of gender and I’d like people to compare me to Tom Jones as well. I think I wear better skirts than Tom!

What type of coach are you?
I think I am quite nurturing but I am also quite upfront about my thoughts on stuff. I am pretty clear about my feelings on life. I’m direct but I hope no one takes offence. No one has so far!

Was there a particular type of voice you knew you would push your button for?
All along I always wanted to have a very different diverse group of voices that would reflect my musical tastes. I knew I wanted some soul, I wanted some rock voices and some more indie stuff. That’s what I listen to so I went for that. But when it gets down to my final three, that’s when it gets really difficult. I am going to pick who I like, not who I think the British public might like. I think the British public might be quite surprised what I do, I don’t go for the obvious. I go for people who speak to me emotionally more than who the best singers are. I think what makes me different from other coaches, and George too because we talk a lot. I don’t care if someone’s pitchy, it doesn’t bother me because I am. What’s really important is the feeling behind stuff and what people have to say. That’s what’s engaging to me.

How is it working with Boy George?
We are really similar. We text each other all the time to have a gossip. I think we come at this with similar attitudes. I look at George and think that what he has done in the past is like what I am doing now. I feel like if I was in the 80s I would have been doing the same as him, we would have been at the same clubs and things like that. He feels the most like me out of all of the coaches. He’s someone I respect a lot, he’s the type of person I would play one of my songs to and ask him what he thinks.

You’ve been friends with Ricky for a while, is it nice to have him beside you?
Yeah it’s nice to have that support and familiarity. I did already know George before the show as well, so that was nice. I’ve met will.i.am before so I wasn’t worried about joining the show.

What’s it like working with will.i.am?
I think his comments are quite funny because he’s quite futuristic but I’m quite nostalgic. Somewhere and somehow we are quite similar.

What’s the banter like between all the coaches this year?
We are all quite quick. We’re very evenly matched in wit, there’s nobody’s head anything goes over. Everyone is quick-witted and pick up on things. Ricky is pun-tastic. I think it’ll be entertaining for the audience as well as us.

Are you excited to be on television screens every Saturday night?
I think quite a lot of people will enjoy me on the telly. Most of my success has been based on television appearances. Times when I have done best have always been when I have done an interview on TV, my single will climb the charts based on a conversation I have had. I hope that says people like me and not that I am crap at singing!

The Voice UK: New coach, Boy George spills the beans...

The highest rated singing TV show of 2015, The Voice UK is back, with Boy George, Paloma Faith, will.i.am and Ricky Wilson. International superstars Boy George and Paloma Faith join returning coaches will.i.am and Ricky Wilson for the fifth series of The Voice UK on BBC One and we catch up with both, today Boy George and tomorrow, Paloma Faith joins us..

So George, what attracted you to The Voice UK?
I love singers. It’s an area that I feel I have expertise in and I’m passionate about. Actually, the thing that’s surprised me the most about the show is the fact that it’s very organic and you do get to say what you want to say, you do get to be heard and see the effect of the advice you give. It’s very interesting.


Were you a fan of the show before you joined?
It’s a great show. I’ve watched it for years and even had exchanges with the people who run the show’s Twitter account. I’m opinionated when it comes to this show. Some people may think you’re too cool to be doing a reality show like this, what do you say to that? I suppose that’s a compliment but being cool doesn’t pay the bills! I always felt like I should be on one of these types of shows. I’m a singer, it’s what I have been doing for 30 years, it makes sense, so I always wondered why I hadn’t got the call to do it earlier. I see people getting the job and I’m thinking, I’ve got more experience than you. For me it’s like a duck to water.

Did you have an idea of who you were looking for when you started the show?
I’m a very emotional performer and that’s what I am looking for in my team. There’s no accident to who you get. It’s so interesting to see who ends up on your team. Even the people you get because you’re the only person who turns, when you put them with the rest of the team it makes total sense.

Is it hard because you can’t see them?
It’s so weird sitting in that chair because you think to yourself that you will know what’s what as soon as I hear the first note, but you don’t. Sometimes you turn for people and you see them and think you would have turned for them if you had been able to see them. Often I couldn’t make a connection between what was coming out of their mouth and how they looked. It’s naive to think that the way someone looks doesn’t matter, it makes a big difference. Hearing the voice is the beginning of an adventure.

How have you found working with Paloma Faith?
I’ve been impressed by some of the song choices Paloma made in the Battle rounds. I would take my hat off to her but my hair is messy! She’s shown herself to be really musical, that’s really cool. You learn stuff about people doing this show. When you come onto a show like this it’s like taking friends who don’t know each other that well on holiday together. You find out all their character flaws!

How much do you want to win?
Oh, I want to win more than life! I chant every day to make sure I win! But if someone great wins and they are not on my team then I will be equally happy. There are a couple of other people who are not on my team and I think if they won then I wouldn’t be upset. I’ll be magnanimous in the sense that, you know, if it’s right and proper that someone else should win then I’ll feel that. But this is my first time so I have no idea what’s going to happen, it’s fascinating. I watch these type of shows and when the winner is announced I go, Really? OK - and think how you wouldn’t have turned for that person. But then when you are in it it’s a whole different thing, because you don’t necessarily choose someone in the battles because they sang better, which is bonkers because it’s The Voice. There’s no hard and fast rules with show, it’s all up in the air.

How fabulous are your outfits going to be for the shows?
Obviously I love dressing up and one of the good things about doing this show is that you get to dress up! That’s one of the things me and Paloma have in common, we love dressing up! My hats are getting bigger and bigger throughout the show. I just can’t help myself, I’m always looking for things other people don’t have.