80's Invasion Tour 2017 hits the UK

The 80s Invasion Tour features some of the most iconic artists from the era. Paul Young, a man that doesn’t need any introduction, legendary pop punk princess and Just Music fave Toyah, Prince protégé and new to the retro scene in the UK, Martika and Liverpool’s finest guitar duo China Crisis. The tour takes in 15 dates and starts on 2nd March at Leicester’s De Montfort Hall, culminating on 19th March at Liverpool’s Philharmonic, with London’s Indigo 2 on 16th March.


TOUR DATES

MARCH 2017

THURS 2nd - RHYL - Pavilion - 01745 330000 - www.rhylpavilion.co.uk

FRI 3rd - LEICESTER - De Montfort Hall - 0116 233 3111 - www.demontforthall.co.uk

SAT 4th - STOKE - The Victoria Hall - 0844 871 7649 - www.atgtickets.com/venues/victoriahall

SUN 5th - EDINBURGH - Playhouse - 0844 871 3014 - www.atgtickets/venues/edinburgh-playhouse

TUES 7th - SHREWSBURY - Theatre Severn - 01743 281281 - www.theatresevern.co.uk

THURS 9th - CHATHAM - Central Theatre - 01634 338338 - www.medwayticketslive.co.uk

FRI 10th - MALVERN - Theatres - 01684 892277 - www.malvern-theatres.co.uk

SAT 11th - BASINGSTOKE - The Anvil - 01256 844244 - www.anvilarts.org.uk

SUN 12th - BIRMINGHAM - Town Hall - 0121 345 0600 - www.thsh.co.uk

MON 13th - GUILDFORD - GLive - 01483 369 350 - www.glive.co.uk

WED 15th -  AYLESBURY- The Waterside - 0844 871 7607 - www.atgtickets.com/venues/aylesbury-waterside-theatre

THURS 16th - LONDON Indigo2 - 0844 856 0202 - www.axs.com

FRI 17th - HUDDERSFIELD - Town Hall - 01484 225755 - www.tickets.kirklees.gov.uk

SAT 18th - NEWCASTLE - City Hall - 0191 277 8030 - www.newcastlecityhall.org

SUN 19th - LIVERPOOL - Philharmonic - 0151 709 3789 - www.liverpoolphil.com 

The Magnificent Seven - Movie Review - Rip Roaring..

Director Antoine Fuqua brings his usual fascination with violence to this remake of the iconic 1960 Western, itself a remake of the masterful 1954 Japanese original Seven Samurai. Reteaming with his Training Day stars Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke, Fuqua injects some very manly grit into the tale of a ragtag gang of mercenaries who find themselves trying to save a town in peril. It's a great story, and Fuqua delivers plenty of punch in the action set-pieces. But the characters and situations never quite rise beyond the usual Wild West cliches, and toning everything down for the required PG-13 rating creates an oddly celebratory tone, as if the brutality isn't that bad, really.

In a peaceful village in the middle of nowhere, greedy corporate baron Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard) has discovered gold, so he decides to buy up everyone's land. When the homesteaders resist, Bogue turns vicious, and the newly widowed Emma (Haley Bennett) refuses to go quietly. Instead, she hires notorious gunslinger Chisolm (Washington), who in turn rustles up six more desperados: hard-drinking sharpshooter Faraday (Chris Pratt), fading legend Goodnight (Hawke), burly bear-man Horne (Vincent D'Onofrio), blade expert Billy (Byung-hun Lee), Mexican outlaw Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) and Native American warrior Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier). Not only do they need to become a team, but they need to teach these timid farmers how to fight against Bogue's approaching army.

Screenwriters Nic Pizzolatto and Richard Wenk have reduced the plot to the bare basics: scrappy good guys versus a slick, well-organised villain. There's never a compelling reason why Bogue wants the farmland (is there gold under the cornfields?), but he's clearly willing to kill everyone and level the entire town to get it. In this sense, Sarsgaard has the least subtle role in the film, but he has a great time snarling and shouting and generally being the devil incarnate. But then all of the roles are fairly simplified, with each of the seven teammates having a basic trait to combine with their general heroism: cool, cheeky, weary, quirky, flashy, rambunctious and lethal, respectively.

The worst-served character here is, unsurprisingly, the lone woman. Bennett invests plenty of feisty spark into the role, but every time Emma gets ready to do something interesting, the script backs down. Thankfully, the movie feels big and boisterous, with a sense of momentum that carries the audience through even the most stereotypical of situations. There may not be any surprises, and only a whiff of thematic interest in the corporate greed element, but the film is still rip-roaringly entertaining.

Feeder - All Bright Electric - Highs but more filler

Following frontman Grant Nicholas' solo stint, Feeder have reconvened to release their ninth studio album, 20 years after their breakthrough EP.  Promotion of the release will come by way of a month-long tour, which is to begin imminently and is the band's first tour in four years.

For a thunderous riff to grab attention, look no further than the opening 'Universe Of Life', a track that goes some way to dispelling the disappointing material on recent Feeder releases.  'Eskimo' is more melodic, though not to the level that was perhaps the band's most accessible just over a decade ago, while 'Geezer' is surprisingly ineffective, given the electro-stomp at its foundation.  The urgency of 'Paperweight' makes it decent enough, while 'Oh Mary' aims for sincerity, but ultimately flounders.  Almost from nowhere, 'The Impossible' threatens to thrill with some of the band's old magic, while 'Another Day On Earth' is a piano-based number that shows Nicholas can still nail a more subtle performance and wrap it up in a serene melody.

It couldn't be argued that the band are back to their best, with filler tracks particularly after the half-way point of the album, but this is certainly a couple of notches up from 2012's 'Generation Freakshow'.

Gary Numan - Live - Nottingham Rock City 21/9/16 - Truly Outstanding

Facebook revelations moments before taking to the stage in Nottingham that these current run of ‘classic’ shows could well be the last ‘retro’ ones added that little extra to a packed, hot and palpably excited Rock City. Recognising his own mortality, it seems there just isn’t enough time. Nostalgia running out of time…who’d have thought. 

For now we rejoice in the trinity of late 70’s early 80s albums The Pleasure Principle, Replicas and Telekon, the latter’s colour themes informing many of the crowds wardrobe decisions. However with Gary dressed in black with a shock of jet black hair, arms aloft, bathing in the adulation, grinning from ear to ear it’s the haunting synth call of Replicas title song which launches the set. The urgency of the guitars, “and I screamed You and You” hollered back emphasised the transition all these songs have gone through. Like many of the early songs, themes of isolation and me vs the world are abundant, yet in late 2016 we are witness to the mutual love and shared experience of singer and fan during songs such as Down In The Park and Me! I Disconnect from You. Are Friends Electric remains such an iconic song ..surely the only song about a relationship with a robotic prostitute.. is now a joyous bouncing mutual celebration of being alone. Not sure how that works but it does, the refrain sung back with gusto.. 

The home run of this set sees the chart friendly big hitters come out to great effect Down In The Park / We Are Glass / Friends / Cars / I Die You Die / We Are So Fragile are all in guitar heavy 2016 mode but only serve to emphasise, if needed, what a remarkable and lasting effect this man has on the worlds music scene. On the live scene, unlike many of his contemporaries Numan is genuinely enjoying this renaissance, his heartfelt thanks and genuine shows of joy and emotion are regular, too many others go through the motions but Gary lives and breathes every note. Cars for example belies its millionth* (possible exaggeration) live outing and has the delivery and enthusiasm of a first outing.


My Shadow in Vain closes a superb set, “Here am I, I really don't feel quite sane” me neither Gary but if this is what it feels like, I for one, want more and wont care. 






Supporting were ISpeakMachine, who are vocalist and self proclaimed synth-nerd Tara Busch and filmmaker Maf Lewis. Combining film and live soundtrack together with original tracks and notable covers (Sound of Silence and , like you have never heard before Ticket To Ride). Reminding me of late 70’s Human League and BBC Tomorrows world Moog workshop in equal parts it was strange, but one I would repeat. The environment perhaps didn’t do this full justice but check out www.ispeakmachine.com for a taste.