WIZ KHALIFA Announces November UK Tour

WIZ KHALIFA

NOVEMBER UK HEADLINE TOUR

Photo by Darren Ankenman

‘ROLLING PAPERS’ OUT NOW
Support from YELAWOLF

Atlantic Records’ rap sensation, Wiz Khalifa, will be hitting the UK shores this November for a headline tour. The run of dates will kick off at Glasgow’s O2 Academy on November 2 and will include a London show at the prestigious O2 Brixton Academy on November 7.

2011 has certainly been a year for Wiz (real name Cameron Thomaz) to shout about. His huge smash ‘Black and Yellow’ – inspired by his love for the American Football team Pittsburgh Steelers - was double platinum certified in the US, charted top five in the UK singles chart and the video has had over 78 million views on his official YouTube channel to date. Taken from his Atlantic Records debut album ‘Rolling Papers’ , which was released in March, the groundbreaking anthem set the tone for the LP’.

Wiz graced the UK for a handful of one-off shows this May and due to overwhelming demand his initial London date at XOYO was soon upgraded to London’s Kentish Town Forum. On the run of dates, Wiz also played sold out shows at Manchester Academy and at London’s O2 Shepherds Bush Empire (that gig sold out in under an hour).

Since releasing his first mix tape ‘Prince Of The City: Welcome To Pistolvania’ in 2005, it’s safe to say Wiz has built a loyal fanbase. With over a million Twitter followers, 3 million Facebook friends and being named the 3rd fastest growing query (people category) of 2010 on Google, even bigger things are on the horizon.

Full UK dates below:

Wed 2 Nov   Glasgow         O₂ Academy

Thu 3 Nov    Birmingham    O₂ Academy

Fri 4 Nov      Newcastle      O₂ Academy

Sat 5 Nov     Bristol           O₂ Academy

Mon 7 Nov    London         O₂ Academy Brixton

Tues 8 Nov   Manchester  O₂ Apollo

Weds 9 Nov  Southampton Guildhall

Fri 11 Nov     Leeds          O₂ Academy

Tickets go on sale Friday 03 June 2011 at 9am priced £20 (£21.50 London) – www.gigsandtours.com / 0844 811 0051

An Exclusive fan pre-sale for the tour will be held at his official UK webstore (http://wizkhalifa.warnerartists.com) at 9am Thursday 2nd June.

JESSIE J Announces Heartbeat UK Tour

JESSIE J

ANNOUNCES UK LIVE DATES
‘HEARTBEAT TOUR’

20 best pop acts of all time… #10”Jessie J can do it like a dude and she does it well.” – NME
 

It’s been a whirlwind of a year so far for Jessie J who since winning the Brits Critics Choice and topping the BBC Sound Poll charts in January, has sold over 1 million albums and 3 million singles worldwide. Jessie’s debut album ‘Who You Are’ has not left the UK top 10 since it’s release, while hit single ‘Price Tag’ has had global chart success hitting the #1 spot in 14 countries world-wide!

Already making her mark across the pond Jessie’s album debuted at #11 in the US charts, while live performances across the States have seen Jessie sharing the stage with the likes of Tinie Tempah, David Guetta , Lupe Fiasco & Pitbull.

Back in the UK Jessie J will be taking her show on the road this autumn with fans invited to 12 UK tour dates kicking off in October. The tour follows Jessie J’s major festival appearances throughout summer at the likes of Glastonbury, V Festival and T In The Park to name but a few.

Having earnt a reputation as one of the fiercest live artists around from her multi-octave voice and sky high heels, Jessie J’s UK ‘Heartbeat Tour’ is one you’re going to want to say you were at.

The stunning acoustic version of ‘Nobody’s Perfect’ and killer ‘Nesky’ remix are available to buy on iTunes today: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/nobodys-perfect/id438772950
UK TOUR DATES:

OCTOBER
MONDAY 17 BIRMINGHAM O2 ACADEMY
WEDNESDAY 19 DONCASTER DOME
FRIDAY 21 MANCHESTER O2 APOLLO
SATURDAY 22 LIVERPOOL UNIVERSITY
SUNDAY 23 BOURNEMOUTH BIC
TUESDAY 25 EDINBURGH USHER HALL
WEDNESDAY 26 BRIDLINGTON SPA
THURSDAY 27 PLYMOUTH PAVILIONS
SATURDAY 29 CARDIFF MOTORPOINT ARENA
SUNDAY 30 LEEDS O2 ACADEMY 

NOVEMBER
TUESDAY 01 LONDON HMV HAMMERSMITH APOLLO 0844 844 4748
THURSDAY 03 BRIGHTON CENTRE 0844 847 1515

BUY ONLINE AT WWW.GIGSANDTOURS.COM   24HR CC HOTLINE 0844 811 0051
TICKETS ON SALE 9.00am FRIDAY 03 JUNE priced £23.50 (£25 London)


WWW.JESSIEJOFFICIAL.COM

FRANZ FERDINAND Release New Music Video for Peaches' Turn It On

FRANZ FERDINAND

PEACHES - TURN IT ON 

VIDEO RELEASED

Following on from the great Franz Ferdinand Covers EP, Domino present the first video to be created for the tracks - More to come from some of the newest & brightest talent in the world of video production soon!

Directed by Nice & Polite, here's the video for Peaches' cover of 'Turn It On'

 

Following its release on coloured 12" vinyl as part of the Record Store Day celebrations, Franz Ferdinand – Covers EP is now available on CD for the first time.


'This is an EP of covers of our songs by people whose music we love.' - Franz Ferdinand

Tracks are:

Debbie Harry & Franz Ferdinand - Live Alone
Stephin Merritt (of Magnetic Fields) - Dream Again
LCD Soundsystem - Live Alone
ESG - What She Came For
Peaches - Turn It On

Listen to Franz Ferdinand – Covers EP here: http://soundcloud.com/dominorecordco/sets/franz-ferdinand-covers-ep
The EP will be available on black vinyl 12" (RUG405TS), CD (Rug405CD) and via digital outlets (RUG405D1).

RUMER To Tour UK In November

RUMER

UK Tour Announced for November (Royal Albert Hall, November 22)

New Single - ‘Take Me As I Am’ - released July 5


“An emotional Trojan horse…the most exciting new talent of the moment” Observer
“Profound, intense and penetrating...the new voice of pop” Mojo, Album Of The Month  *****
“Startling...these are songs of yearning and loss” Q ****
“Sensationally good...the hype is justified” Sunday Times Culture
“Whatever ‘it’ is, Rumer has it” Independent On Sunday
 

Rumer has announced details of her biggest UK tour to date, which will take place this winter. Beginning at Blackpool’s Opera House on November 10, the nationwide trek will also take in stops including Glasgow, Manchester, Nottingham, Cardiff and Sheffield, before concluding with a huge show at London’s Royal Albert Hall on November 22. Tickets will go on sale on Friday June 3 at 9am.

Rumer’s November tour comes a year to the month of her debut album’s release: ‘Seasons Of My Soul’ has since garnered significant critical acclaim, and sold over half a million copies in the UK alone. The Anglo-Pakistani singer and songwriter has built up an extensive live following: in London alone, she has already sold out The Royal Festival Hall, Shepherd’s Bush Empire, Notting Hill’s Tabernacle and The Bloomsbury Theatre. Rumer’s Royal Albert Hall date is also particularly timely: it is a venue she played in support of Jools Holland last year, and will now return to headline, capping an astonishing twelve months.
Balancing work on new material, Rumer’s summer schedule will see her release a new single, ‘Take Me As I Am’, on July 5. She will also return to Glastonbury – where she performed on the tiny Greenpeace stage last year – to play a huge show at the Pyramid stage on June 25: additional festival slots are confirmed at Hard Rock Calling (June 26), Latitude (July 16), Cambridge Folk Festival (July 30), on top of a headline iTunes Festival date (July 18).

Sure to sell fast, Rumer’s UK headline dates this winter are as follows:

Thursday November 10                    Blackpool                              Opera House (01253 292 029)
Friday November 11                         Glasgow                                 Royal Concert Hall (08444 999 990)
Saturday November 12                    Sheffield                                City Hall (0114 278 789)
Sunday November 13                       Newcastle                              City Hall (0191 261 2606)
Tuesday November 15                      Manchester                          Apollo (0844 477 2000)
Wednesday November 16                Ipswich                                  Regent Theatre (01473 433 100)
Thursday November 17                    Portsmouth                          Guildhall (023 9282 4355)
Friday November 18                          Bexhill                                   De La Warr Pavilion (01424 787 949)
Saturday November 20                     Cardiff                                   St David’s Hall (02920 878 444)
Sunday November 21                        Nottingham                          Royal Concert Hall (0115 989 5555)
Monday November 22                      London                                  Royal Albert Hall (0207 589 8212)


Tickets on Sale Friday 03 June 2011 @ 9AM – www.gigsandtours.com

RINGO STARR To Broadcast LIVE Special Performance and Press Conference

Ringo Starr press conference and special performance to be broadcast live on www.muzu.tv/ringostarr

On June 1st 2011 at 15:00 BST Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band will be inviting fans around the world to join them online for a live press conference and special performance.

Following a short musical performance, Ringo Starr will introduce the members of his All Starr Band as they prepare to embark on their 2011 European tour.

Ringo Starr, Edgar Winter, Gary Wright, Rick Derringer, Richard Page, Wally Palmar and Gregg Bissonette will then answer questions from the media. Fans will also have the opportunity to submit questions via a chat facility on www.muzu.tv/ringostarr. The press conference will end at 15:45.

The twenty eight date tour, which begins on June 4th, is the most extensive European tour undertaken by Ringo and His All Starr Band. With concerts in Ukraine, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Latvia, Poland, Britain, France, Czech Republic, Italy, Holland, Germany and Austria the tour will see Ringo performing in several countries for the first time. It is also Ringo’s first UK tour since 1998.

In addition to opening the event to the online audience, two fans will also have the opportunity to attend the press conference in person by entering a competition on MUZU.TV.

Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band return to the road for the 12th All Starr tour. Joining Ringo Starr will be Rick Derringer on guitar, Richard Page on bass, Wally Palmar on guitar & harmonica, Edgar Winter on sax and keyboards, Gary Wright on keyboards and Gregg Bissonette on drums.

The twenty eight date tour kicks off in Kiev, Ukraine on 4th June, stopping in Russia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Latvia, Poland, Britain, France, Czech Republic, Italy, Holland and Germany before concluding in Vienna, Austria on 17th July.

4^th June      Kiev, Ukraine                       Palace Of Ukraine

6^th June      Moscow, Russia                  Crocus City Hall

7^th June      St Petersburg, Russia          Big Concert Hall

10^th June    Gothenburg, Sweden            Liseberg

11^th June    Oslo, Norway                      Norwegian Wood Festival

12^th June    Randers, Denmark               Vaerket    SOLD OUT

14^th June    Riga, Latvia                         Arena Riga

15^th June    Warsaw, Poland                  Sala Kongresowa

17^th June    London, England                  Hampton Court

18^th June    Liverpool, England               Empire

20^th June    Birmingham, England           Symphony Hall

22^nd June    Manchester, England          Opera House

23^rd June    Glasgow, Scotland              Clyde Auditorium

24^th June     Bournemouth, England        BIC

26^th June     Paris, France                      Palais des Sports

28^th June     Budapest, Hungary             Sport Arena

29^th June     Prague, Czech Republic      KCP Congress Centre

2^nd July       Lyon, France                      Centre de Congres

3^rd July        Milan, Italy                         Civic Arena

4^th July        Rome, Italy                        Auditorium Cavea

7^th July        Hamburg, Germany            Stadtpark

9^th July        Weert, Holland                   Bospop Festival

10^th July      Dusseldorf, Germany          Philipshalle

12^th July      Berlin, Germany                 Tempodrom

13^th July      Munich, Germany               Circus Krone

14^th July      Salzburg, Austria                Halle 1

16^th July      Frankfurt, Germany            Jahrhunderthalle

17^th July      Vienna, Austria                  Open Air Arena

 

 

IL DIVO To Play Live At The London Coliseum

Il Divo - Live At The London Coliseum!
Classical crossover kings perform August 2nd

The incomparable Il Divo are set to perform at the iconic London Coliseum on August 2nd, accompanied by the world famous Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.

For their first live show in London for almost two years, Il Divo take to the stage of this landmark venue, the home of the English National Opera. As part of this special performance, they will unveil songs from their eagerly anticipated new album, set for release this November, including the sensational ‘Dov'e L'Amore’, which they recently debuted at the Classic BRITS.

With a 37 piece orchestra and the Il Divo band, tenor David Miller, vox populi Sebastien Izambard, tenor Urs Bühler and baritone Carlos Marin are preparing to put on what’s set to be a very special show indeed.

Recently named Artist of the Decade at the Classic BRITS. Il Divo are the most successful international musical break-out story of this millennium, selling more than 25 million albums and singlehandedly inventing the classical crossover genre. Their ground-breaking success has brought and pioneered an entirely new sound to vocal music and the group have over 150 gold and platinum awards in 33 countries. Their first four albums, ‘Il Divo’, ‘Ancora’, ‘Siempre’ and ‘The Promise’ – all on Syco - have achieved 50 #1 album chart positions internationally.

Selling over two million concert tickets, their recent ‘An Evening With Il Divo’ tour which spanned most of 2009, saw their full arena show travel six continents, with over 130 dates and received Billboard’s Breakthrough Award for one of the biggest grossing tours of the year.

The comparatively intimate Coliseum seats just over 2000 people and will play host to this special performance and a wonderful preview of their 5th studio album. Il Divo – Live at the London Coliseum promises to be one of the most thrilling shows of 2011.

Tuesday 2nd August             London Coliseum

Tickets on sale Friday June 3rd at 9.30am from:
0844 811 0051 www.gigsandtours.com
0844 826 2826 www.ticketmaster.co.uk

For official VIP Hospitality and Meet & Greet Packages – 0207 603 6033 www.markbutler.co.uk

SJM Concerts by arrangement with Octagon Music, Syco Music & Solo.

Review: Shlomo & The Vocal Orchestra - E4 Udderbelly Southbank London

A packed out purple cow saw the return of Shlomo and the very talented Vocal Orchestra.

Photo by Jessica Hitchen

A fun evening was in store, as the microphones were laid out... and this is all they use!
No backing tracks, no instruments, just voices.
It blends together miraculously, with simple bass lines to complex drum beats, all done just by mouth.

Shlomo doesn't use his Loopstation gadgetry in this production, instead implementing the loops from the voices of the Orchestra... and sometimes with the help of the ecstatic audience.
Giving parts of the songs to each of the eight members of the ensemble, he would then solo them out, add in new bits, cut, all join in... it just works flawlessly.

Performing all styles of songs from ballads to hip hop, the range of talent on show is stunning.
In part of the show we were taken through a medley of songs from a certain decade, ranging from 60's to 90's. There were some very clever arrangements of songs from the Beach Boys to Black Box's 'Ride on Time' which had the audience up and dancing.
A standing ovation from the sold out Udderbelly crowd, goes to show that Shlomo and The Vocal Orchestra are a small act with a huge sound.
You have got to watch out for these guys, tremendous talent, hugely entertaining, they are going to get even bigger.

Well done to all involved. Brilliant show.

All the members of the Vocal Orchestra have their own solo projects too, find out more on FACEBOOK or over on the website www.vocalorchestra.co.uk

Photo by Jessica Hitchen

RAGTIME THE MUSICAL Heading To London's Landor Theatre In September

Ragtime the Musical was nominated for an incredible 13 Tony Awards on its Broadway premiere in 1996 and a 2009 revival earned a further 7 Tony Award nominations. Its West End premiere in 2003 led to Maria Friedman being named Best Actress in the Olivier Awards.

Now a major London revival, with a 6-week season at the Landor Theatre from September 1 - October 8, promises to be one of the most exciting musical theatre events of the year.

It is the turn of the twentieth century in New York. An era is exploding. A century is spinning. And the people are moving in rhythm and rhyme to the music of Ragtime.

Based on the novel by E.L Doctorow, Terrence McNally’s script weaves together the story of  three groups in America, represented by Coalhouse Walker Jr, a Harlem musician; Mother and her family in New Rochelle; and Tateh, a Jewish immigrant who has come to America with his daughter seeking a new life. It features many historical figures, including Harry Houdini, Booker T. Washington, JP Morgan and Henry Ford.

Ragtime the Musical has a book by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and music by Stephen Flaherty.

Casting to be announced soon.

The production is directed by Landor Theatre Artistic Director Robert McWhir (Follies, I Love You Because, Closer Than Ever).

The Musical Director is George Dyer, currently working on The Wiz, a co-production between Birmingham Repertory Theatre and West Yorkshire Playhouse.

Produced by John W Carter and Jason Ferguson in association with the Landor Theatre.

Ragtime The Musical

Landor Theatre
70 Landor Road
London
SW9 9PH

Box Office: 020 7737 7276
or www.landortheatre.co.uk

Nearest Rail/Tube:
Clapham North (Northern Line)
Clapham High Street (BR)

Thursday 1 September  – Saturday 8 October

Tuesday – Thursday, Saturday & Sunday at 7.30pm
All Friday shows at 7.00pm
Saturday & Sunday matinees at 3.00pm.

Press night:
Tueesday 6 September at 7.30pm

Tickets: £18.00 (£16.00 concessions)

More Additions Added To The ROCKNESS Line-Up

MORE AMAZING ROCKNESS LINE UP ADDITIONS ANNOUNCED

MS DYNAMITE, YASMIN, JAMES MACKENZIE & THE AQUASCENE, ZEDD, TOM ODELL, NIKI AND THE DOVE and MIKE DIGNAM
plus
HOTTEST HIGHLAND DJ TALENT and WE OWN with DEM SLACKERS!

Ms Dynamite

The Year of the Ness is so close you can feel it and the countdown is well and truly on. Today the good times just keep on rolling as more incredible acts are confirmed for the already heaving-with-quality line up.

On the cusp of once again blowing up the urban music scene, and the RockNess Main Stage, is MS DYNAMITE. Massively important in her genre with strong connections to the underground and a number of notable cutting edge collaborations to her credit, expect an amazing live show and stunning return to form. As Artwork of MAGNETIC MAN, who also play RockNess this year comments “the energy she brings is unreal. MS DYNAMITE is one of those people who puts her own stamp on everything she does. She's just got it. Her amazing stage presence helps too."

Flying the flag for the very best breakthrough talent from the Scottish Highlands, JAMES MACKENZIE & THE AQUASCENE take to the RockNess Main Stage for an unmissable performance. This Inverness four piece, fronted by James MacKenzie and supported by the very best in string accompaniment, evoke the finest moments of Damien Rice and Crosby, Stills & Nash yet maintain an originality that is melodic, engaging and uplifting.

Hot on the heels of her support slot on EXAMPLE’s headline UK tour, the gorgeous and talented YASMIN will no doubt reacquaint with the British rapper at RockNess as she joins the bill in this year’s new Rock n Roll Circus Arena. Having DJd for many big artists including N.E.R.D. and with recent musical forays including Devlin and Labrinth, YASMIN is one of the hottest new names on the scene so check her out.

Leading the charge of a new generation of Swedish pop stars, NIKI AND THE DOVE combine epic choruses with Eastern European drum styles to make soaring songs dripping with euphoria. Intriguing and dramatic, a visit to the Rock n Roll Circus is recommended to see what Dazed & Confused hails as “brilliant pop”. In contrast and in keeping with the eclectic best new music vibe of Rock n Roll Circus, it’ll be a flamboyant retro rock takeover as the quite excellent TOM ODELL extols his utterly charming, and at times operatic brand of original pop.

MIKE DIGNAM’s dynamic vocals and energetic compositions bely his tender nineteen years. Two self penned, self recorded and self produced albums in, the second of which is set for release on his self created label this summer, and a number of successful tour support slots under his belt, catch this impressive talent in the Rock n Roll Circus while you can.

The beats take centre stage in the Goldenvoice Arena for the duration of DJ and remixer ZEDD’s set as he prepares to unleash a radical and super catchy soundtrack that buzzes and hums. Definitely one to watch as collaborations with Gaga, Skrillex, Fatboy Slim and Armand van Helden testify.

Having slowly seduced audiences for the past year with their sweeping and relentlessly rocking soundscapes, Glasgow’s STRAWBERRY OCEAN SEA look destined for greatness.  A personal invitation by James Allan to open for GLASVEGAS on their current tour has seen the fast rising four piece garner rave reviews and RockNess welcomes them to the bill.

Festival favourite THOMAS GANDEY (aka CAGED BABY) is back with exciting new material that captures his tough techno and sexy nu disco trademark and is aimed squarely at the dance floor. All round legend GRAEME PARK returns too for more spreading of the gorgeous, uplifting garage and house music gospel and the ROCKNESS CEILIDH ALL STARS kick the weekend party into gear with a blast of banging ceilidh music.

Elsewhere, RockNess is pleased to announce that some of the most exciting DJ talent from Inverness and The Scottish Highlands is set to keep the party rockin’ all weekend including  ABRAHAM THUNDERWOLF, POLYMATH, FILTH, THE LED, SOUNDCLASH DJs and AUDIOLIFE.
Finally, the party loving, fashion-tastic WE OWN creative collective make their RockNess debut on site with an exclusive retail showcase of their cool, coveted WE OWN merchandise. What’s more, the WE OWN team have lined up Dutch DJ wunderkind DEM SLACKERS to spin his magic in a very special set in HOWARD’S END.  With DEM SLACKER’s tracks supported by Crookers, Steve Aoki, Fake Blood, Don Rimini, Sinden, Tommy Sunshine, Mightyfools and many more, and with tours in Hungary, Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK already confirmed, electro stardom beckons.

Festival Director Jim King comments “We’re really pleased to announce these latest acts. JAMES MACKENZIE & THE AQUASCENE are a really talented local band that I can’t wait to hear live, YASMIN is going to be huge and it’s really exciting to have MISS DYNAMITE. We’ve also got the cream of the Highland club scene to rock Howard’s End into the early hours. Howard’s thinking of pulling out his dub step set so the guys had better be on top of the game. There’s now officially only 2 weeks to go until the start of the summer!”


RockNess 2011 takes place 10-12 June, 2011 in the village of Dores, close to Inverness in the Scottish Highlands.

WINNER – NME Awards ‘BEST SMALL FESTIVAL’

WINNER – UK Festival Awards ‘LINE UP OF THE YEAR’

Interview With... NERO prior to ROCKNESS festival

Are you excited to be going to Scotland to play at RockNess?

Yes, can’t wait as we’ve heard the setting is amazing so it’s going to be a wicked experience.

Do you think the music scene differs depending on which part of the country you’re in, and how does this affect your sets?

You definitely notice a lot of energy up in Scotland, but we’re really lucky that we get an up for it crowd where ever we go.

Congratulations on your recent songs ‘Me & You’ and ‘Guilt’ which have done extremely well this year, do you think that Dub-step is here to stay?

Genres always come and go but dubstep is evolving in a really positive way so it will always be around in some shape or form.

Dub-step is now becoming more mainstream, does this affect how you produce your music?

It doesn’t affect us at all,  we didn’t make ‘Me & You’ to get on the radio, but they liked it, so we’re just going to keep making music we like and hope the success carries on.

What do you think will be the ‘Summer 2011’ song?

There are so many contenders this year but I think a lot of producers are yet to pull out their big guns for the festival season yet.

Have you got any surprises in store for the Rockness crowd?

There are going to be some un heard tracks from our forthcoming album “Welcome Reality” in our sets, as well as our own VIP edits

Who are your inspirations for your music?

Our inspirations are extremely wide but I suppose Daft Punk are the ones that we constantly look to and reference.

Any tips to be a ‘Pro-festival goer’?

Erm…Take your own bathroom?

What are your plans for the rest of the year?

We’re working on getting our album totally finished, it’s due out on the 1^st August so time is ticking. We’re also working at getting our live show on tour in October.

You are supporting deadmau5 in Victoria Park – anything special planned for the London show?

We’re headlining the tent in Victoria Park so are going to be preparing some special edits to make sure it’s a memorable set.

Nero Performs at RockNess on the 10^th June 2011.  For more information visit www.rockness.co.uk

BETWIXT! Starring Ashleigh Gray, Steven Webb and Benedict Slater Heading To The West End This Summer

Steven Webb, Ashleigh Gray and newcommer Benedict Salter are to head the cast of Betwixt!, a new British comedy musical written and directed by Ian McFarlane, which is getting a West End season at Trafalgar Studios 2 from Tuesday 26th July to Saturday 20th August. 

 In modern day New York, writer Bailey - suffering writer's block - and his roommate Cooper Fitzgerald are catapulted head first into a strange enchanted world. Their arrival fulfils a prophecy that tells of a brave hero and a great queen and they are tasked with searching out a fading daytime TV star who is the only hope for saving a pregnant princess from losing the throne... Sex-crazed nymphs, hunchbacks, cross-dressing mutes, dancing reporters, enchantresses (of the evil-world-dominating variety) and a disembodied head with a Bavarian accent are teamed with sitcom-styled dialogue and a toe-tapping score in a truly funny musical comedy.

Steven Webb is Cooper, a flamboyant out of work actor who gets dragged along on this crazy trip with his new roommate Bailey. Webb’s stage roles include The Mamet Plays at the Arcola, new musical Departure Lounge at Waterloo East, Alan Bennet’s The History Boys  in the West End and on tour, Shit-Mix at Trafalgar Studios and at Christmas played the title role in Dick Whittington at the Lyric Hammersmith. On TV he appeared in The Inbetweeners, Bad Girls, The Bill, and Holby City. 

Ashleigh Gray (Miranda) is best known  for covering and playing the coveted role of Elphaba in Wicked at the Apollo Victoria. Her other credits include Taboo, Grease and the Notes From New York concert series.

Bailey is played by Benedict Salter, making his West End debut.

More casting to be announced.

Betwixt! Is launching a massive online campaign at www.betwixtmusical.com where fans can be directly involved in the production through social media, live performances, ticket treasure hunts, lotteries, tweet Q&A’s, interactive video blogs and much more.

Written and Directed by Ian McFarlane 
Choreography is by Grace Harrington
Musical Direction by Ross Leadbeater 
Producer is Christopher D Clegg

www.betwixtmusical.com

Betwixt!

26th July – 20th August

TRAFALGAR STUDIO 2
Trafalgar Studios,
Whitehall,
London, SW1A 2DY

www.ambassadortickets.com/trafalgarstudios

Box Office
0844 871 7632

Group Bookings 0844 871 7644 Ticket Master
0870 534 4444

Mon – Sat at 7.45pm
Thursday & Saturday matinees at 3.00pm.

Tickets: £25.00
(£20.00 concessions)

Review: ABANDOMAN - E4 Udderbelly Festival Southbank London

E4 Udderbelly Festival
Fri 27th May
9pm


Abandoman are quite possibly undisputed kings of improv hip-hop comedy.
At tonight's Pick 'n' Mix Tape show, they showed signs of their brains working quickly to make up songs on the spot about people in the audience.

Starting the show with the now infamous "What's In Your Pocket", Rob Broderick asks you to hold up in the air the most unusual thing from your pockets/handbags etc, and without further a do, a new song is born with James Hancox on the guitar and vocals.
Items ranging from toilet roll to bras, nothing is difficult for these two songsters.

With other songs, subjects shouted out from the audience are delightful, pitting Bananaman against David Hasselhoff in a side splittingly funny piece.

In the Udderbelly tent, it was a full house, and for the bigger space, Abandoman had a few tricks up their sleeve, with the addition of a band. This was good to hear, adding more depth to the songs which told the life story of two audience members (who would have thought there was a job to organise social mingles in the city - next one being at St Pauls tonight)

Add a few scantily clad dancers to help proceedings, and extra vocals at the end from the stunning Jenny Bede, then a good night is had by all.

An hour long set is just the right amount of time for this kind of act, of which Rob and James have got down to a fine art.


If you fancy a good laugh and want to hear very clever songs made up on the spot,  then this is for you.
If you don't want to hear this, then shame on you... go check them out!

www.facebook.com/abandoman

100 Monkeys featuring Twilight star JACKSON RATHBONE announce UK Tour

100 MONKEYS TAKING LIQUID ZOO ACROSS THE POND!
STAR OF TWILIGHT TO PLAY DEBUT UK SHOWS

Friday 27 May 2011 – After much anticipation of fans waiting with bated breath and threats to fly to the US and drag them over themselves, 100 Monkeys, featuring Twilight star Jackson Rathbone, are finally crossing the pond this winter!

After finishing a summer tour in the US and Canada to promote their newest album, Liquid Zoo, which comes out June 28th (distributed by Warrior/Universal), they will be heading eastward to play several show in Europe.  

The tour kicks off November 28 in Sweden and continues into Denmark, working its way through Germany, France, and the Netherlands before touching down in the UK for their first ever shows!

Tickets for 100 Monkey’s UK tour go on sale 9am on Wednesday 1 June 2011 through www.aeglive.co.uk/ 08444 775 775

Full UK Tour Dates – December 2011:
Monday 12                  Manchester Academy 3
Wednesday 14            Birmingham Institute, The Temple
Thursday 15                London Islington Academy

100 Monkeys, known for their raucous theatrical live-sets where they switch instruments and vocalists nearly every other song, will be swinging your way soon and with a new album.   100 Monkeys is a band described by SPIN.com as “funk rock” and by RollingStone.com as “tribal sounds with vocals recalling Jim Morrison’s baritone croon.”  Beyond Race Magazine says they are “sing-along-worthy, sometimes bluesy” and MTV.com describes the band as a mix of “Iggy Pop with the Raconteurs.”

100 Monkeys, however, jest that their music is purely “onomatopoetic, but for the sake of simplicity, we’ll call it funky rock-n-roll.”  This quintet of multi-instrumentalists is comprised of multi-faceted artists, actors, and producers including Jackson Rathbone (who appears in such movies as “The Last Airbender” and the “Twilight” motion picture franchise), Ben Graupner (Trapped in the 5150, Devolved), Jerad Anderson (Wayne/Lauren Film Company), Lawrence Abrams (of the great Willie Bobo, Bob Hope U.S.O. tour, and The Artist Consortium), and Ben Johnson (of the Stevedores and music producer of Spencer Bell’s “Brain”).

With a set list that never repeats twice and a band that truly knows how to put on their own rock show, you won’t want to miss 100 Monkeys on tour November and December in Europe. Check out 100MonkeysMusic.com for further album, touring updates, and all other important news from the band.

www.100monkeysmusic.com

Extra Tickets For ARCADE FIRE'S Hyde Park Show Now On Sale!

EXTRA TICKETS FOR ARCADE FIRE’S HYDE PARK SHOW

 Live Nation have announced extra tickets have been released for Arcade Fire’s sold out show in London’s Hyde Park on June 30th.

Due to unprecedented demand, additional production holds are being released to the public.

The line-up also features special guests Mumford & Sons, Beirut, The Vaccines and Owen Pallett.

All tickets for the Hyde Park show are £48.50 and are available now from www.LiveNation.co.uk.  All tickets subject to booking fee.
 

www.arcadefire.com

Arcade Fire in Hyde Park with Mumford & Sons, Beirut, The Vaccines and Owen Pallet. Thursday 30th June - Gates Open 2.30pm - Shows starts 4pm.

LENNY KRAVITZ Reveals New Album & EUROPEAN TOUR

LENNY KRAVITZ

BLACK AND WHITE AMERICA

 NEW Album set to Debut on August 22^nd Ex-North America and August 30 in the US

 

Debut single “Stand” impacts Radio on June 6^th

Lenny Kravitz announces European Tour to coincide with album launch

Four time GRAMMY Award winning artist Lenny Kravitz is proud to announce the release of his new single, “Stand” set to hit radio in late June. The track is taken from his highly-anticipated ninthstudio album, Black and White America (Atlantic Records/Roadrunner Records). The collection, set to debut on August 22 ex-North America and August 30 in the U.S, marks Kravitz’s first release on the new label, following 8 previous albums and over 35 million units sold. In addition to his new single, Lenny Kravitz has confirmed a European tour in October/November to coincide with the launch of Black and White America. In addition to the album, Lenny Kravitz, who most recently appeared in the Oscar nominated film Precious, has announced that he has been cast in the role of Cinna in the much anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ worldwide smash hit novel, The Hunger Games.

The tour titled Black and White Europe will feature brand new staging and production and include all of Lenny’s biggest hits as well as showcase the new album. Fans who sign up on www.lennykravitz.com or follow him on Facebook or Twitter will be the first to receive the pre-sale information for the tour. 

 

Marking his first release of new material in three years, Black and White America is a rich rock and funk-infused collection filled with Lenny’s signature guitar riffs, compelling melodies and the undeniable anthemic lyricism that has been his trademark over the course of his 20-year career.

 

Recorded in the Bahamas and Paris, Lenny Kravitz’s vocals and guitar playing are as distinct as ever on Black and White America, showcasing the intensity with which he records and performs. Kravitz, a multi-instrumentalist, produced, wrote and arranged the 16 tracks on the record.

 

Regarded as one of the preeminent rock musicians of our time, Lenny Kravitz has transcended genre, style, race and class into a 20-year musical career, one which revels in the rich influences of '60s and '70s soul, rock and funk. From 1999 to 2002, he won four consecutive Grammy Awards, setting a record for the most wins in the “Best Male Rock Vocal Performance” category with his single “Dig In” (previously winning for “Again,” “American Woman” and “Fly Away”).

For more information please go to www.lennykravitz.com.

 

 

Black and White Europe

October

15  Amiens, France                         Zenith

17   Rotterdam, Holland                  Ahoy

18   Strasbourg, France                  Zenith

20   Montpellier, France                 Arena

21   Toulouse, France                    Zenith

23   Nantes, France                        Zenith

24   Lille, France                            Zenith

27   London, UK                            Hammersmith Apollo

30   Antwerp, Belgium                   Sportpalais

 

November

1    Luxembourg City, Luxembourg        Rockhal

2    Dusseldorf, Germany                       Mitsubishi Electric Halle

4    Hamburg, Germany                          O2 Arena

5    Mannheim, Germany                        SAP Arena

7    Berlin, Germany                               Columbiahalle

9    Warsaw, Poland                               Torwar

11   Riga, Latvia                                     Arena

12   Kaunas, Lithuania                           Zalgiris Arena

15   Prague, Czech Republic                  02 Arena

17   Zagreb, Croatia                               Arena

18   Vienna, Austria                               Stadhalle

20   Treviso, Italy                                   Palaverde

21   Milan, Italy                                      Mediolanum Forum

23   Munich, Germany                           Olympiahalle

24   Geneva, Switzerland                       Arena

26   Zurich, Switzerland                        Hallenstandion

28   Lyon, France                                  Halle Tony Garnier

29   Paris, France                                  Bercy

 

Tickets go onsale 9am on Friday 3^rd June priced at £34.50 (subject to booking fee) and are available from www.livenation.co.uk

 

Review: THRILLER LIVE - 1000th West End Performance - Lyric Theatre

Photo by George Bondar

Lyric Theatre London
Thurs 26th May 2011
7.30pm

For those who booked tickets, but sadly never got to see Michael Jackson perform his "This Is It" tour at the O2 Arena, then Thriller Live is making up for that lost opportunity.

With a very talented cast, the choreography excels as you would expect with any tribute to Michael Jackson.
The moves are all there, the moonwalks, the crotch holding, the leg shakes etc etc.
The dancing is tight, well executed, and a great sight to see.

The singing is indeed also very good, I was particularly impressed with Alex Buchanan, who sang a fabulous version of "She's Out Of My Life" in act one.
And young James Anderson also stands out, he is going to be a talent to watch in the future.

Photo by George Bondar

The show is essentially a tribute to MJ and his music, taking you from his childhood years of the Jackson 5, up to his latest solo offerings.
It works well, has the audience singing and dancing along, and we even got glow sticks to wave in the second half.

As this was the 1000th performance, there were special appearances from Shaheen Jafargholi and Blue!
Shaheens voice has matured since we first saw him on Britain's Got Talent, but I don't think his newly broken voice has reached full potential yet.

Blue did a great version of "Man In The Mirror" bringing the audience to their feet, they sounded great and it was good to see them back on stage.

Thriller Live is great entertainment, a show for all ages.
Still wowing audiences in the West End, a second production is currently touring the UK
Grab a ticket while you can, this show is hot and definitely worth seeing.

More info and book tickets HERE

Photo by George Bondar

FRIENDLY FIRES Announce UK Tour

NOVEMBER 2011 UK HEADLINE TOUR 

Having released their brilliant second album ‘Pala’ last week, Friendly Fires are delighted to announce a full UK tour in November. The tour will feature the band’s biggest headline shows to date, including a show at London’s 5000 capacity O2 Academy Brixton.

Priority tickets for all shows will be available from Wednesday 25th May to fans who’ve signed up to the Friendly Fires mailing list. Fans can sign up now by visiting http://www.wearefriendlyfires.com/tourdates/  Tickets will then go on general sale at 9am on Friday 27th May. The full dates are:

10TH NOVEMBER
BRISTOL O2 Academy

11TH NOVEMBER
BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy

12TH NOVEMBER
SOUTHAMPTON Guildhall

14TH NOVEMBER
NOTTINGHAM Rock City

15TH NOVEMBER
NEWCASTLE O2 Academy

17TH NOVEMBER
MANCHESTER O2 Apollo

18TH NOVEMBER
GLASGOW Barrowlands

19TH NOVEMBER
LEEDS O2 Academy

21ST NOVEMBER
CAMBRIDGE Corn Exchange

22ND NOVEMBER
LINCOLN Engine Shed

25TH NOVEMBER
LONDON O2 Academy Brixton

 www.wearefriendlyfires.com  

ATHLETE Announce The Hits Stripped Back UK Tour

ATHLETE
THE HITS - STRIPPED BACK
UK TOUR

Athlete have announced a brand new tour seeing them perform songs stripped back. It will see Athlete performing all their singles to date from all their acclaimed albums spanning their 10 year career in a way you’ve never heard them before.

Since bouncing to prominence eight years ago with the spirited, electro-tinged, indie-pop of their Mercury-nominated debut, ‘Vehicles And Animals’, Athlete have established themselves among the UK's finest songsmiths. The south east Londoners have sold more than a million copies  of their three hit albums (the other two being 2005's ‘Tourist’ and 2007's ‘Beyond The Neighbourhood’); packed out venues across the land; picked up an Ivor Novello award; and topped both the UK's album and airplay charts.  Last year they made ‘Black Swan’, which was a musical summary of everything Athlete have been through; the good, the bad and the ugly. They recently released a singles collection spanning their whole career.

This tour will include fan favourites such as ‘Wires’, “You Got The Style”, “Hurricane”, “Half Light” and “El Salvador” plus many more.

This Athlete tour is not to be missed!! Full UK tour details below:

JULY
MON 11         CARDIFF GLOBE                                         0115 959 7908
TUE 12            READING SUB 89                                      0115 959 7908
WED 13          MANCHESTER LOWRY QUAYS             0843 208 6000~
THU 14           BRIGHTON ST. GEORGES CHURCH     01273 325 440~
SAT 16            GLOUCESTER GUILDHALL                       01452 503 050
SUN 17           WARWICK ARTS CENTRE                       02476 524 524
MON 18         PORTSMOUTH HIGHLIGHT                   023 9229 8563
TUE 19            CAMBRIDGE JUNCTION 2                     01223 511 511
WED 20          LONDON UNION CHAPEL*                    020 7403 3331~
FRI 22             NORTHAMPTON ROADMENDERS*    0115 912 9000
SAT 23            BRISTOL THEKLA*                                      0845 413 4444
SUN 24           OXFORD O2 ACADEMY2*                      0845 413 4444
WED 27          NEWCASTLE CLUNY*                               0870 264 3333
THU 28           PRESTON 53 DEGREES*                           01772 893 000
FRI 29             YORK DUCHESS*                                        0844 477 1000
SAT 30            GLASGOW THE ARCHES*                        0141 565 1000
SUN 31           BIRMINGHAM HMV LIBRARY*            0844 248 5037

*PLUS GUESTS MY FIRST TOOTH

~Tickets are £22.50 (£23.50 London) and are onsale Friday 27th May @ 9am
Available at www.gigsandtours.com  / 0844 811 0051
 

www.athlete.mu