Last weekend I went to the Love Music Hate Racism concert at the Britannia Stadium in Stoke on Trent. The event was organised as a protest against the far-right British National Party and their political presence in the city. The show ran over the whole weekend but I was mainly interested in the Sunday as British soul queen Beverley Knight and Kelly Rowland were headlining.
Before I go into the performances I think it's important to say that it was good to see so many people out supporting the issue as well as seeing somewhere as deprived as Stoke being able to attract such decent acts. There were at least 5 thousand people there and it was one of the best days we've had this year for the weather - so it was a perfect day all round.
Beverley Knight was excellent, she wore a sort of blue 80's jump suit with white boots. She belted out her hits Keep This Fire Burning (I know I said hits...), ShouldaWouldaCoulda, Peace of My Heart, and a new song she'd done with Jam & Lewis - hopefully she's going all 80's soul for her new CD!
Kelly Rowland kicked off her set with Work as well as performing Like This, Emotion, How Deep Is Your Love (the Bee Gees song), Dilemma, and her new song Love Takes Over. Both Kelly and Bev seemed very pleased to be there and really got into the spirit of it - if only they on longer!
I just wanted to warn any readers who may have bought tickets from a company called Smart Hospitality who are basically another of these online ticket touts that are so common these days. My friend purchased our tickets thought Smart Hospitality and this afternoon after remarking that the tickets hadn't arrived yet, we saw this, and this, and this! Luckily they were paid for by credit card, but still it's very disappointing. I know these things happen, but how shitty! The only reason people have to resort to ticket touts is because reputable sites allow unscrupulous people to order tickets in their 100's in the first place. Luckily Ticketmaster have a few seats at the back and we can still go
I thought I would name and shame the person who registered the Smart Hospitality Tickets web site here as well.
Registrant: simonjones 6 stratford court, Victoria Way, woking surrey, NA GU21 6AN GB
Domain name: SMARTHOSPITALITYTICKETS.COM
Administrative Contact: jones, simonmentes@smarthospitalitytickets.com 6 stratford court, Victoria Way, woking surrey, NA GU21 6AN GB +1.4484561834 Technical Contact: jones, simonmentes@smarthospitalitytickets.com 6 stratford court, Victoria Way, woking surrey, NA GU21 6AN GB +1.4484561834
Registration Service Provider: Ecommerce, Inc., registrars@ecommerce.com 800-861-9394http://ecommerce.com UNLIMITED Storage Space, 3 TERRABYTES of Monthly Transfer & up-to 16 domains, starting at $3.95!
LIFETIME FREE DOMAIN REGISTRATION + FREE FEATURES INCLUDED. ONLY AT ECOMMERCE.COM
Registrar of Record: TUCOWS, INC. Record last updated on 09-Jan-2009. Record expires on 12-Aug-2009. Record created on 12-Aug-2008.
Part of Cannon Film's movie tales series, Sleeping Beauty is a faithful adaptation of the classic fairy tale. Morgan Fairchild stars as a queen who longs for a child of her own (as she tells us in a badly dubbed song - since when do Hollywood actresses have Eastern European singing voices?). An elf (Kenny Baker - R2D2!!!) recognises the queen's longing and makes a special potion to help her and soon after she is with child, and decides to invite all of the 9 fairies in the land to a celebration. Unfortunatelyfairies can only eat from gold plates, and they only have 8 of them. This angers the evil Red Fairy (Sylvia Miles) so much that she curses the child, on her 16th birthday she will die when she pricks her finger on a spindle! Fortunately the White Fairy (Jane Wiedlin from the Go-Go's) sings a sweet little song and casts a spell so that Rosebud will only sleep, not die, luckily the spell can be broken if a true prince finds her and kisses her. Still fearful the King and Queen ban all the spindle's in the land.
This movie is pretty terrible, the songs are just hideous, Spin Spindle Spin being the worst of the lot. The best bits are with the Red Fairy ,who is just terrifying, from her scary cackle, to her blood red dress and bellowing voice. Her old lady mask in the scene where she tricks Rosebud should have been enough to warrant this an 18rating - it was absolutely horrific. TahneeWelch on the other hand is just gorgeous and does a good job. Like most Cannon movies this is so cheap and cuts every corner imaginable, and that really lets it down, especially the script! Some of the visuals are quite impressive though. It was made in Israel.
Subspecies (1991)
Much like Sleeping Beauty this one got better as it went along. As the ads on my favourite movie channel on cable, Zone Horror proudly boast, this is part of their season of Full Moon Vampire Movies that they are premiering throughout June. This is the kind of crap that I love about this channel, they like this junk as much as I do! Subspecies is about two vampire brothers, one good and one very bad! The opening scene was just dire, perhaps it was because this scene was the most 'special' effects intensive - lets just say stop motion animation should have been confined to the 80's, and bad stop motion should always remain on the cutting room floor! This stuff is the pits!
For a movie on a very tight budget this one is quite effective, it's pretty gory and there is a lot for fans of vampire movies to enjoy. Some things I particularly enjoyed were the realistic gore effects, and of course any mention of shooting rosary's at vampires ticks all the boxes for me. That, and of course the damsel in distress who gets chained up just so happens to have her shirt ripped in perfect symmetry - conveniently exposing both nipples! Classy stuff! I'll be sticking with this series to see where it goes, Subspecies is by no means a good movie, but I enjoyed it. Romania always provides a spooky location too.
The very bad trailer, who thought those shitty creatures would sell this to anyone - they're hardly even in it!
The Wiz (1978)
Diana Ross as Dorothy, Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow, it can only be a Motown movie!!! Adapted from the Broadway musical of the same name, this movie was heavily criticised upon it's release and I can see why. Leaving the fact that this is an all African-American cast, Diana Ross is very plain as Dorothy and her acting is patchy, as is her singing. But as soon as Michael comes along things really pick up, they really worked well together (and continued to do so into the 80's with hits like Muscles and Eaten Alive). I think The Wiz is a fun and inventive adaptation of the Wizard of Oz, it's also pretty freaky! I would not show this to a child - the makeup effects are garish and disturbing and it's seriously trippy. In one scene our heroes are chased around a subway by ferocious storage lockers, trash cans with teeth , and goodness knows what else! Mabel King as the monstrousEvileene was great too.
I read a review that said essential the probelm is that it was too scary for kids and too silly for (most) adults, and I think that sums it up perfectly. However, you can't deny the amazing special effects and the impressive sets make The Wiz a visual feast. The use of the Manhattan landscape is brilliant too. Diana and Michael's song Ease On Down The Road is another highlight. Richard Pryor is also pretty good. The Wiz is coming back to Broadway later in the year.
I saw the amazing Ruby Turner last night at a local theatre. As well as singing her more recent blues and gospel inspired material, Ruby found time to perform some of her old singles including an emotional and somewhat 'extended' take on I'd Rather Go Blind and If You're Ready (Come Go With Me), perhaps her most popular single from 1986, provided a much demanded encore. The whole evening was superb, and even though she stuck to mostly mid-tempo material - there wasn't one boring song all night. Ruby's voice was on top form and she gave it her all, in spite of the somewhat archaic sound equipment that she was provided with. Her gospel stuff from her new album I'm Travelling On was just brilliant, she also said she hoped to release a single soon! I'd thoroughly recommend her live show to anyone.
There is not much to say about the incomparable Cher that hasn’t been said a zillion times. You don’t have to be into pop trash to like Cher, but of course it does add an extra dimension to her brilliance, those 70's costumes, Hell On Wheels? She’s just so enjoyable on so many levels and I think that’s the key to her longevity, her low points are even the stuff of envy for most of the wannabe pop queens on this blog. Apart from my personal favourite singles such as Save Up All Your Tears and One By One, Heart of Stone I think is probably my favourite of the albums I own. Cher also has some great dance mixes, check out the mid-90’s ones, especially the ones for One By One and even Walking In Memphis. She’s currently in residence at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, be sure to catch her show, if you haven’t seen her before!
iPod essentials: all the hits! CD: Very Best of Cher (2001)
D is for Dayne, Taylor Dayne
Taylor is an amazing vocalist and I have already sung the praises of her album Can’t Fight Fate this year. Her tough as old boots vocals rip their way through even the hardest house beats and leave the vast majority of her contemporaries looking bland and soulless by comparison. Tell It To My Heart is still to this day one of the most popular 80’s dance tracks, but sadly Taylor’s star has faded and she’s been relegated to the US dance charts and playing carnivals and casinos. But no matter! Taylor’s recent material such as her collaboration with Manny Lehman, I’m Not Featuring You, as well as 1998’s dance floor shredding anthem Naked Without You, are a testament to her greatness.
I think this video is great, obviously someone thought that Taylor's fabulous Original Sin deserved a better movie than the crappy Shadow to provide a theme to, so now it's got something to do with Star Wars! This Jim Steinmen produced epic should've been Taylor's Total Eclipse Of The Heart, it goes without saying that the Nicki French version would've been amazing. Great editing on this clip too...
iPod essentials: Tell It To My Heart, Every Beat Of My Heart, I’ll Be Your Shelter, Up All Night, I’ll Wait (Hot Mix), Original Sin, Naked Without You (Thunderpuss Mix), I’m Not Featuring You.
CD: I guess the best compilation is still 1995’s Greatest Hits (Arista), but Can’t Fight Fate is also a must.
Teena Marie is perhaps best known for her early 80's Motown hits Don't Look Back and Behind The Groove, as well as Ooh La La La, which was sampled by the Fugees. But, throughout the 80's Teena recorded a stunning collection of funk and soul gems which really do stand out from the crowd. She took a break but returned with a contemporary R&B sound for Gold selling album La Dona, followed up a few years later with Sapphire, which wasn't quite as good. Now she's back again! The lead single from her new album Congo Square is a duet with Faith Evans. It took a few spins but I really like it, Teena is going for a more jazz influenced sound and although wholly unnecessary, Faith Evans is a good singer, so she can't really go wrong. The album is out June 9. Teena also has some tour dates coming up - I'm hoping to see her in Philadelphia at the West Oak Lane Festival.
Let's get straight to the only reason I'd be seen dead in a grotty backstreet of England's second city. In between a derelict building and the back end of Nightingales club was the home of the Main Stage of 2009's annual gay pride event, only made classier by the council emptying the portaloos while Tina Cousins was on and the pools of vomit scattered around. Yes, this is the premier event locally and it has to be said that the lineup was well worth the effort!
Norma Lewis was the first act I saw. All of the performers did about three songs each - this was a blessing in many cases, and Norma was no exception. Her flat karaoke rendition of Donna Summer's On The Radio was too much to suffer though, although her new songs were okay. I really turned out to see Nicki French. I've been a big fan of hers since 1995, but hadn't seen her live in all that time. The lady did not disappoint! This year all the acts sang live and it made all the difference, Nicki gave it her all, sporting a purple dress and rainbow heels which perfectly complimented the stunning weather, if not the grotty surroundings. Total Eclipse of the Heart was first and Nicki nailed it, it was a nice long version with all the wailing and warbling that Nicki fans know and love, there were even a few dance moves - such as a spin to emphasise the 'Turn Around's', there was plenty of audience participation too. Next up was her Eurovision entry, Don't Play That Song Again, which was loved by all - the crowd was singing along and enjoying every minute of it, me especially.
Then Nicki performed her new single, No Smoke, a mid-tempo rock song, and a new direction for one of Britain's biggest exports. Remixes were promised, and although not what you'd expect from Nicki, it went down pretty well, and with that Nicki took her bow and it was time for the next act. I was lucky enough to meet Nicki after her set and get a picture with her - she was lovely, I only wish she'd have done a few more songs. She had quite a few groupies back stage, it was nice to see so many fans supporting her.
After this I took a little break out from the main stage and took in a few sights and a few cocktails before returning for Kelly Wilde! I was already a fan of Kelly's lively hinrg interpretations of pop classics like Laura Branigan's Gloria and Blondie's Maria. But a mere CD can't possibly convey the passion and energy that Kelly has for her music. Her manic rendition of Bonnie Tyler's Holding Out For A Hero was nothing short of jaw dropping. Kelly's flame and blonde hair-do was a perfect embellishment to compliment her on-stage persona and she can rock a mike-stand like no diva I have ever seen. She belted out every note and the crowd loved her, I was stunned! She did Gloria next an that went down very well too! I wish I'd got to meet her, she was fab! I hope she brings out some new stuff soon.
After suffering through a dreadful drag queen singing Can't Take My Eyes Off You, 90's chart toppers Baby D (well the vocalist at least) came to the stage and performed an extremely long version of their hit I Need Your Loving and of course Let Me Be Your Fantasy, which rocked. I was surprised at how edgy the song sounded compared to the other stuff that had been played that day.
Shena was up next, I think! She's the vocalist on that dreadful I Can't Wait For The Weekend To Begin song. Her other material wasn't much better, she did look quite striking in an aluminium leotard though. I remember having one her 90's singles - More Than Woman which is well worth tracking down.
Some more drinks....
As I emerged from somewhere or other I spotted someone on the stage, but I couldn't quite place them. It was none other than Tina Cousins performing her new single Sex On Fire (it was crap!), Pray was pretty amazing though.
Now for the headliners!!! Katarina from Katarina and the Waves rocked the stage with a faithful rendition of Robert Palmer's Addicted to Love, all dressed up in leather in full rock chick mode. Love Shine A Light, her 1997 chart topper and Eurovision winner, was absolutely perfect for a pride event, it was amazing. But it didn't stop there, Katarina was the first of any of the acts to come out into the crowd - she sang Walking On Sunshine on a little platform surrounded by hundreds of fans - it was simple but perfect! She was in great voice too. Booty Luv closed the show performing all their hits, and a new song - which was pretty bad! All in all it was a vast improvment on last years miserable festivities!
Paula is best known these days her for countless seasons on TV karaoke contest, American Idol. But back in the day she was a dance/pop icon with global hits like Opposites Attract, Straight Up and the sublime Rush Rush. But in the 90’s things went horribly wrong for Paula. Despite releasing probably her most sophisticated and sexy single to date, My Love Is For Real, her third studio album was D.O.A.. Since then there have been TV movies, a tween dance school, a couple of TV shows – including 2007’s loopy tour-de-force Just Paula, which saw the loveable TV talent show judge breakdown when she was forced out of Bratz: The Movie! Two hot singles followed that hot mess; Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow and I’m Just Here For The Music! A new album is due soon.
Every iPod needs: Straight Up, Forever Your Girl, Rush Rush, My Love Is For Real (& the Strike remix!), Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow.
CD:Straight Up - Greatest Hits (2008)
B is for Bananarama
From their early hits such as Really Saying Something to their SAW powerhouse gems like Venus and I Heard A Rumour, these girls paved the way for every girl group that came after. Things looked rosy for Bananarama at the end of the 80’s, despite losing Sibohan Fahey, they had a big Greatest Hits collection and a successful tour under their belts. However, the 90’s turned out not to be so kind to the trio. They ditched the Hit Factory in favour of a hipper sound for their album Pop Life, but despite some good reviews the album wasn’t a success. By 1993 thy were down to a duo and things only got worse, and tripe like 1995’s Ultra Violet and the dreadful French-only Exotica in 2001 did nothing to endear them to anyone who still retained their auditory senses. Things have got a lot better for the Nana’s in recent years, 2005 saw them enjoy two pop hits with Move In My Direction and Look On The Floor, two slick pop gems from their album Drama. The girls are working on an album of disco covers for a new labelwhich they will showcase when they headline Manchester Pride in August.
Every iPod needs:Cruel Summer, Venus, I Heard A Rumour, I Can’t Help It, Preacher Man, More More More, Look On The Floor!
CD:The Very Best of Bananarama (2001), Drama (2005)
How the hell is it May already! I'm already in a summery mood and have my holiday all sorted, except for the all important holiday tunes to keep me entertained for my 10 hour flight to Texas (if swine flu doesn't set in before I get there). These two gems are likely to be on heavy rotation on my journey.
First up, Paula Abdul is back!!! Her new single I'm Just Here For The Music (the Kylie song), is hotter than any weather we'll be getting in the UK this year that's for sure. Paula knows what her true fans want, funky dance-pop and a set of moves to knock-off on the dancefloor. I'm Just Here For The Music truly delivers the goods. I cannot wait for the full album!
From the sublime to the ridiculous, while reading the Guardian today I read about this group of trash-bag ho's and I just couldn't resist checking them out. The Dolly Rocker's debut single JeSuisUne Dolly makes early 80's Bananarama seem like a slick stage-school pop act, this is pop at it's trashiest and most hilarious. They could be the next Vanilla!
Ladyhawke is releasing Back Of The Van as a single next week too, with new remixes to boot, which I can't wait for, apparently it's been getting some airplay, I heard Dusk Till Dawn down the pub last night too, right after KirstyMacColl's stunning 90's gem Walking Down Madison, I think the owners must be reading this blog!
A quick movie mention too - I saw Star Trek last night! I'll put my hands up and admit that I have been known to frequent the odd convention (sans uniform and pointy ears, or Captain Janeway bun, before anyone asks), I expected this new movie to be crap, in all honesty I thought I would hate it. Much like The Wrath of Khan, The Voyage Home, and 1998's First Contact, this one goes for a more commercial action/comedy appoach, which as worked so well in the past. The faces may be new, but the fresh cast really make their mark on their first outing, despite the somewhat contrived story. The effects are just amazing too. Leave your brain and background knowledge at the door and you'll have a great time. Here's to many more.
Star Trek Top 10!
First Contact The Voyage Home Wrath of Khan Nemesis Star Trek (2009) The Search For Spock Generations Insurrection The Motion Picture The Final Frontier
