This was the third time I’d seen Frisky and Mannish, so I pretty much knew what to expect and I
wasn’t disappointed. They’re completely nuts, incredibly talented, and a
cracking comedy night out. New parodies of Lana Del Rey and Made in Chelsea
made me snort into my cider, and the
evening ended with an anarchic (and frankly terrifying) conga through the
audience. As always, totally recommended if they’re ever back in town.
On a side note - I really like the Spiegeltent. It’s
like a circus tent with merry-go-round poles and cosy booths, a cracking bar at
the back and a great atmosphere. Definitely prefer it to the Udderbelly, which
although housed inside an upside down purple cow (which I love), is pretty
basic inside. So full marks for Spiegel.
I’ve only seen one version of Macbeth before, and that was an al-fresco
university production with everyone dressed in black, and I had no idea who was
who or who was being murdered. I think it’s the abundance of Macs that gets me
twisted. So I had a bit of a murky concept of what the plot actually is – but
this version directed by (the brilliant) Eve Best brought clarity and a
lightness of touch to a dark play.
As a directorial debut, it was incredibly confident and slick –
bringing a simple, fresh and intelligent approach to a much-performed work. I
found it hugely entertaining, both as an overall theatre experience and in the
humour which was scattered throughout the production. The audience were full-on
laughing at several points in the play – my personal favourite was Joseph
Millson’s cheeky delivery of Macbeth’s line when he’s made king: “Would you
like to kiss my ring?” He engaged the audience with his humour in classic Globe
style, which I was pleased to find is not just reserved for comedies.
The chemistry between Millson’s Macbeth and Samantha Spiro’s Lady
Macbeth was impressive. The power struggle within their relationship visibly
shifts and Lady Macbeth’s general devastation at the end clearly includes the
feeling that she has lost her husband too. There is a sense of poignancy too
throughout the play and this counteracted the light humour well – particularly
Millson’s restless physical performance works just as well for madness as
comedy. His ‘tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow’ speech was captivating.
The portrayal of the witches also seemed to be something new – they
were less a terrifying force than an otherworldly trio. They were light,
intriguing, and gave off a more pagan, mysterious vibe which was really
thrilling. The play also ended with a witch playing the pipes, book-ending the
performance which had begun with an impressive drumming piece by the whole
cast.
Genuinely enjoyed this, which I didn’t think I would say about Macbeth.
Nice one Eve.
Brixpig x
Bit of monologue for ya:
She should have died hereafter;
There would have been a time for such a word.
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing. — Macbeth (Act 5, Scene 5, lines 17-28)
I hadn’t been to a proper scruffy gig for ages, so Glasvegas at XOYO was an excellent change (they kicked my Lana del Rey experience right up the arse, let me tell you). I love how dark and gritty they are, how you feel like you wouldn’t necessarily want to meet them down a dark Glaswegian alleyway, alongside the powerfully emotional lyrics lead singer James Allen tears out of himself through his incredible unique voice. Their heartbreaking songs are yelled right back at them by a crowd of tough guys with their eyes closed and fists clenched around their beers. They are brutal and honest, but beautiful and moving too. Their new drummer Jonna Lofgren was incredible, providing a massive presence, momentum and rockstar spirit on the stage. She’s cool, basically.
Glasvegas really surprised me; they grabbed me and shook me and made sure I had an immense time, as did the surprisingly polite crowd (appreciate you, guys). It’s gigs like this that make you know live music is worthwhile, when the band’s passion literally hurls itself off the stage and smacksyou round the ears (in a pleasing way). They’re not perfect but they’re real.
Their new album is out now and definitely worth a listen (although their first one is still the best).
I love the Udderbelly and I love a singing comedian who turns her dress inside out after the opening number, tries to roll in on a camel which then falls over, and maintains an impressive fringe throughout. She’s a great singer and musician which does help (in Frisky and Mannish style, you can be genuinely impressed with her vocal skills while you’re rolling around on the floor).
Audience participation took the form of a cheese-based form of Deal or No Deal (a nice brie: red, Dairylea triangle: blue) and a camel-rolling volunteer (definitely picked the wrong audience member). The Clare Balding song was probably my new favourite of the celeb-worshipping tunes, but you can't beat the Brian Cox song (see below) for pure filthy hilarity.
The show ended with boxes of Cadbury’s Crispellos being wheeled in and distributed to the crowd, so it was pretty much a perfect evening of comedy. Cheers luv.
Why: Ongoing appreciation for both artist and venue
I’m keeping it brief – ethereal setting, dreamy artist, excellent (Wahaca and beer-fulled) company. Could only have been improved by whoever was doing the sound turning it up a bit. The Union Chapel is a great venue – a gloomy but cheerful atmosphere, charming and very chilled-out. The pew seating feels communal and friendly, and the cute bar above the church provides comfy seating, reasonably priced booze and even a cup of tea if that’s what you fancy. Brilliant stuff.
Mt Wolf performed their all too short set impeccably, Kate Sproule’s vocals soaring through the rafters and making me shiver as usual. Their new song Midnight Shallows is a real beaut and I suggest you have a listen below and catch them when they’re next performing near you for an utterly cool evening.
My
bag was bloody searched going into the Piccadilly Theatre, which set me against
them straight away. You’re not the O2 arena kids, you’re a slightly dingy half
empty theatre and it’s only a wee gin in a tin... Hmph. My gin-based
rage aside (FYI, I didn’t let them confiscate it; I pretended to drink it
outside then snuck it in via my mum’s bag... classy), I was intrigued to
see what lay before me as I took my seat right at the back of the stalls
with the rest of the Time Out ticket buyers (and behind several totally empty
rows of seats further forward). This was the “re-vamped” version of the show,
but even so its closure had been announced since I’d bought the tickets so
there was a slightly defeated air hanging over the auditorium. We were
bombarded with reality-TV style images and soundbites and videos around
the stage as it began and my heart slightly sank as I somehow knew it wasn’t
going to be good. I tend not to pay huge attention to critics, as if I
like something then I like it and whevs to everyone else. But in the case
of Viva, I think they were just right.
I
can’t speak about it for too long as it’s painful for me to criticise anything
that the Saunders has touched, not to mention my very long-standing
loyalty to the Spices themselves. But briefly – when you find yourself
only able to watch the stage through your hands, trying to smother a
hysterical laugh-sob as the audience around you sits in dulled and
somewhat upset silence, then you know something has gone horribly wrong.
One reviewer referred to a “miasma of disappointment” emanating from the
audience which I can confirm is totally accurate.
Not
all the cast were bad – the mum’s sidekick was quite funny and Doon
Mackichan-esque, and the guy from Eastenders was alright at being
essentially Simon Cowell. The moving barge which made up the stage was
also quite effective, even if what was happening on it was a travesty. The
best moment in the musical was the bedroom scene between the mother and
her new chap as they sang a hilarious version of 2 become 1 but I mean that’s
obviously a relative hilarity compared to the rest of the show. The
main girl, Viva, had a voice that wasn’t horrific but was just wrong for a
theatre (too LOUD mate, seriously), no-one else could really sing, and the
songs were totally abused. Some real crackers that would have completely
boosted the storyline were totally under-used – I’m looking at you, Mama, Headlines
and Say you’ll be there. The MEDLEY of Goodbye/Mama/Headlines was one of the
most awful things I have ever heard. The plot was going nowhere, I didn’t
really like any of the characters and it was all just SO disappointing. I
think because I was prepared to defend it to the hilt – I love everyone
involved (behind the scenes) and the Spice Girls are my original heroes – but I
was even more let down because I couldn’t redeem it. It was bizarre, not
funny, slow and painful.
I’m
sorry, I just can’t... I can’t go on... *runs out sobbing*
Why:I’m
not going to dignify that question with an answer
Right,
let me just get this out of the way before the rest of this entry: nothing
anyone could say against this concert will ever be allowed to stand, from my
perspective, because Barbra SANG A YENTL SONG. It wasThe way he makes me feel,it was epic and a pinnacle of my
life’s experience. So there you are. Let’s go on.
After downing four jugs of Long Island iced teas at Las
Iguanas, my ma and dearest woman-playlist-loving pal Martin headed in to begin
the arduous climb to the very top of the O2 arena, to take our place in the
“cheap” seats. We had to sit my mother down straight away as she doesn’t handle
heights well, but her love for Babs held her up and got her through.
Barbra is a classy broad. The stage was set with a 60 piece
orchestra, the black and white photo montage of her life was playing, and then
slowly from the centre of the stage rose a legend in a black sequined pant
suit, to a rapturous response from the crowd. She launched intoOn a clear dayfrom the movie of the same name (seemy reviewfor full understanding of this
iconically mental film), which was a beautiful way to start. Her voice was as
powerful and iconic as ever; a little bit more croaky at the higher end of the
register but she has been singing for such a long time. If anything an
occasional lovely scratch just gave each song more character, and meant one
could appreciate the sheer force of the 71 year old woman standing before you.
She launched into some vintage classics and a bit of disco (Enough is
Enough),and introduced her
sister Rozzi to sing for a bit, who seemed lovely and essentially could make a
decent living as a Barbra tribute act.
Rozzi was one of a few breaks in the show which meant that
Babs could have a wee sit down – others included a lengthy trumpet solo from
guest star Chris Botti (very accomplished, but yawn) and a slightly bizarre
offering from Jason Gould, her son (bit of a mama’s boy, but to be fair if your
mum is Barbra Streisand then I suppose it’s understandable). The show went on
for a good three hours but if you counted up the minutes of Babs-time it would
probably come in at about 2. I love her and I’m sure her family and friends are
very nice, but I can’t imagine many people would pay up to £450 (NOT me –
“cheap” seats remember guys) to see Jason Gould and a random trumpeter.
Another small pause came in the form of a Barbra Q&A,
which involved questions such as “How are you so beautiful?” and “I met my
girlfriend on a Barbra Streisand forum. Will you ask if she’ll marry me?” from
a lovely lady sitting not far behind us (lots of applause, it was a beautiful
moment even if Babs did seem a bit disturbed by being upstaged thanks to her
own website). Another audience member asked why Barbra didn’t sing any songs
from the (REALLY EXCELLENT)Guiltyalbum anymore (Barry Gibb,
darling), and Babs replied that she didn’t really “believe in the philosophy”
nowadays. Which was bold, as that album holds a lot of her hits. She did throw
us a snippet ofWoman in lovethough which was snapped up
eagerly by the crowd.
She was very chatty and self-deprecating, explaining that
this was only her 93rdconcert
ever as she had stage fright for decades. But she’s a natural at simultaneously
blowing your socks off in awe at one of the world’s greatest stars, and making
a huge arena where you’re sitting approximately half a mile away seem like an
intimate venue that you’ve been honoured to be invited to. Not many stars could
hold such a huge audience spellbound as they sit and sniff the (colour
matching) roses on the little side table by her mic, quietly contemplating life
for a few minutes as people shriek “WE LOVE YOU”!! (“... thank you darling.”) I
loved the small moments in between songs where she’d tell a little anecdote
about her favourite people and the sudden realisation that I was watching
BARBRA STREISAND would sneak over me and make me hop with glee. Little things
such as quotingOn a clear daydoing her hilarious English accent
were what made the show for me. Big hits such asThe way we were(mum was very happy with that one)
and songs fromGypsy(Rose’s turn/Some people)
contributed too though, and when Babs appeared after the interval in a long red
dress with epic shoulder pads and fitted with a CAPE, under a video of genuine
hot-stuff Omar Shariff inFunny
Girlto singMy Man,I did think I might not ever stop
smiling.
I was brought slightly down to earth by a bizarre performance
of Bernstein’sLet the garden
growin sort ofEarth Song-eco message style
with all the family and a full choir (who took AGES to file onto the stage)
which even though Barbra was involved was just tedious, but sometimes you have
to ignore these flaws, and I was grateful for a pause to level out so that I
wouldn’t have to float home. Babs is such an incredible singer, completely
owning the emotional heart of every song (except the weird choir one) and
making you feel like she’s singing everything straight into your heart.
Stunning. For a few lovely (obviously dodgy quality) videos of Babs, have a look at my YouTube
channel.
This was the third time I’d seen Frisky and Mannish, so I pretty much knew what to expect and I
wasn’t disappointed. They’re completely nuts, incredibly talented, and a
cracking comedy night out. New parodies of Lana Del Rey and Made in Chelsea
made me snort into my cider, and the
evening ended with an anarchic (and frankly terrifying) conga through the
audience. As always, totally recommended if they’re ever back in town. 
