Author Archives: garylongden

Tony! The Tony Blair Rock opera- Derby Theatre

Posted on September 13, 2023 by garylongden

Photo credits to Mark Douet Some lament the turgid fare of contemporary musicals. “ Tony! (The Tony Blair Rock Opera)”, by Harry Hill and Steve Brown challenges that stasis. Charlie Baker takes the lead as the eponymous messiah, channelling “Smashy … Continue reading →

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the Doors Rising- Robin 2, Bilston, Wolverhampton, Uk, 25/8/23

Posted on August 26, 2023 by garylongden

Some bands belong live on stage, Thin Lizzy were one such band. This tour supported their “ Live and Dangerous “album. They were at their absolute peak, and this was one of their three prestige dates at London’s temple of … Continue reading →

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Sound and Vision- Robin 2, Bilston, Wolverhampton Uk 4/8/23

Posted on August 6, 2023 by garylongden

This is the fourth Bowie tribute I have seen this year so I am starting to feel as much a tribute expert as I am a Bowie fan. The Robin 2 in Bilston Wolverhampton is a great live venue with … Continue reading →

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The Legend of Bruce Springsteen Robin 2, Bilston, Wolverhampton, UK 21/7/23

Posted on July 31, 2023 by garylongden

I have been following Springsteen since the Hammersmith Odeon , London shows in 1975. Hitherto I have resisted  Springsteen tribute shows- until last night. I was nervous. I regard Springsteen as amongst the greatest rock n roll performers ever, the … Continue reading →

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A Virgin’s Guide to Hiring an Escort, by Lorna Meehan – The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham

Posted on July 22, 2023 by garylongden

***** – This is a one woman, one hour performance. The Blue Orange theatre,  a modern, compact space on the fringes of the Jewellery Quarter was perfect. Off beat, and intimate. – An established writer, actor  and performer on the … Continue reading →

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Sucker Punch – Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Posted on June 14, 2023 by garylongden

This is a revival of a play  by British playwright Roy Williams,  first staged in 2010 at the Royal Court Theatre in London when it was nominated for the Evening Standard Award and the Olivier Award for Best New Play. … Continue reading →

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The Pretenders- De Montfort hall, Leicester,  Dec 15th 1981

Posted on June 12, 2023 by garylongden

The Pretenders are an odd band. Their debut album was awash with great songs from the pop/rock tradition even though their genesis was forged on the anvil of punk. Hynde’s career can best be described as mercurial. Arriving from the … Continue reading →

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PJ Harvey, Hummingbird, Birmingham, 12th May, 1993

Posted on June 12, 2023 by garylongden

I was lucky, I was working away from home, and so had no family commitments in the evening. In a city the size of Birmingham there was always some sort of gig on, and this night I landed on PJ … Continue reading →

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Around the World in 80 Days – Derby Theatre

Posted on June 6, 2023 by garylongden

*** Six years ago   Derby theatre  performed Laura Easons’ adaptation of this classic story directed by Theresa Heskins .  The 2023 production 150 years on from  the original English publication, is very different and unrecognisable from its previous incarnation , … Continue reading →

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Absolute Bowie, the Hairy Dog, 19th May, 2023

Posted on May 21, 2023 by garylongden

This was the third Bowie Tribute I have  seen in as many months providing a useful contemporaneous comparison, previously John Mainwaring’s Jean Genie, then Oliver Slee’s Bowie Experience.  I suspect that “better or worse” comes down to the setlist and … Continue reading →

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