Author Archives: garylongden

Sunny Afternoon- Alexandra theatre, Birmingham

Posted on October 22, 2025 by garylongden

Sunny Afternoon- Alexandra theatre Birmingham ***** This is a terrific hybrid of the jukebox musical genre  featuring a band, the Kinks, who were at the heart of the 1960’s Great British musical invasion, and their inspiration, Ray Davies. Their story … Continue reading →

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Radio Costello – The Hub, St Mary’s Church, Lichfield

Posted on October 19, 2025 by garylongden

I first saw Elvis on the Bunch of Stiffs tour in 1977, forty seven years ago. Forty seven years prior to 1977 lies 1930. A time before the establishment of the Weimar Republic  and Adolf Hitler in Germany, George Vth … Continue reading →

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Boomtown Rats – Symphony Hall Birmingham

Posted on October 12, 2025 by garylongden

I have always been a massive rats fan and was there for their first full UK tour in 77. Thy were the best live band around when punk broke – and that includes The Jam and the Clash. Their star … Continue reading →

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Top Hat – Nottingham Theatre Royal

Posted on October 12, 2025 by garylongden

Autumn is here. Its becoming cold-  surely a cue for some old style Hollywood glitz? If you like song and dance, particularly tap dance, then this is your show. Visually it is  a sparkling, frothy  fizzy cocktail of mistaken identity … Continue reading →

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The Great Gatsby- Derby Theatre

Posted on October 7, 2025 by garylongden

**** Hitherto The Great Gatsby has been defined by the original  F Scott Fitzgerald novel and the 2013  Baz Luhrmann film.  For this production  which debuted earlier in the year at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Elizabeth Newman has adapted the … Continue reading →

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Diana Krall – Symphony Hall, Birmingham, 4/10/25

Posted on October 5, 2025 by garylongden

I have been a fan for many years and own many of her albums but this was my first opportunity to see her live Sadly ,I was disappointed. I expected a Jazz, not MOR  easy listening set. However we experienced … Continue reading →

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Morecambe Poetry Festival 2025

Posted on September 27, 2025 by garylongden

I have attended numerous music festivals, and some Mind Body Spirit festivals , but never a Poetry festival of over a days’ duration. I decided that Morecambe was the perfect opportunity to redress that omission. What follows is not a … Continue reading →

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Dear England – Nottingham Royal Theatre, 24/09/25

Posted on September 25, 2025 by garylongden

***** A fan once said to legendary Liverpool football manager Bill Shankly: ‘To you football is a matter of life or death!’ , he replied:  ‘Listen, it’s more important than that’. The two great loves of my life are football … Continue reading →

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David Gilmour Live at the Circus Maximus  Rome- film review 17/9/25

Posted on September 18, 2025 by garylongden

I went to the same school as Gilmour ( Perse) and lived in the city ( Cambridge). We were not contemporaries at school, but I recall seeing Syd Barrett around Cherry Hinton, a Cambridge suburb and pink Floyd were very … Continue reading →

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Murder at Midnight

Posted on September 10, 2025 by garylongden

It is September  , the children are back at school, temperatures are falling and Derby Theatre has a scorching world premier  tour from leading contemporary playwright Torben Betts to open the autumn  season. A strong cast of television veterans includes … Continue reading →

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