Category: Live

• Calendar Girls The Musical

    (Photo: John Swannell). Extraordinary tales about ordinary people make the very best stories and Calendar Girls The Musical is no exception. Showing at Hanley’s Regent Theatre this week, the show shines a light on the ubiquitous story of a group of WI members who bravely bared all for a fundraising calendar in memory of […]

  jerobear

  November 15, 2018

  Live, Uncategorized

  baroque, Blues, brother, Calendar Girls, CDs, Chronicle Series, Classical, Congleton Chronicle, early, funk, Hanley, jazz, Jem Condliffe, music, pop, Regent, Reggae, Review Corner, reviews, rock, soul

• Bluedot’s stars shine brightly

  It’s fair to say that life really does get no better than the opening song at a Flaming Lips gig: music so happy it brings a lump to the throat, confetti cannons, giant balloons and lasers. France might think winning the World Cup was a top moment, but even they’d probably concede that hearing Race […]

  jerobear

  August 25, 2018

  Live

  baroque, Blues, brother, CDs, Chronicle Series, Classical, Congleton Chronicle, early, festival, Flaming Lips, funk, Gary Numan, jazz, Jem Condliffe Bluedot, Jodrell Bank, music, pop, Reggae, Review Corner, reviews, rock, science, soul

• A world of pure imagination

  Thousands of festivalgoers began to descend on Scholar Green, on Friday (17th August) for the annual weekend of extraordinary escapism. And as the 2019 edition of the Just So festival at Rode Hall proved, it gets bigger and better each year. Just So promises a secret and joyous world — offering parents and children the […]

  jerobear

  August 24, 2018

  Live

  baroque, Blues, brother, CDs, Chris Bullzini, Chronicle Series, Classical, Congleton Chronicle, David Gibb, early, Fabularium, funk, jazz, Jem Condliffe, just so, music, pop, Ramsackilicious, Reggae, Review Corner, reviews, rock, rode hall, soul

• Lauri Porra: Entropia

  This meld of prog rock and classical is as interesting an album as you’d want; entertaining if you like your prog broken down and your classical with bass solos and lots of 4/4 time. Mike Oldfield managed it on Tubular Bells. Adventurous brass band fans might also find much to like. Porra, (40), is an […]

  jerobear

  April 21, 2018

  Classical, Live, Rock

  baroque, Blues, brother, CDs, Chronicle Series, Classical, Concerto for Electric Bass “Entropia”: I. –, Concerto for Electric Bass “Entropia”: II. –, Concerto for Electric Bass “Entropia”: III. –, Concerto for Electric Bass “Entropia”: IV. –, Congleton Chronicle, Domino Suite: I. Stasis, Domino Suite: II. Domino, Domino Suite: III. Surrender, early, funk, jazz, Jem Condliffe, Kohta (Version for Orchestra), Lauri Porra Entropia, music, pop, Reggae, Review Corner, reviews, rock, soul

• Treasure Island at the New Vic Theatre

  The New Vic Theatre’s Christmas production (it’s not a panto) (oh no it’s not) is a new adaptation of the famous RL Stevenson book Treasure Island. The book created much of the modern mythology of pirates (maps, Xs marking spots, pieces of eight and wooden legs) and all the trademark piratical images are seen on […]

  jerobear

  December 7, 2017

  Christmas, Live

  Admiral Benbow Inn, Andy Burse, Ben Gunn, Christmas, Darby Mcgraw, Ellen Chivers, Gem, Hawkins, Hispaniola, Israel Hands, Lauryn Redding, Leon Scott, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle Under Lyme, Nisa Cole, panto, Richard Costello, RL Stevenson, Staffordshire, Stoke, Tom Peters, Treasure Island, Trelawny, William Pennington

• Hackney Colliery Band: Live

  Whenever we’re down in the dumps in the Review Corner, we often play Rock With the Hot 8, by The Hot 8 Brass Band, a New Orleans outfit that blend hip-hop, jazz and funk. It’s not brass as you might expect if you’re a fan of Foden’s Band, and nor are there eight of them, […]

  jerobear

  April 23, 2017

  Big Band, Folk, Jazz, Live, Pop rock, Rock n roll, World

  Africa, All of the Lights, baroque, Blues, Bread and Circuses, brother, CDs, Chronicle Series, Classical, Congleton Chronicle, Cramm, Dead Dialogue, early, funk, Gather Your Wits, Heart-Shaped Box, Hitched, It’s Normally Bigger, jazz, Jump Then Run, music, No Diggity, pop, Prodigy Medley, Reawake, Reggae, Review Corner, reviews, rock, Sharpener, soul, The Morning, Timelapse, When You Know

• Amber Run + Meadowlark + Island (Manchester Academy 2)

  Although the headliners at Manchester Academy 2 were Amber Run, it was support band Meadowlark I wanted to see, their singles of the past year or so being among my favourite releases, Kate McGill’s winsome vocals accompanied by sparse music. Sadly, faulty traffic lights at Monk’s Heath and incompetent traffic management for roadworks in Manchester […]

  jerobear

  March 9, 2017

  Live, Uncategorized

  A Place You Like, Amber Run, Dual, For A Moment, I Was Lost, Island, Kate McGill, Live, Manchester Academy 2, Meadowlark, Paraffin