The Commitments Show (Palace Theatre)

The Commitments

My son’s 17^th birthday. Over the last few years we have set a new tradition of going to see a west end show to celebrate. But 17 is a difficult age. I didn’t want to take him to something he would consider babyish.  The Commitments was the perfect answer. He is a guitarist himself and studying music so this was the perfect show. He loves blues and soul. He plays guitar and he likes musicals. How much more perfect can I get?

We had a lovely day in London, spending time at Covent Garden and Camden. We ate in his favourite pizza place and then onto the theatre.  I love the Palace Theatre. It looks old and yet feels rather small and intimate. It makes you feel special as if there are only a few of us that are viewing the performance.  The Commitments do soul and blues. The Palace Theatre feels like a tenuous link to the Palace Theatre Ballroom in The Blues Brothers.

Anyway on with the show.  The sets were good. I really loved how the Rabbitte’s home worked.  They even had a front door and old-fashioned wallpaper!

The opening scene was great, there was no wedding scene, but instead they were playing in a shop window. Fab start. I actually preferred it to the wedding scene in the film version.

I had always really loved the auditions part., when Jimmy is getting a band together.  I had hoped they had kept that as it was always one of my favourite scenes in the film. It was so funny. Don’t you want me was a great song for the audition!

Every actor/singer on stage could sing. (Yes even Jimmy!) But Deco was breath-takingly amazing. His voice would get him laid no matter how gross his habits.  Killian Donnelly played the part really well. I also loved Jimmy, played by Denis Grindel. He was so personable. But every performer was talented and really gave their all. Outspan was just like you expected him to be. Joey Fagan still gets all the ladies (and even winked at me!).  I couldn’t fault one of them. And authentic lrish accents to boot!

Some things have been changed, but this did not detract from the overall greatness of the show. Imelda was Jimmy’s friend (not Bernie as in the film) and they made Imelda a brunette instead of a blonde. And there was no Elvis conversation with Joey The Lips Fagan– which I always enjoyed.

Some of the songs felt a bit removed from the genre, for example ‘what becomes of the broken hearted’ (Jimmy Ruffin) and I cant get no satisfaction (The Rolling Stones), but I realised why towards the end.

The end of the show is The Commitments giving us the performance of their lives. I was out of my seat dancing and singing at the top of my voice. As I was first row, it may have helped get some others out of their seats. I have never been shy and sang away is if my life depended on it.  Mustang Sally, River deep mountain high and Try a little tenderness are a few classics and the performers gave their all.

It was an amazing show. At the end someone sitting in my row came up to me and told me how impressed he was I knew all the words to every song.

If I could, I would see this every night. If you are looking for a feel good show - This is it!

 

 

 

Maleficent is magnificent

Maleficent is magnificent

We are going to re-tell a story …let’s see how well you remember it.

What a beautiful opening to this film. A young fairy called Maleficent who smiles at everything and everyone in her kingdom loves her.

This is no fairy tale. This is a film NOT for children. This is a film with adult themes. The theme of love, betrayal and revenge.

Yes the sweet Maleficent falls in love with a human boy…and he is power crazy. This film made me feel so sorry for Maleficent. I felt her pain when she was betrayed. I felt her love when she was happy.

The young Maleficent is not on screen for long but she sets the scene and is so sweet you think how someone can turn so evil. But of course if I had been treated the same way..I would also react that way. A woman scorned and all that.

The three fairies are funny and add a light hearted sprinkle to the serious themes of the film.

Strong female characters are rare in films now..so this was refreshing and a joy to watch.  Forget Salt. Forget Tomb Raider, this is  Angelina Jolie’s finest hour.

Excellent film. Excellent cast. And the girl who day-dreamed really understood Maleficent. Forget girl power.  This is woman power.

 

West Side Story hits Milton Keynes! (June 2014)

West side story

This is my all-time favourite musical. I grew up knowing all the songs and dreaming of finding love like this.  When something is so precious to you, it is a little nerve wracking to see how it translates to the stage.

I first saw West Side story on stage 16 years ago when I took my 10 year old son to a matinee performance.  I had been blown away with the choreography.  It was something that he and I shared for years.

So when I heard last year that it was on stage again. I knew I had to go.  I suggested it to my youngest son and my older son overheard and said he wanted to come and see it again.  So it was an extra special night that I went to see West Side Story accompanied by both my sons.

I was again worried it wouldn’t stand up to my high expectations. I had no need to worry.

The opening scene was very true to the film and was excellently executed.  It really set the scene of the show.  The dancing and chorography was outstanding.  I cannot say enough how amazing it really is.

I really liked the dance interpretation of how it would be if Tony and Maria ran away together.  Everyone was dressed in white and through the power of dance it showed no matter what, they could not escape what has happened.  It was a fantastic scene and one that would be deserving of time on Strictly.

The outstanding numbers for me were Gee Officer Krupkee, which is fun and well done.  It was true to the film and worked well.  I also loved how they call came together for tonight at the end of the first act.  Good use of lighting and set gave it atmosphere.

All the performers were excellent, but their were two who stood out to me.  Maria, played by Katie Hall, was a perfect Natalie Wood and had a good accent as well as being able to sing, dance and act.  Her performance was so powerful I was in tears for much of it.  Absolutely fabulous.  The other outstanding performance was that of Anita, played by Djalenga Scott. She was fabulous, giving energy, character and charm to the part.  The girls definitely stole the show.

Others that deserve a mention are Action, played by Matthew Hawksley and Anybodys, played by Jessica Fiala.  They both gave a true reflection of the roles and made the characters believable.

For the traditionalist there were some changes I was not that happy with.  America is one of my favourite songs.  But it relies on the dynamics of the men versus women.  Unfortunately someone decided that the change of clothes for the men was more important so they did it with one girl verses the rest of the girls.  This is just wrong.  It needs the men.  It needs the original words.  It needs not to be changed.  I was very disappointed with this rendition, not because of the effort of the cast, but because it really needs the men to be true to the story.

The other issue with the show is the order of the songs.  At the end of the first act they had already stabbed and killed each other but gee officer krupkee and I feel pretty were in the second act.  This meant you were sad when you should be happy. It wasn’t right to move the order around as it does change the atmosphere of the show.

This is no fault of the cast, but of the director and producer of the show.  It is a shame as otherwise this show was perfect.  And I rarely call anything perfect!

None of this detracts from the excellent performance of the actors/dancers/singers. They were all very professional and delivered an outstanding performance.

If you can get a ticket…go. West Side Story is amazing and I sure hope it isn’t another 16 years before I see it live again!

 

OAD 5th anniversary featuring Midge Ure (acoustic set)

OAD 5^th anniversary featuring Midge Ure (acoustic set)

It was Only After Dark’s fifth birthday. It was also my anniversary.  I had discovered this wonderful club a year ago.

Once again it was sold out and packed out.  You couldn’t move for it was full of people with style and class.  The darkling’s were out in force.

Midge was to come on early so unusually this meant the club opened up at 8pm.  We got there about half past seven to find out that it was happy hour. Boy did that make us happy!

We went in early to get a good spot but that didn’t stop me from dancing to ‘The Bunker’ (Bollock Brothers) while we were waiting for Midge to come on.

I had seen Midge with Ultravox last November when they supported Simple Minds.  I had written back then how impressed I had been with Midge’s vocals.  (See that blog here: http://jasminestorm09.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/where-is-my-glittering-prize.html)  How he owned the room.  (And that room was the O2!).  How different would a small crowd of 200 be?  What would an acoustic set be like when we are used to hearing his songs with electronic backing?  I was about to find out.

He came on and sang a range of tracks including Fade to Grey (he was in Visage), many Ultravox tracks including, Dancing with tears in my eyes, The Voice, Love’s great adventure and Vienna, and some of his own solo stuff such as If I was and No Regrets.  He even did a riff from an old Slick track.  This man has style and fits into OAD perfectly.

He gave an excellent vocal performance….

but much more than that. He played guitar.  Not Ziggy but Midge!  He played it amazingly well.  A very talented man.

…But not only that, he was funny and charming.  He had the crowd eating out of his hand.  This must be challenging for a man who is used to being in a band.  And playing to a small crowd who he could see the faces of.  (Mine being right at the front!)

And finally he gave a rendition of Lady Stardust.  He told the story of the night he was at the Blitz Club when David Bowie came in.  He said everyone had thought themselves cool until that moment.  David Bowie is my personal hero and I loved hearing this story.  He played an excellent version of Lady Stardust and I was truly impressed.

Impressed with his professionalism.  Impressed with his sense of humour.  Impressed with his talents.  What a performance.  What a gig.  What a night!

My only disappointment was that Midge did not meet his fans afterwards.  We have been very lucky and spoilt with many specials at OAD having the artists meet you for a photo and signing.  I know I was not the only person who would have loved a photo and a word with Midge.

Well Midge…I didn’t get to speak to you directly…so here are my words to you.  I loved your performance.  Come back and visit us again soon.

After Midge had gone, we all danced and danced all night.  I love OAD.  I love my friends there, (I wrote a blog about that: http://jasminestorm09.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/the-girl-who-daydreamed.html) and I am proud to be a part of it.

A huge thank you to David, Sara and Sam for all their hard work so I can travel back in time once a month.  Long may OAD reign!

 

 

 

 

The girl who daydreamed.

There once was a girl who daydreamed a lot.  She daydreamed of having lots of friends and being popular.  She daydreamed that one day she would be accepted for who she was.  She wasn’t the most popular girl in school but neither was she disliked.  She was just one amongst many wanting to express her independence and freedom.  She already knew her taste in clothes and music were not like most of her friends.  She was different. 

Her home life was not the easiest and she looked after her younger sisters a lot as her mum was often very poorly in hospital.  Her stepdad worked full time and tried to keep the family together but it wasn’t easy.  Her real dad only saw her once a month and then for only two hours. 

She longed to break free from the routine. 

Then one day, when she was about 15 years old, her stepdad and mum took her to a pub that they were friendly with the owners of.  She didn’t know it yet but her life was about to change. 

The pub was called ‘The Starting Gate’ and it was the first Blitz club style ‘alternative’ night.

This girl was brave.  She went alone to the alternative night. It was full of punks, new wave fans, new romantics, and lots of people with spiky hair – but instead of feeling an outcast – she felt at home.  She made friends quickly and realised that here were others like her.  She was not alone.  She belonged.  This became her family and she lived for Sunday nights. 

This girl was me. 

I have since grown up.  I am no longer scared of being different.  I am proud to be me and not conform.  You can like me for who I am or walk on by.  I like who I am. 

I had often missed the ‘old days’ and my friends from The Starting Gate.  I had wondered if I had thought about it with rose tinted spectacles on.  But it is strange how life gives you what you need when you least expect it.  Over the last year I have met up with two of my dear friends from that time.  Both Steve Martin and Caz Tricks have made me realise I am a good judge of character.  They were lovely people then and are still lovely people who I feel privileged to know. 

How rare was this time in my life.  I could not imagine finding this again.  This had been so special.  So unique.  Surely nothing can replace such special memories? 

Can you imagine how I felt when last year, my friend Martyn told me he was playing a gig there and kindly added me as his guest at a club in Birmingham called Only After Dark?  I, of course went along to enjoy the Heaven 17 set but came away with so much more. 

Only After Dark is my youth recaptured.  It is everything I had loved the first time around at The Starting Gate.

-It is my kind of music.  I cannot tell you all the times I danced to ‘Bella Lugosi’ on my own at the gate. Now there are others to dance with me! And to be able to dance to Bowie tracks somewhere other than my front room says so much about how much I love it there.

-It is my kind of fashion (…turn to the left…). I love the way everyone makes an effort and dresses to impress in their own unique style  

-It is my kind of people.  I love the people.  Lovely people.  My OAD family.

I have made so many new friends, Al and Julie, Sara and David, Debbie, Martin Smith, Maureen and the incorrigible Mr Chris Wilde.  I know I have probably missed loads of people off  – but I really do value all your friendships and how lovely and welcoming you all are.  Who would have thought that Birmingham would become my new spiritual home? 

Dreams never die.  I am a dreamer and once a month my dreams become real! 

Thank you to all my old friends from The Starting Gate, and to all my new friends from OAD.

I am so pleased to have you all in my life. 

Equality for all or why you should support gay marriage.

On Saturday I went to a wedding reception.  The couple were very much in love and it was obvious to all the guests attending.

However this was no ordinary wedding.  This was a very special wedding on a very special day.  Saturday 29^th March 2014 was the first day that same sex couples can actually marry each other.

It has been a long hard struggle to get here.  I feel in years to come people will question why it took us so long to recognise true equality.  They may ask why, for many years, we only offered a partnership and not a marriage for many years.  I wouldn’t know what to say to them.  All I can say is I am now proud that it is now an equal option for all couples, no matter what your sexual preference, to marry each other if they wish to.

To those who are not happy with this – this too was noticed at the wedding as there were security guards there.  The only wedding I have ever been to with security.  But they were worried about reactions of those who just don’t seem to understand what equality is.

So to those with religious Christian beliefs I say this - Jesus loved everyone.  He accepted everyone for who they are.  You cannot just pick and choose bits out of the bible you wish to use to support your bigoted beliefs.  And I am not an atheist.  I am a Christian.  I went to church for 15 years – barely missing a week.  I was supportive of Christian beliefs until I realised how judgemental some Christians are and how they use their beliefs to judge people.  Not just LGBT community, but also anyone who just didn’t fit in with their views.  I stopped going to church as my beliefs are that of accepting everyone.  And it definitely isn’t the case with the church.  And they should question why the congregation is less and less every year.  It’s not just about religion.  It’s about how does the church fit in with life today?  If the law says that same sex couples can marry – why should you say it is any different?  Who are you to judge? 

And to those who don’t object for religious reasons, but just because you want to object I say this – objecting to equality says more about you as a person than anything else.  And it is not a positive statement!

The wedding was wonderful and I am so pleased for Steve* and Mark* and wish them every happiness for the future.

One day I hope you will all join me in this wish.

*names have been changed.

 

 

 

 

 

Blancmange and Heaven 17 live for one night only. Manchester 15.03.14

Blancmange and Heaven 17 live for one night only. Manchester 15.03.14

Manchester is not somewhere I had been for a night out. I had been a few times in the past for work but never for pleasure. And this is pleasure one!

Unfortunately the hotels in Manchester on this weekend were extortionate. Not sure if it was the football or cause it is St Patrick’s Day weekend – but everything was more expensive than London.  We decided to stay in a cheap hotel a bit outside of town and get a taxi in. In theory this would still be cheaper than staying in the city.  However I didn’t bargain on staying in the hotel from hell. It was a cheap chain hotel – but one that hadn’t been done up for 30 years and still had woodchip wallpaper and huge TV’s (not flat screen).  However the staff was friendly enough. We decided to walk to a pub for some food before the gig. We walked and walked. It was in the middle of nowhere alright. There was nothing but a Tesco and a KFC. We opted for the later and my diet took a holiday.

We took a taxi to the venue but the taxi driver didn’t know which venue exactly as there are three academies.  Luckily some of my Heaven 17 friends found me and between us we all found the student bar!

Soon enough we were all inside the venue itself and ready for Blancmange to come on. While we were waiting there was some excellent early 80’s tracks being played including New Order’s Temptation, Soft Cell’s Sex dwarf and Devo’s whip it. It set the scene for what was to come.

Blancmange are first up and Neil Arthur does not disappoint. He is an excellent performer who gives his all to his work. He reminds me a bit of Ian Curtis. His energy and passion comes through the tracks. He even made an effort for Manchester, wearing a tie.

They played for over an hour and included, I can’t explain, Ultraviolet, of course, living on the ceiling (the crowd went mad for this) and my personal favourite, Feel me.  I love feel me as the words and bassline just work so well together. And of course it has the immortal line… ‘Put your hand in a pocket, a pocket of a friend. What do you feel? Tell me now?’ Classic.  They finished with Blind Vision. 

Again we were treated to some great tracks while the stage was set for Heaven 17.

I have seen Heaven 17 a number of times and have this to say about them. They are true professionals. You are guaranteed a great time if you go to one of their gigs. Glenn is always note perfect and Martyn takes personal pride in making sure it is all exactly how it should be. However, tonight they were the best I have ever seen them. They work so well together – they are funny and their respect and closeness for each other shows through. Tonight they reminded me of Morecombe and Wise. A comedy duo with affection for each other. It made for a great show.

They opened with circus of death from Martyn’s Human League days. Then they played at the height of the fighting (hey la hu) which they rarely play live.

They announced that tonight’s show was dedicated to Tony Benn who passed away a few days ago. And went straight into (we don’t need this) Fascist groove thang followed by Crushed by the wheels of industry. Two tracks that are obviously full of lyrics that are as apt today as they were 30 years ago.  Do I love the Heaven 17 lyrics because of the political connotations? Absolutely!

We are all singing and dancing along as they launch into we live so fast. Yet another song with lyrics that still fit our lives today. I wonder when they first wrote these lyrics if they knew they would stand the test of time?

Then a dance version of Geisha boys and temple girls was offered. Glenn said he reckons that a lot of Geisha boys and temple girls were out on the town tonight!

One of my personal favourite tracks was next. Play to win. Sex in fairyland was always a line I loved from Play to win. For years I have wondered what it meant and how Heaven 17 came up with it. At the after-show, Glenn told me the answer. It was certainly not what I had anticipated or expected or heard before from all the theories. But for me the H17 lyrics are open to interpretation. That’s what makes them special. For this reason I don’t want to ruin it for you all by telling you the definite meaning. Let it mean what you think it means to you.

The new Heaven 17 album is coming along nicely. I cannot disclose much at this stage but you should be getting excited. This will be the first new H17 stuff in years.  This is VERY exciting.  Let’s hope a tour to promote it will seal its success.  

If you have never seen them live – you must put it on your bucket list. You won’t find a better nights entertainment anywhere!
 

Heaven17 set list

Circus of Death

Height of the Fighting

Fascist groove thang

Crushed by the wheels of industry

We live so fast

Geisha boys and temple girls

Play to win

Come live with me

Loving feeling

Let me go

Boys keep swinging

Penthouse and pavement

Temptation

I’m your money

Being boiled