Midlands welcomes string of stars
If you're looking for something to do this week, you're in for a treat as – even if you haven't bagged a ticket to Take That or Britain's Got Talent – there's an exciting music event lurking around every corner.
If you're looking for something to do this week, you're in for a treat as – even if you haven't bagged a ticket to Take That or Britain's Got Talent – there's an exciting music event lurking around every corner.
First to get a mention is 80s nostalgia concert Here & Now, starring Boy George, Jason Donovan, and Belinda Carlisle alongside Jimmy Somerville, Midge Ure, A Flock of Seagulls and Pepsi & Shirlie.
The tour kicks off at Birmingham's LG Arena tonight in honour of the annual event's 10th anniversary.
"I am really looking forward to being on stage with all these big names," Boy George told the Express & Star.
"I do these kind of nostalgia tours regularly and they're always a good laugh, for us as much as the audience."
The flashback to the 80s theme continues with an exciting two-day music festival taking place in Cannock Forest tonight and tomorrow, featuring two of the biggest names in 80s and 90s pop music.
Erasure, featuring singer Andy Bell – currently starring in Pop Star to Opera Star – and Vince Clarke, are first to appear tonight, with support from Sophie Ellis-Bextor, playing the site as one of a series of concerts in Forestry Commission sites on their current Total Pop tour.
Erasure, formed 25 years ago, have returned to action after more than four years away from recording and live performance.
Then tomorrow, Simple Minds, led by singer Jim Kerr and guitarist Charlie Burchill, will be taking to the stage as part of their greatest hits tour, belting out their most famous tracks including Dont You (Forget About Me), Promised You A Miracle, Waterfront and Belfast Child.
On Sunday, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun star Cyndi Lauper plays the Symphony Hall.
Lauper first burst onto the world stage 34 years ago. With more than 30 million global record sales under her belt, she has managed to keep her legions of fans happy with a constant stream of pop gems, including a vocal stint on Slumdog Millionaire.
On Monday music fans get a quick break from the 80s-fest, with experimental rock outfit Battles at the HMV Institute.
Battles, who formed in New York in 2002, eventually managed to break through in 2007 with track Atlas, which was voted single of the week by NME and featured on everything from computer games to motoring ads.
However, an appearance on Jools Holland provoked numerous e-mails of complaint from viewers tuning in for another round of honky tonk with Dr John, and not quite taking to the band's tribal, pounding rhythms, angular guitars and vocoded, distorted vocals.
Monday also sees the return of Pink Floyd hero Roger Waters, playing the NIA as part of a 25-date European tour.
The tour will see Waters play the band's groundbreaking piece The Wall – the first time it has been performed in over 20 years – in honour of the 30th anniversary of its release.
It promises to be a sight to behold, featuring original Gerald Scarfe imagery, quadraphonic sound, pyrotechnics, spot pods, gigantic inflatable puppets, projection, video mapping and many other elaborate effects.
Global superstar Neil Diamond is hot on his heels, playing the LG Arena on Tuesday and Thursday. Across a musical career stretching nearly 50 years, Diamond has sold more than 128 million albums worldwide, charting a staggering 37 top 10 singles and 16 top 10 albums.
On his latest tour, he will be playing songs from October release Dreams, featuring songs from the 60s and 70s including Let It Be, Hallelujah and Midnight Train to Georgia.
The week ends with Paul Simon – one half of Simon & Garfunkel – who has embarked on a European tour in support of new album So Beautiful Or So What.
Phew! Well, that's more or less it. If you get bored in the next few days, you'll have no one to blame but yourself.
Charlotte Cross
