Radio City Live review @ Liverpool's Echo Arena

Radio City Live christmas bash review at Liverpool's Echo Arena

Surrounded by twinkling fairy wings, various flashing multi coloured bands, necklaces and doodle boppers and a whole lot of squealing girls, you know it's that time of year again. No, not the tinsel drinkers on their obligatory once a year night out but Radio City 96.7's musical extravaganza at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, and it has to be said that this year looked like it was going to blow the rest away. With every act on stage having had at least one number one hit single in the last year. 

The night kicked off with Jason Derulo, with full band and backing dancers on stage to give a slick polished, extremely energetic and at times Michael Jacksonesque performance, complete with many crotch grabbing moments, either that or his leather pants were chaffing, but that didn't stop the crowd from cheering and dancing along to his hits, including "Whatcha Say" and "Fight for You".

Following on was Tinchy Stryder but I have to say as an overall performance, he seemed to be lacking in energy and his DJ had more stage presence during the first track. His pal Dappy, joined him on stage and the two of them bounced around the stage pretty happily although vocally, it could have been stronger.

Pixie Lott and Ed Sheeran though provided some of the best vocal performances of the night for me, with Pixie performing an acoustic set, she cheekily and playfully made her way through a few of her most known number including, "Mama Do" and "All About Tonight" and even the 3 bored young teenage lads in front of me who had spent most of the night playing on games or BBM their friends sat up and took notice, whether that was to do with her performance or just her, we'll never know . I have to admit that Pixie Lott has one hell of a voice and a fantastic vocal range and as for Ed Sheerin, I've always been swayed away from listening to him as he is yet another Radio One prodigy but I can say with all honesty, I am now a fan and can see why he got the biggest cheers, screams and whoops of the night, and yes even more than JLS!! With his mellow vocals, witty banter to the crowd and who can't love the fact he's named his guitar "Cyril". Ed swapped from mellow vocals to a performance Beardyman would have been proud of with "You Need Me, I Don't Need You" and only stopped when Cyril broke two strings and had to be replaced by "Nigel". He finished his set with, "A Team" but I think the crowd could have listened to him all night, and I wouldn't have minded either.

Wretch 3-2 followed with and energetic set and Matt Cardle showed how to keep a crowd happy by just singing alone on stage then followed by  The Wanted, who to be very very honest sucked massively. Vocals off key from a lot of them and their new song, "War Zone" is horrendously drab and depressing and I fear it may be around at Christmas!! I 'm definitely putting ear plugs on my Xmas list of it is as I don't think my ears drums can go through that again.

The night came to one spectacular close with JLS taking to the stage and showed all boy groups, (The Wanted take note) how it should be done. With polished dance routines, harmonious vocals and Aston's cheekiness shining through, to many girls delight judging by the squeals from some of them, they performed "Eyes Wide Shut" "Everybody In Love" and "Take a Chance" an upbeat ballad style song, which is from their new album "Jukebox". JLS also showcased their brand new single, a Christmassy little number called "Do You Feel What I Feel" complete with falling snow ended the night with "She Makes Me Wanna" which saw the entire arena covered in glitter and streamers.

So once again thanks to Radio City 96.7 for bringing us another pop fuelled night at the Echo Arena and lets hope we can all wait till 22nd July 2012 for the next one. Admittedly though this one will be hard to top. 

Review by Alison Goggin

The next Radio City Live returns on Saturday 22nd July 2012 at the Liverpool Echo Arena with another fantastic lineup!

Pre-order your tickets online NOW or from the Box Office for a limited time only.  Visit www.radiocity.co.uk or call the Box Office on 0844 8000 400 (from 9am on Saturday 3rd December) and quote promo code CITY.

Tickets start at £25 plus booking free.

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Chester Rocks 2011 review Saturday

The first Chester Rocks is finally here. Held at Chester's racecourse, this two day event has catered for a lot of musical tastes, and hasn't just gone with mainstream pop acts, but also some big named rock and dance acts. Also thanks to Dawson's, some of the best unsigned acts out there, many of which hail form Liverpool.

Saturday heralded the bubble gum pop day at the main stage for all those chart loving tweenagers, teenagers and mum's who all seem to have a rather large obsession with the latest boyband "phenomenon" The Wanted, which saw the afore mentioned reduced to squealing messes at the very mention of their name, who knows what will happen when they actually get on stage!!

With the sun shining down upon us for the entire day, Chester Rocks was kicked off by Stephen Langstaff, a singer/songwriter from Liverpool who produced a neat little performance with laid back tunes and a great voice. Next up was, 80's band The Christians, who performed firm favourites, "Ideal World", "Hooverville" and "Forgotten Town".

They were followed by Eliza Doolittle, who performed a fantastic bounce along set in her eclectic style we have become to recognise her for. The crowd loved it and each song was received with huge applause. She was followed by leather clad, The Sugababes, who after a slightly shaky vocal start to, "Freak Like Me" pulled it back and produced a very slick set with Heidi's vocals powering across the arena.

After all this pop it was time to head to the Dawson stage. (which should be signposted or not hidden away, people need to be able to find it to discover the talents hidden inside by the way). We found The Kevin Critchley Outfit on stage who comprised of 6 members, 3 violins, one guitar, keyboard and cello. I have to admit they were not what I expected. With a slight element of folk and lashings of heavy Spanish guitar this band are one to check out if you're looking for something a little bit different.

And back to "pop heaven" for The Saturdays, who gave their usual performance, which mainly includes thrusting your butt backwards and forwards, then gyrate your hips a bit and add a few lyrics for good measure. With mediocre vocals, I'm just thankful they didn't pull out that damn acoustic guitar again.

Finally, the moment every young girl in the crowd had been waiting for, with flags flying, banners billowing all declaring their undying love for various members of the group, The Wanted took to the stage to a mass eruption of screams, squeals and probably a fair few hysterical tears as well from this young crowd, especially from the five girls chosen to join their heroes on stage, then with a quick dash were back to Dawsons stage to see Elsie, who even the BBC have promoted for this event. Think Gwen Stefani looks with Blondie style music and you've got it in one. With catchy lyrics that hold no bars, she could very well be one of those next big things.

Next up were my new favourite unsigned band, Strawhouses, who just to clarify, are NOT a folk band. They gave yet another flawless set and hopefully sold even more of their £1 albums, I advise you invest in one guys.

Finale of the night, Taio Cruz, delivered a sleek set with his mellow voice and R&B style music floating across the racecourse as the sun finally set. With a fabulous stage presence and performing his many hits, he definitely offers a lot more than his contemporaries and was an excellent choice to end the day one of Chester Rocks.

Review by Alison Goggin

more  photos of Saturdays event can be found here

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Elsie announces home-coming gig at Chester Rocks

Little Sutton singer  Elsie (pronounced L-C as in Laura Critchley) will be headlining the Dawsons-Farida Guitars stage at Chester Rocks on Saturday 2nd July. The second stage will also feature up and coming bands from the area and festival organisers will be announcing the winners of the local band search shortly.  Fellow Little Sutton singer Ian Prowse and his band Amsterdam will be headlining the second stage on the Sunday.

Elsie is about to unleash her brand new Blondie-inspired sound at a special homecoming gig at Chester Rocks “I was born in Chester and born to rock so being asked to headline at Chester Rocks is an absolute honour. I can’t wait to come home! I’m gonna rock it like a Roman rock godess.”

The Chester-born singer who now lives in London, has spent the last year dividing her time between recording her album with the Stereophonics’ producer and touring the world as Tom Jones’ lead vocalist.

Her dancefloor-friendly, live-band-driven album follows the fortunes of a small town girl who heads off for the bright lights of the big city.

Over catchy riffs and Discorock bass lines, Elsie sings about bad men, broken hearts, naughty nights out and those girls you just can’t trust.

In the few moments of time Elsie's had away from gigging and recording, she's visited the troops in Iraq and worked with homeless dog charities The Mayhew Animal Home and The Dogs Trust.

Chester Rocks is a new two day outdoor music festival and will take place at the famous Chester Racecourse on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd July. The line- up has something for everyone, with artists ranging from punk legends Iggy Pop and The Stooges to the hottest boyband on the planet The Wanted. Chester Rocks is all about the music but don't forget there will be fairgrounds, performers and trade stands; it’s going to be a great family day out.

Saturday’s line-up includes; Taio Cruz, McFly, The Saturdays, Sugababes, The Wanted, Eliza Doolittle, The Christians, Stephen Langstaff and Elsie.

Sunday’s line-up includes; Iggy Pop and The Stooges, Leftfield, The Australian Pink Floyd Show, Feeder, I Am Kloot, Shaun William Ryder, Lightning Seeds, Tommy Scott and the Red Scare and Amsterdam.

More acts to be announced shortly.

Tickets for the Saturday or Sunday are £47.50 each or £85 for both days and are available from www.chester-rocks.co.uk or by calling 01244 304 610.

For more information and updates on Chester Rocks check out:

Website:    www.chester-rocks.co.uk

Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/ChesterRocksUK

Twitter:    http://twitter.com/chester_rocks


www.elsiemusic.com

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Want to Play at Chester Rocks???

CHESTER ROCKS is on the lookout for the hottest new bands in the area. As organisers of the music festival today announced plans to showcase local talent on its’ alternative stage over the festival weekend.

Local musical talent will have the chance to appear on the same bill as some of the biggest names in the music industry. The 2 day outdoor music festival takes place at the famous Chester Racecourse on Saturday 2nd July and Sunday 3rd July, with artists ranging from punk legend Iggy Pop to pop superstar Taio Cruz. The new festival looks set to become an integral part of the European summer musical calendar.

Festival director, Mark Cowley, who is a competition judge said “This competition has come about because of the overwhelming response we’ve had from local musicians and bands in the area who wanted to get involved with ChesterRocks. We also feel it’s important to showcase the range of talent that exists in the area. We are on the lookout for young, up and coming performers to join us on this amazing bill. So don’t worry if you think your demo sounds rough.”

Organisers are looking for artists to perform on both days so as long as you fit between the indie - pop genre get in touch. 

The stages will be run in conjunction with Dawsons, 106.3 Dee FM and Bido Lito magazine!  The judging panel will include Sam Salisbury Farida guitars Brand Manager from Dawsons Music, Shane Pinnington from Dee FM, Chester Rocks festival director Mark Cowley, BBC Radio Merseyside’s Dave Monks, Bido Lito! magazine editor Craig Pennington, Tom Byrne from Juice FM, music PR Lisa Southern and Emma Fox from the Arts Council.

Saturday’s line-up includes; Taio Cruz, McFly, The Saturdays, Sugababes, The Wanted, Eliza Doolittle, The Christians and Stephen Langstaff.

Sunday’s line-up includes; Iggy Pop and The Stooges, Leftfield, Echo and The Bunnymen, The Australian Pink Floyd Show, Feeder, I Am Kloot, Shaun William Ryder, Lightning Seeds, and Tommy Scott and the Red Scare.

To enter you have to be an unsigned act, be able to play a live set lasting 20 minutes and have a three-track CD which includes at least one original song.

Send CD, short biography and contact details to Mark Cowley, The Racecourse, Chester CH1 2LY. Closing date is Tuesday  3rd May.

For more information and updates on Chester Rocks check out:

Website:    www.chester-rocks.co.uk

Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/ChesterRocksUK

Twitter:    http://twitter.com/chester_rocks

Tickets for the Saturday or Sunday are £47.50 each or £85 for both days and are available from www.chester-rocks.co.uk or by calling 01244 304 610.

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V Festival Announces more Acts to 2011 Line up

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 10PM MONDAY 4TH APRIL

www.vfestival.com

** NEWS ALERT ** NEWS ALERT ** NEWS ALERT **

LOSTPROPHETS, GOOD CHARLOTTE, THE WANTED AND

NOISETTES PLUS OTHERS ADDED TO V FESTIVAL 2011 LINE UP

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 10PM MONDAY 4TH APRIL

V Festival, sponsored by Virgin Media, is proud to announce the addition of Lostprophets,

Good Charlotte, The Wanted, and Noisettes to the 2011 line up. Also making welcome

appearances over the festival weekend will be Kids in Glass Houses and the highly anticipated

Dionne Bromfield.

Mike Lewis of Lostprophets comments, "When we played V back in '08 it was like a huge party.

Both days had such an amazing atmosphere, we couldn't wait to come back and play again.

Great bands, great crowd, good times."

Jamie Oliver of Lostphophets continues, "We are particularly excited about playing V because

it'll be our first UK show this year, a chance to showcase some new songs off the upcoming

album, plus Duran Duran are gonna be there."

Taking place across the weekend of the 20th and 21st August, music fans will be treated to one

of the most eclectic line ups to date with the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Eminem, Rihanna, Plan B,

Dizzee Rascal and Pendulum also on the bill.

To keep up-to-date with all the news form V Festival visit www.vfestival.com, ‘like’ V Festival on

Facebook (facebook.com/vfestival) or follow @vfestival on Twitter.

ARCTIC MONKEYS • EMINEM • RIHANNA • PLAN B • DIZZEE RASCAL • PRIMAL
SCREAM (SCREAMADELICA) • THE SCRIPT • KAISER CHIEFS • MANIC STREET
PREACHERS • LOSTPROPHETS • RAZORLIGHT • PENDULUM • DURAN
DURAN • CHASE AND STATUS • SCOUTING FOR GIRLS • TINIE TEMPAH • THE
COURTEENERS • MARK RONSON • GLASVEGAS • THE WOMBATS • BRUNO
MARS • ELLIE GOULDING • JESSIE J • N-DUBZ • BIG AUDIO DYNAMITE •
EXAMPLE • GOOD CHARLOTTE • HURTS • KATY B • KT TUNSTALL • SQUEEZE
• THE SATURDAYS • WIZ KHALIFA • OLLY MURS • YOU ME AT SIX • CHIPMUNK
• FUN LOVIN’ CRIMINALS • IMELDA MAY • CAST • OCEAN COLOUR SCENE

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 10PM MONDAY 4TH APRIL

• ELIZA DOOLITTLE • KELE • KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES • NOISETTES •
BELLOWHEAD • THE WANTED • CLARE MAGUIRE • DIONNE BROMFIELD

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