Colin Wilson, bassist and vocalist for Australian Pink Floyd.  Photograph: Supplied

The wordwide hit Australian Pink Floyd, whose flawless tribute to their original namesake is a must-see spectacle, set off on their international Set The Controls tour this year.

The upcoming tour features fans being offered the chance to include tracks on the show setlist, along with the staple lasers, inflatables and amazing music… and Skippy, the giant kangaroo. I Am Birmingham’s Jack Kirby caught up with the band’s bassist and vocalist Colin Wilson.

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Hey Colin, how are you doing?

Good, thanks.

Thanks for talking to us today, how is the band?

Good, very good actually, we all got together last week and did some rehearsals. It sounds good and everyone’s well.

 That’s great to hear, are you looking forward to the Set The Controls tour?

Yeah, absolutely. I think it’s going to be a good one, it’s a great bunch of songs we are doing and some nice new elements to the show that we’ve been working on. The enthusiasm is quite high.

Awesome, you’ve always had some pretty cool interesting aspects to your tours, such as using 3D imagery and playing at Dudley Castle. What’s bought on this idea for Set The Controls?

Well, the idea really is that we’ve had contact with the audience, through fan mail, email and social media, with people suggesting songs for us to play; and we thought we’d get that all into one place this year and give the audience the chance to actually vote on the songs they want us to do.

So the Set the Controls thing is a bit of a play on words, with ‘Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun’ (from the album A Saucerful of Secrets), but it’s really the audience who get the chance to set the controls as far as the songs go. So the tour is certainly leaning towards Dark Side of The Moon, Wish You Were Here and D albums, with Division Bell being recorded in 1994, so this year having an anniversary for that. With those three making up most of the set, we thought let’s give them (fans) a chance to vote on the rest of the set on the website, choosing their two favourite songs from each of the albums.

It’s a simple matter of going onto thesite, becoming a member and then they get a form on there where they can vote, and they do it venue by venue as well. Then the lists get compiled and we do the separate set list for each night. It’s a nice idea to get the audience involved, and I think the feedback we’ve had from it is they love the thought that they have some say on the set-list this year.

That’s a really great idea. With the choice of the three albums, what are you hoping comes up?

I mean, we’ve done everything from Dark Side and Wish, and we’ve performed three quarters of Division Bell, so from the bands point of view we can pretty much do anything they ask for. We’re happy to do most things, but it’s nice if there’s a few different things for us as well, already there’s been some songs mentioned that we haven’t done for a while, and some from Division Bell we’ve never done together. The main thing for us as a band is it’s a way of bringing the audience closer to us, and giving them the chance to have this sort of interaction, and it takes a bit of the pressure off us having to guess a set list.

 Well, it sounds like it’s going to be a great tour. It’s been 21 years you’ve been in the band now?

Yeah, it’s 21 years. We did our first UK shows in 1993, it’s been a long old slog actually. It’s lucky and feels like a great honour.

How did it all start?

The band first started in ’88, and it took a while to get off the ground and running. The guys who originally started it were Pink Floyd nuts, and it was all they wanted to do, so by the time I came along I had seen the band (Australian Pink Floyd) a few times and always thought this band was potentially really good. Their attention to detail, even back then, was incredible. So I knew one of the members of the original band – Steve (Mac) – who’s still in the band. When they needed a bass player because theirs had quit, he just rang me up and I just happened to be in a bit of a loose end, so I just went “okay” as I admired them anyway when I had seen them and the rest is, as they say, history.

Did you ever get to see the original band live?

Only on the Division Bell tour in 1994. I sort of came onto Floyd late in some respects, I was always a fan of 70′s classic rock bands, Floyd was a band that I had never really studied. It was a band I liked, but had never played. I had never played any Pink Floyd in any other band. It was kind of all fresh, and had to learn the whole thing rather quickly, in time for when we came over in 1993.

It must have been a huge challenge with the variety of Floyd songs, did you start with just Dark Side or was it a mixture of tracks?

It was different songs. I was given a list of songs to learn, rather than just albums. Fortunately, as I think it had been whole albums it would have been so daunting and I don’t know how I would have gotten on. I think we started with the ones you would expect, Shine On, Money, Brick In the Wall.

It’s funny, I remember early days, the first time I played Money with the band. You know, the bass part is so important to the song, we played it and I felt quite good about it. Then Lee, the other original guitarist who isn’t with us anymore, he sort of paused for a while and went “Yeah, not bad, but it’s not (imitates the bass line from Money), you’re doing (imitates the bass line again)” and I couldn’t for the life of me hear what the difference was. I thought “Oh God”, but after a while I realised what he was saying. It was amazing that he knew it so well, and that’s what this band this, it’s the attention to detail.

Colin Wilson playing the opening bass line to ‘Money’.  Photograph: Jack Kirby

People have been to your shows, who have seen the original Pink Floyd, and have stated they can close their eyes and it was as if the actual band were playing.

That’s grand and when people say that, it’s the really best accolade of all. Because even if all the lights, projections and props stopped working one night, we’d still have the music, because really that’s what it’s still all about at base level. So if people do shut their eyes for the whole gig, which we don’t recommend,  they would think it was Floyd playing.

Talking about the lasers and props, is it true that one of them is an original Floyd inflatable?

One of the pigs is.

Not the famous one that flew over Battersea Power Station?

No, not that one (laughing). They had a pair for the Division Bell tour, one of those. Apart from that it is stuff that has been remade, a lot of the original Floyd stuff is old now, so even if it was available, I doubt it would in a good state. So yeah, we’ve had to rebuild a lot of stuff.

And you also have Skippy, your inflatable kangaroo?

Oh yes, absolutely. Skippy has been with us for a while. That’s the other thing about this band I think the audience like is we’ve always had this injection of silly Australianisms, some of which is quite subtle and in some of the videos we use. You actually have to look really hard, to see the little bit of Australia. I think everything we do has a little bit in their for the keen-eye viewers, that’s good fun. We are deadly serious about the music, but we like to think we don’t take ourselves to seriously.

That’s good. So after being together so long, what’s that one moment that kind of stands out for you?

I guess in the history of the band, performing at David Gilmour’s 50th was a real stand-out moment. There have been so many moments, when you go to a place for the first time and you don’t know what to expect. It’s always great to go to a new country or city, and you get a great turn-out. It’s almost a shock with us the way we are – we aren’t overly confident – so when it all works well and we get a good response from a new audience, it’s something to remember.

It’s over 30 countries now, and you’re a worldwide hit with a large UK following too. What’s it like in Australia?

Australia, unfortunately, is not one of those countries. It always amazes people, but we haven’t played in Australia since 1993 since we came over here. We are relatively unknown there, which I guess is kind of sad. The reason, quite simply, is geographically it is a really difficult place to get to. Even Pink Floyd cancelled their 1994 tour because logistically they decided it was a step too far away. For us it is incredibly difficult to get our whole show over there, as it’s so big, and make it cost effective. We are praying for a day when someone in Australia offers us enough money, because we would love to come home and show everybody what it is we’ve been doing over here.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you. You’ve sold out massive venues over the years and you’ve done Glastonbury as well…

Oh Glastonbury, yes. That was the wet year!

What’s been the strangest thing you’ve seen from a crowd?

From a crowd? (laughter) We saw some strange things when we did small venues, where the front row was pressed against the stage, two feet from your face. So yeah, you’d see some odd stuff there which I won’t mention (more laughter). Let’s just say some couples used to get too into the music. I mean you see fights, which is always a bit strange. For the most part we’ve been pretty lucky, as our audience are massive Floyd fans and are there for the music and just become immersed. They’ll be singing along to every word, mouthing along with the guitar solos. It’s nice actually because you know the audience is there 100%, not thinking of something else.

Odd question, do you get much heckling or requests being shouted out?

Occasionally, yeah, not so much in the big venues. But going back in the years we would get songs shouted out, yeah. Scotland’s a bit rowdy I guess, you get a rowdy audience who are more likely to shout stuff out. We had a stage invasion in Wales once. The whole audience just got on the stage, that is going back a while now however. That was bizarre, and only happened once.

Australian Pink Floyd return to Birmingham for the ‘Set The Controls’ tour.  Photograph: Jack Kirby

What’s your favourite song to perform?

I always say that this changes, depending on my mood or what we’ve been playing on tour. At the moment, I mean it’s usually one of my favourite songs, but there’s a song called Hey You from The Wall, we’re going to be doing it on this tour. For me, it’s as far as Pink Floyd songs go, it’s got everything. Great Gilmour vocals, great Walters vocals, great guitar solo, it’s got a weird bit, it’s got a really nice bit that I get to do. So yeah, Hey You.

In terms of the special effects, what input does the band have?

I’m guessing this means the visual effects. Very involved actually, a couple of us in the band with often spend time helping programming the lights for songs in the tour to make sure colour wise it’s correct for the song and movement wise. There are a huge amount of variables within lighting nowadays where you can create anything, from slow gentle movement to very fast quick lighting. That sort of stuff visually can kill a song dead or help a song along. So there’s that aspect, and also the video screen.

There are a few of us and we are very much sort of in control. We come up with concepts and we’ve been trying not to copy Pink Floyd in some respects, we try and do our own original video which we hope conjure up the same feelings. We often use animators, myself I story board the whole thing, and Dave is really good with the ideas as well. We are 100% in control of that.

Are there any other types of music you would want to branch into?

As this band goes, probably not. As we’re so busy with the Australian Pink Floyd Show (APFS), we’re almost busier off-show than we are on-show, with so many elements we get involved in. Even though we are a tribute band, and people may think it is creatively stifling and boring, there are all these other creative outlets for the show that we get involved in. Having said that, individuals in the band often branch out and do side projects to flex the muscles and do something different. None of those things do much, but it’s fun to get together with other musicians and do other stuff.

Oh, nice! Well Colin, thank you so much for chatting, it’s been good fun. We can’t wait to see you again at the Birmingham NIA in March.

Well the NIA is always a good show for us and I look forward to it!

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Australian Pink Floyd hit the UK on 18 February, playing the Birmingham NIA on March 15. Tickets are available here.

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The Slade Rooms host ‘The Nightingales’ on the 10th of April

The Nightingales,  who play a working class style of rock, have announced a date at The Slade Rooms in Wolverhampton on the 10th of April

The band are hot on the trail from releasing their ‘No Love Lost’ album in 2012 and are planning an outstanding show in the Midlands, the founding location for many of the members.

The bands 2012 album ‘No Love Lost’ is the latest in a wide discography.

The Nightingales are formed from a mixture of new talent and original members of the Birmingham based Punk Rock band ‘The Prefects’, with Robert Lloyd, original Prefects guitarist Alan Apperley, Andreas Schmid from Faust on bass and ex Violet Violet drummer Fliss Kitson.

The band will perform with support from British Comedian Ted Chippington and Jump The Shark.

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Tickets for The Nightingales at The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton on the 10th of April can be bought here.

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Limp Bizkit headline the Kerrang Tour 2014 at the O2 Academy in Birmingham.  Photo: Jack Kirby

The Kerrang Tour 2014 came to Birmingham last night with a lineup of four amazing bands; the Nottingham based Baby Godzilla; the Californian Goblin Metal based Nekrogoblikon; rave-metal Japan based Crossfaith and the almighty Limp Bizkit headlining.

With eleven UK dates on the tour, Birmingham was the 5th stop, and the 5th successive sold-out date. With red hats and goblin masks being sported by the sea of fans, it was obvious that the audience were up for a crazy night.

Nottingham based Baby Godzilla opened the Birmingham leg of the tour.  Photo: Jack Kirby

The first band out, Baby Godzilla, came roaring out onto the stage with their new EP Knockout Machine. With non-stop energy, the band were jumping in and out of the audience, and showing the crowd that they may be first on, but they are certainly not going to be the first ones they forgot.

Nekrogoblikon showing off what they like to call ‘Goblin-Metal’.   Photo: Jack Kirby

Following Baby Godzilla, Nekrogoblikon gave all those who haven’t seen them before a shock, as the bands house Goblin (John Goblikon) skulked onto the stage to welcome the band on stage. As they began their set of aptly named ‘Goblin-Metal’, Mr Goblikon sprinted across the stage, chasing band members, ‘assisting’ with the playing of instruments and even dragging a member of Baby Godzilla on stage with them. Ending their set with a hearty jig and a bow, the band loved the Academy and continued to keep the audience entertained.

Crossfaith gave the audience plenty to jump around to.  Photo: Jack Kirby

Japanese Rave-Metal band Crossfaith were next to hit the stage, beginning proceedings by requesting to see “a circle pit Birmingham!”
With a normal band set-up with bass, guitar, drums and vocal, crossfaith added the extra addition of an almost electronics centre, with a sampling kit, midi keyboard and various other controls to add a new dimension to their distinct style of metal. The crowd seemed to enjoy every second of it, including an off-the-wall cover of The Prodigy’s Omen.

Limp Bizkit’s hit ‘Rollin’ sent the audience wild.  Photo: Jack Kirby

After a warm up of three extreme metal bands, the walls of the O2 were pulsing with the cries of “Bizkit, Bizkit!” and as the lights dropped, the roar of the crowd was enough to deafen. With obscure as always guitarist Wes Borland coming onto stage with a ukulele to give an almost creepy rendition cowboy tune, before the rest of the band joined him onstage as they launched into 9 Teen 90 Nine.

With the entire stage almost moving as a result of an over-excited audience jumping up and down, the band loved every second of it. With covers of Guns N’ Roses’ Welcome to the Jungle and the classic Limp Bizkit covers of Faith and Behind Blue Eyes, alongside a mixture of their classic songs and some of their newer tunes, the set was outstanding.

The whole tour, a powerhouse of excitement and metal with four fantastic bands hitting the stage every night, continues up to the 21st of February.  If you can, I advise you go to watch.
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Jack Kirby

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>> GALLERY: Kerrang Tour 2014 at the O2 Academy Birmingham <<

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Punjabi hit singer Diljit Dosanjh is to perform in Birmingham and Wolverhampton in May

Internationally renowned Indian Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh is heading to the Midlands to play in both Birmingham and Wolverhampton this May.

With a zest of music in his heart from an early age, popular sub-continental musician Diljit – a heartthrob to many young Punjabis – started his professional career in his teens and has released successful hits over the last decade.

The voice behind popular hits including Ishq Da Uda-Adaa,  Dil Saade Naal, Paggan Pochhveeyan, Allraahaan Kuwariyan and Daaka, the 30-year-old Jalandhar native achieved global prominence following the remix of his traditional folk-based music into well-received dance tracks.

Diljit Dosanjh will play the Wolves Civic Hall and the Birmingham NIA

More recently Diljit Dosanjh stormed music charts with the highly praised album Back to Basics produced by one of UK’s finest producers Tru Skool. The multi award winning album, which featured the tracks Kharku, Strawberry, Radio and Truck, went on to win ‘Best Single’ and ‘Best Album’ at The Brit Asia TV Music Awards 2013.

Diljit Dosanjh also took the award for ‘Best International Act’ when he attended the prestigious awards ceremony in Birmingham last year.

The music artist has also sent hearts aflutter as a movie star, having appeared in seven Bollywood hits including a lead role in box office hit Jatt & Juliet and its sequel Jatt & Juliet 2.

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Diljit Dosanjh returns to the Midlands, playing the Birmingham NIA on the 17th May and the Wolverhampton Civic Hall on 24th May.

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Over 50 performers will unite at the Symphony Hall for a special one-off concert.  Photo: Johan Persson

Organisers of the International Dance Festival Birmingham have teamed up with the city’s Symphony Hall to present the World Premiere of Concert Dansé.

Marking the very first collaboration between the performing arts festival and the prestigious music venue, leading Birmingham based choir Ex Cathedra and acclaimed Québécois dance company Cas Public will join over 50 performers on the Symphony Hall stage, including many great UK names from the worlds of dance and music, to create this one-off concert as part of the city’s fourth, award-winning international biennial festival of dance.

Conducted by Jeffrey Skidmore and featuring works for choir, organ and cello, Concert Dansé culminates in an evocative re-imagining of Duruflé’s Requiem, featuring a cornucopia of ballet, South Asian Kathak and contemporary dance. A host of talented and acclaimed artists will come together on stage to create an ethereal and haunting performance transforming this renowned concert venue as never before.

This unique musical event also features performances by leading organist Alexander Mason, acclaimed cellist Andrew Skidmore and Baritone Greg Skidmore.

Founded in 1989 by then rising contemporary dance star Hélène Blackburn, Cas Public is now a company of international repute, recognised for the passionate and daring physicality of its dance. It has toured world-wide and sustained a presence on the Canadian and international stage – all the while securing its reputation for works of exceptional quality and retaining a strong link to its origins in Quebec’s cultural landscape.

The International Dance Festival Birmingham will present the World Premiere of Concert Dansé. Photo: Johan Persson

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Cas Public to present this truly exciting and ambitious one off event for IDFB 2014 at Birmingham’s stunning Symphony Hall. The musicians and dancers taking part in Concert Dansé are individually some of the finest performers in their field – so to have them all perform together for one night specifically for IDFB really is such a coup for the Festival,” explains David Massingham, Co-Artistic Director of the festival.

Participating Birmingham-based choir, Ex Cathedra has established an international reputation as a leading choral and Early Music ensemble, with a repertoire that ranges from the 12th to the 21st centuries. A Town Hall Associate Artist, this renowned group tours extensively across the UK and Europe where it has built up a keen following and impressive reputation to match that of its local standing.

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Concert Dansé takes place at the Symphony Hall in Birmingham on Friday 2nd May. Fore more information, visit www.idfb.co.uk.

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A Great Big World are joining the Wireless Festival 2014 line-up

New acts including J. Cole, A Great Big World and 2 Chainz have been added to the already impressive line-up for the forthcoming Wireless Festival in London and Birmingham, which is being headlined by the likes of Kanye West, Drake and Bruno Mars.

A whole host of new acts were confirmed today to play across the Wireless Festival line up, which takes place this summer in the capital and arrives to the second city for the very first time.

Music superstar Kanye West will be joined by Drake, Bruno Mars and Pharrell Williams at the 2014 Wireless Festival

J. Cole, 2 Chainz, Knife Party, B.o.B, Bleachers, Giorgio Moroder, Foxes, A Great Big World, Joel Compass, Vic Mensa, Raleigh Ritchie, Kwabs, Jess Glynne, Becky Hill, G-Eazy, YG, Sage The Gemini and Dominique Young Unique all join the incredible bill.

The tenth Wireless Festival takes place for the very first time at London’s Finsbury Park and Birmingham’s Perry Park between Friday 4th July and Sunday 6th July.

The Wireless Festival comes to Birmingham for the first time in its ten-year history

The Birmingham Wireless Festival performances will be held at Perry Park

Kanye West, Drake and Bruno Mars will headline whilst OutKast, Pharrell Williams, Rudimental, Basement Jaxx, Ellie Goulding, Wiz Khalifa, John Newman, Iggy Azalea, Azealia Banks, Pretty Lights, Chance The Rapper, Ella Eyre, Angel Haze, Salt-N-Pepa, Clean Bandit, Earl Sweatshirt, A$AP Ferg and Neon Jungle are also already announced to play across the weekend.

The Wireless Festival 2014 line-up for both Birmingham and London

CURRENT LINE-UP:

LONDON: FRI, 4TH JULY
BIRMINGHAM: SUN, 6TH JULY
KANYE WEST * PHARRELL WILLIAMS * BASEMENT JAXX * 2 CHAINZ * IGGY AZALEA * GIORGIO MORODER * FOXES * ELLA EYRE ANGEL HAZE * JOEL COMPASS * VIC MENSA * JESS GLYNNE

LONDON: SAT, 5TH JULY
BIRMINGHAM: FRI, 4TH JULY
DRAKE * RUDIMENTAL * KNIFE PARTY * WIZ KHALIFA * AZEALIA BANKS * B.o.B PRETTY LIGHTS * CHANCE THE RAPPER * EARL SWEATSHIRT KWABS * A$AP FERG * G-EAZY YG * SAGE THE GEMINI

LONDON: SUN, 6TH JULY
BIRMINGHAM: SAT, 5TH JULY
BRUNO MARS * OUTKAST * ELLIE GOULDING * J. COLE * JOHN NEWMAN * SALT-N-PEPA * CLEAN BANDIT * BLEACHERS * A GREAT BIG WORLD * NEON JUNGLE * RALEIGH RITCHIE * BECKY HILL * DOMINIQUE YOUNG * UNIQUE

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Tickets for Wireless Festival are on sale now, available at www.wirelessfestival.co.uk

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During the punk rock era of the late 1970s, John Cooper Clarke became known as a “punk poet”.

English punk rock-era performance poet John Cooper Clarke is headed to Birmingham later this year as part of a national tour.

Following the news of John Cooper Clarke’s first Manchester show in over 3 years, set to take place in the suitably iconic Palace Theatre, Dr. John Cooper Clarke has today announced a series of national UK headline dates to take place later this year.

Clarke is set to visit London, Birmingham, Hull, Gateshead, Norwich, Brighton, and Edinburgh, and these dates will further a series of UK shows for John that also sees him travelling to Leeds and Manchester.

The venue in Manchester was personally chosen by The Doc., as it was at the Palace Theatre in the early 60’s that he watched Bob Hope perform and decided to try and follow a life in showbiz.

Britain’s best loved and most important performance poet, John Cooper Clarke is as vital now as he was in the 70’s. His biting, satirical, political and very funny verse, delivered in a unique rapid-fire performance style, resonated with the punk movement. His work recently saw him awarded a Doctorate of Arts at Salford University.

Now age 65, John Cooper Clarke is touring the country, playing Birmingham in October

Clarke toured with all the seminal bands; The Sex Pistols, The Clash & Buzzcocks, and in the USA with Elvis Costello. He began to draw large crowds in his own right. Joy Division were proud to frequently support JCC and New Order later opened for him on their first Australian tour.

Fast forward to 2013, and he remains a key orator of British society during this time, and his mark is indelibly seen in today’s pop culture. Aside from his fashion style spawning copy-cats all over the country, his effect on modern music has been huge. His influence needs only to be heard in the satirical and keen social observations of the songs of the Arctic Monkeys.

Alex Turner cites Clarke as a huge inspiration and this was recently demonstrated by Turner as the band covered John Cooper Clarke’s I Wanna Be Yours on their critically acclaimed fifth studio album AM.

In addition, UK rapper and film maker Plan B asked John to appear in his directorial film debut Ill Manors. Their duet Pity The Plight appears in the movie and on the film’s soundtrack while his poem Evidently Chicken Town made its way onto the penultimate episode of what many people consider the “greatest TV show of all time” The Sopranos.

Performing live at the Birmingham Town Hall on 23 October, John Cooper Clarke remains one of the most important voices of our time, and one of the greatest performers currently touring.

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Full 2014 Tour Dates

1st March – Leeds Town Hall

7th March – London O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire

24th May – Manchester Palace Theatre

20th June – Blackpool Winter Gardens

4th – London Royal Festival Hall

23rd October – Birmingham Town Hall

24th October – Hull City Hall

25th October – Gateshead Sage 2

15th November – Norwich Epic Studios

16th November – Brighton Theatre Royal

20th November – Edinburgh Queens Hall

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Tickets go on sale on 21st February at 9am and can be purchased from gigsandtours.com.

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Elyar Fox will be joining The Wanted and The Vamps on tour in Birmingham next month

Teen pop sensation Elyar Fox has been announced to support The Wanted on their final UK tour next month, which includes a date at the Birmingham LG Arena.

18-year-old Elyar continues to make his mark on 2014, as he confirmed he will be supporting The Wanted, alongside pop-rock fourpiece The Vamps.

Elyar’s debut single Do It All Over Again shot into the top 5 on release earlier this year. He’ll be touring with the band in support of his new single A Billion Girls. His much anticipated debut album will also be out this summer.

The Wanted, joined by The Vamps and Elyar Fox, will be playing the Birmingham LG Arena in March

ELYAR FOX UK TOUR DATES

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14-Mar-14, Liverpool, Echo Arena

15-Mar-14, Aberdeen, GE Arena (AECC)

16-Mar-14, Glasgow, Hydro

18-Mar-14, Manchester, Phones 4u Arena

20-Mar-14, Birmingham, LG Arena

21-Mar-14, Sheffield, Motorpoint Arena

22-Mar-14, Newcastle, Metro Radio Arena

25-Mar-14, Belfast, Odyssey Arena

27-Mar-14, London, O2 Arena

28-Mar-14, Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena

29-Mar-14, Brighton, Centre

31-Mar-14, Bournemouth, BIC

1-Apr-14, Nottingham, Capital FM Arena

tICKETS FOR THE

Tickets for The Wanted tour, featuring Elyar Fox and The Vamps, can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.co.uk

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Beatfreeks spoken word artist Amerah Saleh at the Soul Sessions event in Birmingham

An array of young singers, musicians and spoken word artists took to the stage last night to showcase the best of Birmingham’s musical talent.

The special Soul Sessions event was organised by dance, music and creative writing collaborative team Beatfreeks, in partnership with the Town Hall & Symphony Hall’s Project Soundlounge.

Beatfreeks – founded by Birmingham-based community arts pioneer Anisa Haghdadi – were also supported by BBC Radio 1Xtra and their resident DJ Target, who helped attract a crowd of over 300 to yesterday’s one-off event at the city’s Town Hall.

Musician Alima ‘Affiejam’ performs at Beatfreeks Soul Sessions

Hosted by 23-year-old soul and jazz singer Call-Me Unique, alongside musical outfit Elements of Sound, the two hour event presented ten up-and-coming local artists performing a blend of acoustic, soul, R’n'B, jazz, rap, indie and funk numbers.

Among those gracing the stage were Alima ‘AffieJam’, Alisha Kadir, Zack Esposito, Elektrik, Relo, Jacob o’Neil, LB Robinson, NT Complex, David Fischer, Matthew Socci, Okeam, Jay_S and Jacob John.

Fans queue at the Beatfreeks event for a one-to-one meet with BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ Target

Singer and event host Call-Me Unique with Beatfreeks Director Giovanni ‘Spoz’ Esposito

“Beatfreeks is a movement. A movement of young people empowering themselves through music and media, through poetry and dance, and getting some transferable skills for life through those creative processes. That’s essentially what Beatfreeks is,” project director Giovanni ‘Spoz’ Esposito told the crowd.

>> GALLERY: Beatfreeks presents Soul Sessions | Birmingham Town Hall <<

Beatfreeks Soul Sessions was supported by the Town Hall & Symphony Hall ‘Soundlounge’

Beatfreeks aims to host an eclectic mix of live eventsacross the West Midlands, promoting new talent and young leadership through its online platforms including Beatfreeks TV, supporting young talent infront and behind the camera. The organisation works closely with emerging artists to aspiring broadcasters and film makers, running social action, enterprise and leadership academies for 11-25 year olds. To find out more about Beatfreeks, visit: www.beatfreeks.com.

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Hit West End Beatles based musical ‘Let It Be’ is coming to the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham (Photo: Adam Yosef)

Following its hugely successful run in London’s West End, the hit Beatles show ‘Let It Be’ arrives to Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre as part of its UK tour, beginning this month.

To mark the occasion, cast from the the hit show performed some of the Fab Fours greatest hits in the city’s Victoria Square to publicise its forthcoming arrival to the New Alexandra Theatre from Monday 17th to Saturday 22nd March 2014.

‘Let It Be’ showcases the music of the world’s most successful rock ’n’ roll band, The Beatles, in a spectacular theatrical concert charting the band’s meteoric rise from their humble beginnings in Liverpool’s Cavern Club, through the height of Beatlemania, to their later studio masterpieces.

Birmingham performers Reuven Gershon as John Lennon and Luke Roberts as Ringo Starr perform in Victoria Square (Photo: Adam Yosef)

Wolverhampton lad Stephen Hill as George Harrison and Italian Emanuele Angeletti as Paul McCartney complete the “fab four” ensemble (Photo: Adam Yosef)

The show is packed with over forty of The Beatles’ greatest hits including I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Hard Day’s Night, Day Tripper, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Strawberry Fields, When I’m 64, Get Back and many more internationally renown tracks from their back catalogue.

Cast members include Birmngham’s very own Luke Roberts as Ringo Starr and Reuven Gershon as John Lennon while Wolerhampton lad Stephen Hill takes the role of George Harrison and Paul McCartney is played by Emanuele Angeletti from Italy.

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The show has delighted audiences around the world, including New York, Germany and Monaco, with upcoming dates in Japan and Moscow, with the UK tour being produced by Jamie Hendry Productions and Annerin Productions.

>> GALLERY: Beatlemania hits Brum with musical ‘Let It Be’ <<

Hit West End Beatles musical ‘Let It Be’ is coming to the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham (Photo: Adam Yosef)

‘Let It Be’ plays the New Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham from Monday 17th to Saturday 22nd March 2014. Ticket hotline 0844 871 3011 or visit www.atgtickets.com/Birmingham.
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All four presenters from the new line-up of The Gadget Show will appear together on stage at the Gadget Show Live in Birmingham this April.

All four presenters from the new line-up of The Gadget Show will appear together on stage at the Gadget Show Live this April.

Jason Bradbury, Rachel Riley, Jon Bentley and Ortis Deley, plus some very special guests, will take part in 13 hour-long, tech-tastic performances in the 4,500 seater auditorium during the five-day event.

Gadget Show Live is the UK’s leading consumer technology event, taking place at the Birmingham NEC from 9th – 13th April.

“Full of presenter challenges, high-octane stunts, audience interaction and the chance to win some amazing prizes, the Super Theatre performances are always incredibly popular with visitors,” said Sally Bent, event director.

“VIP packages, Premium and front row Super Theatre tickets are already sold out so we recommend gadget fans get in quick when it comes to booking Super Theatre seats.”

Original team presenter Jason Bradbury will be joining his Gadget Show co-presenters in Birmingham

More than 200 top tech companies will exhibit at Gadget Show Live this year giving visitors the chance to see, try and buy thousands of futuristic products – from TVs, toys and tablets, to cameras, cars and consoles.

The Gadget Show celebrates its 10th birthday this year and returns to Channel 5 for nine weeks from today, Monday, 24th February.

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Tickets for Gadget Show Live are available to buy now at www.gadgetshowlive.net

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Five Finger Death Punch arrive at the O2 Academy on March 28th.

Hot off their arena tour with Avenged Sevenfold last year, Five Finger Death Punch are hitting Europe with their biggest headline tour yet and a sold out Birmingham date.

With 6 Revolver Golden God Award nominations, the band kick off their UK dates with a show at the Birmingham O2 Academy on the 28th of March.

With 6 Golden God nominations and finishing an arena tour, FFDP are back.

After a fantastic 2013, with two albums, The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Vol 1 & 2, both obtaining the No 2 slot on the main Billboard chart, the band are eager to get back on the road, kicking off 2014 at Floridas’s ShipRocked.

Since their formation in 2006, Five Finger Death Punch has evolved into a melodic rock machine. The band has produced three Gold certified albums in the U.S.–The Way of The Fist (2007), War Is The Answer (2009) and American Capitalist (2011)–with cumulative single sales now exceeding over 4.5 million worldwide.  Their songs have appeared on the hit games Splatterhouse and Madden 13, as well as in NBC’s hit shows, Criminal Minds and Revolution in the U.S. and their videos played on Scuzz TV and Kerrang! TV in the UK. They have graced numerous magazine covers across the globe including Metal Hammer Magazine’s 250th Anniversary Collector’s Edition which included a career-spanning 11 Track exclusive CD of Five Finger Death Punch tracks.

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Five Finger Death Punch play the Birmingham O2 Academy on the 28th of March

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Earlier this month, cast from the the hit show performed some of the Fab Four’s greatest hits in the city’s Victoria Square to publicise its forthcoming arrival to the New Alexandra Theatre from Monday 17th to Saturday 22nd March 2014.

‘Let It Be’ showcases the music of the world’s most successful rock ’n’ roll band, The Beatles, in a spectacular theatrical concert charting the band’s meteoric rise from their humble beginnings in Liverpool’s Cavern Club, through the height of Beatlemania, to their later studio masterpieces.

The show also features Birmingham performers Reuven Gershon as John Lennon and Luke Roberts as Ringo Starr, with Wolverhampton lad Stephen Hill as George Harrison and Italian Emanuele Angleletti as Paul McCartney completing the ensemble.

>> GALLERY: Beatlemania hits Brum with musical ‘Let It Be’ <<

The show is packed with over forty of The Beatles’ greatest hits including I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Hard Day’s Night, Day Tripper, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Strawberry Fields, When I’m 64, Get Back and many more internationally renown tracks from their back catalogue.

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Let It Be

The show has delighted audiences around the world, and now you can WIN a chance to Come Together and experience the iconic music of The Beatles with Let it Be. We’ve teamed up with the the Alexandra Theatre team to offer a pair of tickets to the spectacular show!  To be in a chance to win, all you have to do is answer the following question:

In which English city was Beatles member John Lennon born?

Email your answers to us at iambirmingham[at]hotmail.co.uk – or by clicking here.

Please include your full name, address, email and a contact number. Winners will be notified by email/phone. Tickets are for any day of the Monday 17th March show at the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham. Tickets are subject to availability and can be withdrawn at any time. Closing date for all entries: 16/03/14.

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‘Let It Be’ plays the New Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham from Monday 17th to Saturday 22nd March 2014. Ticket hotline 0844 871 3011 or visit www.atgtickets.com/Birmingham.
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Young people engaged in debate and discussion on BBC Three show ‘Free Speech’, broadcast from Birmingham

Youngsters from across the city joined a diverse audience in a televised debate yesterday, as it was broadcast live from the Birmingham Central Mosque in Highgate.

The 16-34 year-olds were participating in Free Speech - BBC Three’s fortnightly debate and discussion show hosted by Rick Edwards and Tina Daheley – where topics covered included youth disengagement, youth unemployment, whether there should be a referendum on the EU; and the forthcoming closure of the BBC Three channel itself.

Panellists on Free Speech included Mehdi Hasan, Susan Kramer, Shazia Awan, Paris Lees and Heydon Prowse

Panellists on the show included Huffington Post UK political editor Mehdi Hasan, comedian and The Revolution Will Be Televised star Heydon Prowse, Liberal Democrat peer Susan Kramer, transgender Vice journalist Paris Lees and former Conservative election candidate-turned-businesswoman Shazia Awan.

Birmingham student and young entrepreneur Sunjay Kohli was selected to voice his question on the show

The programme was broadcast live from a pop-up studio set up on the grounds of the city’s Central Mosque, with producers actively encouraging audience participants to get ‘stuck in‘ to the free and open debate; and to challenge “the minister or someone from that cosy bubble” by demanding to have their say.

Rick Edwards presented BBC Three’s Free Speech from the grounds of Birmingham Central Mosque

However, a controversial decision by producers not to hold a planned debate on ‘Muslims and homosexuality‘ caused a stir on social media and in national press, after it was only announced live during the show by presenter Rick Edwards. Programme makers explained the decision was taken at the request of mosque trustees, and was respected out of sensitivity for the place of worship. This has neither been confirmed or denied by the mosque. Some participants felt this should have been disclosed prior to the show airing.

We spoke to some of the individuals about why they participated in the show and what they made of the first episode of the third series:

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CHARLIE MOLONEY, BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY STUDENT

Charlie Moloney

“I applied to be part of the Free Speech audience because it seemed like a good chance to be on TV. Being on TV is a great way to get your opinions heard by a large number of people, in fact it is unique in that you don’t need to hold any position for people to listen to you.

I also hoped that there would be a lively debate and maybe the chance to see some interesting panellists. I felt that the event went quite well. Ideally, it would have been better to have had more distinctive question subjects. I didn’t think that the debate about the EU was very interesting or important. I felt that the debate about BBC Three was interesting, although I think that a lot of the audience members gave the same answers, and only a few of the panellists really dominated the discussion.

Also it’s a real shame that we couldn’t discuss the LGBT issue. I understand that we had to respect the wishes of our hosts at the mosque, but I still think that that was a far more interesting topic than the political discussions we had.”

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SHABRAZ AHMED, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST

Shabraz Ahmed

“I applied to be a part of the Free Speech audience as it’s always been one of my favourite programmes on TV, and when I heard it was coming to Birmingham, I couldn’t miss the opportunity!

The overall experience was amazing. I was delighted that, as a young British Muslim, the show was filmed in Birmingham Central Mosque.

The hospitality provided by the Mosque was incredible, and they went to great lengths to take care of their audience.

The questions that were posed were relevant, however, I was disappointed that the audience questions on Moazzam Begg, foodbanks and Syria were not addressed. As for the final show, I was impressed but I believe it would have been better had equal time been devoted to all questions.”

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SUNJAY KOHLI, ASTON UNIVERSITY STUDENT

Sunjay Kohli

“I wanted to be part of the live audience and contribute to the discussions surrounding young people, simply because I am a young person myself, and as a generation we have a responsibility to ruffle a few feathers and say ‘no’.

Just imagine a board room full of top executives of some large company trying to sell something to people between 16-24, they won’t ever meet their targets unless they have the input from a young person telling them what they want. What good is it, what effects will it have on our generation if you have a panel full of older more experienced professionals talking about what they think are the issues facing us. We need to take a step forward before they take a step backwards.

Despite the few tweets that were slightly edited and then shared, and despite the over-simplification of submitted questions which in turn may have jeopardised the true essence and message behind it, the show it self did seem quite organic in the sense that people could say what they wanted to say as soon as it came to mind. Aside from the buzz that comes with being on live TV, I found the true experience was in the controversial topics being debated and the questions being thrown at panellists and young people. Having the opportunity to appear on a show like this was undoubtedly a positive experience, it does give young people a platform, however, its vital that we recognise we can also build our own platforms.”

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HAIDER ALI, ACTOR

Haider Ali

“I didn’t actually apply to be on the show. I was going to pray at the mosque and noticed the BBC Three team setting up. After chatting to them, they offered me the opportunity to join the audience.

I realised others had travelled from London and other cities and thought it would be a great way to join in and have my say.
The topics discussed were okay but I felt it was just a normal debate and there was nothing special that really stood out for me.”

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.Adam Yosef

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. >> GALLERY: BBC ‘Free Speech’ filming in Birmingham <<

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Some Cities has launched a dedicated new image sharing website featuring over 40,000 photos of people, places and events taken in the UK city of Birmingham.  Photo: Alun Severn

The UK social photography project Some Cities has launched a dedicated new image sharing website featuring over 40,000 photos of people, places and events taken in the UK city of Birmingham.

The digital images, shared via the social media service Twitter or submitted directly to Some Cities by photographers of all abilities across the city, are now enjoying global exposure.

Photographs featured on the site to date cover a wealth of subject matter, including portraits, skylines, wildlife, industry, religious ceremonies, architecture, transport, nights out and street scenes around Birmingham as well as shots taken in or around the city’s central shopping areas, airport, markets, venues and other public spaces.

Some Cities aims to bring Birmingham a step closer to becoming one of the UK’s leading centres for photography. Photo: Chris Collins

Announcing the launch, Some Cities co-founder Dan Burwood said, “To have recorded such a phenomenal number of images in a relatively short space of time shows us and the world just how many stories unfold in our city at any one time, and that Birmingham really is home to an incredible amount of photographic activity. We’re already working with a community of incredibly talented photographers to take the project forward, and invite residents and organisations across the city to join us on the next step of this exciting shared journey.”

New images can be sent directly to Some Cities by email or via Twitter, tagged with #Birmingham, #somecities and #brumfotos, and will form part of an ongoing extensive and authentic digital archive of life in the city.

Some Cities, which brings Birmingham a step closer to becoming one of the UK’s leading centres for photography, works with partners across the creative, cultural, academic and voluntary sectors to train and cultivate the city’s photography community through a series of public talks, bursaries, workshops and sharing events.

The digital images, shared via the social media service Twitter or submitted directly to Some Cities by photographers of all abilities across the city. Photo: Adrian Lowe

Since the launch of the project in November 2013, Birmingham has seen a notable increase in social media activity around documenting and celebrating life and work in the city through photography.

Around 300 aspiring and professional photographers have attended and participated in Some Cities talks, workshops and courses to date.

The two recipients of the first Some Cities bursaries, Birmingham-based photographers Atillo Fiumarella and Stephen Burke, are working to document the under-threat Grade-II Moseley Road Baths building and creating a series of portraits of residents from the Balsall Heath area of the city, respectively.

The artists will give a free talk on their work at mac Birmingham on Tuesday 25 March 2014 and their images will be displayed at the city’s Old Print Works in July 2014.

Since the launch of the project in November 2013, Birmingham has seen a notable increase in social media activity around documenting and celebrating life and work in the city through photography. Photo: Stephen Lloyd

The Some Cities initiative is supported by Arts Council England, the University of Birmingham, mac Birmingham and Birmingham City Council, and is managed by Birmingham-based photographers Andrew Jackson and Dan Burwood.

Some Cities, which can be found at www.some-cities.org.uk, is supported by Arts Council England, University of Birmingham, mac Birmingham, Birmingham City Council, WAVE, Square magazine and AG Photographics.

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Birmingham performers Reuven Gershon as John Lennon and Luke Roberts as Ringo Starr perform in Victoria Square (Photo: Adam Yosef)

Beatlemania was reborn in Birmingham this week, as the New Alexandra Theatre set its stage for the jukebox musical, Let It Be.

Directed by John Maher, the iconic tribute to the fab four takes you on a magical mystery tour through the Beatles musical career.
First stop is 1962 back in Liverpool at the Cavern Club, where the band’s rock and roll legacy began and last stop, was 1969 for the historic, Abbey Road album.

With a head-bopping Ringo Starr, (Roberts) a sweet smiling, Paul McCartney, (Angeletti) a soft singing George Harrison (Brosnan) and a quick-witted John Lennon (Gershon) Let it Be spans through a decade of the Beatles’ best performances. The jukebox musical brings you magnificent stage sets, costumes and a real sense of magical nostalgia.

Hit West End Beatles musical ‘Let It Be’ is coming to the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham (Photo: Adam Yosef)

The set list includes songs such as ‘Ticket to Ride’ ‘Lucy in the sky with diamonds’ and ‘Strawberry Fields.’ The boys produce pitch-perfect vocal harmonies that highlights the predominant, Lennon and McCarntey partnership, whilst classics such as ‘Here Comes the Sun’ and ‘Whilst my Guitar Gently Weeps’ really shows off Harrison’s pure talent.
The audience get up on their feet and start shaking their hips, to the rhythm and energy that Ringo brings to the stage with hits like ‘I Wannaa Be Your Man’ and ‘With a Little Help From my Friends’.

Whereas, you could not call Let it Be a story in itself, there are many personal touches, and moments within the performances that make this production that bit more special. Gershon captured Lennon’s infamous humour faultlessly, at the same time that Roberts captured Ringo’s cute innocence.

All four members of the group have a striking likeness to the Beatles’ boys, great vocal and instrumental ability and for two of them to be originally from the midlands, it’s even more of a reason to see the talent that Birmingham has produced.

For a Beatles experience, that’s a close as you could get to the real thing, Let it Be is not to be missed, so make sure you get your ticket to ride tonight!

Hannah Deathridge

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Let It Be is at the Alexander Theatre until the 22nd of March, for tickets click here.

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The Australian Pink Floyd Show on stage at the NIA (Photo: Jack Kirby)

The spectacle that is The Australian Pink Floyd Show arrived back at the Birmingham NIA for part of their Set The Controls Tour.

With a packed out audience, the show was separated into two sets, the first being a tour long list, and the latter being selected by the audience online before the show.

Starting the show off with ‘Shine on You Crazy Diamond’, the band showed the crowd why they are certified by Pink Floyd. The outstanding musical work the members put in is obvious from the get go, with flawless musical work from the near identical guitar work to the vocal range between everyone on stage.

The energy and light show are truly unique (Photo: Jack Kirby)

The band continued through their set with ‘Welcome to The Machine’ from ‘Wish You Were Here’, ‘Time’ and ‘Breathe’ from ‘Dark Side of The Moon’ and ‘Another Brick in the Wall’ from ‘The Wall’, showing the scope of their knowledge and talent, whilst continually dazzling with the lighting and stage presence that is akin to Pink Floyd.

The second set of the show involved the ‘Set The Controls’ part of the show, and the setlist was developed around pre-selected songs by the audience. With the audience eager for the show to start again, the stage erupted into noise and light.

The night drew to a close with 4 of the biggest Pink Floyd hits, ‘Wish You Were Here’, ‘One of These Days’, ‘Comfortably Numb’ and an encore of ‘Run Like Hell’, getting the audience clapping and on their feet. The energy was outstanding and the room filled with light as the show ended. An amazing night by a world renowned band, one to not be missed.

Jack Kirby

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Australian Pink Floyd are back in England on the 20th of August at Greenwich Music Time. Tickets can be found here.

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Five Finger Death Punch kicked off their UK Tour in Birmingham (Photo: Jack Kirby)

To say the O2 Academy was bursting with energy on Saturday night would be a complete understatement. The noise and excitement of a sold out crowd for Five Finger Death Punch’s first UK show of this Headline tour was outstanding.

With support from PopEvil and Upon A Burning Body, FFDP exploded onto their tour with their latest album ”The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell” under their belt.

First on were the American based rock band Pop Evil, who announced to the crowd that this was their first ever English show. And you could tell they were excited to be there. The movement on stage was only beaten by the way the crowd reacted to the band, opening pits left right and centre to the command of the lead singer Leigh Kakaty. With their number one hit on Rock Radio in the US ‘Trenches’, it became apparent that the UK were accepting them with open arms as they played through their set.

Following shortly after came Upon a Burning Body, a deathcore band also from Stateside. With a very different attire to most bands, suits and ties, the band launched into their set, with the bellowing cry ‘Welcome to the Family’! The night had already begun for the audience as they continued to show why Birmingham is known as the home of Metal, as they reacted with nothing but energy for the 5-some on stage.

With fantastic energy, this was a night to remember. (Photo: Jack Kirby)

As the night moved forward, the crowd began to get anxious, with cries of ‘Five Finger!’ ‘Death Punch!’, and as the lights dimmed down, the cheers sparked up. With the opening of ‘Under and Over it’ FFDP kickstarted their UK tour. As a Union Jack flew on stage, Ivan Moody grabbed it and flung it up in front of him.

Moving through the night with ‘Burn it Down’ and ‘Hard to See’ following, the crowd began flying over the barrier, and didn’t stop moving once. With plenty of banter and toying with the crowd, as well as smiles all round, the band seemed to be in love with this birthplace of rock, as they moved through the night, even when the equipment nearly toppled down upon them.

The night drew to a close with ‘Here to Die’, ‘Far From Home’ and finally ‘The Bleeding’. The night was over, even if the band didn’t want it to be. With this kind of start to the tour, everyone who has the chance to go see Five Finger Death Punch, needs to get to a show.

Jack Kirby

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Tickets for Five Finger Death Punch are available here.

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World-wide phenomenon Justin Timberlake’s fans packed the city’s LG Arena (Photo: Jack Kirby)

Singing and acting superstar Justin Timberlake graced the LG Arena in Birmingham for the first of two sold-out shows, both of which were the last in the UK of his 20/20 Experience tour which showcases his latest album of the same name.

Timberlake’s decision to have no support act could have been seen as arrogant but when the 33-year-old came on stage all decked in a white and black tuxedo, the roar of the crowd instantly dispelled any such notions. He opened with Grammy Award winning hit Pusher Love Girl, which saw the whole audience immediately spring to their feet, beautifully singing and dancing along.

The all singing and dancing solo artist sold out both nights at the LG Arena in Birmingham. (Photo: Jack Kirby)

Pitch-perfect all night, Justin played songs old and new, including his second ever solo single from 2002 - Cry Me A River. As well as his clearly tuned vocals, Timberlake’s dancing impressed as he jumped, jigged and gyrated around the grand stage in a style very reminiscent of internationally renown performer Michael Jackson. Shadowed by equally impressive backing dancers, dressed in similar attire to the Tennessee-born performer, they managed to put on what turned into an admirable and surprisingly fresh show considering it’s lengthy international run.

It wasn’t only Timberlake’s performance on stage that thrilled the sell-out crowd, but also his understanding of local dialect. The American appeared to take great pleasure in correctly pronouncing the city’s name as “Birming-hum” as opposed to the usual over the top “Birm-ing-haam”, which the city is subjected to by a lot of visiting US artists. However, that wasn’t the only thing the musician seemed to be proud of. Justin took time to note to the audience, “If you take one thing away from tonight, let it be that the American said it right.” 

Justin Timberlake thrills the eager crowd at his two-night LG Arena show in Birmingham (Photo: Jack Kirby)

The former ‘N’Sync’ star showed his multiple talents as he wowed the audience with his piano and guitar playing, which may have left everyone in the room thinking, “He can sing, dance, act, play guitar and piano. What can’t this man do?”  Along with Timberlake’s instrumental performances, his backing band – which spanned from two guitar players to a brass section – were on form all night long as they gave a stunning performance themselves.

The show’s set up filled the entire stage with the large band, the backing dancers and a sterling vocal performance by the Hollywood star himself, Mr “J. T.” His silky tones rung out throughout the arena all night long which left me struggling to find any flaw with his performance, as his voice held out all night through both halves of the show.

Jake Mackinnon

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Justin Timberlake carries on his ‘20/20 Experience’ tour including dates in Switzerland and Germany.

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