Gig reviews, gigs in Birmingham & West Midlands

James Morrison @ Bar Academy, Birmingham

JAMES Morrison is hailed as an exciting, unique talent (excluding Ray LaMontagne), thus it was with great expectation that a sold-out crowd packed into the Bar Academy. Read

Nanci Griffith @ Symphony Hall

THE Queen of Folkabilly is very much living up to the title famously afforded her by Rolling Stone magazine. Read

WELCOME To The Jungle. The first song of Guns N' Roses' two hour 15 minute set and an apt description of conditions in the NEC last night with the heat and humidity turning the Arena into what felt like a tropical rainforest. Read

UB40 @ Ragley Hall, Alcester

PICNICS and Pimms were the order of the day for fans of Birmingham's reggae boys at a "homecoming" gig in the grounds of a stately home. Read

Lostprophets @ Carling Academy Birmingham

FOLLOWING 2003's sell-out performance at the same venue, Lostprophets returned to Birmingham to strut their stuff in front of a capacity crowd. Read

The Automatic @ Carling Academy Birmingham

THE past few weeks have seen the hype surrounding this promising young Welsh band snowball. Read

Jeff Beck & Buddy Guynia @ NIA Academy

WHAT a guitar-fest - the like of which the NIA can rarely have seen before. Read

Billy Joel @ NEC

HE'S short and balding and has a face that's perfect for radio - so what is it about Billy Joel that makes people travel from all over the UK and pay over £70 to see him in Birmingham? Read

John Tams and Barry Coope @ Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

VETERAN John Tams's stock on the folk scene has never been higher. Read

KT Tunstall @ Wolverhampton Civic Hall

SCOTTISH songstress KT Tunstall must hardly be able to believe her amazing rise to stardom. Read

Angels and Airwaves @ Carling Academy Birmingham

ANGELS and Airwaves are currently on their first-ever UK tour - and an enthusiastic sell-out crowd laid on a red carpet welcome in Birmingham. Read

Lesley Garrett @ Symphony Hall

LESLEY Garrett's singing range is becoming almost as varied as her wardrobe of colourful outfits. Read

Elton John @ NEC Arena

SIR Elton John kicked the World Cup into touch and demonstrated why he is still top of the premier league when it comes to putting on a spectacular show. Read

David Gray @ NIA

DAVID Gray, often criticised for serving up bland, middle-of-the-road fare, played to a full Birmingham NIA, delighting the crowd. Read

Joe Satriani @ Symphony Hall

FROM the opening riff of Surfing With the Alien, the faithful followers of guitar maestro Joe Satriani knew they were on familiar ground. Read

Music temple becomes field of footballing dreams for World Cup

YOU might associate it more with music, but as we head into the biggest summer of football ever Carling are inviting England fans to get their first round in at Carling Academy Birmingham. Read