Gig reviews, gigs in Birmingham & West Midlands

Review: Dave Gorman, at Symphony Hall, Birmingham Nov 08 2011

Comedian Dave Gorman brings his Powerpoint Presentation to Birmingham.Read

Review: Glen Campbell, at Symphony Hall, Birmingham Nov 08 2011

THERE aren’t many performers who can command a standing ovation before they’ve sung a word but there aren’t many performers like Glen Campbell.Read

Review: Tinie Tempah, at LG Arena, Birmingham Nov 07 2011

SINCE the rapper was last in Birmingham at the humble O2 Academy, Tinie Tempah has won a few top music gongs.Read

Review: Turisas / Chthonic, at Wulfrun, Wolverhampton Nov 07 2011

THE Avon lady must have felt all her Christmases had come at once when she pressed the bell of Turisas singer Mathias Nygård.Read

Review: Alison Krauss and Union Station, at Symphony Hall, Birmingham Nov 07 2011

US bluegrass singer Alison Krauss and her band Union Station kicked off their UK tour in Birmingham with a magical blend of soaring vocals and peerless musicianship.Read

Review: Arctic Monkeys - LG Arena, Birmingham Nov 07 2011

LADS love them for their brash, street-wise cockiness, the ladies for their unashamed sensitivity and songs about ‘cuddles in the kitchen’.Read

Review: Motorhead, at Wolverhampton Civic Hall Nov 04 2011

HAVING produced a strangely subdued set at Bloodstock-Open-Air in August, Motorhead had a point to prove when returning to the Midlands.Read

Review: Benjamin Francis Leftwich - HMV Institute, Digbeth Nov 03 2011

ADMITTEDLY Leftwich only has one album and a couple of EPs to his name but surely his music merits a set of more than 50 minutes?Read

Gig review: Britney Spears, LG Arena, Birmingham Oct 31 2011

WITH an absence of seven years and a top ticket price of more than £50, fans will have been expecting a lot from this Britney Spears show in Birmingham. Read

Review and setlist: Alice Cooper - Birmingham NIA Oct 28 2011

WHAT better way to head into the season of ghosts and ghouls than to spend an evening in the company of veteran shock-rocker Alice Cooper? Read

Review: Japanese Voyeurs, at The Rainbow, Birmingham Oct 22 2011

JAPANESE Voyeurs seem to have exploded out of nowhere.Read

Roger McGuinn, Birmingham Town Hall Oct 19 2011

IF there’s one sound that forever defines the 60s, it’s Roger McGuinn’s guitar intro to the Byrds’ Mr Tambourine Man. Timeless and captivating, the electric version of the Dylan anthem guaranteed McGuinn and the band their place in rock history.Read

Jessie J wows Birmingham crowd Oct 18 2011

HUNDREDS of screaming girls lined the Bristol Road eagerly awaiting the opening night of Jessie J’s second UK tour.Read

Review: Rihanna, at LG Arena, Birmingham Oct 17 2011

Rihanna has a back catalogue of songs to make this Loud tour worth remembering for her talent, not her writhing. Read

Ska veterans are so Special Oct 13 2011

WOLVERHAMPTON Civic Hall witnessed an unbeatable set of classic songs belted out to old school fans as The Specials kicked off the UK leg of their massive European tour.Read

Blackmore's night of folk surprises Oct 07 2011

I HAVE seen Ritchie Blackmore refuse to go onstage with Deep Purple and smash up his guitar with Rainbow, all expected from a musician with a moody reputation.Read

Diminutive Dolly Parton brings sparkle to Birmingham LG Arena Sep 03 2011

BIRMINGHAM’S LG Arena was awash with pink as reigning Queen of Country Dolly Parton rolled into town.Read

Review: CSS, at O2 Academy, Birmingham Aug 27 2011

FUN-loving CSS have a knack of transferring their energy and enthusiasm onto a crowd.Read

Review: Steve Cropper & the Animals, at the Robin, Bilston Aug 27 2011

BACK in the 60s, the Beatles, the Stones and the Animals changed the world forever. We all know what happened with the first two, but what about the Geordies? Read