Live & Kicking: 21st July 2011
Here & Now, a concert featuring (allegedly) ‘the very best of the 1980s’ takes place this weekend. The Lincolnshire Showground’s Epic Centre hosts a weekend of live music promoted by the former ‘head honcho’ from Lincoln Theatre Royal Chris Moreno. Moreno returns to the city (well – nearly!) with one of his regular summer Midsummer Magic extravaganzas on Saturday and Sunday!
Saturday night features Boy George, Jason Donovan, Belinda Carlisle, Curiosity Killed The Cat and The Real Thing and Sunday has a slightly more contemporary feel including ex – X Factor outtakes Stacy Soloman and the enormously versatile Jedward.
Returning to Lincoln shortly after last month’s Lincoln Theatre Royal show, Lancashire’s number one Soul Band, The Real Thing, open Saturday night’s event. The rest of the line-up however is a bit of a who’s who of re-habilitated and re-branded pop start from the 1980s. From Boy George and Belinda Carlisle’s very highly publicised ordeals with Heroin both in the UK and USA, and Jason Donovan’s self-confessions that it was only the birth of his daughter that stopped his own excessive use of Cocaine.
Sunday night, however, celebrates everything that is simple and uncomplicated with Irish brothers John and Edward collectively known as the heavily tonsured Jedward. The duo, are known and deeply admired for their distinctive blond quiffs and unique performances, both musical and otherwise! Since arriving on your TV screens in 2009 their first single, “Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby)”, featuring the similarly talented ‘rapper’ Vanilla Ice and was released during January of last year.
Another X-Factor contestant Stacey Soloman, who actually can hold a tune, is also on Sunday’s bill. This ‘bubbly’ 21 year old from Dagenham most recently re-emerged with Shaun Ryder on TV screens in ITV’s I’m A Celebrity – Get Me Out Of Here last November where she went on to be crowned “Queen of the Jungle”.
Additional entertainment on Sunday comes from ABBA tribute act Bjorn Again and doors open at 6:00 (5pm Sunday). The concerts are open to all the family (children over 5!) with ticket prices from £15.00, more details from www.midsummermagic.co.uk.
Heavy Metal stalwarts Iron Maiden are hitting the road around the UK as part of their incredible world-wide Final Frontier Tour which started in Moscow back in February and finishes in London next month by way of Brazil, Mexico, Australia and just about everywhere else in between! On Sunday you will be able to see they will be playing at the Sheffield Arena and next Wednesday at Nottingham’s Capital FM Arena.
The Final Frontier World Tour is in conjunction with the band’s 15th studio album released in August and their most successful chart album to date, registering the number one sales chart slot in 28 countries around the globe.
One final point worth noting about Maiden is that ‘singer’ Lady Gaga once said Iron Maiden were her favourite band of all time and that she used to cover “Run to the Hills” in her live set!
