Glastonbury 2023 has come to an end, culminating in a spectacular performance by Elton John, which could potentially be his final show in the UK. The gates of Glastonbury have officially closed, drawing an end to an extraordinary five-day musical extravaganza in the UK. More than 210,000 revellers flooded into Somerset’s Worthy Farm, for the world’s largest greenfield music...

A few years ago, my good friend, Ged Graham, had the idea to put together a musical which would combine Irish folk music, song and dance with the well known songs of the Christmas season.  The result was "Fairytale Of New York" and it was a great pleasure to see it for the third time at the Wycombe Swan. My wife and daughter (who actually works at the theatre) attended with me and we all...

As a lifelong admirer of the work of Johnny Cash, I was looking forward to seeing this highly acclaimed show and I was not to be disappointed. The whole evening was a great reminder of the lasting quality of Cash's songs and Clive Johns looked and (especially) sounded the part in bringing these to life and telling Johnny's fascinating  story. Clive was accompanied by a group of excellent...

As someone who has followed the music of the Dubliners since childhood, it's always a pleasure to catch up with my good friend, Ged Graham's musical, which takes us through their amazing 50 year career.  There is a great atmosphere and I never tire of hearing the songs and stories that tell the remarkable tale of a group who did so much to broaden the appeal of Irish folk music, beginning...

As a resident of the Walsall area, I am always keen to support the arts locally and I have to say that the Walsall Operatic Society's production of Sister Act at Lichfield Garrick was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. From start to finish, it captured the essence of the story and combined excellent singing with acting which combined the humorous with the serious.  There were many fine...

It is a pleasure for me, as a reviewer, to see local talent in action and I was privileged to attend this excellent show by Aldridge Musical Comedy Society in Cannock recently. I live close to Aldridge and am personally acquainted with some of the cast, who attend my home church, St. Martin's, in Walsall.  The show is basically what the title says; a journey through a hundred years of...

I had been looking forward for some time to seeing this show and after my recent conversation with John Sheahan, the last surviving member of the original Dubliners, I was even more excited. The show, the brainchild of John and another musical legend, Phil Coulter (the Musical Director), is produced by John's daughter, Ceoladh and directed by Maurice Sweeney and recreates the sights and sounds...

For over 60 years now, Sir Paul McCartney has been entertaing us, first as a member of the Beatles, later as the founder of Wings and also, as a solo artist in his own right. During this time, he has created an amazing legacy of music and song and the McCartney Songbook seeks to bring that to life in an amazing show which covers Paul's career from that first auspicious meeting with John Lennon...

Ever since I was a boy, I have been familiar with the sound of the Everly Brothers and their combination of plaintive ballads (often dealing with the heartbreak of broken relationships) and more uptempo songs with rock 'n roll and country influences. The voices of Don and Phil blended beautifully to create a distinctive sound that was instantly recognisable.  In "Walk Right Back," James...

Monarchy and feudalism go hand in hand and feudalism has been abolished long ago from the face of the earth. But some of the countries still continues with monarchy as their sovereign head. British empire has been the country with longest monarchal head and long standing history of colonialism. Abolition of monarchy has also been an issue raised outside the UK in countries like Jamaica, New...