http://www.gigjunkies.com Live music reviews & photography of your favourite bands and artists by Gig Junkies Wed, 16 May 2012 20:24:01 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/elvis-costello-and-the-imposters-the-symphony-hall-birmingham-uk-15th-may-2012/ http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/elvis-costello-and-the-imposters-the-symphony-hall-birmingham-uk-15th-may-2012/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 17:05:34 +0000 Bianca http://www.gigjunkies.com/?p=4263 Tonight at the Symphony Hall is the legendary Elvis Costello. What can you say about a man who has had more classic hits than most of us have had hot dinners, with over 60 singles, thirty-odd albums in a career spanning well over thirty years. And that’s before you event mention his lyrical prowess! ]]> http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/elvis-costello-and-the-imposters-the-symphony-hall-birmingham-uk-15th-may-2012/feed/ 0 http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/michael-kiwanuka-jake-bugg-wulfrun-hall-wolverhampton-uk-14th-may-2012/ http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/michael-kiwanuka-jake-bugg-wulfrun-hall-wolverhampton-uk-14th-may-2012/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 20:23:50 +0000 Bianca http://www.gigjunkies.com/?p=4272 Every now and then you go to a gig that you’re not overly excited about and then, a couple of hours later, you walk out of the venue spellbound by what you've just seen and heard. It’s as if you’ve witnessed history, something magical that futuristically will be written in annuls of time. Monday night at the Wulfrun Hall Wolverhampton, was – in my humble opinion – one such occasion. ]]> http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/michael-kiwanuka-jake-bugg-wulfrun-hall-wolverhampton-uk-14th-may-2012/feed/ 2 http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/morten-harket-songdog-symphony-hall-birmingham-uk-14-may-2012/ http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/morten-harket-songdog-symphony-hall-birmingham-uk-14-may-2012/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 DB http://www.gigjunkies.com/?p=4252 As dozens of grasping hands strain forward to claw at Morten Harket one or two manage to get a grip and from there on in it was all over. More hands join them and the former A-ha frontman is slowly, inexorably pulled off the stage and into a frenzied pit of hormones and fake nails. Within seconds he’s stripped naked and the ravishing begins... ]]> http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/morten-harket-songdog-symphony-hall-birmingham-uk-14-may-2012/feed/ 3 http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/friends-alunageorge-o2-academy-2-birmingham-uk-13-may-2012/ http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/friends-alunageorge-o2-academy-2-birmingham-uk-13-may-2012/#comments Sat, 12 May 2012 19:00:50 +0000 DB http://www.gigjunkies.com/?p=4243 Next door (in the big room) the newly reformed Happy Mondays are twisting the melons of hundreds of mums and dads on the old ‘topping up the pension’ circuit. Meanwhile, here in the Academy 2, the night gets off to an equally twisty (but infinitely cooler) start thanks to the sinuous ass shaking of Aluna Francis, one half of new London R&B-tronica duo AlunaGeorge. ]]> http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/friends-alunageorge-o2-academy-2-birmingham-uk-13-may-2012/feed/ 0 http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/alabama-shakes-childhood-hmv-institute-birmingham-uk-11-may-2012/ http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/alabama-shakes-childhood-hmv-institute-birmingham-uk-11-may-2012/#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 20:00:05 +0000 DB http://www.gigjunkies.com/?p=4226 There’s an all too rare moment this evening when the whole audience falls silent. No chatter, no tweeting, no click of camera phones... just silence... broken only by a howl of pure pain from the band’s vocalist. Hell, even our goosebumps got goosebumps. Yep, Alabama Shakes are in town. ]]> http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/alabama-shakes-childhood-hmv-institute-birmingham-uk-11-may-2012/feed/ 0 http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/smoke-fairies-announce-uk-tour-for-septemberoctober-and-latitude-festival-appearance/ http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/smoke-fairies-announce-uk-tour-for-septemberoctober-and-latitude-festival-appearance/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 14:57:38 +0000 Bianca http://www.gigjunkies.com/?p=4217 Hot from their support shows with Jack White, and with the release of their much-anticipated second album Blood Speaks now less than two weeks away, SMOKE FAIRIES have just announced news of a huge UK tour in September and October. Ahead of this Katherine and Jessica will be playing a headline show at the Tabernacle in west London, the week after release, showcasing tracks from this sublime new album, and will also be appearing at the Latitude Festival in July. ]]> http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/smoke-fairies-announce-uk-tour-for-septemberoctober-and-latitude-festival-appearance/feed/ 0 http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/the-subways-royal-republic-turbowolf-the-hmv-ritz-manchester-uk-8th-may-2012/ http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/the-subways-royal-republic-turbowolf-the-hmv-ritz-manchester-uk-8th-may-2012/#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 12:35:26 +0000 Bianca http://www.gigjunkies.com/?p=4229 The Subways made their live return to Manchester tonight and I’m pretty sure that the nearing capacity crowd at the HMV Ritz got exactly what they came for. The Subways are easily one of the hardest working live bands out there and year on year have proven that regardless of the size of venue, their live shows will always pack that trademark Subways punch. The Manchester date of their current tour, was no exception to this rule. ]]> http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/the-subways-royal-republic-turbowolf-the-hmv-ritz-manchester-uk-8th-may-2012/feed/ 0 http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/ladyhawke-shes-so-rad-the-glee-club-birmingham-uk-6th-may-2012/ http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/ladyhawke-shes-so-rad-the-glee-club-birmingham-uk-6th-may-2012/#comments Sun, 06 May 2012 16:19:46 +0000 Bianca http://www.gigjunkies.com/?p=4206 It may have been indicative of the fact that the crowd was a little younger than that which normally frequents the Glee Club, or the fact that it was a bank holiday the following day, but either way the bar was 5 deep - an omen for a good night or lots of drunken chatter? Time would tell... ]]> http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/ladyhawke-shes-so-rad-the-glee-club-birmingham-uk-6th-may-2012/feed/ 1 http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/happy-mondays-inspiral-carpets-manchester-arena-uk-5th-may-2012/ http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/happy-mondays-inspiral-carpets-manchester-arena-uk-5th-may-2012/#comments Sat, 05 May 2012 20:30:54 +0000 Bianca http://www.gigjunkies.com/?p=4199 The Happy Mondays are a band who need little introduction. They have been making the headlines since they burst onto the Manchester music scene in the 80s for both good and bad reasons. Now they are the latest band riding the nostalgia wave that has so far seen Britpop favourites like Blur, Pulp and The Stone Roses reform for reunion shows. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived at the show in Manchester. I’ll admit I was wondering what Bez would do. I perhaps wasn’t expecting the professional and pulled together show that I got. ]]> http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/happy-mondays-inspiral-carpets-manchester-arena-uk-5th-may-2012/feed/ 6 http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/alabama-shakes-new-improved-now-with-bigger-venue/ http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/alabama-shakes-new-improved-now-with-bigger-venue/#comments Thu, 03 May 2012 23:00:14 +0000 Wayne http://www.gigjunkies.com/?p=4175 Yes. That's right people, remember you heard it here first (or maybe you were on the HMV Institute mailing list like me ;o) ) If you were upset that you missed-out on a Birmingham ticket to see the hotly tipped Alabama Shakes, then fret no more! They've been upgraded to the BIG ROOM! I know! But be quick as they're obviously selling fast HERE. The gig is still on Friday 11 May 2012, by the way. ]]> http://www.gigjunkies.com/band-reviews/alabama-shakes-new-improved-now-with-bigger-venue/feed/ 0