The Penguin History of Europe (J. M. Roberts, 1996)

I like to have a fiction and a non-fiction book on the go at any one time. If I feel like losing myself in a thriller or a mystery etc. then I can pick up the fiction, and if I'm in the mood to expand my mind and learn something new about the world I'll pick up the non-fiction (to say nothing of the 3 or 4 magazines I read a month/week). This system means that it can often take quite a while to finish the non-fiction... if the novel I'm reading is 'unputdownable' then the non-fiction can get neglected, and the same happens if I'm feeling tired or in no mood to take in any new information, or concentrate on factual narrative. 

I began J. M. Robert's The Penguin History of Europe in June this year, and last week I finally finished it! I'm fascinated by Europe, it's history and it's current incarnation(s), and I found this superb one-volume, paperback in Waterstones last year. 

My last few non-fiction reads were biographies of Churchill and Stalin, along with volumes on the punic and Boer wars. As I get older I'm more and more fascinated by history and the things it can teach us. I read the last four books knowing little of the subjects before embarking on the journey through their lives and events, and I came out wanting to know more about subjects touched upon within these narratives. After reading about the Boer war I wanted to know more about Africa and Britain's Empire. After Stalin's biography I moved on to Churchill's, after the latter was featured as a supporting character in the former's life. And after reading of Churchill's life I wanted to know more about English history - that will have to wait for the future. 

The History of Europe was until recent times a history of the world - Europe's empires spread across the planet, and much of today's civilisation was created in Europe. I enjoyed Roberts' history and found it an easy, enthralling read - although I have to say I preferred it as it went along. That's no criticism of the writing, more of the time spans covered - earlier history has less documentation and as such was written about in broad sweeps. Later, from 1800 onwards, the world described became more recognisable to me and I found it easier to take in the information presented to me.

I now have a better understanding of the continent's history as a whole, and how it fits in with the histories of the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australasia, and I'm confident in my overview of the last few centuries. I do, however, want to know more! As I read the History of Europe, mention of the Boer War and Carthage was made in a matter of lines, whereas I've read a book on each. Although I was enthralled by the story of a continent across hundreds of years, it's sometimes more gratifying to read in more depth about individual events, or individual lives, such as Churchill's or Stalin's. Through one person's biography you can learn much around the subject. I'll certainly be using The Penguin History of Europe as a reference as I read more about the history of the world.

Blood Brothers (Phoenix Theatre, 21/11/09)

For our second day in London, we saw a second musical, this time it was Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre on Charing Cross Road. The main reason I wanted to see this show is because Melanie C was playing the lead role of Mrs Johnstone. Other than this fact I knew nothing about the production. 

I'm a massive Melanie C fan. I was always, and remain, a big Spice Girls fan, but Melanie C was never my favourite when I was younger. This was probably due to her being Sporty Spice and looking a bit chavvy. I now realise she had the best voice of any of the girls, and that she has had the most consistantly fantastic musical output since the group split. While she had a lot of success (and number 1's) with her first album, the next 3 didn't fare so well, despite the fact they're all wonderfully crafted pieces of pop. 

I've never had the opportunity to see Melanie C perform, since I decided how great she really is (I wasn't paying the ridiculous prices the Spice Girls reunion tour was charging - I'm still pissed off with them for not releasing a DVD, grrr!), so when I saw on www.melaniec.net that she was going to be appearing in Blood Brothers I got my Mum to buy me an early Christmas present!

Act I

• Overture – Orchestra, Company and Narrator
• Marilyn Monroe – Mrs Johnstone and Company
• Marilyn Monroe (Reprise) – Mrs Johnstone
• My Child – Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons
• Easy Terms – Mrs Johnstone
• Shoes Upon The Table – Narrator
• Easy Terms (Reprise) – Mrs Johnstone
• Kids' Game – Sammy, Linda, Mickey and Ensemble
• Shoes Upon the Table (Reprise) – Narrator
• Bright New Day (Preview) – Mrs Johnstone
• Long Sunday Afternoon/My Friend – Mickey and Eddie
• Bright New Day – Mrs Johnstone and Company

Act II

• Marilyn Monroe – Mrs Johnstone and Company
• Shoes Upon the Table – Narrator
• That Guy – Mickey and Eddie
• Shoes Upon the Table (Reprise) – Narrator
• I'm Not Saying A Word – Eddie
• Miss Jones – Mr Lyons, Miss Jones and Company
• Marilyn Monroe – Mrs Johnstone
• Light Romance – Mrs Johnstone
• Madman – Narrator
• Tell Me It's Not True – Mrs Johnstone and Company

I was not disappointed by Melanie C's performance. She seemed born to play the part, and her singing has a real melancholic edge to it sometimes that fit the mood of many of the songs to a T, plus she can act! Aside from Melanie C, the rest of the cast were terrific - Sean Jones as Mickey (his involvement was announced with a paper insert to the programme - I was terrified it was going to see that Melanie C was ill or something, luckily she hadn't done a Barrowman) was particularly good, by turns hilarious, cute and amzingly easy to like. Richard Reynard's Eddie, the other 'blood brother' was great too, and they both were great at portraying the characters, believably, as they aged from 7 to their twenties. This conceit concerning the age of the actors and the characters they were portraying helped make it believable that 35-year old Melanie C could be a mother of 7.

The show is less a musical than a play with songs, which is to say that the songs don't seem to form the bulk of the plot/running time. The songs seemed to act as either windows into the conscience of the characters, or to serve as 'montages' that moved the time along, serving as narration, particularly during 'Miss Jones'. The Narrator was an actual character, a creepy presence who interacted with the characters occasionally, but mostly looked on making ominous pronouncements - the end of the show, when the brothers die, is sign-posted from the opening scene, so the Narrator adds to the tension and reminds you how things are going to turn out. Despite knowing how the show will end, it still comes as a shock when events unfold - I suppose that is part of the power of the drama and the performances (and is used to similar great effect in Romeo & Juliet, Titanic and Moulin Rouge, to name a few).

However much I enjoyed Blood Brothers - and I really did - one of the highlights of the evening came after the show when we waited outside the stage door and I met Melanie C. I've never met a celebrity in such a way before (I got my photo taken with Dave Gorman after one of his stand-up shows, but that was an organised thing). After waiting about half an hour (with 10 or so other fans), Melanie C finally emerged. I had been debating not staying to see her - they say you shouldn't meet your idols - but I need not have worried, she was as lovely as I'd expected. I didn't really say much to her beyond 'thanks' as she autographed my programme and posed for photos with me, and then with my partner. I admit to being very star-struck. It was all too brief, but it was the highlight of my life year! Amazing.

La Cage aux Folles (Playhouse Theatre, 20/11/09)

On 20th November we began a long weekend in London, with the main aim of taking in two West End shows. The first we saw was La Cage aux Folles, by Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein, which was based on the play by Jean Poiret. 

My initial reaction to the musical was one of disappointment. We'd missed the chance of seeing Graham Norton in the show earlier in the year, but we though John Barrowman would be a great substitute. It was only after I bought the programme and got settled in my seat that I found the insert that read: 'At this evening's performance, due to his appearance on Children In Need, John Barrowman will not be appearing'. How selfish! I was frustrated because surely Children In Need is at a set date every year and as such the theatre should have been aware that Barrowman would be likely to miss this performance, and to put this information on the website when I booked the ticket (ticketmaster clearly showed the 2 dates that Melanie C wasn't appearing in Blood Brothers). I was determined not to let the disappointment or irritation spoil the show. 

It turns out I need not have worried. Albin was played by Chris Andrew Mellon, in his debut performance in the role it turns out, and he pulled it off magnificently - with subtlety and heart that I'm not sure Barrowman would be able to get across. I'll never know though. 

I knew most of the story of La Cage through the Hollywood remake of the French film (!), The Birdcage, that stars Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Hank Azaria and a very young Calista Flockhart. I soon discovered that the story wasn't exactly the same - The Birdcage is more of a farce centered around the meal between the central gay characters and Hackman's conservative senator. Christine Baranski's character was created for the movie too. I was glad that I didn't know everything that was going to happen, but as with Barrowman's absense, it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the musical.

Act I

• We Are What We Are – Les Cagelles, Georges
• Mascara – Albin, Les Cagelles
• With Anne on My Arm – Georges, Jean-Michel
• With You on My Arm – Albin, Georges
• Song on the Sand – Georges
• La Cage aux Folles – Company
• I Am What I Am – Albin

Act II

• Song on the Sand (Reprise) – Albin, Georges
• Masculinity – Albin, Georges, Monsieur Renaud, Madame Renaud, Tabarro
• Look Over There – Georges
• Dishes (Cocktail Counterpoint) – Anne, Monsieur Dindon, Madame Dindon, Georges, Jacob, Jean-Michel
• The Best of Times – Company
• Look Over There (Reprise) – Georges, Jean-Michel
• Finale – Company

There were fewer big, camp, OTT, upbeat numbers than I was expecting, and more ballads. The only song I knew beforehand was the gay classic, I Am What I Am. Every one of the Cagelles' men-in-frocks cabaret numbers was outrageously camp and bawdy, with breathtaking choreography. I particularly liked the more 'masculine' Cagelle who couldn't be bothered always keeping up the drag persona and occasionally sat legs akimbo rather than crossed, etc. Each of the 6 Cagelles had a distinct personality, although telling them apart from where I was sitting was sometimes difficult! 

The central performances from Simon Burke as Georges and Mellon as Albin were beautiful drawn. While I thought the beginning of the show lacked a little spark (maybe because as I say this was Mellon's first performance, I'm not sure, just speculating), things soon picked up and Albin became more than just a drama queen - numbers such as Song on the Sand and Look Over There provided real weight to the characters and their emotions. 

It was strange that the big song-and-dance number that closed the show ended with Albin in suit rather than in full, fabulous drag, yet the conclusion of the story felt true to the character and was the best way to end La Cage.

I enjoyed La Cage aux Folles a lot, and there were many highlights - Albin; I Am What I Am; the outrageous Jacob; Les Cagelles' every number; the comedy; the pathos; the stage; so much to choose from! Simon Burke addressed the audience after the final bows to say that the cast were collecting for Children in Need, and mentioned John Barrowman. An audience member summed up my feelings exactly when he shouted 'John who?'

VV Brown (The Cockpit, Leeds)

Last Friday I had my third and final jaunt to the Cockpit this year, to see VV Brown. Another artist who my partner likes rather than me, I'd given her album a couple of listens before the gig and enjoyed it. She sounds a little bit sixties, but without being all Duffy and obvious about it. VV Brown does something different with the sound, producing an album that sounds familiar yet very now.

I can't find a proper set list online, but I know she performed the following, just not necessarily in this order:

1. Quick Fix
2. Game Over
3. Leave!
4. Bottles
5. Crying Blood (acoustic version)
6. Crying Blood (reggae version)
7. Somewhere Over The Rainbow (Wizard of Oz cover)
8. Viva La Vida (Coldplay cover)
9. Back In Time
10. I Love You
11. Caroline (new song)
12. L.O.V.E
13. Everybody
14. Travelling Like The Light
15. Shark In The Water
Encore: 16. Sex On Fire (Kings Of Leon cover)

So basically she did the whole album, Travelling Like The Light, except one track, plus a new track and 3 covers. A longer set than either Alphabeat or Frankmusik, despite costing half as much and being in a smaller room at The Cockpit. 

As it was a smaller room, the gig felt more intimate somehow, and the atmosphere in the crowd was different - it was an older, more ethnically diverse audience than before. I hadn't realised how young and white the previous audiences were. Not that it matters at all, it was just something that I made note of. This isn't to say that an older crowd didn't know how to have a good time at this gig!

VV Brown came on stage while I was at the bar - when she made her appearance I didn't recognise her behind the massive mask she was wearing. I thought Grace Jones was putting in a cameo! This level of quirkiness continued in various guises, and VV was all the more appealing for it. Inbetween songs she had excellent banter with her fans, and showed she has a sense of humour. Most importantly, she had the voice to back up the personality. As beautiful on the acoustic tracks as she was on the up tempo numbers (and there were more of these than the former), I enjoyed the night immensely. 

The only quibble I had was with the choice of covers - I like Somewhere Over the Rainbow, and VV put her own spin on it, but Coldplay leaves me cold, and Kings of Leon... Well, they're not my cup of tea. I wouldn't have minded the Kings song so much if she hadn't done it as an encore. I would've been happier for her to finish on the gorgeous Shark in the Water than to come back to sing someone else's song. When Frankmusik did the same with It's a Sin it worked because he made the song into something else, something quintessentially 'Frankmusik', but the Kings of Leon track was a bit too karaoke and crowd-pleasing. 

The new single, Caroline, was awesome, and I hold out great hopes for VV Brown's second album, due next year, along with Alphabeat's and Frankmusik's! Here's to more gigs in the future.

17 Again (2009)

After Ice-Cold in Alex, I continued my cultural odyssey with 17 Again. No, not a black and white British film from the fifties about the war. A 2009 Hollywood movie starring Zac Efron in an updated Big (1988) which involves much suspension of belief - the movie asks us to imagine that in 20 years Zac will resemble Matthew Perry! 

This movie has a lot to recommend about it. Zac Efron shirtless in the first 5 minutes; Zac Efron dancing; Zac Efron with his shirt off in a deleted scene; Zac Efron looking gorgeous... But seriously. I like Zac Efron. What about it? Not only is he beautiful, but the fact that he's actually quite an accomplished (comic) actor is nearly always overlooked. It's for the same reason that people forget that Brad Pitt can actually act (see Fight Club, Burn After Reading et al).

It's a shame, but the nature of the plot, that Matthew Perry only gets to bookend the movie in a couple of brief scenes. He's so very good and deserves a decent role - all the better if it would allow us to forget about Chandler Bing for a second. And much like Zac's acting, Perry's performance is overshadowed by his attractive co-star (of course they never share a scene). 

The support cast are all great - Thomas Lennon as Zac's grown-up man-child geek best friend is a revelation, and really provides some of the funniest scenes. Michelle Trachtenberg is sidelined a little as Zac's daughter, and Sterling Knight is adorable as his son. 

There may not be much new in 17 Again, it's still enjoyable and a relaxing way to spend an evening. 

Being Human: Series 1 (2009)

I recently finished watching BBC3’s comedy/horror/drama series, Being Human. It was that rare beast in British TV drama – a science fiction show that’s genuinely scary/gory, laugh-out-loud funny, utterly riveting and original (hard to do in an era when vampires seem to be everywhere – Buffy, Angel, Twilight, True Blood, et al).

Of course, Doctor Who / Torchwood has been getting sci-fi right for a while now, but others have come and gone with little success – see the deadly boring Afterlife (ITV1) and the not-bad, but didn’t survive until a second series Demons (ITV1). Most of the sci-fi genre shows that have been attempted have aimed for the family audience, but Being Human revels in it’s post-watershed ability to show the realistic bloody violence that being set in the modern day world of vampires, werewolves and ghosts demands.

The premise is quite simple; George (a werewolf), Mitchell (vampire) and Annie (ghost) live together in Bristol, trying to get on with their lives and blend in among humanity. George struggles with the monster side of his life, as well as with a blossoming love affair with a nursing colleague. Mitchell is initially on the wagon and not drinking from humans, but his fellow vampires true to lure him back to his old, wicked ways (a bit like Angel). Annie has only recently died, and eventually learns that there was more to her death than she remembers.

There’s a great sense of humour running through the series, without being too ironic or post-modern, and drifting away from the ‘real-world’ setting. Russell Tovey’s George is particularly funny, and a lovable character, while Aidan Turner is a typically brooding, smouldering vampire, with a psychotic ex-girlfriend and a thirst for blood. Lenora Crichlow takes Annie from a slightly annoying being, obsessed with her (living) fiancé, and makes her into a fully-formed character – expressed through Annie’s later ability to be seen by people other than her housemates.

I hope that the second series continues this emotionally and physically dramatic vein, and with more than 6 episodes too. I want to spend more time with George, Mitchell and Annie please!

Frankmusik (The Cockpit, Leeds)

This past Friday night I had my second visit to Leed's Cockpit in as many weeks, and this time we saw Frankmusik. The first support act, Heads We Dance, was very good, but we sat out the second one, Killa Kella (sp?), who was not at all like either HWD or Frankmusik.

Poor Frankmusik (or Vincent to his friends) had a sore throat, but you couldn't tell. After a bit of dodgy sound on the first song when he was drowned out by his band, the gig continued in a uniformly excellent manner. Frankmusik himself is rather cute (as the pics on this post will attest) and oozes charisma, and boy can he sing! But then I have seen him live twice before, at Leeds' Party in the Park and Leeds' Pride.

The set list (we think - can't find the Leeds one online) was as follows:

1. Time Will Tell

2. When You're Around

3. Gotta Boyfriend?

4. Rehab (Amy Winehouse cover)

5. Confusion Girl

6. Dancing in the Dark (? A new track, not sure of the name)

7. Vacant Heart

8. 3 Little Words

9. In Step / Please Don't Stop Frankmusik

10. Better Off As 2

Encore: 11. It's A Sin (Pet Shop Boys cover) / Medley

So that was 8 tracks from his amazing album, Complete Me, a new track, plus a couple of covers (3 if you count the amusing verse of Rihanna's Please Don't Stop the Music, amended to praise our host). The cover of Rehab was so good Andrew didn't even realise what it was until I told him. It sounded so very different to Winehouse's ubiquitous single, as it should.

The majority of the set was upbeat, as much of Complete Me is, so there was much dancing. The only song I missed from the album was Wonder Woman, one of my favourites, but I'll forgive him since Gotta Boyfriend? is my other favourite! Despite having heard this album more often than This Is Alphabeat I wasn't as familiar with the words to Frankmusik's songs in order to sing along for the audience participation bits, which was a shame - it didn't stop me enjoying the show though!

Frankmusik didn't finish on a single, rather his encore was his lovely rendition of the Pet Shop Boys' It's A Sin, alone on stage with his keyboard, which lead into a brief medley of Frankmusik's 'hits'. It was an unusual and perhaps a daring move to finish on a slow song. It worked. Despite the brief (50 minute) set and the bad throat, Frankmusik provided an excellent evening's entertainment. I can't wait to see him again!

Ice-Cold in Alex (1958)

What better way to ease into a weekend on a Saturday morning than with a black and white war film? Hmmm... Well that's how I began my day this morning. I like the watch the 'classics' of yesteryear, and I've no problem watching old movies, B&W or otherwise. I know some people are a bit sniffy about them, particularly in my generation, but it's nice to watch something without CGI and the trappings of modern Hollywood cinema. 

Ice-Cold in Alex is a jolly good British movie about a small group who are trying to cross the desert in an ambulance to get to Alex(andria), Egypt for an ice cold beer, hence the title. I never used to like war movies - they were something my dad always watched, and they were always boring. Then I grew up and realised some of them are actually worth the time to watch, particularly as I've become more interested in history, and know more about the World Wars. 

I'm not familiar with World War II as it pertains to North Africa though, so perhaps a better understanding of that theatre of war would have helped fill in some of the background of Alex. Without this background, however, the movie is still worth watching, and never boring. Sometimes I find that the mannered acting style and languid pace of older films can result in my mind wandering, but Alex contains performances and a plot that really kept my attention. 

The core cast of 4 includes John Mills and Sylvia Syms (who I've only just realised is the same Sylvia Syms who was in At Home With the Braithwaites [2000-03], and the excellent Victim [1961]) the only names/actors I recognised, plus Anthony Quayle and Harry Andrews, and all are top notch. There's another woman, but her performance and tendency to get delirious about the war marked her out pretty easily as a character who wasn't destined to see the half-way mark, and I turned out to be correct in my judgement here. 

There are some fantastically tense scenes of the ambulance crossing a mine field; Anthony Quayle trapped in quicksand; and the exhausted group hand-cracking the ambulance backwards up a sand dune. The cast do an excellent job of looking hot, sweaty and knackered - I suspect because they were, due to filming in the Libyan desert.

Ice-Cold in Alex is a great British tale of underdogs triumphing over adversity, performed by a first rate cast in spectacular settings. It's also a movie that makes me think more about the experiences of war, and will encourage me to find out more about this period and place.

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

We were planning on going to the cinema tonight, but the miserable weather made us think twice. Instead we opted to continue our mission to watch the complete Bond, with Roger Moore's 3rd outing, The Spy Who Loved Me. 

I've seen this one before, yet I couldn't remember anything about it beyond the fact that Jaws was in it. After watching it again, I can see why I didn't remember much. It's not that The Spy Who Loved Me is a bad Bond, it's actually a very solid production, but there's not much that hasn't been done before, more memorably.

The underwater scenes are reminiscent of Thunderball and the stealing-warheads plot was done (in space) in You Only Live Twice. The story itself didn't bring much new to the Bond franchise, but it added some new locations for the action, mainly Cairo. Stromberg, the villian, is perhaps the least interesting/convincing baddie so far - he gets little screen time and has no particular personality, and Bond simply shoots him come the final head-to-head.

Moore continues to impress, offering wisecracks with panache, while also finding room to show Bond's vulnerable side, both physically (in the train cabin fight with Jaws) and emotionally (when Anya brings up James' dead wife [see OHMSS]). Jaws is a memorable villain, if only he'd been restricted to the one movie (but more on that when we've suffered through Moonraker...), although he's a lot more 'super-human' than Bond's foes have been in the past.

Barbara Bach as Agent XXX / Major Anya Amasova mixed things up in the Bond girl stakes. Not merely a blond bimbo or sexual plaything, Amasova is one of those rare Bond girls who can match Bond in espionage and wit. She's cleverly introduced in a scene that is set up to make you believe that the male character in bed is the secret agent, until we learn that Agent XXX is actually a woman, and Russia's top spy. As I understand it, the Spy Who Loved Me refers to the Spy killed by Bond in the teaser, who loved Anya. This gives Anya's character an extra dimension but, for a woman who's love was killed 3 weeks earlier, she falls awfully easily for Bond's charms. That niggle aside, it's good to see Bond kept on his toes by another agent, especially a female agent.

The climactic battle aboard Stromberg's ship where red-boiler suited henchmen engage in a gun battle with US navy-men again echoes the end of You Only Live Twice, however it's an impressive (although long) showdown. My favourite scenes of Spy are those with the Lotus Esprit (it seems a while since Bond got some really good gadgets to play with) that works underwater, especially when our hero drives out of the sea on to a crowded beach and non-chalantly tosses a fish out of his window. And the teaser with Bond's death-defying ski jump off a mountain ledge doesn't fail to impress. The absence of music between the jump and the Union Jack parachute opening works wonderfully, and segues brilliantly into Carly Simon's title song, Nobody Does It Better. A really good Bond, but not a memorable one.

Ross Noble's Australian Trip (2009)

It’s not often I watch anything on Five – I’ve only been able to receive it since moving to Leeds in March – despite the preponderance of US imports such as CSI (which I watch on DVD) that I usually enjoy. For Ross Noble, however, I made an exception, and even had to watch/record the show on Fiver.

I’ve seen Ross Noble live (in York) twice, and he never fails to make me laugh until it hurts. His DVDs are amazing, and packed full of content that gives my chuckle muscle a full workout. And now Ross Noble’s Australian Trip shows once more what a great observational and improvisational comedic force he really is.

The premise of the 6-part series was Ross riding his motorcycle around Australia (in 2007), visiting lots of towns, cities and villages, gigging along the way. So the show was a sort-of travelogue – but with Ross’ comedic observations more than factual information providing the commentary – interspersed with clips from the 95-day Fizzy Logic tour. The way Ross’ comedy works is not no 2 shows are the same, there’s no ‘script’ and no limits to where his imagination will take the audience. In the context of the TV series, Ross visits Aussie towns; taking in the sights and the locals, and then clips of his performance in that town displays the comedy that can be gleaned from his experiences. Analysing comedy performances in this way is very dry and shows nothing of the genius frequently displayed.

So what does Ross Noble’s Australian Trip teach us about his adopted homeland (his wife is Australian)? Every other town Ross arrived in shuts early. Australian towns are full of giant monuments: clamshells, bulls, whales, fruit, veg, you name it! There is a country within Australian ruled over by Queen Shirley and her husband. Kangaroos and other wildlife like to run across the open roads after dark, scaring motorcyclists. Dolphins like to drink wine in the wild. There is a Blue Lake full of water, and a Green Lake with none. Pig’s nipples and pickled calf brains are delicacies in some areas. And much, much more!

The beauty of the series is that it combined what could have been a dry travelogue with Ross Noble’s crazy imagination to provide snapshots of the scattered and varied communities to be found in Australia, many of which are perfect for Ross’ observational comedy. I hope he tours again soon!

Alphabeat (The Cockpit, Leeds)

I’m a fan of Europop, and I do like the Danish Aqua, but my partner is the one who’s into the new Danish sensation, Alphabeat, so we went along to see them perform a gig at The Cockpit in Leeds last night.

In preparation for the gig I’d listened to their first album, This Is Alphabeat, earlier that day, and I’m familiar with the singles, including The Spell, the new one, so I knew what songs to expect. I’ve not been to The Cockpit before – it’s a lot smaller than I’d expected, and would only hold a fraction of the Manchester Apolllo (where I saw Alesha Dixon on Friday), standing room only. Full of indie types too – something I’m definitely not!

Although they only performed from 9pm til 10pm (we got there at 8pm in time for the support act, Kinch, who we listened to from the other room while having a drink. They were ok. If you like that sort of thing. And I don’t particularly) Alphabeat generated a lot of fun and gave a spirited, energetic performance.

I couldn’t take my eyes of the lead male singer, Anders (there are 5 guys and a lady in Alphabeat – 3 of the men are named Anders, and one’s called Troll, or something similar), who was a ball of energy, jumping all over the small stage, enthusiastically beating a tambourine against his torso, and generally getting very excited – I was afraid if he didn’t calm down he’d hurt himself. His performance was mesmerizing, and distracted me from Stein, the female vocalist, who was less animated, but had an equally fantastic voice.

The set list was as follows:

1. Always Up With You
2. Go-Go
3. The Spell
4. Heart Failiure
5. What Is Happening
6. DJ
7. Chess
8. Ain't Nobody
9. Touch Me Touching U
10. 10000 Nights
11. The Beat Is
12. Boyfriend

13. Hole In My Heart
14. Fascination

Of these 14 songs, 6 I knew from the first album, 1 was The Spell, and the others were all new material (apart from the Chaka Khan cover, Ain't Nobody, which I know from the Liberty X version, sad to say). The crowd seemed a bit miffed by some of the new stuff! They’ve got a new album out next year, so of course they’re showcasing new tracks! The singles certainly went down well, to be expected I suppose – it’s always harder to judge new material from a live performance on one listen I think.

I enjoyed Alphabeat’s performance a great deal, particularly when I recognised the tracks! The call-and-response that Anders instigated on a couple of the songs was fun, and it all reached a climax on a high with the single Fascination.

Hocus Pocus (1993)

As it was Halloween at the weekend we decided to watch a scary film… Hocus Pocus! Ok so it’s funny rather than scary, but it was a bit of nostalgia as we both fondly remembered this Disney movie from our youth.

I’ve said that it’s not scary, but watching the movie again as a 25-year old, it’s a little disturbing to note how adult some of the beginning is! In the first introduction to Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker, the trio of wacky, comedic, Sanderson sister witches, we see them kill a child, condemn another to eternity as a cat, before seeing them hang. Infanticide and capital punishment – what a way to start a family film! And then later, when Omri Katz’s Max unwittingly lights a candle to bring the witches back to life, there’s much comedic mileage garnered from the fact that he’s a virgin. I’m not sure how old the character is supposed to be (US school years confuse me), but I gather from imdb that Katz was around 16 or 17 at the time, so is it so odd that the character hasn’t yet popped his cherry?

Talking of Katz, since I now know he was over 16 I can safely say he’s quite cute in Hocus Pocus! Aside from Eerie Indiana (another fondly remembered show from my youth) it seems he’s done little else of note, which is a shame because he was a great young actor. 11 year-old Thora Birch threatens to steal a lot of the movie as Max’s precocious sister, but it would be difficult to upstage Bette Midler in such a camp role!

Midler is an absolute hoot here, and apparently she admitted last year that Hocus Pocus was the favourite of all of her movies. She seems to relish playing the ugly villainous, and makes the part her own. Kathy Najimy has little to do as one of her sisters, and Sarah Jessica Parker has only slightly more to do as the hornier, younger sibling (I’ve always been shocked to learn that this beautiful actress was SJP, and it still amazes me now!). Why is Bette Midler’s witch the only one with any powers to speak of?

While the plot may not win any prizes for originality, Hocus Pocus has enough laughs and fun to get by on the strengths of the performances alone – not just from Midler and the witches, but from the talented young stars too. A Halloween treat for everyone.

It’s interesting to note that director Kenny Ortega would not direct another (TV) movie until 13 years later, and that was High School Musical! What a small world.

Medium: Season 3 (2006-07)

I came across Medium by accident in BBC1’s schedules a few years ago. The premise sounded like my kind of thing (a bit X-Files) and it was clearly a decent series, since BBC1 was playing it in the prestigious late-night mid-week slot… Channel 4 has the same habit of putting quality fare such as Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip on around midnight. Why? I’ve no idea – perhaps so that it gives those few people who find them a feeling of exclusivity at watching the ‘good stuff’. It just means most of the TV I watch is recorded and not viewed as it goes out. But I digress…

Medium is slightly reminiscent of other shows, like the aforementioned X-Files, and it’s companion series Millennium, and probably many others. The premise is that Allison DuBois is a medium that receives communications from dead people through her dreams, and sometimes via ghosts and other supernatural means. Allison uses her abilities to fight crime as part of the Phoenix District Attorney’s office, and it is here that her situation is different from many other detective shows, be they supernatural or not, because while Allison has a ‘sidekick’ (from season 2) in the form of Detective Lee Scanlon and a boss, DA Manuel Devalos, she also has to contend with a busy family life.

Every episode has at least one instance of Allison jumping awake from a disturbing dream and waking her husband Joe, who offers advice and support. Joe keeps Allison grounded and her relationship with him is the backbone of the show. In addition to a husband, Allison has 3 young daughters, Ariel, Bridgette, and Marie, the eldest of whom have also begun to show their mother’s psychic tendencies. Bridgette is my favourite recurring character on the show, wonderfully played by Maria Lark, her presences lightens the mood in even the darkest episode.

Season 3 has been up to the high standards of the previous 2 series, but towards the end there was a shift in the dynamics of the show as Allison edged closer and closer to being ‘outed’ for her gifts, until in the final 3-part story when her relationship with Neve Campbell’s (excellent) reporter led to her unwittingly giving the game away. This led to Devalos being sidelined and Scanlon being reassigned, issues that were not yet addressed completely by the opening of season 4 (thankfully BBC2 is repeating the whole fourth season in double bills as soon as they’ve finished the third season, yay! This is great, since I missed both seasons on their first airings due to a poor TV reception, boo).

Medium regularly features fantastic guest stars and genuinely engaging mysteries, while finding time for moments of humour (Bridgette!) and heart. The dream motif allows for imaginative teaser sequences that regularly surprise and delight, despite the inevitable scenes of Allison waking up suddenly that follow. Patricia Arquette is just perfect as Allison, believable as a mother who faces horrific dreams and murder scenes, and who sometimes struggles with moral dilemmas thrown up by her unwanted, but useful gift. I can’t wait to see how things develop in season 4!