SHOW REVIEW: Alice Cooper, Hammersmith Apollo, London (6.12.09)

No Mister Nice Guy
Sunday 6th October 2009
Hammersmith Apollo, London

Decapitation, zombies, skeletons, stabbings, straight jackets – not many rock shows can boast such an array of violence and creatures of the undead. But if anyone were to serve it so it would be the Devil of rock himself Alice Cooper.

With a band clad in black and his name in 8ft high silver letters Alice took to the stage with a spectacular version of Schools Out, and the remainder of the set did not disappoint. I’m Eighteen, Be My Lover, Muscle Of Love and No More Mister Nice Guy were all featured amidst various heinous acts. These included Alice himself being decapitated, returning to life brandishing his own head, being strapped into a straight jacket, being stabbed, poisoned and generally harassed by an evil nurse who later demonstrated her prowess with a circular saw on an innocent piece of sheet metal – not to mention the zombies, skeletons and poor unfortunate bride of the undead Alice threw and kicked about the place.

Rather confusingly the encore consisted of another rendition of Schools Out, however this time Alice donned a sliver mirrored 2-piece suit complete with top hat and tails. All in all a great night and fun for all the family, should you be of the family Adamms.

SHOW REVIEW: Editors, Hammersmith Apollo, London (21.10.09)

To Synth Or Not To Synth
Wednesday 21st October 2009
Hammersmith Apollo
　

The lesser-known Airship kicked of proceedings tonight but failed to take flight. They were dull, boring and every indie clad pop milais sounded the same as the next.

Novascotian outfit Wintersleep were an excellent main support. Reminiscent of Midlake and Wilco with a little Arcade Fire thrown in they provided us with fine story telling lyrics, hefty and wholesome guitars and a sound rhythm and drum section that made them an instant crowd favourite. A fine set of talented musicians that complement each other well and will be seen around the traps a lot more in the future I predict.

As you may know Editors have taken a liking to the synthesiser/80’s sound on their most recent slab In This Light And On This Evening, which has obviously worked as it went straight to number 1 in the UK. I personally hate both the synthesiser and the 80's, so was going to be a tough nut to crack. As they exploded on stage in a luminous haze of laser lights and an AV screen big enough to dwarf a zeppelin it became clear they hadn’t lost any of their indie-pop talents. The chasm of difference between old and new was clearly visible, with old hits such as An End Has A Start and Racing Rats pumped out to an adoring crowd. Their melodic riffs and walking-beat hard hits perfectly blend over the amazing tone of Tom Smith’s voice. This may be a random comparison but his vocals have a commanding presence not unlike Brian Blessed’s – they hold your attention whether you like it or not.

Synth-based newer hits such as Papillion were received with equal enthusiasm, coupled by audiovisuals that made you feel like you were in a remake of Tron. A great stage presence and stage show to boot, Editors showed us exactly why they went to number 1 and sold out 2 Brixton Academy shows the following week; cause regardless of whether or not you like synthesiser, they’re good. Damn good.

SHOW REVIEW: Mott the Hoople, Hammersmith Apollo, London (2.10.09)

The Rock Returns
Friday 2nd October 2009
Hammersmith Apollo, London

　
Yet another gig that’s been 30 odd years in the making. Yet another room full of ‘mature’ gig-goers happy as Larry and ready to relive their youth. As I’ve said before, it’s hard to capture the excitement in a room full of people who have been waiting to see a band after 35 years. And I feel sorry for any support act that prolongs their return.

Gemma Ray did try their hardest, with their set up nicely ornamented by flowers, and lead singer wearing a Hawaiian style dress and beehive to match. It’s a shame their music failed to hit the spot. The basic surf rock/rockabilly formula was there but they were just too lacklustre and uneventful. That’s the problem with projecting an image – you must be able to back it up.

Mott the Hoople then reminded us why they’re such an influence in so many lives. Ian Hunter’s blues-rock hooks are almost beyond compare, and the overall pure rock feel of the band is one you don’t see much of these days. A gritty rawness exists there that has rarely been replicated, not so much in their signature track All The Young Dudes, but more so in songs such as One Of The Boys, Rock’n’Roll Queen, Downtown and Midnight Lady. And a heartfelt version of I Wish I Was Your Mother bought a tear to even the hardest rockers eye.

These shows were always going to be once in a lifetime rides. And cameos by members of Motley Crue and Mick Hunter’s daughter on back up vocals made them all the more memorable. A well-known Australian photographer – Tony Mott – turned up at one of the shows and confessed the band prompted his name change, showing just how much they mean to people. And I’ve no doubt the 5 show sold out run meant more than money in the bank to the members of Mott the Hoople.

SHOW REVIEW: Paolo Nutini, Hammersmith Apollo, London (30.9.09)

An All Round Sensation
Wednesday 30th September 2009
Hammersmith Apollo, London

It wouldn’t be hard to sound good following the supports on offer tonight. Will & The People: A catchy indie rock band with potential, providing they can learn to write one song that sounds different to the other. One Eskimo: the main support who everyone seemed keen to see. One Eskimo lasted one boring, uninspiring, nothing of note song for me then I was off to the bar.

I remember the first time I saw Paolo Nutini perform. It was on a breakfast show in Australia – Bert Newton I believe – and I was very taken with him. Not only because he was easy on the eye, but because of his hit at the time Jenny Don’t Be Hasty. The lyrics tell the tale of a young boy in love with an older woman and it does not go well. At the time it prompted me to think ‘If this guy can write such an eloquent heart-felt song at such a young age, imagine what he’ll be capable of when he’s older…’

With tunes ranging from blues to rock to country to pop and back again this kid can play. He is unassuming - spending most of his set hunched over clad in a beige corduroy jacket with his eyes closed - entertaining and unmissable. His erratic vocal stylings never seem out of place and his songful storytelling is superb. Couple that with a backing band that don’t fade into the limelight and take the music well up a notch and you have the musical formula that has made Mr Nutini the sensation he is today.

They were young, old, male and female and came for a good night out. What they got was great, and I thank Paolo for exposing a mainstream audience to some very worthy blues and country flavours within his pop lines.

SHOW REVIEW: Antony & the Johnsons, Hammersmith Apollo, London (27/5/09)

A Beautiful Person
Hammersmith Apollo, London
Wednesday 27th May 2009

I’ll admit first hand that this gig was purely a review writing exercise. I’d heard of Antony & the Johnsons and all my arty-farty friends had assured me they were absolutely fantastic, but I’m more of a rock riff kinda girl so had never bothered to bother until now.

The support was a performance artist named Joanna that did bizarre and questionably choreographed moves in an even more bizarre and questionable costume. She was dimly hued by a spotlight and looked like a bad guy from Alien or a female version of Predator. I’m not saying I could have done any better, but it looked like a collection of not-so-in-time-with-the-music arm and leg flailings with a few costume changes. The crowd loved it - whatever floats your boat I suppose.

Antony and the Johnsons were a lot less bizarre and much more in time, flowing and beautiful. The band consists of an amazing collection of musicians, all of whom seem to be classically trained or sessions musicians, with the ability to play more than one instrument whether it be oboe, drums, guitar, clarinet, violin or cello – all of which were featured. At the helm of it all is unlikely conductor Antony – a soft spoken angel-voiced prose-laden piano player who starts off shy and reserved, sweeping sweetly from one song to the next until he surveys the crowd and they in turn earn his respect. He finally opens up, sharing jokes and telling tales of how his songs came to fruition and showing you just how heartfelt his lyrics can be.

It was an outstanding performance even though I know none of their work previously. The highlight for me was a tune featuring a take of ‘…being in love with a beautiful boy…’ consisting of mainly piano with a little guitar and his voice bewitching all and the story, being that of loves had and lost and marking the heart. After this song all others seemed to pale in comparison and for the second half of the show I found myself getting slightly restless. Antony and the band are amazing musicians and have put together and outfit that is rivalled by none in their genre, but in the end I did find a lot of the songs sounding too similar.

However so they were entertaining, and after an intimate and humorous explanation of ‘Heaven Mountain’ – the story of a female Jesus being resurrected in the Afghanistan mountains – Antony and the Johnsons showed us there’s no limit to the imagination, what you can do or who you can be.
　

SHOW REVIEW: Friendly Fires, Kentishtown Forum (31/4/09)

Spark Me Up

Thursday 31st April 2009
The Kentishtown Forum

Friendly Fires are relatively new to the scene so to sell out The Kentishtown Forum is nothing to sneeze at. The album they’ve produced is great, with good dance beats, funky guitars and nice melodies and harmonies in the vocal department. I’d seen them blow everyone off stage earlier in the year at the NME Awards with a Brazilian carnivale and exploding confetti rendition of ‘Jump In The Pool’, so this was their time to shine with a whole set to themselves.

Their stage presence was larger than expected with various risers full of saxophones, trumpets, keyboards, percussion and the 3 main players - Ed Mac, Jack Savidge and Edd Gibson. Essentially they’re a 3 piece so I was excited at the prospect of seeing them with a bit of oomph behind them, but unfortunately the oomph failed to hit the spot. The songs are great and the crowd was pumping but as of yet they only have one full album. It’s been a while since I’ve seen such a new band with so much hype behind them so no doubt the lack of material will soon be rectified. Their renditions of ‘Skeleton Boy’, ‘On Board’ and ‘Strobe’ were stand out’s, as well as crowd favourites ‘Jump In The Pool’ and ‘Paris’.

However there’s no denying that this band are young, inexperienced and short of tunes as it showed. The set had no flow, no direction and was at times halting and mood breaking. The lead singers dancing and the bands overall enthusiasm are great factors and with more touring and material they will be one of Britain’s stand out acts in no time at all. But tonight came across as a hurried, unplanned, mismatch of songs that left us all high, dry and wanting more. I have no doubt they’ll be able to deliver it, it’s just a question of when.

SHOW REVIEW: The Prodigy, Brixton Academy (18/4/09)

Survival Of The Fittest
Saturday 18th April 2009
Brixton Academy

Greeted with ‘Dizee Rascal has cancelled due to illness’ notifications we made our way through the doors of Brixton with less than happy faces. The fact he’d played a sold out O2 Arena the previous night and probably just had a hang over made the announcement all the more disappointing. Nevertheless the line up for the night remained stellar – Kissy Sell Out, Chasing Status and of course, The Prodigy – so we carried on through to quench our thirsts and boogie.

As you may know I have worked at Brixton for over 6 months so it may surprise you to hear I’ve never been to the venue as a punter. So with Prodigy being my first ever attended gig it was somewhat of a baptism of fire. Having worked 2 Prodigy Christmas shows last year I was well aware of how hectic a night it can be, but was nowhere near prepared for experiencing it on ‘the other side’ (please refer to ‘Creatures of the Night: Lesson 1 - http://sistersin-creaturesofthenight.blogspot.com/) . Walking into the foyer and through to Ra Bar was almost enough to make me turn around and flee. There were people everywhere – and I mean EVERYWHERE! The lines at all bars were nothing short of monumental and navigating through to each one was akin to being in a human washing machine.

Cutting our losses we grabbed a water from the kiosk and made our way down front to review the situation, and thankfully were pleasantly surprised. Everyone was rushing to get their drinks in before Prodigy leaving the front of stage area relatively roomy, so we decided to stake our claim and stay put. From what we could gather Kissy Sell Out’s set had been lengthened due to Dizee being a Rascal, and I won’t lie, I wasn’t impressed. I love these guys on record – ‘Her’ and ‘Let There Be Blazing Light’ are 2 excellent dance tracks and if I ever heard them live I’d cut a hole in a rug deep enough to hit China. But I’ve seen Kissy twice now – once at Glastonbury and then tonight – and never have either been played. What we were given before Prodigy was a set of mistimed, mismatched, badly cut tracks with a few solid anthems in between. Apologies to Kissy Sell Out if it wasn’t them as no amended line up was posted, but if it was I was sorely disappointed.

And then they came. 10 minutes early and as prolific as ever. They haven’t changed one bit in the 15 years I’ve been listening to them. Everything was loud. Everything was dirty. Everything was Prodigy. It’s hard to put on paper what this act means to many. To me they represent a time when I appreciated dance music without the lifestyle enhancements that come along with it these days. And as a teenager dreaming of England, to see Prodigy at Brixton Academy with 5,000 peaking Brits… awesomely quintessential. One of the finest memories I have of Brixton is working a Prodigy after party in the Ra Bar and watching everyone go crazy, dancing uncontrollably to ‘He’s Ebeneezergood’ (or whatever that song was called), and I hate that song!

‘Their Law’, ‘Smack My Bitch Up’, ‘Voodoo People’, ‘Firestarter’, ‘Out Of Space’ and a fine selection of new tracks – the list goes on and on – I’ve no need to tell you (if you’re on FB check out my awesome videos: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/video/?id=501673841). Liam is still the mad scientist and master of all blasting basslines, beats and electronic mayhem. Leeroy is still fit, fine and crazy-eyed as ever. And Keith, well we all know Keith – he’s the fire starter. And according to my friend Kelly the only 40+ man who can pull off tight red leather trousers, and I agree. Then there’s the over shadowed drummer and guitarist who can actually keep up with them all. Those two deserve medals, without a doubt.

Keith and Leeroy’s constant shout-out’s to those in the pit goes to show they’ve not forgotten where they came from and know most of these hard cores have been there from the beginning. And after seeing tonight’s efforts I deem being in a Prodigy pit not unlike being in a death metal circle or even heading off to war. They make you lose all sense of control and dance like your life depends on it, driving harder and faster and making you forget there’s anything else. And then they were gone.

It was over. Everyone collapsed on the floor, scrambled for shoes, clothes, brains and any kind of liquid refreshment they could ingest. Chasing Status had the daunting task of following them and playing until 3am but they did a damn fine job. It’s hard to imagine anything could follow mayhem like that but they did it, and they did it well with fine drum and bass, jungle beats and just enough rhymes slapped on top to keep the bulk of the crowd cheering at The Academy until closing (plus they had nowhere else to go as the Victoria Line was down – how unusual). And to be honest a bit of drum and bass and jungle came as sweet relief after what Prodigy put us through.

I hereby surrender. It’s over. I’m done.

Take
Me
To
The
Hospital.

SHOW REVIEW: James Morrison, Hammersmith Apollo (30/3/09)

Where have all the real men gone?
Monday 30th March 2009
Hammersmith Apollo, London

Being greeted by a queue with the average age of 12 on my way into work I knew it was to be a long night. Singer-songwriters must have a special something to be truly enticing as when it comes down to it all entertainment value lies with them. I’d heard a few James Morrison songs back in my HMV days (usually the same song repeated 2000 times in a day) and was never that excited by him. Unfortunately for Mr Morrison this feeling hasn’t changed.

Both supports were in the same vein, and by that I mean they sounded almost exactly the same. First up was Karlma, an extremely talented singer-songwriter who appeared to hail from London and was extremely young. Karlma gets 10 points just for making it this far at such a young age and in time will develop their own style and be a class-A knock out, but at the moment they’re playing the exact same music as Mr Morrison bar a not too shabby cover of Kings Of Leon’s ‘Use Somebody’. Unfortunately Karlma’s debut at the Apollo was marred by the fact that no-one could tell if they were watching a boy or a girl (and nor could I)! Clad in a grey sweat shirt, tight black jeans and sporting a fine looking well-groomed Afro with clip at the back he/she simply confused most of the audience. 1 out of every 2 customers was coming to the bar not for a drink, but for gender clarification.

Next up were English band Vagabon. Not much to say here but music by numbers. Think the voice of Terence Trent D’arby with the slight funky style of Living Colour, then dumb it down by 1000 and you may come close to how average they were, but the youngin’s seemed to like them... the guitarist was cute… not much else to report really…

Mr Morrison then joined us for what was to be a night of complete and utter total boredom. With a sterling group of session musicians and back-up singers behind him the music didn’t sound at all bad, it was just as unimaginative as all hell. He has a good voice, I’ll give him that. Call me an old cynical spinster but I am well wary of any straight man that sings about love so much. Every song was about love – EVERY SONG. Has this boy had nothing else in his life? I’m all for a good love song but every lyric ended with ‘Ooooh baby. I love you baby. I need you baby. Hold me baby’. Please stop before I puke baby.

He played his various hits and a long drawn out cover of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Uptight’, much to the delight of the 12-18 year old females and varied couples that filled the Apollo, so all in all he provides a good night of wholesome family fun - though he did say shit once, and an older couple in front of my bar definitely should have been done for indecent exposure the way they were carrying on, they very nearly swallowed each other whole. But by no means is this boy ever going to make a long lasting or legendary mark in British musical history. By the end of the night my bar manager and I were devoid of either of our bubbly personages, that’s how truly boring he was – he literally sucked the life out of us. In the end he simply left us thinking he was no more than a chav James Blunt.

Please don’t get me started on James Blunt…

SHOW REVIEW: Franz Ferdinand, Hammersmith Apollo (9/3/2009)

All Good Things Begin With F
Monday 9th March 2009

Hammersmith Apollo, London

I could go so far as to say I’m a musical snob. If a band changes their stylistic or musical trajectory it must be for the better, for the greater good of music and rock’n’roll itself, or they face a downhill slide on my popularity front. I am ashamed to admit I thought Franz Ferdinand had failed in their recent plight and turned their FF Porsche in the wrong direction. I would like to admit publicly that I was so very, very wrong.

Supported by San Diego outfit The Soft Pack (www.myspace.com/thesoftpack) - an indie pop quartet who with time and a good run on the show circuit are definitely one to watch – Franz Ferdinand eventually took to the stage in a packed and pumped Hammersmith Apollo. I haven’t seen this band for a very long time (I’d say at least 4 years!) and by god how they’ve grown. Their sound is impeccably tight and they play like all four were born joined at the hips. I recall once going to see the red Hot Chili Peppers and being astounded at the amount of songs I knew every single word to (Ie: all of them), and tonight was much the same. The boys have an unbelievable amount of hits (and misses, or so I thought…), all of which I sang at the top of my lungs, and all of which are done nowhere near to justice when listened to on CD.

They cranked out such familiar hits as ‘Dark of the Matinee’ , ‘Do You Wanna’, ‘Take Me Out’, ‘Ulysses’, ‘Michael’, ‘Walk Away’ and countless more, all of which were crowd pleasers – an outstanding set list for sure. Plus their stage presence is electrifying – from their finger mirrored guitar progressions to their heart thumping walking beat drum sequences. I’ll be the first to say I think their drummer is not the best in the world – his simple drum beats seem void of technicality and would be perfect for your first ever drum lesson – but if he ever missed one of those beats the whole outfit would fall apart. Their guitar chords cling to and flow forward with every simple yet astoundingly effective pulse on the skins, and the result is an immaculate and stylish rock’n’roll performance.

As for the rest of the band their chords are always perfectly synchronised and delivered with such strength and execution it makes you want to scream and shout. And every now and then Alex and Nick let go and break into sporadic guitar improv’s and solo’s that leave you for dead and show you that beneath this well-kept disco rock outfit lies and ripped-jean denim-clad guitar wolf waiting to attack. Alongside that, I have always loved their well-timed use of ‘la la la’s’ and ‘do do do’s’. My Stepfather always taught us the use of such measures were a cop out so as to avoid writing proper lyrics, but these four have sullied his wisdom. It’s cute, it’s catchy and I found myself la-la-la-ing and do-do-do-ing their songs all the next day long.

Image-wise I consider them to be the most stylish band in rock’n’roll. Even with four Scottsmen present the closest thing we came to tartan was the immense checkered video screen backdrop displaying scenes of sexy girls, street-scapes, fire and various psychedelic swirls and shapes Pink Floyd would be proud to call their own. And as a lady there’s no denying it – dressed head to toe in jet black bar a striking red belt, coupled with deep Scottish dulcet tones and a commanding presence Alex Kapranos is nothing short of modern rock’s 007 – he looked gooooooooood!

And after all that they left us on the most amazing synth keyboard intro and 5-man strong everybody-solo drums finale I have ever seen! So, in short, Franz Ferdinand rock. They’re classy, they’re cool, they rip their instruments apart and if you dare to challenge them they’ll tear you to bits.

Their fire is outta control, and they burned this city.
Burned this city.
Yeah.

SHOW REVIEW: New Kids On The Block, Hammermsith Apollo (25/1/2009)

THE KIDS AREN'T ALRIGHT

Sunday 25th January 2009

Hammersmith Apollo, London

Over months passed I have been lucky enough to witness the pop party travelling circus that is the New Kids On The Block reformation tour, not once, but twice! Yes, I be one of the privelidged few. The first time was at an in-store for the music chain I worked for on Oxford Street, the second being at their not-so-sold-out show at The Apollo (bearing in mind they did play the O2 Arena the night before).

Let's face it - the kids are old. Every now and then you catch a glimpse of their former glory - Joey's big blue eyes, Jordan's brunette blow wave - but apart from that they're just five mature-aged crooners going through the motions both physically and vocally.

None of this was a suprise to me, as I see boy band comeback's through cynical eyes. Don't get me wrong - I loved NKOTB as a child and even recall having a Jordan night shirt - but I'd like to think my musical tastes have graduated somewhat, and I find it hard not to laugh when they pull out the old 'doing it for the fans not the money' routine. But the thing that suprised me most about this tour was not the still over-priced but somewhat tackier 'bedazzled' merchandise, nor the exhuberant ticket price, the flourescent stage set up or their hideous cover of The Stones' 'Start Me Up'. No, all these things paled in comparison to the aging, screaming mass that was their audience.

At Oxford Street I saw mature working women and mothers alike camp outside the store for over 2 days on the hard pavement in the freezing weather just to catch a glimpse of The Kids - some carrying with them their very own kids! Once inside, said babies were tossed aside and CD browsers were crushed, all in a vain attempt to get to the front and then scream solidly for 3 hours prior to their appearance. The spectacular fashion in which they were greeted once they took to the stage (late) was nothing short of Beatlemania - minus the musical talent of course. The store had to be closed due to overcrowding in the end whilst everyone got their autographs and pictures taken with the fab five.

The scenes at Hammersmith Apollo were similar if not worse. The massive line of one-gig-a-year mothers and wall-to-wall females (I didn't see one male - not a one) stood in the rain - some for over 8 hours - screaming, crying, re-doing their dampened hair and make up and giving the evil eye to the 200+ women who paid over £300 for a ticket that included a meet-and-greet with The Kids before the show. I later discovered, to my horror, these women belonged to a group that were following The Kids to every show around the UK on their very own tour bus, staying in the same hotels, and even running competition's such as 'Guess the NKOTB room number' for prizes and such...?!?!?!

And as The Kids eventually graced the stage house staff and security feared for their lives. Hair was pulled, tears flowed and the balcony shook concerningly as screaming hysterically became the order of the day and The Kids rolled through classics such as 'Step By Step', 'The Right Stuff', 'Hang Tough' and various new tunes I don't know the names of.

Screaming? Crying?? £300 tickets??? I feel I may have missed the boat on this one, as being a 29 year old female and former fan myself I can think of a thousand things I'd rather do with my money and two thousand places I'd rather be. I suppose you could say these women are a testament to that little part of us that never grew up. The part that loves jumping on the bed, watching cartoons, spending £500 in one night and coming home with a bad case of tinitus and a new t-shirt to wear down the local.

In saying all this I must admit to feeling a twinge of excitement, a rush even, as I got to meet The Kids very briefly. As they ran briefly through the rain and up the backstage stairwell from main stage to the balcony (to perform the aforementioned in-the-crowd cover of The Stones' 'Start Me Up') I had the illustrious duty of mopping the stairs dry whilst they sang, as one of them had slipped over backstage earlier and they didn't want a repeat of that on their swift return back to the stage.

They said 'Hi!'. I said 'Hi! Please don't fall or I'll get the sack!'; standing there, mop in hand - not unlike Baby carrying the watermelon in Dirty Dancing - thinking how close I'd just come to the 5 boys I'd drooled over constantly for many of my teenage years, and realising everyone gets old one day.

But not all of us chose to do it with dignity.

VENUE REVIEW: The Hammersmith Apollo, London

HAMMERSMITH APOLLO

45 QUEEN CAROLINE STREET, LONDON

PH: Venue 02085 633 800 / Tickets 08448 444 748

www.hammersmithapollo.net

It may be far from the sunny shores from Australia, but I also work here. Yes, I'm that lucky!

LOCATION & ACCESSABILITY

Situated under the Hammersmith fly-over and right next to Hammersmith tube The Apollo is very easy to get to and can be reached by various tube lines. It also has an 11pm curfew so you're guaranteed a tube ride home - unless you go for post-show bevvy's at The Duke around the corner, in which case it's a hell of a long night bus ride for you.

VENUE LAYOUT & BARS

I can't begin to explain the beauty and history of this venue! Opening in 1932 it is now heritage listed and has had various names in the past, beginning with the Gaumont Palace, then The Odeon and finally The Apollo. Most of the interior remains from the early days (besides the odd lick of paint here and there). Upon entering the stalls area you feel an amazing sense of grandeur as the magnificent layered roof opens above you and the huge organ pipes line the walls. That's right - an organ! The Compton Pipe Organ was installed in 1932, but due to disrepair was removed in 1992. However it was then reassembled, cleaned and re-installed in 2007 by the English Heritage Society. I haven't had the chance to see it (yet...), but hear it rises on a hydrolic platform out of the centre of the stage and sounds amazing.

Moving up a level to the Dress Circle keep an eye out for the golden faces of evil that protrude from the walls next to the toilets. For 6 months working at The Apollo I didn't notice them, then all of a sudden they were there - very strange... And I have no doubt there are lost souls floating aorund the place as there's a photo in our break room of the original staff ready for work on the opening day, and apparently the floors used to be all marble and the theatre was used as a morgue during the WW1.

The original fixtures unfortunately reach all the way down to the plumbing, so the toilets can leave a little to be desired. But these are the sacrifices you make when branding a buildig as listed as any minor repair can cost a fortune, so this will affect the state of things like plumbing and air conditioning. And do take heed, as that is one thing The Apollo doesn't have so it's bone-numbingly freezing in Winter and suffocatingly hot in Summer.

With 2 stalls bars (rock nights only), 4 foyer bars and one large circle bar there are ample places to get a drink, and you can even get a 'Saucy Hot Dog' should be hungry - and adventurous.

TICKETS & SHOWS

All tickets are sold through Ticketmaster at the number listed above or their website (www.ticketmaster.co.uk). As for entertainment, where do I start?! Historical shows include amazing talent such as The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, Eric Clapton in The Yardbirds, Johnny Cash, Queen, Neil Young, Springsteen, David Bowie's last ever performance as Ziggy Stardust and so many more! And it is still extremely versatile in it's wealth of entertainment, hosting everything from High School Musical and Spongebob Squarepants to Primal Scream, Mighty Boosh, Scouting For Girls, Mogwai, plus the annual 'No Sleep To Hammersmith' Motorhead show. And let's not forget the famed 'Live At The Apollo' stand up comedy series started by Jack Dee, now featuring hilarious names such as Lenny Henry, Michael McIntyre, Frankie Boyle, Daria O'Brien, Rusell Howard... Phew!

So whether it be a rock show, comedy gig, kids cartoon or musical, The Apollo is a great night out and an amazing piece of London's history. It's been enertaining this city for over 100 years - here's hoping there's many more to come.