Lacuna Coil @ Stylus, Leeds

Lacuna Coil @ Stylus, Leeds (John Hayhurst)

Nonpoint hit the stage like they’ve been itching for it all day. Elias Soriano stalks the mic with clipped precision, spitting hooks and commands in equal measure. Robb Rivera goes straight for the gut behind the kit, while Adam Woloszyn grinds out bass lines with industrial weight. Guitarist’s Jaysin Zeilstra and Rasheed Thomas add bite and distortion, feeding the noise without ever tipping it into clutter. The band sound more drilled-in than on their last UK run — tighter, sharper, still proudly abrasive.

With a longer slot than support acts usually enjoy, they make the space count. A brooding, metallic spin on In the Air Tonight turns Phil Collins’ iconic slow burn into something darker and hungrier, instantly recognisable but dressed in barbed wire. Later, Bullet With A Name hits like a rallying cry rather than a nostalgia nod, sending bodies forward and fists skyward. They leave the room fully switched on. As far as warm-ups go, this is more like a starter pistol.

By the time Lacuna Coil appear, the atmosphere has thickened to black velvet and steel. They open with Layers of Time, a deliberate, tension-soaked slice of modern goth-metal that sets the room on edge. Then comes the snap. Reckless surges through the PA like a cold blast, and Hosting the Shadow crawls in behind it with a venomous pulse. Kill The Light and Die & Rise hammer the crowd into movement, riffs looping like industrial gears grinding overhead. It’s heavy without bloat, theatrical without melodrama.

The turning point arrives early with Spellbound, where Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro lock into their trademark push-pull dynamic. Scabbia glides above the grit in full, unforced clarity; Ferro counters with abrasion, a bark sharpened into rhythm. The shift between soaring melody and iron-jawed growls lands cleaner live than on record, thanks to the precision work of Diego Cavallotti, Marco Coti Zelati and Richard Meiz, who build walls of sound that never feel cluttered.

The set pivots hard into industrial grandeur with In The Mean Time and Intoxicated, both drenched in electronics and menace. A sudden hush precedes Downfall, before the room erupts as Heaven’s A Lie XX crashes through. The crowd shouts every word like muscle memory, a chorus carried from the early 2000s and reforged for 2025. In Nomine Patris and Blood, Tears, Dust double down on mood and punishment, while newcomers Gravity and Oxygen slide seamlessly into the lineage, sounding like songs written to be played loud in dark rooms.

A late-set sledgehammer arrives with Nothing Stands In Our Way, delivered with the confidence of a mission statement. Then the lights drop to near black. The encore unfolds like a ritual: The Siege stomps with funeral-march precision, I Wish You Were Dead spits contempt through mechanical gears, and Swamped XX revives a fan favourite with teeth newly sharpened. Never Dawn closes the night under a cloud of churning riffs and cold theatre, the final note hanging long enough to freeze the crowd where they stand.

What stands out most is balance. The Sleepless Empire material feels like a natural evolution — darker, weightier, more metallic — while the classics hit harder because they’re not treated as relics. Scabbia and Ferro sound ferocious, the band’s core is airtight, and the whole thing runs like a machine built to bruise. On a Tuesday night in Leeds, Lacuna Coil don’t reminisce — they reign.

Live review and photography of Lacuna Coil @ Stylus, Leeds on 25th November 2024 by John Hayhurst

Hot Milk Bring Fire, Fury & Pure Catharsis To London’s Roundhouse

Gossip @ The Wardrobe, Leeds

Gossip @ The Wardrobe, Leeds (John Hayhurst)

Gossip bring The Yummy Fur out of retirement too, the Glasgow-based band set the tone for the night with a blistering set that combined jagged post-punk energy and playful absurdity. Known for their influence on the underground scene in the late ‘90s, The Yummy Fur delivered a performance that was both nostalgic and refreshingly raw. Their blend of angular guitar riffs, punchy basslines, and frenetic drumming created an atmosphere that felt equal parts chaotic and tightly controlled.

Songs like Policeman and Department captured the audience’s attention with their quirky, off-kilter charm, while the band’s slightly eccentric stage presence—marked by frontman John McKeown’s erratic movements—kept the crowd on their toes. It was clear that The Yummy Fur hadn’t lost their edge. Their sharp, cynical lyrics still felt incredibly relevant, and they managed to whip up excitement for the night’s main act.

From the start of Gossip’s headline set, Beth Ditto’s commanding stage presence took control of the audience. Clad in a black sparkling dress, with bright orange hair pulled back into a ponytail, she radiates confidence albeit with an unpredictable edge. Ditto was magnetic. Her vocal power, a blend of soulful depth and punk attitude, hitting every note with precision yet managing to feel spontaneous and urgent.

You expect the unexpected, frequent monologues in-between the songs about any subject matter that comes to her mind – Her love of Gogglebox particularly Giles and Mary to her distaste of The Sex Pistols: “I just didn’t get it, so many better punk bands like Misfits or The Slits” she explains.

Ditto spots a lipstick mark on the cheek of one of the security guards and interrogates him about it, offering to remove it before his wife finds out, much to the amusement of The Wardrobe crowd. Beth will frequently chat to John McKeown (Yummy Fur) but then doesn’t understand his thick Glaswegian accent. Then another discussion about the difference between Led Zeppelin’s back catalogue and Robert Plant’s solo material – singing the opening line of Big Log which nobody knew (apart from me and Beth it seems).

It is practically a stand-up comedy show between bouts of intense punchy dance-punk rhythms. The band had to keep interrupting her with the next track on the 18-song set list, otherwise we would have been here all night. Gossip’s combination of driving basslines from Ditto’s fiancé Teddy Kwo, staccato riffs that sliced through the mix with surgical precision from Nathan Howdeshell, soaring synth and additional guitar from touring member Bijoux Cone, and pulsating drums provided by drummer Hannah Blilie, created the perfect foundation for the 43-year-old frontwoman’s vocal dynamism.

Newer tracks from Real Power (the first Gossip album since 2012) were interwoven throughout and didn’t look out of place with their older variants. However it’s songs like Heavy Cross and the inevitable encore of Standing In The Way Of Control that truly ignited the crowd, especially when Ditto does a Dolly Parton impression and incorporates lyrics from the Country music legend’s classic hit 9 to 5 into it. The entire venue turns into an even more hot and sweaty, euphoric dance floor. These anthems, which propelled the band to fame decades ago, still felt fresh and rebellious, with the crowd chanting every word in solidarity.

Despite years away from the stage, Gossip performed with tight precision, effortlessly balancing the edginess of their punk roots with the infectious grooves of their more pop-oriented tracks. Ditto speaks so openly about her experiences, her ability to connect emotionally, while simultaneously energising the crowd, demonstrated why she remains such a beloved and vital figure in today’s music scene and how much have we missed her?

This was just one of a handful of shows here in the UK and Europe and whilst it has been a long wait, hopefully there’s more to come soon, but please – in bigger venues with air conditioning next time!

Live review and photography of Gossip @ The Wardrobe, Leeds on 4th September 2024 by John Hayhurst

Garbage Push It At Wembley Arena

The event is nicknamed ‘Poshstock’ and a place that the-well-to-do come to let their hair down at their annual country jamboree, but without any fruit and vegetable growing competitions or tombola supplied by the local Church groups.

Glenn Matlock not trying Hairy Bikers posh nosh (John Hayhurst)

However, as an addition to the music and similar to other regional festivals there is a celebrity chef experience, but rather than having Jamie Oliver or Rick Stein, Cornbury have imported from the “North” those Hairy Bikers who are putting on a three course spread, several times a day at £55 a head – northern food at southern prices?

Zuccero performs later in the day (John Hayhurst)

Elsewhere we found the food options to be very plentiful and not as expensive as we imagined. A standard main courses at around £8 each and a multitude of choice from quality vegetarian options to those dirty burgers or fish and chips. A couple of my personal favourites were here – Paellaria and Goan Fish Curries, the latter I’d only found at Glastonbury, so Cornbury certainly attracts the best in food suppliers.

For general water there was a fantastic idea from Frank Water where you paid a standard price for a wristband or bottle and could get refill after refill of ice cold water throughout the day, saving on using any nasty plastic bottles.

Stereo MCS (John Hayhurst)

There’s a kid’s area with much of the activities completely free, a vintage cinema, circus and a curious small tent hosted by radio station Jack FM. This became acoustic session area during the day, and then kids/adults disco at night. A big wheel, loads of rides and stalls made this event just crammed with things to do and see, and all of it very walkable and manageable for even smaller children but experienced parents brought a trolley for those later evening strolls.

Cornbury Festivals Wigs (John Hayhurst)

Anyway enough of the preamble, what about the music? Well the line-up admittedly wasn’t as great as last years, but last year was supposed to be the last ever Cornbury Festival, Director Hugh Phillimore jokingly called the audience a load of bullies as they nagged him to return the festival to the Great Tew Estate once again. Whilst his bank manager may have a different view, he confirmed the festival will be back again in 2019 (hopefully with an even bigger and better line up) but for this year we had UB40, Alanis Morissette and Squeeze as our main headliners.

Alanis Morissette (John Hayhurst)

Let’s admit from the start, this is very much a BBC Radio 2 audience, middle of the road acts, none that would prompt a crowd surf or would be considered at the cutting edge of new music and therefore the punters match that specification, I would imagine the average age is around 45 and a normal festival attendee 16-25 age group will find this place a little too placid, and I would advise them to save their student pennies for Reading later in the year.

Consequently though, there is absolutely no trouble anywhere, it feels incredibly safe and friendly. The only rush is to get your camping chairs in a good spot for the main stage, in a mild frenzy (stereotypically perfected by German tourists with towels in Spain), families rush to their spot at 9am, plop the chairs and a picnic blanket down and then head off to breakfast at Café Nero. The sensible ones actually headed for the shade, which was only really found underneath the trees.

Joe Slater (John Hayhurst)

Café Nero sponsored a fantastic stage at the festival and as well as having all their coffee and food on offer, Co-Founder Pablo Ettinger introduced a range of artists on to the stage over the weekend. Some were individual acoustic artists such as scouse youngster Joe Slater who has returned to the festival for a second year and packed the tent again, but also full bands like Key West managed to fit in as well, to play some of their stirring anthemic irish folk rock from their new album True North.

The heat in the place was a little unrelenting though and despite trying to get some air flowing through, it was a bit of a sweat box. My daughter Aimee saw her highlight of the whole weekend here and Joe Slater is now a regular feature on her spotify playlist, she even managed to get a signed copy of his last EP after the show.

Lukas Nelson (John Hayhurst)

The beauty of such a small festival is that you are able to wander around and catch a few songs from many different artists during the day. Coming away from the festival with lots of new favourites. Willie Nelson’s son Lukas and his band Promise of the Real were a stunning country rock powerhouse – mixing trad country with the blues and Lukas strikes a strong guitarist pose. No wonder Neil Young chose them to be his backing band on his last world tour.

Jimmy Cliff (John Hayhurst)

You can’t have a sunny festival without reggae music and after Marley there is really only Jimmy Cliff that can get your head nodding to that old school summer sound. Remarkedly active at 70 years old, with a big smile that is as infectious as those songs such as Wonderful World Beautiful People, or, The Harder They Come. A beautiful version of Many Rivers To Cross and I couldn’t help but think how on earth do UB40 follow that? The answer is they didn’t – an extremely bland performance from them where the only highlight is some great saxophone from Brian Travers.

UB40 (John Hayhurst)

Even the Stereo MCs blew UB40 off stage with Connected and Step it Up booming from the Songbird Stage – it saw the first real dance session of the weekend and Rob Birch is still a maestro of that early 90’s synth sound. It is great to see him treading the boards again and he did not stop pacing around the floor and climbing on the monitors. First big surprise of the festival – how much did we enjoy that?

Stereo MCS (Rock Shot)

Saturday was all about the ladies, as part of a Cornbury Festival 2018 initiative, they announced an all-female fronted day, with every band or artist on the main two stages female dominated. Some festivals talk about it Cornbury just does it, and it was a refreshing change from the mostly lad bands booked for many other sites this year.

Adelaides (John Hayhurst)

Opening the Songbird stage were three girls called The Adelaides, fresh from attending the UK C2C festival, their version of Jolene was a nice country pop twist to start the day. Similarly, across on the Main Stage Ten Millennia played some soothing soul pop to gently wake everyone up. Many were choosing to remain on their picnic blankets though as the sun blazed down, but they were the most generous band as they gave away a copy of their previous album to anyone wanting it.

Ten Millennia (John Hayhurst)

Back on the Songbird stage and US two-piece Kolars had the most amazing drummer in Lauren Brown, she plays standing on a drum and actually tap dances out the rhythm as well as expressively playing several large toms. Reminding me a little of the White Stripes it was fun to watch under the shade of the large tree at the back.

Kolars (John Hayhurst)

TOWIE reality star turned Country singer Megan McKenna was another surprise as she had a very nice voice yet another version of Jolene though and whilst immaculately made up, her outfit looked a bit like a car wash. The kids loved her though and she was signing autographs and posing for selfies for the next half an hour after her set.

Megan McKenna (John Hayhurst)

Today was a day of incredible voices and two absolute legends gracing the Songbird stage first PP Arnold and then later Mavis Staples. Former Ikette PP Arnold not only played her big hits First Cut Is The Deepest and Angel Of The Morning, but a rousing version of River Deep Mountain High which she used to sing with Tina Turner, she just hasn’t lost any of the power in her vocals at all.

PP Arnold (John Hayhurst)

New The Voice Kids judge Pixie Lott entertained the younger crowd near the front with a bit of danceable pop in a skimpy black dress, although the Boys And Girls star seemed to run out of her own stuff and resorted to covers halfway through. We decided instead to catch Nina Nesbitt, she has a stunning new look, gone is the dyed blonde hair, and she sounds incredible flitting between keys, guitar and a drum pad, totally captivating this crowd with a sublime show. It felt a little like a coming of age party for this 24yr old from Edinburgh.

Pixie Lott (John Hayhurst)

Nina Nesbitt (John Hayhurst)

Another Scot was about to show her credentials too on the main stage, Amy MacDonald breezed quickly through a set consisting mainly of tracks from last album Under Stars. It has been a few years since she last played Cornbury and she joked that the last time her slot was over the same time as Andy Murray playing and winning Wimbledon for the first time. “But no problem today as there’s no sporting events happening is there?” laughing as she said it because England are playing in the third place play-off in the Football World Cup. I’ve often thought to combat any England match at a festival you just need to ensure you’ve booked Scottish or Welsh bands over the key time slots. Cornbury did just that, possibly by accident, but tomorrow they have Deacon Blue on the main stage when the World Cup Final is on, just in case England had qualified!

Amy Macdonald (John Hayhurst)

I last saw Mavis Staples at Glastonbury about four years ago and there she needed to sit down a few times as she had a breathing problem and held her inhaler throughout the set. Not this time, oh no, those pipes were in full throttle order this evening as she opened with If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me). Even managing to cover a Talking Heads song Slippery People, and some classic Staple Singers hits Respect Yourself and I’ll Take You There. This was a joy to watch an original artist in full flow and was a huge highlight for the festival weekend. PP Arnold was watching in the wings and a strong gathering stayed there right until the end.

Mavis Staples (John Hayhurst)

The timing of artists on the two main stages meant that you could constantly watch music as they were roughly an hour apart, as long as you were prepared to walk up and down the small hill in-between. Alanis Morissette was a headliner we didn’t want to miss, having seen her in the 90s and remembering what a superb show that was.

Tonight, was a mixture of feelings whilst watching, her hair was a lot shorter but the voice was definitely in full order, she frequently pulled the mic back from her face but the decibels from her vocals remained incredible. However, she has this curious pacing up and down the stage during songs and it was fairly constant unless she had a sparkly shiny guitar in hand, in which case she tended to just stare at the same spot in the audience. Signs of a troubled mind I thought, not that it completely put us off as she played a large percentage of Jagged Little Pill and an incredible encore of Uninvited where she exorcised a few demons on stage before a final unblemished and emotional Thank U. A massive coup for Cornbury to have her headline on this all-female day.

Alanis Morissette (John Hayhurst)

Actually, whilst Saturday was the key day we found that on Sunday there were some equally strong women on the main stages. Young Irish country starlet Catherine McGrath was our first discovery of the day, a beautiful voice and if this girl isn’t headlining C2C in a few years’ time there is something wrong with home grown country music on these islands. Her debut album recorded in Nashville and London, Talk Of This Town is released in two weeks’ time so look out for it, if you like the sounds of Kacey Musgraves then she is right up your street. As we walked away from the main stage I heard and saw a girl in a field running through some voice scales, she was quite a distance away but you could hear her clearly.

Catherine McGrath (John Hayhurst)

Mari Wilson and two of her Wilsations were playing on Songbird earlier this morning and whilst the beehive hairdo has gone a bit flat, her voice hadn’t, and she has some gorgeous rich velvety tones to cover Dusty Springfield and Cilla Black classics, as well as Just What I Always Wanted and even a cover of the White Horses TV theme by Jacky. Great stuff for a middle-aged crowd on a Sunday lunchtime.

Mari Wilson (John Hayhurst)

Meanwhile on the Pleasant Valley Main Stage a band were setting up that I recognised but didn’t see them on the line up. At first, I thought The Travelling Band were going to be playing a surprise set, but they were actually playing backing band for Lissie who I now realise was the girl singing the scales in the field. You could feel the energy running through her, from her bare feet all the way to her floating blonde hair that lasted about 30 seconds in a clip before she tossed it around while playing her guitar. This is country girl pop with a few synths thrown in, but one of the most energetic and emotive performances we would see all day. Sunday wasn’t meant to be spent lying down in the sun when Lissie is around.

Lissie (John Hayhurst)

“Have you got nothing to watch on the TV?” Ricky Ross from Deacon Blue asks the busy crowd at the front of the stage. “Any French or Croatians here?” (it all fell a bit flat). “Ok let’s do this….” And Wages Day erupted from the band. Stick to the music Ricky – it might have worked in Glasgow but you’re in deepest Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds now.

However, Deacon Blue are sounding as good as they ever did, and it is surprising exactly how many songs you remember, from Chocolate Girl, Fergus Sings The Blues to that ship called Dignity. They played them all and Lorraine McIntosh doesn’t look any different, how is that even possible?

Deacon Blue (John Hayhurst)

Caro Emerald then brought the razzmatazz to Cornbury, I was a bit disappointed in her choice of outfit, a very plain black affair but those jazzy moves from her and her band kept the tempo upbeat in the late sun. The Hairy Bikers were running their last sitting of the weekend which had been sold out since the morning, and a couple of hot air balloons were seen hovering over the valley. This was as traditional as an English country fair can be, the fairground was in full swing with a huge helter-skelter and the Pimms, Prosecco and Gin were flowing.

Caro Emerald (John Hayhurst)

Perfect setting and ready for the American soul balladeer Marc Cohn to serenade us all at his piano, which took up half of the Songbird stage. Plenty of sarcastic comedy in-between song banter about Trump and football, along with his trademarked deep gravelly soul voice. I’ll admit the only song I really knew was Walking in Memphis, but I heard enough to want to listen to more.

Marc Cohn (John Hayhurst)

It was then left to Squeeze to finish us all off with a back catalogue of hits like Pulling Mussels From The Shell, Tempted, Cool For Cats and Hourglass. The last hour flew by incredibly quick as Difford and Tillbrook kept throwing out some classic storytelling pop songs like Labelled With Love or Up The Junction. Ending with Black Coffee In Bed and the call and return chorus lines.

Squeeze (John Hayhurst)

In summary, as a first timer at Cornbury I found the whole experience to be the most laid back and chilled festival I’ve ever been to. I can see why it is so popular with people of a certain age, the music line up and all the facilities are clearly set for groups of 40 – 70 year olds and their kids or grandkids. Together the family can all let their hair down in such a safe and pleasant environment, a perfect English Country Festival. Long may it continue.

John Hayhurst was at Cornbury Festival on 13-15th July at The Great New Park, Oxfordshire. Cornbury Music Festival could well be back next years and they are looking at an earlier July date of 5th-7th July.

https://rockshotmagazine.com/208581/delta-lady-rita-coolidge-melts-hearts-boisdale-jazz-blues-soul-club/

Yet underneath all that they still remain rebels, except now they rebel against getting old and dying out, the sinew of their musical muscles now stretched beyond any normal limitations, and yet they continue to outperform their younger peers with vigour and energy.

I saw what I thought would be the last Rolling Stones performance in England five years ago on July 13^th in Hyde Park, and it was full of all the trademark hits plus a handful of surprises, Emotional Rescue being the main one, and secretly I’m hoping they throw in another B list track tonight especially having played Neighbours in Dublin on the opening tour night in the previous week.

How you pick a setlist from their back catalogue to please both the casual fan and the more die-hard Stonesian is a difficult conundrum, and similar to other tours they enlist a pre-show voting system for one of the tracks tonight. Sadly, my personal vote of Rocks Off didn’t make the final two, and instead it will be either Let’s Spend the Night Together or Under My Thumb coming later.

We’ve had the young pretender (45 yr old !!) on stage for a few songs and Liam Gallagher did his best to show his Rock ‘n’ Roll Star credentials, mirrored shades, spitting on the stage, shaking his maracas and pulling a few disgruntled angry faces – whilst playing mostly a selection of Oasis numbers. His singing is a little bit too nasal for my liking, he’s got some classic tunes and a big sign on the keyboards that says Rock’n’Roll, but he was always going to find it tough to compete against these legends, you can’t out Rock’n’Roll the Stones – they largely wrote the book.

However, it was a nice softer touch to dedicate Live Forever to those affected by the Manchester Arena bombing (the one year anniversary falling on the same day as this concert)  and to have his ex-Oasis cohort Bonehead join him on stage. The Mancunian collective leave the stage to a fairly reasonable reaction from the audience.

It is 8:30pm on the dot and a skeletal looking drummer takes to his ever-decreasing kit. Charlie Watts is in the biggest rock’n’roll band on the planet and has the smallest Gretsch kit you’ve ever seen. Being the oldest can have its downside, but when you are all in your 70s, I doubt it really matters. “YOW” goes Mick Jagger as he struts out on to the stage, with Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards filing in faithfully behind. But it isn’t going to be Sympathy for the Devil kicking things off tonight in the same way it did in Dublin. No – instead after a “Will You Please Welcome Home The Rolling Stones” announcement, they go straight into a crowd pleasing Street Fighting Man and heat things up immediately.

Jagger seems to be everywhere, he has a runway that stretches to a third of the stadium and uses it several times during the set. When he isn’t on it, he is constantly moving, spinning around, hips swinging, mouth agape and stretching his arms out and flapping them like he’s trying to shake off his fingers.

You find yourself wondering exactly how long he is going to keep this going, but when It’s Only Rock’n’Roll is your second song, he’s got at least another 4 minutes of a intense workout that most 50 year olds would shirk at, never mind a 74 year old.

Tumblin’ Dice is next from my favourite album Exile on Main Street, it is a regular staple from their live set and has some nice backing vocals supplied by Sasha Allen. That’s the thing with the Stones live show, it might be called #NoFilter but you would be crazy to think it was just going to be the 4 of them on stage. This is a huge behemoth of a production, so long-time bass player Darryl Jones is also here, along with the brilliant Chuck Leavell on Keys, Bernard Fowler and Sasha on extra percussion and backing vocals, and some incredible sax playing by Karl Denson who has taken over from the legendary and sadly departed Bobby Keys.

However, the combined sound still feels raw and slightly unkempt, it is far from shambolic, but has enough edge to feel rough rather than a sharp and slick production. No better example of that when they dip into the Blues and play a version of Jimmy Reed’s Ride ‘Em on Down. Jagger showing that he still has enough lung power to play a mean harmonica solo.

This might have felt like a bit of a downer for the pure hit seeking fans, however, this is the basis of why they are together in the first place, and their last studio album Blue and Lonesome was exactly that. Ronnie Wood at times seems to be taking on more of the solos than Keith Richards tonight – well he is the youngest at only 70,  he’s gurning at Mick and Keith making them laugh on stage.

This is a happy bunch of people, and yes, I’m sure we would all be smiling if we earned the kind of money they are getting for this tour, but there is still strong camaraderie evident, even after more than 50 years of playing together.

The results of the social media ballot are out on the screen, and it is Under My Thumb getting the most votes, “There’s a surprise” he quips and perhaps it was strategically placed to slower the pace a little. It’s a shame that won because next is Fool to Cry, and whilst it is nice to get our ‘rare’ track tonight, it is also a little slow and Jagger can’t really hit that falsetto anymore.

Thankfully the ballads are very short in supply tonight, You Can’t Always Get What You Want starts with Jagger on an acoustic guitar for the opening verse and it feels like everyone is singing back to him drowning out the chords, Chuck Leavell then picks up a cowbell to start Honky Tonk Women and if there was a roof here it wouldn’t be standing after that stomping tune. Shortly after Mick Jagger leaves the stage for the regular Keith Richards solo spot.

We all know he can’t really sing, but that doesn’t matter, our favourite guitarist-come-pirate is in fine form and looking as healthy as Keith Richards possibly can, the lines in his face showing a history of experiences like growth rings in a mighty oak. Keef gives us a version of the Steel Wheels track  Slippin’ Away and quite a few take that opportunity to do just that – toilet and bar were calling. I’m sure we would all have preferred Happy or Little T&A (which will probably never be played again due to its lyrics) however, Jagger needs his ten minute oxygen break, so it’s the regulation two song solo spot before the big bangers come out.

The run in to the end of the set is a classic Stones collection of their biggest crowd pleasers. Starting with Sympathy for the Devil the fans were already providing the “Woo..Woooo” noises even before Jagger had been allowed to introduce himself. Dark satanic references were replaced by neon disco lights as Miss You funked up the Stadium – complete with some stunning bass runs from Darryl Jones.

Jagger was still dancing up and down that runway when he pulls out the harmonica again for Midnight Rambler, it remains a dirty seedy blues tune, backed by some great extended solo work from both Ronnie and Keith. Start Me Up has been their go to opening number for years, now reserved for the home run and an intro to Jumping Jack Flash which Keith seems to screw up the opening riff to, how long has he been playing that tune, only about 50 years!

Brown Sugar closed the big hits section and then the band return for a majestic Gimme Shelter with black and white protest imagery behind them and a magnificent personal solo vocal from Sasha Allen, screaming“Rape, Murder” in an ear piercing fashion, both her and Jagger duetted feverishly at the head of the stage runway.

Final song to end the night has to be Satisfaction and whilst you can largely predict about 75% of the set list it was all far from a safe plod through some old standards. They injected such energy, Jagger in particular, keeping these great rock’n’roll tunes alive for the generations that assembled in London tonight.

Fireworks signalled it was time to return home and the owl-like “Woo Woooo”calls continued into the night, accompanying us on the walk back to Stratford Tube Station. Tonight, was a music history lesson and a showcase of how to be a frontman for a band, on the strength of what I witnessed tonight, it wouldn’t surprise me if there is at least another 5 years of this to come. Surprisingly, there may still be tickets available for the remaining UK dates, they will be in the upper tiers of the Stadiums, but I would definitely snap one up now while you can – It’s only rock’n’roll but you’ll like it!!

Live Review & Photography by John Hayhurst of The Rolling Stones at London Stadium on 22nd May 2018

The Boisdale has hosted some stars from the photographs I can see on the walls, and the assembled crowd tonight includes David Soul who is hosting his own candlelit table with friends, as they sit down to a 3-course meal with wine.

It’s all very relaxed and laid back and years ago would have probably been filled with smoke from the cigars on sale and have tables full of whiskey bottles and tumblers. The perfect place for a diva from the Southern States of America to entertain.

Her band tonight includes drummer Lynn Coulter who introduces her to the stage and describes her as a mix of honey and Tennessee whiskey, plus some other colourful stuff that I’m failing to recall. She does look incredible in a full length blue outfit and with her trademark long dark brown hair, but this 73 year old is more than a visual treat, it’s all about her voice too.

Tonight, we get a showcase of her new album Safe In The Arms of Time and a selection of the hits she is associated with – either covers she has recorded, or tracks that she co-wrote. No sign of the piano coda from Layla though, which would have been an interesting sojourn into her book Delta Lady: A Memoir – Coolidge claiming to have written that piece and never being credited.

However, we do get some anecdotes about Clapton’s attraction to women in the 70s, and an incredible version of Born Under A Bad Sign with guitarist and musical director John McDuffie lending his years of experience to some killer lead breaks. Never over stepping the mark but proving a point that these older guys really know the blues inside out.

New tracks that stand out in particular were the Graham Nash written Doin’ Fine Without You, and both of the Keb Mo alliance songs Walkin’ on Water and Naked All Night. Coolidge jokes that she used to get people coming up to her to say, “This is our song”, and now it’s more “That was our song”. Making a point that her songs could be played at both marriage or divorce parties.

Superstar, a song probably made more famous by Karen Carpenter, had a life of its own with Coolidge’s honeyed soothing vocal. It started a series of classic Rita Coolidge live numbers and her voice just oozed warmth and class tonight with just the right level of vibrato and huskiness. She may have dropped an octave or two – due to her advancing years, but the emotion in her voice remains unblemished.

The Jazz club I’m in has probably heard plenty of versions of Fever in past, as the Peggy Lee famed tune is trotted out following an attempt to get the room all clicking their fingers and accompanying some fine double bass work by Randy Landas. The highlight for me though was hearing her stunning version of the Boz Skaggs written We’re All Alone, if there were cigarette lighters handy we’d all be holding them up and swaying. This was perfectly delivered and prompting a big audience reaction.

A superb medley of The Way You Do The Things You Do, How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You followed by Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher And Higher got a handful of people dancing in-between the tables and brought this definitive set to a close.

Introducing her band, she let them all have a few minutes in the spotlight before ending the show with an encore of I’d Rather Leave While I’m In Love and then a more up-tempo Country thumper Lover Please that she recorded with ex-husband Kris Kristofferson.

This was a look back at the career of a very talented lady and celebrating some of her biggest records from the 1970s. New songs stood equally alongside them, and throughout the night Rita Coolidge naturally floated through the set with ease and professionalism. If you get the chance and if she decides to return for a full UK tour  go and see her. I, for one, wouldn’t hesitate to travel those miles again.

Live Review & Photography of Rita Coolidge at Boisdale Jazz Blues & Soul Club by John Hayhurst on 16th May 2018

John also has his own gig photography website www.snapagig.com