Music

Regarded by many as one of the best live bands of the 80s, Sad Café are back. Original members Ian Wilson and bassist Des Tong are joined by long-time associate, singer/songwriter Sue Quin, the exciting vocal talent of Barry James Thomas and lead guitarist Dave Day along with multi-instrumentalist Neil Shaw-Hulme, keyboard player Matt Steele and drummer Bryan Hargreaves to once again perform their catalogue of great songs including the unforgettable Every Day Hurts, My Oh My, Strange Little Girl and many more. Support comes from Sunbirds. The man who once told us he loved us from the bottom of his pencil case, founder Beautiful South member Dave Hemingway returns with his new band.

Someone Like You: The Adele Songbook - The Radlett Centre - 4th April 2019. With 2018 marking 10 years since the sensational debut album ‘19’ was released, Katie Markham brings an incredible performance to theatres across the UK, recreating the magic that the legendary Adele started a decade ago.

I've just found time to add a post about the Alban Opera. I must admit to an interest here as I'm singing in the choir. So very busy for the next week with rehearsals and then 5 performances in 4 days.....

The latest production by the Radlett Musical Theatre Company is one of the first amateur productions of the hugely popular musical ‘Cats’. The RMTC seem to be making a habit of choosing an eclectic range of material for their shows. Their recent staging of ‘The Producers’ was an inspired choice, with the emphasis on slapstick comedy and well-defined lead characters, with a great plot and spectacular set pieces. ‘Cats’ is a very different beast (no pun intended).

On the Friday 21st March 2014 FLASH - a Tribute to Queen Live in Concert will be coming to The Radlett Centre, show starting 8pm. Tickets are £18.50 and £17.50 and you can book on 01923 859291. I interviewed Scott Maley, who plays Freddie Mercury, about the show, why a Queen tribute and and lots more. You can hear the interview below.

ABBA Forever is one of the UK’s leading International tribute shows and theatre audiences from across Great Britain and Sweden have long enjoyed this superb recreation of possibly the world‘s greatest pop band. The unique Abba sound is replicated with an incredible attention to detail, using a six-piece band featuring electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards and piano, drums and bass guitar. Two outstanding Abba girls complete the line-up, adding the essential glitz and glamour to a well-polished and gently humorous show. The superb lyrics penned by Benny and Bjorn are sung in wonderful harmony by all six performers on stage.

There are hundreds of would-be Sinatras and Bowies roaming the UK and earning a very good living but tribute acts playing the music of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are a little thin on the ground. Even rarer is a group of musicians who are perfectionists and go to great lengths to recreate the impressive, tuneful rock music created by the singer-songwriter-musician from Gainesville in Florida. Petty died one year ago at the relatively young age of 66 but his music will live on for future generations.

Petty Criminals - the UK's top Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Tribute Band come to Harpenden Public Halls 2nd November 2019 to bring you an evening of classic rock in the shape of an American icon – one of the greatest songwriters and greatest bands of our time, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. The “Criminals” dig deep into the life, the music and the incredible influence of the man. You will experience Tom Petty’s legendary career through authentic performances and a huge catalogue of his music spanning four decades. From deep cuts to greatest hits, you’ll journey through early songs like American Girl, Breakdown & Refugee, through the ‘80s and early ‘90s with classics like Freefallin’, Runnin’ Down A Dream, I Won’t Back Down & Learning To Fly, with highlights from the seminal album “Wildflowers” and his later albums. This show is an unforgettable musical journey through the life and works of one of the greatest and much missed rock stars of our time.

St Albans Operatic Society is proud to present Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Alban Arena, St Albans from Tuesday 13th to Saturday 17th October 2009. For those of you who don't know the show, or haven't seen the Jonny Depp film, it is a dark tale of love and revenge that is thrilling, chilling and, in places, extremely funny. The show won many awards on its debut 30 years ago and has starred a number of musical legends from Angela Lansbury, Sheila Hancock, Julia Mackenzie in the Mrs Lovett role to George Hearns, Dennis Quilley, Alun Armstrong, Johnny Depp and Bryn Terfel in the Todd role.

The Johnny Cash Roadshow played the Radlett Centre on the 16th February 2014. This is a review of that concert.