Leisure

There was a real family affair at the Alban Arena on January 20th. Friends, family and fans of the late great rock musician Jim Rodford gathered at the theatre to pay tribute to a local hero. At the side of the stage under a spotlight was a poignant reminder of the musician who had died in St Albans 12 months earlier – his bass guitar and hat.

Arriving at the Radlett Centre, there is a buzz of excitement as fans of all ages; including, parents, children and their grandparents, hang out in the auditorium waiting for the event to begin.CJ is one of the most experienced, dedicated and well-respected Michael Jackson tribute artists and he perfectly captures the electrifying energy of Michael Jackson’s live performances with the look, the voice and the moves!This evening, CJ, with his band, backing singers and incredible dancers, recreated a spectacular performance of his favourite Michael Jackson songs with great lighting display, visual imagery and audio clips taken from Michael’s professional life.

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.

As you all doubtlessly know, there is a campaign, led by JamesHannaway of the Rex cinema in Berkhamstead. Here's some useful info from James

The summer of 2014 offers a real treat for cyclists in and around London – whether it’s a gentle amble through the great British countryside, or a more intense sprint with a competitive edge, Bike Events has something for everyone. Bike Events are the UK’s biggest organiser of recreational and sponsored bike rides and they’ve been organising events for over 20 years now. The 2014 calendar is well underway and this year over 50 rides were scheduled to take place.

Yes the circus is in town! My kids may be teenagers, but I knew they would still enjoy a trip away from their PlayStations and laptops – and so it proved! We went on the first night and although the crowd was a little sparse, the performers did not let it affect their enthusiasm and energy. The days of animals at circuses are long gone, so the show had to rely on human performance, in particular clowns, acrobats and trapeze artists, and they did not disappoint.

Britain’s newest Circus Company, Chaplin’s Circus is the brainchild of three entertainers with decades of experience in the world of performance. Their aim is simple – to provide their audience with a brand new, unique circus show as well as a host of other, community based offers to create a rounded, family friendly experience. In addition to their spellbinding circus show, Chaplin’s Circus also offers not-for-profit circus skills workshops for local children as well as partnerships with animal welfare charities thanks to their strict ‘No Circus Animals’ policy.

Bugsy Malone Live is based on the 1976 hit musical gangster comedy film Bugsy Malone. The film centres around the grit and glamour of 1920’s New York, Chicago and the exploits of real-life gangsters and molls – but the cast were all child actors. QYT are holding Open Auditions for budding young performers aged between 7 and 25 years on Sunday 8th July at the Hertford Theatre, The Wash, Hertford, SG14 1PS. Doors will open for registration at 10.30am for what will be a fun-packed, exciting day running from 11am to 3.30pm.

There has never been anything quite like The Red Hot Chilli Pipers, from their formation in 2002 and a cameo appearance at T in the Park in 2004 with the Darkness to opening the main stage in their own right in 2014. The past fifteen years has seen the Red Hot Chilli Pipers become the most famous bagpipe band on the planet…ever! Bagpipes with attitude, drums with a Scottish accent and a show that carries its own health warning. The band’s achievements have reached incredible heights with their groundbreaking fusion of traditional Scottish music and rock/pop Anthems which they proudly call “Bagrock”. The Red Hot Chilli Pipers are a genuinely unique experience.

On a crisp Saturday morning, if you wander down French Row in St Albans, you might find a bearded man wearing a cap and strumming his guitar. In front of him is a sign which reads ‘Leukemia Busters’. I wanted to find out more about this man known as Breezy…