Tag Archive: O2 Academy


The Pretty Reckless — O2 Academy Birmingham — 30 October 2022

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November 5, 2022

But on my tombstone when I go, just put “Death by Rock and Roll.” 

I have followed this band since the start over a decade ago but until now had never seen The Pretty Reckless live. Thankfully rectified at the O2 Academy, Birmingham.

The Pretty Reckless — O2 Academy Birmingham — 30 October 2022

The Pretty Reckless perform Hard Rock/Post Grunge with a decent amount of Country thrown into some numbers for good measure. Fronted by the powerful vocals of Gossip Girl actor, Taylor Momsen, The Pretty Reckless also feature Ben Phillips (Lead Guitar), Mark Damon (Bass) and Jamie Perkins (Drums). And boy, do they rock.

The Pretty Reckless — O2 Academy Birmingham — 30 October 2022
Death by Rock and Roll

Launching straight into the title track of the most recent album, Death by Rock and Roll, The Pretty Reckless had the audience in their hands from the go. Since You’re Gone came next followed by Only Love Can Save Me Now, then, And So it Went. If it wasn’t already, the Academy erupted even further with the arrival of the band’s debut hit, Make Me Wanna Die with everyone joining in the chorus. The energetic Miss Nothing followed before Halloween had its celebration with my personal favourite, Sweet Things and Witches Burn with Broomsticks outro. The awesomeness continued with My Medicine, My Bones, Going to Hell and Heaven Knows. The latter featured a guitar solo, something I am never keen on, but I admit, Phillips was amazing. The main set ended with the sole offering from 2016’s Who You Selling For in Take Me Out. It could be that this album has a softer, country mood, and the show I experienced was, rock, rock, rock. Momsen herself interacted well with the audience showing a genuine pleasure at playing in Birmingham.

The Pretty Reckless — O2 Academy Birmingham — 30 October 2022

The band returned for one more number — Fucked Up World at a massive nine minutes long with another solo, this time drums from Perkins. I don’t like drum solos either, but I’ll excuse it. I would have loved a couple of more songs instead but seeing as the evening was so awesome, I certainly had value for money. At just over £30 a ticket, it was a bargain considering The Damned are charging double that a week later.

The Pretty Reckless — O2 Academy Birmingham — 30 October 2022

The Pretty Reckless get nowhere near the recognition they deserve and are outstanding, owning every hall played. Perhaps Momsen’s Gossip Girl past puts some people off and the fact that aged-7, she was Cindy Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. People … Momsen is not Miley Cyrus or Zac Efron, playing to Disney fans. Here we have a rock goddess. Treat her like one. If you follow the band, I need say no more. If you don’t know much about them, check out the albums and go see them live. You will not be disappointed.

The Pretty Reckless — O2 Academy Birmingham — 30 October 2022

Cheers.

Antony N Britt 

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The Stranglers – O2 Academy, Birmingham – February 19 2022

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March 1, 2022

First and foremost, I’m a Stranglers fan. So much so, in my 2015 novel, Dead Girl Stalking, my protagonist had a poster of them on his bedroom wall, and he defended the band from the derision of his girlfriend whose tastes were probably more R&B. I even acknowledged the band at the front of the book as having provided a running soundtrack while writing it. So if you ever do read Dead Girl Stalking, have a little Don’t Bring Harry or Baroque Bordello at the back of your mind.

My own love affair with The Stranglers began in 1977 with a BASF C-90 taped recording of Rattus Norvegicus. A multitude of albums and 21 gigs attended, that dalliance long ago became a full-blooded relationship. I have many favourite bands but if I’m honest, the one I could not live without are The Stranglers.

The last two years have affected everyone in varying ways, none more so than the Family in Black. The loss of Dave Greenfield in 2020 was that of a family member. A constant companion, friend, and lover, all through the years I have followed the band.

Yeah, I admit, when I first heard the news of Dave’s passing, I thought, “Well, that’s it.” I couldn’t see how the band could continue. Members, some of them huge, have departed over the years but along with the trademark bass of Jean-Jacques Burnel, Dave Greenfield’s keys are the sound of The Stranglers. So I was glad when the tour still took place in memory of Dave and ecstatic when the 18th studio album, Dark Matters, was posthumously released with Dave’s keyboards present. Within the opening minute of Water, I fell in love with Dave and The Stranglers all over again. But how would they be live without the great man on stage?

The answer was – superb. From the opening bars of Waltz in Black, I had that buzz I’d not felt for so long. Then the euphoria as the band took to the stage and launched into Toiler on the Sea. The Stranglers were back.

One massive change as Toby Hounsham had the unenviable task of taking the keyboards and was described by guitarist/vocalist Baz Warne as having massive balls to do so. Toby was brilliant, in fact, reproducing Greenfield’s arpeggios and sounding just as good as any other Stranglers gig I have attended. It was also nice to see Toby well received by the faithful, thankful, like myself, that the magic is not over. As JJ Burnel stated in the past, The Stranglers are a brand, not a band, so there is no reason they should ever end. I guess it’ll happen one day but aged 58 myself, I can be selfish and hope they don’t go just yet.

On the night we were treated to classic after classic: Something Better Change, Always the Sun, Strange Little Girl, Go Buddy Go, Golden Brown, Hanging Around, Sometimes and Skin Deep among many others. But we also had six new songs from the brilliant Dark Matters. Water, Last Men on the Moon and This Song, fans are already familiar with, having done the circuit on the last tours before Covid. But there was also a debut for White Stallion, which I believe will become a permanent fixture in future tours like Relentless has been since 2006.

It’s always good to witness The Stranglers gel. I’ve followed them from near the beginning but can honestly say in recent years they have never been better live. JJ and Baz come across as two who are on the same page. This also applies to the newer recruits. Jim Macauly on drums has been with the band several years now and even contributed to songs on Dark Matters. And along with Toby Hounsham, provided great backing vocals on several numbers, just as Mr. Greenfield did for many years.

The other two new songs were performed as a JJ/Baz duet during the first of two encores. The short acoustic, The Lines was excellent before a poignant and highly emotional version of And if You Should See Dave. Written as a tribute, there was many a watery eye during the line, “This is where your solo would go.” The empty keyboard lit to all round applause and cheers.

As the case is so often, The Stranglers finished with No More Heroes, always guaranteed to bring the house down. Thankfully, I do still have heroes and hopefully, mine will be here for some time yet.

Cheers.

Antony N Britt

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Bjorn Again – O2 Academy, Birmingham – Friday 6 December 2019

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December 21, 2019

The only tribute act I have ever seen are the wonderful, Kick up the 80s, many years ago. And I have never attended a gig dedicated to a single band. However, when the originals are no longer around or touring, then maybe this is the best you’re going to get.

I love ABBA. Heck, who doesn’t? And I had no hesitation in going along to this one. I mean, they sort of look like ABBA, and they really do sound like them, so you’d be hard pressed to know better.

But this tribute is all about the fans who many came dressed for the occasion and totally lapped it up.

Bjorn Again are a tongue-in-cheek parody of the real thing with the band having stage character names of Agnetha Falstart, Frida Longstockin, Benny Anderwear and Bjorn Volvo-us. I am not going to credit their real names because the whole nature and appeal of the act is that they are ABBA.

Taking the stage to Arrival, the crowd then went wild at the opening bars of Waterloo. And then hit after hit in which we were treated to: Gimme Gimme Gimme, Super Trouper, Honey Honey, Fernando, Ring Ring, Mamma Mia, Thank You for the Music and the inevitable Dancing Queen among so many more. We even had a rendition of Van Halen’s Jump. It was all good fun, as it was supposed to be, but also fabulous entertainment. Okay, some of the staged band interaction was a little cringing at times, but I reckon it was meant to be.

Since you can’t see ABBA anymore, I fully recommend Bjorn Again, and I’ve been listening to an ABBA playlist ever since, such was the positive experience. I can honestly say that for any fan of the originals, this is a great night out.

Cheers.

Antony N Britt

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The Stranglers – Black and White at the O2 Academy Birmingham – 12 March 2016

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March 28, 2016

2016 has not been good for rock fans. In the first few months we’ve seen the passing of David Bowie, Lemmy and Keith Emerson. When the news of Bowie broke, I recall commenting that people my age are going to be seeing a lot of this in the near future. Add to that, I’m unlikely to witness AC/DC in any familiar incarnation soon. Things are certainly changing. More personal to me, though, I’ve also had to concede I may never again see a Stranglers gig featuring Jet Black on drums.

I guess it’s inevitable when you’ve followed music through five decades, that your heroes will one day be no more, but you still hope the magic will last a little longer.

March 12, Birmingham O2 Academy, I gazed upon the stage with eyes confirming what I already knew, even though the reality hurt.

One drum kit.

For the past four years, despite health issues, the drummer in black has beaten the odds and appeared in a cameo role during tours. Sadly, not this year. If it’s the end, we wish Jet well and thanks for everything.

But it begs the question. How much longer will it be before I have seen my last Stranglers gig? Something I ask every year but until the inevitable happens, I’ll keep turning up to lose myself in the ecstasy of the moment.

Now a regular for a few years, Birmingham lad, Jim MacAulay plays in the band alongside Jean-Jacques Burnel, Dave Greenfield and Baz Warne. Slight change in lineup, though nothing different about the performance.

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My 16th Stranglers show dating back to 1983 and as all previous, it didn’t disappoint.

Billed, The Black and White Tour, the band played the album of the same name in full for the first part of a near two hour set. Exploding straight into Tank, followed by Nice and Sleazy until the final conclusion with Enough Time, a song I finally heard live for the first time. As always, the band were in fine form although it was noticeable the atmosphere lifted another notch higher once Black and White had concluded and a wider variety set commenced with (Get a) Grip (On Yourself). Now I don’t mean that as any criticism of Black and White, I simply think playing the album from start to finish maybe lessened the anticipation with the audience already knowing what was coming next.

Not so the the second half which was as excellent as the first but with a few surprises thrown in. By far the biggest was the first time absence in my memory of Golden Brown. Call me controversial, but it’s about time. Must be frustrating for a band to be expected to play certain tracks every concert so I applaud the decision to exclude this sacred cow. That doesn’t apply to No More Heroes, though. Never remove that one from the set, guys, just so you know.

Other favourites were there in a set which spanned the decades: Five Minutes, Something Better Change, Always the Sun, plus more recent classics including Relentless and Norfolk Coast. A nice surprise was A Soldiers Story. Not sure about being the first time live, but it certainly was for me.

The guys come round my way every March/April and 2016 was as good as ever. Loads of energy with no sign of the band ending soon. Ironically, one of the biggest cheers of the night was the usual Baz ad-libbing during Peaches.

 “I could think of a lot worse places to be.
Like down in the street,
or down in the sewer,
or Villa Park at the end of the season.”

Hey, the show was in Birmingham and if you’re not into football, all I can say is, it’s a local joke.

2016 – a year not yet three months old where so many rock legends have left us. Not so the Stranglers. Yes, it’ll happen sometime, but until I see it in Black and White, I’ll savour every minute, every year.

2016tour-280px

Cheers.

Nick

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The Stranglers – Giants @ the O2 Academy – Birmingham (Saturday 10 March 2012)

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March 13, 2012

When Blur were honoured as lifetime achievers for their twenty-one years in pop at the recent Brit Awards, I had to suppress ironic amusement. I blogged at the time, asking how seven studio albums constituted greatness with notably, no releases since 2003.

In contrast, the Stranglers are now on their third studio outing since that date with latest offering, Giants, number seventeen in a long list of classic albums.

Nearing 40 years in the industry, the Stranglers have toured, played live in every one of those years to my knowledge. I saw my twelfth concert by the band at the O2 Academy in Birmingham on Saturday and like the previous eleven, no two Stranglers concerts are the same.

It would be easy, simply to roll out the standard, well-known hits but the Stranglers have never been ones for taking that route. Grip, Five Minutes and Always the Sun – all absent and did I miss them? Not one bit. Instead I got four new tracks off Giants and my first ever live experience of Sometimes, Rise of the Robots and Shut up.

From the moment the lights dim and you hear the opening chords of Waltz in Black, the hairs on the back of the neck stand on end because you know the the band are coming on. Two minutes later, the place erupts in a blazing inferno as the guys launch into Burning Up Time. The previously mentioned, Sometimes is next, followed by hit after hit; songs maybe not fashionable with the mainstream music press but to a Stranglers fan, each would top their charts.

Highlights for me were belting renditions of Relentless and The Raven, the latter of which was accompanied by a stuffed replica thrown onto the stage. The bird was promptly removed by a stagehand though not before the poor creature lost half its limbs when it fell apart. Also, strangely flung on, were what appeared to be items of underwear and a female roadie who went to retrieve a pair, took one look, grimaced and kicked them back in the audience. Obviously worn. Strange folk, these Stranglers fans at times.

The band are all in fine form, displaying that they still enjoy what they do. Jean Jacques Burnel and Baz Warne share the vocals equally and I forget the time when there was ever any other line up. Always a magic moment, No More Heroes rings out and I worry that the day will come when my heroes will become no more. Dave Greenfield, whose keyboards have hypnotised me for thirty five years is in his sixties as is Burnel. The fantastic Jet Black is seventy three, for crying out loud and as I type this, I read with horror that he has been rushed to hospital and had to miss the Oxford gig last night. Get well soon fella, you are, as always, awesome.

So what constitutes a lifetime’s achievement in music? If the Brit Awards are anything to go by, little over 100 tracks on seven albums during a twelve-year period. The Stranglers, never had, or likely will, receive the credit they deserve though with seventeen studio albums and a similar amount of live ones to listen to, I could play them non-stop for days. They may never be acknowledged in a way that their lifetimes achievements are recognised by the masses, but they have given more joy to last this particular fan – a lifetime. And that’s some achievement.

Nick

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