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An awesome and ridiculous film that leaves you thrilled beyond the point of your natural endurance
2012
Theatre
The show has suddenly become quite wonderful, and the galvanising factor is the terrific stage debut of Melanie C
Blood Brothers
Music
The British pop music industry may be eating itself but if Muse are the pick of what it can offer the world in 2010 then British music is in rude health indeed
Muse
I was smitten by both Gilberts enormous luxuriant moustache and the intelligence and nuance of this highly entertaining play
I totally recommend Babbo to anyone who is looking for really good and traditional Italian food
Always been a fan but never seen them live. I was ecstatic to be part of this epic event. WOW!
London,
Chris Elwell-Sutton's rating
Reader rating
The Scissor Sisters opened the show in style
Take That performed Patience like they had never been away
With its seductive combination of big bands, big egos and big music industry expense accounts, The Brit Awards is never a dull affair, and the first ceremony broadcast on live TV since 1989 didn't disappoint.
Nor did the crowd have to depend solely for their entertainment on the admittedly hilarious antics of controversial presenter Russell Brand. The doom and gloom that have characterised descriptions of the British music industry of late seemed to be blown off Earls Court's stage by a superb showcase of the music that has helped the business to blossom against the odds over the past year.
Gallery: All the action from the Brits
Noel: 'I'd be bigger than Elvis'
The show's snappy format meant that acts could only perform one song, putting the pressure on to produce something special.
Scissor Sisters rose to the challenge of being the opening act with a characteristically creative tour de force that was as much performance art as it was pop. Their hit single I Don't Feel Like Dancin' was spiced up by masterfully choreographed blacked-out puppeteers who lifted the band off their feet, allowing them to adopt wonderful, gravity-defying postures.
Amy Winehouse, who beat Lily Allen to the British female solo artist prize, was another highlight. There was only one song she was ever going to sing: Rehab, partly because of its eerily hypnotic retro catchiness, and also because of its allusions to her well-publicised problems with alcohol.
Standing on a stage exquisitely dressed to resemble the TV sets of the Motown era, Winehouse gave the song a poised, understated rendition, the effortless soulfulness of her deep voice belying the quiet passion in her eyes.
As is always the case in the live arena, The Killers acquitted themselves well.
Take That, meanwhile, celebrated a hugely successful comeback - topped off by Patience being declared best British single - by presenting the anthemic hit much as they would have done in their heyday, standing in a line against a simple, glittery backdrop-and revelling in their widespread appeal as mature, chiselled versions of their younger selves.
Deserving winners of the outstanding contribution to music awards, Oasis closed the show.
Swaggering onstage, brushing Brand out of the way in typically boorish style, they launched into an uncompromising rendition of Cigarettes And Alcohol which, for the first time of the night, inspired the crowd to sing along.
Technically, Liam Gallagher's voice was not on top form, but that didn't seem to matter. Breathtaking performances of What's The Story and Don't Look Back In Anger suggested that the group have become national treasures, and consolidated their status as one of the very few British bands who truly embody the spirit of rock 'n' roll.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Yes a very favourable review indeed, so much so I am inclined to suspect we were watching different programs. Whilst the Scissor Sisters were on palpably good form and the puppetry effects were executed with aplomb, Amy Wino seems very much a boozelicious one-trick pony who pretty soon is going to wake up with one almighty hangover. Your critic seems very dismissive of The Killers - "acquitted themselves well" indeed... damning them with faint praise. Brandon Flowers is a genuine Rock God of the old school - love the riverboat gambler look - and blew all the other live acts into the proverbial cocked hat, including Oasis. If as the review states 'The show's snappy format meant that acts could only perform one song' why on earth did we have to suffer three from Oasis? Liberally interspersed with his trademark profanity and self-delusory diatribes, thankfully removed from broadcast by the judicious use of the sound engineer's volume control button, Liam's voice was woefully poor even by his standard, each song sounding increasingly dirgy and further exemplifying the distance between their songs and those of, for example, The Killers... if Noel could write one song as good as 'when you were young' and Liam could perform it as well as Brandon Flowers then Noel might yet have been 'bigger than Elvis' as he vaingloriously preened in a recent interview.
- Squiz, Islington
Liam's vocals were well dodgy. At one point he sounded more like Lonnie Donegan than a hard, rock star! What's up with his voice?
- Tina, Hull
My husband and I were disgusted by the programme. Whilst waiting for Mary Whitehouse to receive her award we were treated instead to crude jokes about the Queen and our brave soldiers in Iraq. Is this what we pay our licence fee for?
- Mavis Beacon, London
