Tonight:
9°c
NEW: Some fares could fall by more than a third when Oyster is extended to every national rail station in London, it has emerged
More...
New Moon is nothing if not an international advertisement for the hungry virtues of virginity and young people can’t get enough of it
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Theatre
A smart, prickly and rewarding view of sexual and emotional confusion
Cock
Restaurants
Kitchen W8 is a bargain for this area, if such sophistication is what you crave
Kitchen W8
Too long and drawn out but very entertaining with excellent special effects
This is a peculiar play and does not work for me. Some of it is very funny but there are real flaws
Alex has a strong powerful voice and was faultless, she is far better now than she was on the X-Factor
London,
Critic rating
Reader rating
Description: Well-read frontman Paul Smith fronts the quirky Novocastrian indie-rockers promoting new album, Our Earthly Delights.
Phone: 0207434 9592
Website: http://www.festivalrepublic.com/venues/#Astoria
Trains: Tube: Tottenham Court Road 
Extra info: Pub
Maximo Park: their new songs had a muscular edge
On their arrival in 2005 many were too quick to dismiss Newcastle's Maximo Park as second division sorts: a few nice singles, a singer with an impressive comb-over but ultimately, a band in the shadow of their north eastern kin The Futureheads.
Two years on The Futureheads have no record deal, but Maximo Park bound onstage to a packed Astoria with a Mercury Prize-nominated album, 2005's A Certain Trigger, under their belts and a new album due in April.
Maximo clearly saw the night as a perfect opportunity to introduce new material to a rapt crowd.
The songs boast a noticeably more muscular edge - the snappy Our Velocity even sparked off a spate of headbanging.
But Maximo have always approached rock from strange angles.
Lukas Wooler's squidgy keyboard lines gave songs such as Girls Who Play Guitars an eccentric flavour.
Ultimately though, Maximo Park's emotional side is their most endearing quality. These songs are as warm and sweet as they are smart and cerebral.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
