Morning:
14°c
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,
André Paine's rating
Reader rating
Description: The US-based singer-songwriter plays folk-rock.
Phone: 0905020 3999
Website: www.shepherds-bush-empire.co.uk
Email: mail@shepherds-bush-empire.co.uk
Trains: Tube: Shepherd's Bush 
, Tube / Bus: 49, 72, 94, 95, 148, 207, 220, 237, 260, 283, 272, 295, 607 
Extra info: Pub
When barely out of his teens, Willy Mason found himself being compared to Bob Dylan, and he was soon touring with famous fans including Radiohead and KT Tunstall.
Tunstall duets with Mason on his new single and a guest spot from her would surely have enlivened this first of two nights in Shepherds Bush.
Instead, it was a solid performance of modern blues and folk from a talented artist with a singularly deep and rattling voice for one so young (he's still only 22).
Mason, who's from Martha's Vineyard off the US east coast, had a slightly dazed presence, but it was largely endearing.
Certainly the fans, including plenty of girls, shouted for him all night despite some hopeless banter and guitar problems.
To his credit, though, Mason never lost sight of his songs - unlike, say, the less focused Ryan Adams - and his dreadlocked viola player Nina Violet gave a rootsy feel to tunes such as Our Town.
She also provided Tunstall's vocal on We Can Be Strong, but the duet veered awkwardly between strident and subdued.
Perhaps the problem was that, with a band he described as "my friends from back home", it was all a bit too easy-going.
When Mason did take charge for a solo version of the hit Oxygen, though, he conjured up a wondrous finale to the evening.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
[ 1 ] [ 2 ]
