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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 new-wave and punk-rock era veteran.
Collaboration: Elvis Costello established a formidable partnership with Allen Toussaint
"The British Empire's over, we've scared the ravens off," said Elvis Costello, but it was his fans whose absence was more apparent.
The failure to completely sell out the Tower of London was perhaps due to the distraction of Live Earth. It hardly mattered, though, as Costello established a formidable partnership with Allen Toussaint, the veteran New Orleans piano player.
They were performing tunes from their album of collaborations, and though Costello may not have a natural R'n'B voice they made a virtue of their contrasting styles.
While the 69-year-old Toussaint grinned away during his silky piano playing, Costello sang and strummed his guitar as if he'd had a really bad day. That was especially true during the baleful River In Reverse.
Occasionally, Costello's bark overwhelmed the more soulful songs. But the band provided some equally robust bursts of trumpet and saxophone throughout the set, which made Seventies singles such as Alison sound spectacular.
Costello clearly viewed Toussaint as the senior partner, paying tribute to his musical legacy as the older man sang A Certain Girl.
Inevitably, though, this crowd wanted more of Costello's tuneful punk classics. And during Pump It Up, middle-aged fans surged forward to dance, ignoring their lack of ability and the protesting security guards.
When a bearded Beefeater started shimmying too, though, the bouncers sensibly decided to let everyone have their fun.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Perhaps the real reason Elvis Costello's show at the Tower of London didn't sell out wasn't Live Earth but simply that tickets were too expensive. With top end ones at £65, as opposed to barely half that at other venues, the night out including travel costs and so on would have totted up to £100 - an unjustifiable expense these days. Only a real one-off show can justify that sort of cost - and much as I love his music, this simply wasn't it. I'm sure many fans (I've seen him more than 30 times since 1978) did what I did, stayed at home and watched the DVD.
- David Crozier, St Albans, Herts
