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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,
John Aizlewood's rating
Reader rating
Description: The New York rappers on their 8 Diagrams tour featuring RZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface, U-God, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, Gza The Genius and Street Life.
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
Legends: Wu-Tang might be the Clan that time forgot but they are still exhilarating
As if acknowledging that hip-hop's most notorious brigands were in town, a police van lurked conspicuously outside the Shepherd's Bush Empire before and after last night's Wu-Tang Clan show. As if to heighten the point, on the way in I was subjected to a body search so thorough I half expected to be asked to share a post-frisk cigarette afterwards.
Alas, inside was a rather more telling indication of the once unstoppable ensemble's current status when two of the Empire's four levels were closed, while those that were open were hardly crammed. They are the Clan that time forgot.
Naturally, the Staten Islanders, who admit rehearsing is an alien concept, made things difficult for themselves, arriving an hour late and neglecting to trouble themselves with such things as production values, hence a wretchedly muffled sound. Roadies shuffled slowly but ostentatiously across stage mid-song bearing towels and, unforgivably for an act not playing a youth club, there were insufficient microphones to go round.
Yet for all that a Wu-Tang Clan show is merely anything between four and 12 unchoreographed, scrotumclutching men standing on stage shouting, they were eye-poppingly watchable and there were moments of breathtaking, exhilarating wonder from the delicious vocal interplay of Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F'Wit and Triumph, to the fearsome Protect Ya Neck and the relatively considered It's Yourz, where even the peripheral, hitherto sullen Raekwon blossomed.
The evening, though, belonged to their Stakhanovite heartbeat, the lanky streak of charisma that was Method Man, whether rapping as if he cared, clambering up the speakers or repeatedly throwing himself into the audience without safety net or security. And with midnight fast approaching, he finished proceedings abruptly with a brusque, "peace: y'all be good", before remaining on stage alone, shaking the hand of seemingly every audience member.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
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