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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,
John Aizlewood's rating
Reader rating
Description: The psych Liverpudlian popsters play an acoustic show.
Phone: 0871911 0200
Website: www.eno.org
Email: access@eno.org
Trains: Tube: Leicester Square/Charing Cross 
, Tube / Bus: 3, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 23, 24, 29, 53, 77a, 88, 91, 139 
Sitting pretty: never ones to move on stage, The Coral benefited from being seated
Back in 2002, the last time I saw a Coral headline show, the Hoylake sextet were a self-indulgent, noodling mess. My, how they've grown and six years on, the former schoolfriends have whittled themselves down to a quintet and upped their game beyond all measure.
Last night was a one-off nearacoustic performance at the home of the English National Opera and of the most beautiful ceiling in London. In truth, their on-stage awkwardness meant the sense of occasion was lost but where there is a swing there is often a roundabout, too, and, never being ones to move on stage, The Coral benefited immeasurably from being seated.
With little chit-chat to halt their progress - no wonder The Arctic Monkeys and Oasis are fervent fans - they rattled through 21 songs in just over an hour. Encouragingly, older material, such as their first single Shadow Falls, paled in comparison with selections from their current and fifth album Roots And Echoes, which, in turn, already seem less adept than a couple of new songs, The Rovin' Jewel and, especially, Green Is The Colour. Essentially, the scally boys have matured into a formidable, super-tight pop men, underpinned by soaring melodies, fierce musicality and gloriously intricate, sometimes fiveway harmonies.
They wear their influences lightly: Graduate-era Simon And Garfunkel, Skip Spence, The Monkees and The Everly Brothers, whom they covered on the closing Bye Bye Love to send even the infirm home with a spring in their step.
Along their sunny way, they covered Fred Neil's standard, Everybody's Talking and long-lost Lightning Seed Ian Broudie was prised from his lair to strum guitar on Pass It On and Liezah to joyous effect.
And we learned something: in an era of glamour and piffle, sometimes it's possible for a pop concert to be solely about the music without being as dreary as Henry James or Big Brother. The Coral should do this again some time. Some time quite soon, hopefully.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
The Coral's performance at the Coliseum last Tuesday was something any music lover, regardless of their preferences, would have enjoyed. The ambiance created in such a beautiful auditorium lent itself to the genre and whilst I appreciate your comments regarding the groups awkwardness on stage, their ability to play their instruments with such natural flair far outways their lack of showmanship. Yes, it would have been an added bonus to get some banter from the boys, but Coral fans know what to expect- innovative tunes with nostalgic influences played by a tight, talented unit and my only complaint was that I had to remain seated throughout the gig.
- Elise, London, England
