Skate King's Cross part 2!

One week after my first experience with Skate King's Cross, I am back on my skate, ready to be bolder and to go for it, armed with my self-confidence gained last week. Putting the skates back on my feet was pretty much like I'd forgotten all about last week. When I left the security of the bench, I still beat the air around me, trying to find my balance and to get accustomed to my new shoe wear. It took about ten minutes to do so. Then, it was all about skating in rhythm with the music, displayed by two talented DJs. Although I wish the music would have been less "modern" and more "seventies" and disco-like. My friend threw the idea that we should make silly pictures with silly poses and we had a great time, just pretending for a few seconds that we were actually confident and good at skating! The problem is that they were many professionals (or, at least, very talented skaters) on the rink. So, they do figures, skate backwards, grab each other and skate together, filling half of the rink with their big abilities. Then, you have the people who are very unsure (and sometimes, very drunk, which is definitely not helping). So, between the pros and the people who fall every two seconds, trying to grab you and attract you in their fall, it quickly gets hard to actually skate. Both my friend and I fell, both because someone skated right in front of us, coming out of nowhere. We both panicked and, unsure about how to brake, we ended up her, on her bum and me, on my knees. That was not fun. So, after a great, refreshing and well-earned lemonade, we decided it was time for us to leave the rink to the pros. We had a lovely night and a lot of fun and, between, you and me, we're planning to find a permanent skate rink that we could visit regularly. Because, Skate King's Cross, sadly, is closing on the 6th of September. There are only a few days left to go and have fun so, don't hesitate and, as Nike would say, just do it!
 Miss DiversiT

The Spice of Life is an open mic night!

Last week, I went to an open mic night for the first time and it was surprisingly amazing: this might be one of the best ways to discover new talents and new music!

Eight pm, a bar called “The Spice of Life” near Leicester Square. It is a Monday night but the streets are packed with people. Entering that quite common-looking pub, the fun is just a door and a staircase away.

Downstairs, it feels like I’m on a movie set: the atmosphere is the one of an underground bar during prohibition. Small tables shared by small groups, a bar with a small counter, soft lights, candles and a small stage, just a couple of meters away from the front row tables.

The first to take the stage and face their audience is a duo called “Sally”: they’re the union between a flamenco guitar player and vocal harmonies. The first song was not a big hit but the second one, an impressive and original reprise of “Imagine” by Lennon, left us all gob smacked.

Jaz came second: his energy and humour left their mark. While playing the piano like a manic, he got us all interacting and singing with him. He sang “She broke my heart” and we went “Awww”; he chanted “She was engaged” and we replied “Boooh”. Quite a good sing-along if you ask me.

Then came Sarah, from the band “Paper Aeroplanes”, dressed in a long black skirt and a funny sweater showing a monkey wearing tasty pink glasses. I might not be very objective because I love their music dearly. I discovered them recently and would advise you to check them out: they’re insanely good!

She sang 4 songs including “Circus” and “Little Letters” and an exclusive-never-played-before-song. My favourite, thought, has to be “Fable” because the lyrics caught me off guard and brought many sweet thoughts back to my head. Hiding behind a guitar that seems way to big for her and looking quite frail, Sarah gave an excellent performance despite the stress (it was her first open mic nigh too!).

I stayed a bit longer to listen to a band made of four young guys. They didn’t have a band name and I apologise for not remembering their names. They were really good and I’m pretty sure these guys will meet success very soon. Thank God, I’ll recognize their faces and will be able to correct my paper…Their vocals and music were great and left me wanting more.

I have to say that this open mic night was a thrilling experience! It has to be done at least once. This is such a great idea for a date… And if you love music, I truly believe that this is the new way to discover good music!

Miss DiversiT

“Southcliffe”, the new Channel 4 drama that will wrench your guts

Yesterday evening saw the airing of the first episode of “Southcliffe”, a new TV drama by Channel 4 that will leave you on the edge of your seat, with a weird feeling inside your belly.

Written by the talented and award-winning Tony Grisoni (who worked on the “Red Riding” series a few years ago), the action takes place in a small fictional country town where a gunman spreads panic and blood on his mad journey across Southcliffe.

The four-part mini-series shows what chain of events led to these bloody shootings and how the town reacts to what happened, as the inhabitants wake up from what feels like a nightmare.

Not without reminding about the shootings in Cumbria in 2010, “Southcliffe” explores the wide range of feelings that led and resulted from the gunman’s actions through the eyes of a journalist, originally from the town.

This TV drama is served by many well-known and talented British actors: Rory Kinnear (Black Mirror) is the journalist, Sean Harris (Prometheus) plays Stephen, Joe Dempsie (Skins, Games of Thrones) plays Chris, while the next episodes should see the apparition of Kaya Scodelario (Skins, Wuthering Heights).

Nerves wrenching, gloomy and terrifying, “Southcliffe” is what I would call great British television! It has a great intensity, while being well executed and sadly realistic. I read on Twitter last night, shortly after the end of the first episode, a comment of a man saying that he needed to watch videos of kittens and puppies before going to bed. I cannot help but agree with him: “Southcliffe” is definitely not for the faint hearts. Still, it is so good it hurts! 

The last episode is to be aired next Sunday, at 9pm…It is going to be a long week, guys!

Miss DiversiT

Percy Jackson in the Bermuda Triangle…oops, sorry, “Sea of Monsters”

For this second instalment of the Percy Jackson saga, the trio formed by Percy, Grover and Annabeth are going on a quest to find a magic golden fleece. They are accompanied by Tyson, a clumsy but friendly Cyclops…nothing exceptional here!

If you liked the first Percy Jackson, you will like this one probably just as much. It is equally intense, scary and there are loads of creatures, colossuses and oracles to satisfy your monster hunger. Set in what we, humans, call the Bermuda Triangle, this episode sees Percy and his friends go on a quest to find the golden fleece, only magical instrument to save the dying tree that protects their home: Half-Blood Camp.

The highlights of this film are probably the creatures: the bright, colourful and lovable Sea Horse is every little girl’s dream (or will be!); the vicious bull robots were really impressive and dangerous; the Oracle was really frightening, both physically and verbally. On the downside, you would think that, after creating so many monsters, it would be easy peasy to make perfect believable Cyclops…Well, apparently not!

Being a huge fan of Harry Potter, I have to say that the trio that Percy forms with his friends rings a bell and that similitude can be annoying because too obvious at times: Percy is Harry: a threatening prophecy puts some extra pressure on his shoulders; Grover is Ron: funny and laid back but always there when you need him while Annabeth is Hermione: clever, know-it-all and the feminine asset of the group.

Overall, the storyline is good, despite a crazy rhythm that will ask all your concentration if you do not want to miss the plot and the evolution of the story. The action and the sense of humour are there (while in a disaffected leisure park, Percy and Annabeth sing “It’s a Small World”, funny reference to Disney).

The ending is definitely hinting that a third film is to come in the near future so, brace yourself and get ready: this is not the last time you hear about Percy Jackson!

I will leave you with a funny detail: the director of this film is called Thor Freudenthal! Tell us about prophecies and predestination…

Miss DiversiT

“Dream Out Loud” A documentary about how to make your dreams come true

Three weeks ago, the Olympia was welcoming the International Make Up-Artist Trade Show, also known as IMATS, and on the big opening night was the premiere of a very touching documentary called “Dream Out Loud”.

Directed by Juliet Landau and Deverill Weekes, this short film tells the success story of Kazuhiro Tsuji, a talented and widely recognized-among-his-pairs make-up artist. To borrow Weekes’ words “This film is about excellence and about the story between two men who connected through an art form.”

Kazuhiro started his life in Japan and, as a kid, was living in a fish market. It all started when he saw an article about the make-up artist Dick Smith and that triggered his interest for professional make-up techniques. He started by practicing on his own face and, later, on his fellow students friends’ faces.

The film then goes a bit deeper in Kazu’s art and talent by revealing the struggles he faced on the set of “Looper”. The challenge was to make Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis look alike, the first playing a younger version of the second in the movie. Kazuhiro worked on a lot of details to create similarities between their faces. Gordon-Levitt said that his own mother had troubles recognizing him. “At the end of the shooting, I was more used to that new face than my own!”

Other than his incredible talent, Kazu has an eye for detail and is a perfectionist, always in search of the little subtle thing that will make a difference.

Kazu says that he connected to Smith and that they understand each other through their art. He also confesses that he is never 100% sure about his work and how well it is executed. It is hard for him to gain self-confidence.

At the end of the screening, after 20 fascinating and touching minutes cradled by the music of

Subterraneans, Dewerill came back on the stage and Kazu warmly thanked him. He added that, if he agreed to that project, it is because he wanted to share that it is important to know what you want to do with your life and to go for it.

This film was amazingly sweet and very true. It shows that if you hold on to your dreams, they can actually come true. A good reminder that you should never give up.

Miss DiversiT

Make-up, fake eyelashes and movies: Welcome to the IMATS

Yesterday evening, I got the chance to go to the IMATS (International Make-Up Artist Trade Show). The reason why I'm quickly writing this article before going to work (oh, the joy of working on weekends!) is because I thought it was fantastic and so interesting that you shouldn't miss it! As a cinema fanatic, I've been in awe at what these artists can do and create.

This is the 12th edition of the show and it is held in the Olympia exhibition centre in Kensington. It will last all of today until tomorrow 5pm.

What you will see is impressive body paintings, amazing make-up techniques and the make-up museum, which is a small exhibition of art and make-up made for cinema and television. 

If you're interested in becoming a make-up artist, you'll find lots of professionals ready to advice you and chat with you about the options you have. You'll get to hear Oscar winning artists (Joel Harlow, who worked on "Star Trek" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" and Mark Coulier, who worked on "World War Z" and "Iron Lady") but also to professionals working in West End theatres.

There is also a competition for make-up students, which is cleverly called "Battle of Brushes": one competition is about beauty and has the elements for theme, while the other one is about character and evolves around "Oz".

This show is annually held all over the world: Los Angeles, New York, London, Vancouver, Sydney and Toronto and it's produced by "Make-Up Artist" Magazine.

You'll find out that there is more to make-up than trying to make yourself look good in the bathroom every morning: it's about films, television, theatre and much more! 

All the information you need: http://www.imats.net/london/london_index.php

Miss DiversiT

Skavoovie, chink-ka or skat skat skat, they all bring us down to SKA

Last Saturday, the 15th of June, I went to a concert in Camden. Nothing fancy so far, as you can go to gigs in Camden every single weekend. But, this time, I came out of my comfort zone and experienced a genre of music than I know quite poorly: Ska!

If you’re a novice, you might first wonder “What’s that name?!” Well, the name and the music have quite a blurry history. There are different stories about where the name “ska” is coming from but it all seems to evolve around Ernest Ranglin (Jamaican guitarist and composer) and Byron Lee (Jamaican musician, record producer and entrepreneur). Ranglin says that the term was invented by musicians, referring to the scratching guitar strum that sounds like “skat, skat, skat”. Ernest also made a distinction between R&B and Ska saying that the first is “ka-chink” while the second is “chink-ka”.

Another theory claims that it could come from the expression “Skavoovie” used by Cluett Johnson (Jamaican double bassist, leader of the band “Clue J & his Blues Blasters”) to greet his friends. Byron Lee is claimed to have introduced the name “ska” to name a rhythm that musicians were calling “Staya Staya”. In the end, “ska” seems to be coming from the sound that a guitar or a piano makes.

Originally from Jamaica, Ska was born in the fifties and was a foretaste of rocksteady and reggae. It is easily recognisable because of its walking bass line accentuated with an upbeat rythm. In a word, it swings!

The band that was playing Saturday is named “The Intensified”. The atmosphere was friendly and the band happily chatted to the audience. It was a very intimate yet professional concert. The band was relaxed and gave a great performance that got the whole room to dance and wiggle. The sax player was truly amazing and had an impressive touch that raised the sound of his instrument to another level! The compositions were original and the trumpet player even composed a song moments before the concert.

A bit later, they welcomed Dave Barker on stage. Famous ska and rocksteady singer, he interpreted his biggest hits, “Double Barrel” and “Monkey Spanner”. Dave and his warm voice got the whole audience dancing and cheering.

For more than an hour, the band and Dave made their fans travelled back to the past and to the seventies and gave us a hint of summer and sunshine (much needed in this depressing weather!). In a few words: a fantastic gig in the heart of Camden.

Just a bit of advice: don’t miss “The Intensified” next time they’re in concert!

Miss DiversiT

A bit of art and antiques can’t be bad

Last Thursday, I went to the International Art and Antiques Fair at the Olympia. “How did you end up there?” you might ask. Well, a friend of a friend had a stand so I got an invitation and decided to make the most of it: spend a nice time with a friend, have a pizza, have a courtesy glass of wine, looking at antique pieces of art pretending not to be poor and immerge myself in a new world (also, take it as an opportunity to write an article!).

Being the 41^st edition, the fair is a well-known event that gathers all the amateurs of fine furniture and of arts and objects ranging from prehistoric fossils to the newest pieces of contemporary art.  It also welcomes newbies like my friend and I: they organise conferences, talks and tours, all held by experts and specialists but they also provide a personal shopper that will help you buy your first antiques (only if you want to, of course).

Just wandering around the stands was amazing. The variety and the wide range of items is incredible: jewellery, antique furniture, 20^th century furniture, fine arts and prints, silver, art deco, lighting, carpets and textiles, ceramics, glass, etc. The prices vary between £100 to £1million. Many glamorous celebrities have attended the past fairs (and maybe this one, but I’m not aware of it): Oprah Winfrey, Dustin Hoffman, Jemima Khan, Mick Jagger and Eddie “Les Mis” Redmayne.

Let me give you 5 fun facts from this 41^st edition:

-       It sells the most “out of this world” item: a lunar meteorite

-       Number of diamonds exposed: over 1 million!

-       The further distance travelled by an exhibitor: 5980 miles (South Africa – London)

-       Age of the Olympia Exhibition Centre: 126; it was opened in December 1886

-       To help think of a royal christening present, here’s a good idea exposed at the fair: a Cartier nappy pin.

My friend’s friend, Esther Fitzgerald, was exposing and selling what you call “rare textiles” coming from all around the world. She’s been conserving, exhibiting, researching and photographing textiles for about 30 years. Her collections have been placed in many famous museums such as the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the National Museum of Tokyo and the Chicago Art Institute. She has a great knowledge and will happily tell you all she knows about those fabrics from another age.

To be honest, this was a fun evening: my friend and I looked around and decided to pretend that we could afford anything. We saw majestic pieces of furniture, sparkling silver items, fantastic real-life paintings, magnificent sculptures and jewellery that made us drool in envy. We also got given 10 tips for investing in art and antiques. Want to hear about it?

1. Always buy from a dealer that’s member of either the BADA (British Antique Dealer’s Association) or the LAPADA (Association of Art and Antiques Dealers).
2. Buy an item that doesn’t look like it’s been repaired or had some of its key parts replaced.
3. Check the authenticity of the piece you’d like to buy.
4. Have an eye for something quirky and original.
5. Furniture is a great investment, although you can also go for scientific instruments and weapons.
6. If you invest in silver, make sure it’s in perfect condition and keep it that way.
7. Pottery and porcelain from the 19^th century is a good investment as well.
8. Vanessa Curry, art advisor, says that it’s always good to buy paintings made by the close circle of friends of a famous painter. With time, their notoriety increases.
9. Lalique is a safe investment: make sure the piece is pre-war (meaning it’s been designed by André Lalique himself) and that it hasn’t been over-polished or damaged (that will decrease its value).
10. Invest in glass: from the 18^th century until right before the World War 2.

There you go!

Sadly, the fair is closing its doors tonight.

But it’s back again in November for its winter edition. It will be held at the Olympia, from the 4^th until the 10^th of the month. Be sure to come and have a look around, it is a lot of fun and you will see marvellous items you’d never have expected to see.

Miss DiversiT

List of annoying people that you can encounter in every sort of event

 I guess you’ve all experienced going to the movies, to a concert, to any kind of fun event and meeting that (group of) annoying person(s) that will break your patience down and make you want to become a murderer!

It happened to me as well and even more lately, which is why I’m writing it down in the utopic goal of easing my annoyance at that breed of people.

Here is a non-exhaustive list (feel free to suggest more!):

-       The whispering/talking/shouting one

There is always someone, no mater where you go, that will talk and ruin your moment. Let’s make an abusive use of examples! I went to a TV show recording last week. I was thrilled, excited for many reasons: I belong to the media and being in touch with that world felt like coming home and being in the right place (though very frustrating to see these people do a job I’m so willing to do but can’t get to…yet!) and there were celebrities, we were going to be on TV (yes, I fangirled a bit, I’m not pretending to be above that!). We were asked to dance our ass off, to clap, cheer and react to what was happening on the set. Well, believe it or not, there were a bunch of girls, talking casually, like they were in front of their telly! I mean, you’re supposed to be rather quiet during a recording and, if you want to comment, it can either wait for after the recording or for when the show is broadcasted. It was so annoying and rude. And, cherry on top of the cake, they were pushing around to be as close to the set as possible, chatting away and –I’m speaking the truth- never stopping!

You also have the whispering one, who’s just as annoying. Imagine you’re in a cinema theatre, ready to watch a movie and BAM!, for the whole screening there is going to be someone right behind you, whispering comments not so discreetly as you can hear what they say. Or, if you can’t understand, it’s going to feel just like a beeping noise in your ear that you cannot shut down…just as great.

Final addition to this category, we have the loud shouting one. Often drunk, he thinks he’s funny (careful, they can actually BE funny!) and that he’s entertaining the room. But, shouting and yelling while others are trying to listen to the artist on stage is a terrible idea. Choose the appropriate time to shout and it can pass for heavy cheering, which is fine!

-       The live-blogging one

Well, this one is easy to notice: he is there without really being there. He is holding onto his phone like his life is depending on it. He is on twitter, facebook, tumblr and keeps blogging about the event he’s at; except he doesn’t fully live the moment. And he’s annoying the people around him with his phone’s light…

-       The eating loudly and with an open mouth one

Mostly found in cinema theatres, this specimen is a pro at ruining a film. He usually eats something that, in itself, is noisy like crisps, popcorn, nachos, etc. The packaging makes noise and he is eating like a pig, with a mouth wide open so that everyone can enjoy the soft music of his chewing activities. Sometimes he eats candy and that, when opening your mouth, is dangerous: it gets really noisy! Same with chewing gums! You can eat without needing the whole theatre to know what you’re doing!

-       The smelly one

That is really sad. Because sometimes, it is someone that can’t help it. But, most of thetime, it is just someone who’s living his life, unaware there are things such as showers, deodorant and mints. I remember a while ago, I went to see “Catch me if you can” with my best friend and there was this woman sitting behind us. She was a whisperer and she had terrible breath! To the point that, by the end of the film, we were almost suffocating in that toxic smell. We still laugh about it today, though, at the time, we were not finding it funny at all.

It can also happen to a party: you’re dancing, having fun and, suddenly, someone comes next to you and there is an acidic smell of onion chutney accompanying that person. We’re not talking about sweat, that’s a different odour and we all suffer from it, despite the use of deodorant. I’m mentioning that kind of foody flavour that some people spread around. Ew!

-       The filming one

This one is living the whole event through his phone. He’s different from the live-blogging one because he actually sings along and has fun. But it’s like he’s watching a video on youtube or something. How can you go see an artist in concert and film everything? I mean, filming a bit is ok because it’s creating a memory, it emphasises the fact that you were actually there, living it. But recording a whole concert…I mean, when that one gets home, he must feel like he actually didn’t go but just watched videos on the Internet.

-       The “I am there but will not move a muscle” one

That one is ruining all the fun you might have! He’s just not moving! You’re dancing, you turn around with a big grin on your face and he’s there, looking at you, being totally static. Worse: let’s say you’re at a concert and it’s a very small venue. You can see the artist on stage and he can see you equally. You always have that guy in the first row that is not moving. The singer thinks “ah, a tough one, I’m gonna make him shake his ass!” and he gives everything to this one guy, hoping he’ll get into it and will start to actually physically show his enjoyment. But no…That guy won’t move. I have a good example: one of my friends is actually like that (which remembers me no to go to any kind of fun event with her anymore: drinks will do!). She was there with me at the TV show recording and she wanted to be close to the stage because there was a band that was going to perform. Once there, we were asked to dance and enjoy ourselves in an obvious way. She moved a bit, just to keep her right to be that close to the stage. I was dancing, having fun, thinking I was like an actress or something and when I turned to her…She was looking completely stoic…Shockingly let down by a friend! 

-       The “I am there and I will shake every single one of my limbs”

Danger ahead! Most commonly found in parties and gigs, he’s a very dangerous specimen. He kicks the air with his feet and legs, throws his fists and arms all over the place and wobbles his head around. He’s so into it that he won’t notice how close he is to others and how threatening his dance moves are.

He can also be found in cinema theatres: he’s that annoying guy who’ll kick into your seat for two hours, no matter how many time you’ll turn around to severely look at him...

Miss DiversiT

PRETTY MUSICAL DREAMS IN CAMDEN

7 pm, Thursday 6^th of June 2013, The Barfly, Camden, London, the UK.

A small crowd is gathered; young and old, Londoners or foreigners; they are all here to celebrate the launch of Dave McPherson’s second solo album “Dreamoirs”.

Dave’s fans had to be a bit patient, though, to earn their prize in a very musical and pleasant way as they were offered to listen to two other artists: Hadleigh Ford and David Cavanagh (who came without his band “Anathema”).

Hadleigh Ford was a real treat and a great discovery. He had the tough job of breaking the ice and warming up a rather distracted audience. He started by telling us about Dave being his best man at his wedding and how their friendship was one of a kind. He then sang “Sounds like a Sunday” which caught the attention of the whole room. He got us all tangled with “My own worst enemy” and “Butterfly”. But it was really “My Biology” that left a mark in people’s mind: it is well written, catchy and the lyrics, which may appear light, hold a delightful second degree.

After assuring us that he would be “the drunk guy clapping and shouting at Dave in the corner of the room”, Hadleigh left the stage to Danny Cavanagh. He gave us an impressive reprise of the Pink Floyd’s famous track “Another Brick in the Wall”. The audience could not help but be impressed by the fantastic guitar solo of “Deep”. After a cover of “Big Love”, a song from the well-known rock band Fleetwood Mac, Cavanagh ended his performance with “Untouchable” getting us to sing and clap in time with him in some sort of warming up communion.

Then started what seemed to be a long waiting. The room was buzzing, the last spaces available filling in, the crowd slightly pushing to get closer to the stage, the Star Wars’ theme building even more the anticipation. At 9:30, casually arriving on the James Bond’s theme – “That wasn’t planned!” chuckled Dave – the InMe’s front man made his appearance! What I should let you know by now, and to give you a good idea of the atmosphere in the Barfly is that there was a drunk guy, randomly shouting. It was funny but could have become annoying if McPherson did not play the game.

After a great start to the gig with “Snowball”, a very rocky and touching ballad that satisfied the hungry audience’s appetite, our drunken friend started yelling again. Dave funnily complained about those “random noises” and our much-imbibed pal replicated “loud noises!” a reference to the comedy “The Anchorman” that made the whole room laughed warmly.

Ice broken, audience ravished and ready to give a great performance, McPherson accompanied by his band sang “Relics of Don Quichotte” and “Lady Luck”, one of my favourite songs from “Dreamoirs”. It goes about juggling between two different lives: being on tour and being home, being a much-acclaimed solo artist and a regular guy.

“Last year” is a song from Dave’s first solo album released in 2011, “The Hardship Diaries”. As a first solo record, it was mainly a break-up CD. Maybe that is why McPherson was a bit reluctant to play this song and we had to thank his band mates for pushing him to sing it again for us.

Wearing a colourful unicorn and rainbow t-shirt, InMe’s front man introduced his next song “Winter: Hibernation” by telling us it is about how he likes travelling, exploring new places, going to the beach, the countryside and walking in fields, adding that, because he doesn’t have a dog, he probably looks like a killer in the project.

Then came “The Wilderness” which is the first single of “Dreamoirs” that will be released soon. It is a very delicate ballad with a good rhythm and great drums. Definitely a good choice for a first single, if you ask me.

McPherson got us all dancing with “Before I even had you”, a song from his past solo record. He did bet that only ladies would move to this track but was wrong as we were all wobbling our heads, shifting weight from one leg to another in rhythm and shaking our behinds.

My ultimate favourite song from “Dreamoirs” was next! With some sort of counter time and very melodic changes, this tune definitely creates some sort of tsunami in my body. “Ambivert Melanconnoisseur” is about redemption and space travels, being some sort of musical U.F.O. And I suspect the author to be really proud of its weirdness.

Speaking of favourites, Dave’s own little personal pet of this album is “I’m Possible”. The lyrics are absolutely beautiful, telling us how it is like to see someone you really love and care about making mistakes in their life.

At this point, the band left: we gave Mike Curtis – Bassist, as tiny as a smurf (just quoting McPherson here!) -, Simon Taylor – Drummer, thanked by Dave for sticking around for so many years, which is quite rare- and Gary Marlow – guitarist and back singer – a round of applause for giving us such a thrilling evening.

It was just Dave left on stage. He got the crowd singing with “Love Rats”, a song he described to us like this: “first verse is about a girl that cheats on a guy, second verse is on a guy that cheats on a girl and the chorus gets a bit mixed up, we don’t know who cheats oh who!”

Finally, as a goodbye gift, InMe’s front man offered us a reprise of the famous nineties rap, “Boom shake the room”. Can I say that this last song was hysterical? It was a very special experience, very funny yet impressive that got the audience tangled and in need of more. Sadly, it had to end!

To be honest, I didn’t know much about Dave McPherson before getting the album and going to his concert. But he got me in!

Listening to the album is a totally different experience than seeing him live. The record makes it more personal and let you pay more attention to the beautiful lyrics and their meaning while the live performance carries you away with a more intense insight on the music itself. Dave McPherson is very laid-back and warm with his audience, talking about his life; giving away anecdotes and making the gig feel like an intimate reunion.

“Dreamoirs” is a very well dreamt and build album, giving food for thoughts, ballads for the heart, music to dance and many subjects to reflect on. Like a dream, this album will take you to unsuspected lands and to weird situations. You’ll wish you’d never wake up from “Dreamoirs”.

 Miss DiversiT

Do You Hear Miss DiversiT sing, singing a song of angry men

Hello lovelies,

Maybe you recognised the song and, therefore, know already what I'm going to sing about... Yes, you're right, my friend, I'll sing you a song about "Les Miserables"!

What you have to know, before paying £10 and buying your popcorn is that, they do sing. A lot. A hell of a lot! Every single sentence is sung. Every. Single. One!

Sorry about the emphasis. Understand me well: I LOVE musicals. I adore "Mamma Mia", "Hairspray", "Chicago" and even "High School Musical" (yes, all three of them)! But, this was too much!

A musical is a film when people talk and, then, suddenly, start singing about their feelings or their actions. Then, there's more talking and more singing. But there is some sort of balance between the blabla's and the lala's.

There is no such thing in "Les Mis". And, in all honesty, it gets quite boring after an hour. And the movie lasts 2 hours and a half...

When I got to the loo before hopping back on the tube to go home, I felt like singing: "Girls, I am peeing and the toilet paper is running looooow". I was mostly feeling a bit drunk from all the singing!

Anyways, when it comes to the cast, I have to say that Anne Hathaway blew my mind. She was amazing in the role of Fantine. Which I can quite relate to: she loses her job, has to send money to the people looking after her daughter so she sells everything she has (hair, teeth and, yes, her body). Ok, I'm not quite there yet. I don't even have a kid but still, times are hard, as hard as in "Les Mis"!

She goes to heaven quite fast; still, she delivered an amazing performance.

Hugh Jackman is great, playing Jean Val Jean. But, he's not the sexy, manly Wolverine. Which is not the point in this case. What I mean is that his physical transformation is overwhelming and a bit scary.

On the downside, I thought that Eddie Redmayne was a bit behind the others in terms of singing (remember that they sing all the time!): it felt like his voice was forced and that he was in pain whilst performing.

When it comes to songs, my mind caught two: the unforgetable - thanks to Susan Boyle - "I dreamed a dream" (song that I've promised myself to learn, just in case I have kids someday and they ask me why I look sad! Ha!) and "Do you hear the people sing?" because it's catchy and it makes me want to raise and rebel myself.

So, to conclude (and I would gladly sing it for you but I don't want you to go away forever, so I won't), it was a good film, with a great cast and a very effective scenery...but way too much singing; way too much! Now, you can't say you weren't warned ;-)

Miss DiversiT