Music Review: Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra

Image Source: Liverpool Philharmonic

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Format: Music Show
Genre: Music
Date: July 15 2017
Location: Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

Jools Holland has been a staple of music for many years, with his talents ranging from singing to piano-playing to song-writing. His New Year's Eve Hogmanay, in particular, stands out for its unique blend of music, entertainment and big-name performers covering a range of genres. Therefore, the prospect of seeing Jools and his crew performing live in person was a tantalising one, and so it proved, as the show was a superb platform to showcase the true art of music in its finest and purest forms.

Before the main show began, we were treated to Jack Lukeman. Jack, an Irish folk singer with previous experience of performing in Liverpool, delivered several stunning and unique vocal performances, with perhaps the best being his acapella version of Old Man River. This was an incredible rendition, and one of the true highlights of the evening with the greatest of respect to Jools and co.

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60th Anniversary Of The Cavern Club

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Format: Music Show
Genre: Music
Date: January 16 2017
Location: Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

On January 16 1957, the Cavern Club opened in Liverpool and, in the years that followed, it became the hottest place to be due to the increasingly-popular musical acts who would perform there, not least The Beatles who made it something of a spiritual home en route to becoming the most famous band of all-time. Although it was closed in 1973, it re-opened in 1984 and, since then, it has continued to act as a vital step along the way for inexperienced yet talented acts to make their names before becoming major stars in their own right.

To mark 60 years of the Cavern, a special show was held across two nights at the Philharmonic Hall. I was fortunate enough to attend the second evening, on the very date of the Cavern's Diamond Anniversary, which began specifically at 19:57 in line with the year of its foundation. Although I am too young to remember the Cavern at its 1960s peak, many of those in attendance were not, but regardless of age, this was a very enjoyable trip down memory lane.

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December date for Seven Giants Of Comedy

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Laughterhouse Live

No less than seven giants of comedy will come together in Liverpool to perform at Laughterhouse Live on Sunday December 13 2015. Presented by Laughterhouse Comedy at the wonderful setting of Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, the incredible line-up will be headlined by Irish comedy sensation Tommy Tiernan.

Known for his unique style of humour, comedy circuit favourite Tommy is known for his live performances including Live At The Apollo and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow. He burst onto the comedy scene in 1996 and has continued to make his mark. He is second only to U2 when it comes to live ticket sales in Ireland – his Loose tour sold a staggering 166 dates in Dublin’s 1,000-seater Vicar Street venue.

The show also stars Canadian comic Katherine Ryan, Paul Sinha, Gary Delaney, Jason Cook and Jarred Christmas. MC for the evening will be Laughterhouse favourite Neil Fitzmaurice (Peep Show, Mount Pleasant), who has recently been seen as DJ Ray Von in the live shows of Phoenix Nights.

Tickets go on sale on at 10.00 on Thursday May 14 2015.

Laughterhouse bring the very best stand up in the world to The Slaughter House every weekend and twice a year, the shows are transferred to the fantastic stage at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. The December show is the fifth in the Laughterhouse Live event.

Canadian comedian, actress and writer Katherine Ryan has become a firm favourite on both the live comedy circuit and on television panel shows, often seen appearing on Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week, 8 Out Of 10 Cats, Have I Got News For You, and The Apprentice: You’re Fired.  A fearsome front of general knowledge, Paul Sinha is a star of ITV1’s The Chase. Also a qualified GP, the comic has performed all over the world including Europe, China, Australia, the Far East, the Middle East and South Africa.

Gary Delaney is the razor sharp one-liner comedian, who is widely regarded as being the most quotable comic on the circuit. Gary is a regular guest on Mock The Week and Dave’s One Night Stand.  Geordie Jason Cook has gained a loyal following from appearances on BBC2’s Hebburn and Russell Howard’s Good News. Jarred Christmas has a unique style which mixes gags with storytelling, always a favourite with audiences. He is often seen on 8 Out Of 10 Cats and Dave’s One Night Stand.

Laughterhouse Founder and Managing Director Paula Harrington commented: “Hot on the heels of our hugely successful Laughterhouse Live show earlier this month, we are thrilled to announce the fantastic line-up for our December show. This is our fifth Laughterhouse Live event and these are growing from strength to strength. These events bring you the true comedy giants and have featured the likes of John Bishop, Jason Manford, Dave Spikey, Mark Watson, Mick Miller and Jason Byrne.

“It’s no mean feat bringing together seven big comedy names at any time of the year, never mind December, but we’ve managed it. Liverpool audiences are very loyal and they deserve the best – and that’s just what they’ve got with this line-up. Tommy Tiernan is a personal favourite of mine and I’m absolutely delighted we have secured him for the show.

“Tommy will be joined by some of the sharpest acts on the scene at the moment, including Katherine Ryan and Gary Delaney, so it is guaranteed to be a sell-out show in the lead up to Christmas. I’d urge fans to book early.”

For further information, visit www.laughterhousecomedy.com.

Laughterhouse Live Returns To Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

Mark Thomas

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Laughterhouse Comedy

Friday Night Lives’ Mark Thomas completes the line-up!

Laughterhouse Comedy gets set to present another incredible comedy line-up as Laughterhouse Live returns to the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on Saturday May 9.

The fourth show in the series, which have previously included comedy greats such as John Bishop, Jason Manford, Dave Spikey, Mark Watson and Jason Byrne, once again promises to deliver another unmissable night with some truly astounding comedy talent on the bill.

With the General Election looming, who better to headline the night than the political satirist, Mark Thomas - best known for his Channel 4 campaigning series The Mark Thomas Comedy Product in which he employed Michael Moore-style televisual political stunts, which ran for 7 years from 1996-2002. One of the few stand-ups still to carry the political standard of alternative comedy, Mark will bring audiences his two cents on the current issues in the hilariously hard-hitting manor that only he can do.

Next up is Geordie comedy giant Chris Ramsay who comes to Liverpool ahead of a new UK tour for his brand new show,  All Growed Up which starts this autumn.  Audiences may also recognise Chris from popular BBC3 show Hepburn and is also a regular face on ITV2’s Celebrity Juice, BBC2’s Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Channel 4’s 8 Out of10 Cats and BBC3’s Sweat the Small Stuff.

Also on the bill is Scouse comedy legend Mick Miller, a regular on 1970’s stand-up show The Comedians and more recently in BBC3’s Ideal. Mick has also performed for the Royal Family at The Royal Variety Performance.

Canadian comedy superstar Tom Stade will also have audiences in hysterics - bringing his sense of innocence lurking behind his devilish smirk that has made crowds love him. Tom has appeared on Channel 5's The Comedy Store, BBC’s The Live Floor Show as well as Mock the Week and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow.

The Boy with Tape on His Face completes the line-up. New Zealand native, Sam Wills began performing as this unique silent stand up in 2008, which became an instant runaway success winning multiple awards. Sam has since gone on to sell-out performances at Edinburgh Fringe Festival with his magical brand of physical comedy and unbelievable feats of the imagination, and now gets ready to entertain audiences of Liverpool.

The whole evening will be hosted by Laughterhouse favourite and Liverpool Comedian of the Year Chris Cairns. Chris has gained a reputation for being able to handle the toughest of rooms with his sharp put downs and a fine eye for a cutting remark, and is known all over the country as a friend to the audience but a deadly foe to the heckler.

Laughterhouse Founder and Managing Director Paula Harrington commented: “Our Best of Laughterhouse shows are continuing to go from strength to strength – I have the very rewarding job of bringing the finest comedy talent on the circuit to Liverpool, and we can promise an hilarious show this coming May. We are already working on another show for December so watch this space.”

For further information, visit www.laughterhousecomedy.com.