Former X Factor winner Matt Cardle is touring Kent this summer with his “Intimate & Live” tour. He will be at the Marlowe and Orchard Theatres in July.
His tour has been devised to show his versatility as aside from winning X Factor, his previous albums have all reached the top 10 and he is best known for “When We Collide” – one of the Top 40 best-selling singles of the last decade.
Alongside hits from his previous albums and some personally selected covers, Matt will also be previewing some of his new material from his forthcoming studio album, Higher Power for the first time.
Among his achievements is an award presented last year for “Best West End Debut”, following his role as Huey Calhoun alongside Beverly Knight in the acclaimed West End production Memphis.
He spoke to Jason McCrossan on 106.9 SFM.
He will be at the Marlowe Theatre on Tuesday, July 5. For tickets call 01227 768768 or you can visit marlowetheatre.com
He will also be at the Orchard Theatre on Tuesday, July 19. For tickets call 01322 220000 or you can visit orchardtheatre.co.uk
Before the event from L to R (PR Bollina, Krish Bollina, Jason McCrossan [me], Phil Swain, Sharon PattisonOn the 31st May 2015, the traffic along the A249 at Detling in Kent was unusually busy for a Sunday night. The warning signs had been out for weeks but still some motorists – who had no intention of standing in a field for 6 hours in the rain, cloud, sunshine and cold – decided to chance their luck and instead of using a different route – joined the long and winding queue with those who only aim was to get cold and and slightly wait – whilst watching Elton John.
The thing about Elton is it’s all about the music. Maybe the difference between a musician and someone who does a radio programme is that I wanted more from the bits in between the music. I wanted him to gossip, to charm and to smarm. But true to form – he performed. He was joined by his band whom he has been with for many many years. One got the impression that there wasn’t so much as a VIP area backstage but an OAP area. However, if ever there was an advert for old guys showing the youngsters that they’ve still got it and age is only a number – it was watching these honed musicians play, entertain and have fun.
Hello! Yellow Brick Road
Elton himself commented a few times about how cold he felt – and he had two heaters blowing hot air directly at him – a job, I assumed usually reserved for his PR team or keepers of the stool.
His set started off with a few songs from his best selling 1973 album Goodbye yellow brick road. It was 50/50 whether he would go in hard and fast or slow and build. He went slow and built. And actually – by the end of the performance it seemed to work as the security allowed revellers to dance in the bear pit (which had been shut off).
Elton himself rose between songs and did the occasional walkabout – although one got the impression he would suffer for it all the following morning. He belted out a number of classics including ‘Believe’ and ‘I’m Still Standing’ – but then there are just so many that he could do – I got the feeling that this particular set is more personal to him. On my radio show I sometimes do a tribute too – in which we play interviews and music from the lives of various musicians. I remember him and Bernie Taupin talking about how “Tiny Dancer” came about – and I wondered if he was recalling specific memories about the writing process when he was singing – but then, he was probably just thinking “it’s bloody cold here” and “how long until i jump into the helicopter and get myself home?”
It was a wee bit chilly
I’m glad I saw Elton. I see him as one of the last in a line of true great performers – the likes of whom we may struggle to replace (Madonna, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel – just to name a few). Who will replace them? Beyonce? Robbie Williams? Maybe – but I don’t think they will in my mind.
So, if you get the chance and you are an Elton John fan – I’d say – it really is worth a visit.
I recently stumbled across this video of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011. I’d never heard of them before and actually this turned out to be a nice video to have playing in the background whilst doing other things (well, this is written on a Sunday morning – so maybe this is fitting to my current mood.
101 musicians from over 30 countries who make up the YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011 playing a spectacular Grand Finale concert at Sydney Opera House.The musicians met for a weeklong celebration of music in Sydney culminating in the Grand Finale featuring animated visuals on the interior and exterior projections by Obscura Digital on the iconic sails, all synchronised to the music of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011’s performance and conducted by YouTube Symphony Orchestra Artistic Advisor Michael Tilson Thomas.
0:18:00 Percy Grainger – Arrival on a Platform Humlet from in a Nutshell – Suite
0:22:20 Johan Sebastian Bach – Toccata in F major for organ (featuring Cameron Carpenter)
0:30:00 Meet Paulo Calligopoulos – Electric Guitar and violin
0:32:55 Alberto Ginastera – Danza del trigo (Wheat Dance) and Danza final (Malambo) from the ballet Estancia (conducted by Ilyich Rivas)
0:42:22 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – ‘Caro’ bell’idol mio’ – Canon in three voices, K562 (featuring the Sydney Children’s Choir and soprano Renee Fleming via video)
1:46:22 Colin Jacobsen and Siamak Aghaei – Ascending Bird – Suite for string orchestra (featuring Colin Jacobsen, violin, and Richard Tognetti, violin, and Kseniya Simonova – sand artist)
![From L to R (PR Bollina, Krish Bollina, Jason McCrossan [me], Phil Swain, Sharon Pattison](https://radiochatter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/10487178_914958408562424_3009235030713271261_n.jpg)
Jason McCrossan 