Hit Factory: Live (cancelled)...

The Hit Factory: Live event celebrating 25 years of PWL and the Stock, Aitken and Waterman sound due tonight is now not going ahead.

Hyde Park took a battering over the weekend after torrential rain fell during Wireless Festival transforming the site into a mudbath.

Safety inspectors declared the turf in front of the main stage unfit this morning meaning the 1980s extravaganza had to be cancelled.

Organisers Live Nation and the Royal Parks decided the site was unsafe for fans and production crew.

Kylie Minogue, Steps, Jason Donovan, Bananarama, Rick Astley, Dead or Alive, Ray and Anita from 2-Unlimited, Lonnie Gordon, Princess, Sybil, Hazel Dean, Sinitta, Sonia, Pepsi & Shirley and Brother Beyond.

So looks like it's not going to be happenin' all over again. We've been so very unlucky, unlucky, unlucky, unlucky.

Hit Factory: Live Rehearsals

Kylie Anti-Tour...

I went to see Kylie Minogue perform her Anti Tour last night at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo and it was brilliant. A brilliant show.

Billed as a gig for the uber-fans it was anything but. I knew half the songs really well, recognised another quarter more of them and the rest were a revelation. Surrounded by epic fans, sexy men and good chums (some being all of the above) we sang, danced and sang some more.

I'm guessing the song choices suited her voice better too as there was no squeaking like you ocassionally get in the stadium gigs. And without all that dancing she wasn't out of breath either. She was obviously having a fab time and that was infectious I think. Normally at a gig people are thinking, "Oh hurry up and play your hits". But not last night. Knowing that it was an eclectic choice sort of took the pressue off and everyone enjoyed it more.

A gal at the top of her game she wowed the crowd and had us whipped into a frenzy in a her laid back ripped denim, vintage T-shirt and pearly cap. We counted ourselves very lucky, lucky, lucky to be there.

Big hello and thanks to Stephen, Brendan, Stuart, Marcus, Ben, Nau, Terry et al

Set List

Magnetic Electric
Made in Heaven
Cherry Bomb
BPM
Mighty Rivers
I'm Over Dreaming (Over You)
Always Find the Time
You're the One
Tightrope
Paper Dolls
Stars
Drunk
Say Hey
Too Much
Bittersweet Goodbye
Disco Down
I Don't Need Anyone
Give Me Just a Little More Time
It's No Secret
Got to Be Certain
Things Can Only Get Better

Encore:
Do It Again
Tears on My Pillow
(Little Anthony & The Imperials cover)
One Boy Girl
Enjoy Yourself

Kylie - All The Lovers...

Kylie - All The Lovers - O2 Arena - Apr 2011

Kylie - There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart)...

Kylie - There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart) - O2 Arena - Apr 2011

Kylie at O2...

Last Friday Darren and I went to see Kylie Minogue's Aphrodite – Les Folies tour at the O2 Arena. It was promoting her recent Aphrodite album. We had standing tickets but had arrived fairly early (and did a bit of queue jumping - thanks Shaun) so got a got position for our £65. We were about two or three people away from the thrusting walkway. The people on the other side of the walkway in the middle section had paid £250. This area was called the splash zone. With good reason it turned out.

Kylie performed most of the Aphrodite album along with much of her back catalogue. OK, she's not the best singer in the world and, yes, she's no the best dancer but boy does she put on a great show. We loved it. Greek and Roman themes were everywhere - big production numbers with heavy nods to Busby Berkeley and, inevitably, Madonna. There were athletic dancers, fabulous costumes, feathers, smoke, state of the art back projection - all turned up to eleven. She even had a flying angel that carried her into the audience.

Of especial note were the many water fountains that played for the encore - All The Lovers. They wowed us and  drenched the splash zone people in equal measure.