Review – Page 2 – Middle Age Fanclub

Film Review: ‘Jules’

A bit of an understated gem this one. ‘Jules’ tells the tale of pensioner Milton Robinson (Ben Kingsley) whose life changes overnight when a UFO crashes in his back garden.

Milton is a widowed 79-year-old living rattling around alone in his great big home. His daughter, a local vet, is worried about his mental health, suspecting that her dad is showing signs of early onset dementia. Meanwhile, Milton busies himself by attending the same local council meeting week after week after week and having his requests for more pedestrian crossings turned down. Luckily for him, two other pensioners make the same weekly pilgrimage and both might just be fighting for his attention.

Only when the aforementioned space ship crash lands in his back garden do things start looking up for Milton. He finds the injured alien and after a day or two manages to get it strong enough to enter his house. From that point on the two busy themselves watching daytime TV while Milton tries to figure out what to do for the best. But he’s getting nowhere fast. The local police put him down as some sort of crackpot and his daughter takes his plea for help with the alien as a sign that her dementia diagnosis is correct. But at least he has a cure for his loneliness now.

Things begin to move at pace when his two female admirers get involved with one naming the alien ‘Jules’. But Jules’ fate is nowhere near safe.

While Jules clearly needs to return to his home planet, government forces are working tirelessly in the background to find the alien and his craft, which they know has crashed to earth somewhere in Pennsylvania. Together these pensioners and their adopted alien must find a way to keep Jules hidden while also outwitting the agents that are hunting him down.

‘Jules’ is a really heart warming tale. The bond between Milton and Jules is an unusual one to say the least, but it helps the film deal with issues like ageing, loneliness and mental health quite beautifully. There’s a really subtle undercurrent of dry humour too, which is brought out brilliantly by some excellent performances.

‘Jules’ features a quite wonderful cast. Kingsley is fantastic as the curmudgeonly Milton and is aided and abetted brilliantly by Harriet Sansom Harris as Sandy and Jane Curtin as the feisty Joyce. There’s plenty of life left in these three old timers, that’s for sure, especially when it comes to keeping a lost alien safe!

As with any alien film, you have to suspend your disbelief a bit here. I mean, the fact that no one notices the loud shuddering smash of an alien craft crash landing has to be ignored for starters. But that said, there’s never a great deal of point in picking holes in a plot, is there?

With crusading pensioners, bungling federal agents, a mute alien and a whole host of dead cats, ‘Jules’ is definitely one to watch and it might just turn out to be the favourite film you never knew you needed! A quirky, funny and warm film that is guaranteed to at the very least raise a smile!

I give ‘Jules’…

Book Review: Half a World Away by Mike Gayle

Imagine living with a past that you could never shake off, regardless of how content you might be with life. Imagine living with the kind of secret that you had no idea how to address.

Kerry Hales is a single mum who does everything she can to provide for her young son and make the most of life on a south London estate. Meanwhile, across London her brother Jason lives a successful life with a wife and daughter. Now a top barrister, he knows nothing of the sister that he was once so close to. He’s not Jason anymore either; now he’s Noah. But Kerry has never forgotten him, whatever his name might be these days.

Kerry and Jason were separated as children when their mother admitted defeat in her quest to bring them up and had them taken into care. Kerry was ten and Jason almost two and while Kerry would go on to live through the system with chidlren’s homes and foster care, Jason was quickly adopted by a well to do family who not only saved him from what could well have been a troubled childhood, but change his name to something that they thought more fitting.

‘Half A World Away’ is in part the happy tale of how sister and brother are finally reunited. Sadly though, nothing of this magnitude could ever be simple and so there’s sure to be trouble and sadness along the way. I mean, being contacted by anyone out of the blue after 32 years without a word would be at the very least a little strange. But a sibling that you never knew you had? As Noah himself says, ‘it’s impossible to describe the range of emotions I felt upon reading the letter’.

Despite the fact that at first Noah believes that Kerry’s letter might be a scam of some sort, the two are eventually reunited. But it was never going to be straightforward.

What we end up with though, is just a brilliant story. I’ve read a few Mike Gayle books before but oddly not picked one up for years without really ever knowing how or why that had happened. In fact, this one was found in a box of books that I’d mislaid in the loft. I’m so glad I found it though. Gayle is a brilliant writer when it comes to relatable characters and emotions. And although nothing like this has ever happened to me, I found that not only could I just not put the book down, but that I was quickly invested in the relationships and the characters, which of course is always a good sign.

Covering themes such as love, family, race and class, ‘Half A World Away’ is a real page turner. It’s beautifully written with characters that you’ll instantly care about and feel like you almost know. Equal parts funny and heart warming, this is a story that is also gut-wrenchingly sad, so you might need a pack of tissues. Ultimately though, ‘Half A World Away’ is just a fantastic story and I’d urge you to give it a go.

I give ‘Half A World Away’…

Review: ‘Through It All Together’ at the Leeds Playhouse.

You’d think a play that tackles the story of a couple dealing with dementia would represent a bit of a tough watch. And in one sense, it does. But Howard and Sue are so devoted to their football club, Leeds United, as well as each other that the story takes us on a rather different and quite joyous journey. You’ll laugh just as much as you might cry.

Starring Reece Dinsdale and Shobna Gulati, the play is equal parts hilarious, heart wrenching and inspiring. So on Saturday afternoon, while I laughed a lot, I found myself fighting back not only a few tears but also the urge to join in with the Leeds United songs. A tricky headspace for this Newcastle United supporter who simply gritted his teeth and hoped that no one would notice that he may well have been the only person in the theatre not singing the Leeds anthem, ‘Marching On Together’!

Written by Chris O’Connor, ‘Through It All Together’ follows Howard, Sue and daughter Hazel as they try to come to terms with Howard’s dementia diagnosis. Set to a backdrop of Marcelo Bielsa’s first two years as Leeds manager, it makes for a powerful, yet touching piece. As a football fan and Leeds resident for nearly thirty years, I understood the references having lived through the dramatic uplift in the whole city while Bielsa was at the helm. And the play captured that feeling brilliantly while also pulling at the heart strings as Howard and Sue struggle to come to terms with the realities of dementia.

There are subplots too. Obviously there’s the drama of Bielsa’s first couple of years but also some of the heartbreak and tension of Covid and lockdown as well as daughter Hazel’s sexuality. But it’s Howard and Sue’s story that takes centre stage. It’s heart breaking to watch Howard’s fear for his future as well as his decline. And he and Sue’s devotion to each other is just beautiful, with Dinsdale and Gulati perfect as the couple. I certainly seemed to manage to get quite a few things in my eye over the course of the play, that’s for sure. But just as a rainy face may not be too far away, there’s always a laugh around the corner too and if it’s not Howard or Sue that make you chuckle, there are always Dean Smith and Everal A Walsh as a couple of Leeds fans and podcasters to help you swallow back the tears.

Football on stage or screen can be notoriously difficult to get right, but O’Connor”s play captures the depth of the love affair that Leeds fans had with Bielsa and his team perfectly. And the cast here are wonderfully on point too, meaning that there is nothing to grumble about for even the most devoted fan. The love for the team is clear, but the subtleties that come with loving your club are there too, meaning that you might well watch laughing knowingly at yourself a bit, as well as the cast.

Both Dinsdale and Gulati are utterly brilliant in their portrayal of Howard and Sue. The couple’s devotion to each other is simply lovely and both actors are a pleasure to watch as they portray the fear and uncertainty that dementia brings. The couple are completely convincing in both their love for each other and their love for Leeds and I couldn’t take my eyes off them…even as they sang those bloody Leeds songs!

‘Through It All Together’ is a powerful, but also absolutely hilarious play. It’s a brilliantly written story that deals with the ups and downs of both areas of its subject matter brilliantly. Described as a love letter to Marcelo Bielsa and football, it’s also a testament to the power of family and our devotion to those that we choose to spend our lives with. A genuine thing of beauty.

I loved every last second of ‘Through It All Together’, even the bits where I was struggling not to blub like a baby!

I give ‘Through It All Together’…

Review: ‘Pride and Prejudice’* (*Sort of) at the Leeds Grand Theatre.

Funny isn’t it? You think you know someone and then all of a sudden they do something that leaves you just completely and utterly taken aback. No matter how many people you meet and how well you know them, every so often there’s one of them that will do or say something that you would never have expected.

Well, the very same thing happened to me on Saturday. Not with a person I knew as such, but with the characters in a much loved piece of literature. Having first read it nearly forty years ago and then every so often since then, I thought I knew as much as was needed about Pride and Prejudice. I’d even read an updated version with added zombies not long ago, so surely nothing was going to come as a shock. Then, along came Pride and Prejudice (Sort of).

I’d been given tickets as a birthday present a few months ago and although I knew that this was a different take on the classic, I hadn’t really looked at how different the take might be, which made it all the more of a treat when the play started.

Pride and Prejudice (Sort of) tells the traditional tale of the Bennet sisters and their somewhat complicated suitors. Just with added pop classics often provided by a karaoke machine. And some swearing. Actually loads of swearing. As well as a great big lump of anarchic humour and a noticeably feminist outlook on that whole looking for love thing. And the best thing is that it works perfectly!

As well as following the young Bennet sisters and their love lives you can look forward to singing along to the likes of Carly Simon’s ‘You’re so Vain’, Candi Staton’s ‘Young Hearts Run Free and even ‘Something Changed’ by Pulp near the end. You’ll no doubt end up laughing like a drain as well, especially at Rhianna McGreevy’s Mrs Bennet who at times felt like equal parts Peggy Mitchell and Catherine Tate’s Nan, delivering unexpected pearls of wisdom such as “Being a fucking smartarse is unladylike” to her daughters!

There are five actors in the all female cast and all are superb, taking on what must have been the exhausting task of playing every character. Every character including the Bennet’s domestic servants who are sometime narrators of this tale, but excluding Mr Bennet who is simply an armchair with a newspaper attached that’s wheeled on and off the stage and mocked mercilessly for its obvious silence on all things matrimonial. The cast are incredibly talented though with all of them taking on some kind of pop classic as well as turning their hand to the odd instrument along the way. They add brilliant comic timing to Isobel McArthur’s pin sharp, clever script and come up with a riot of a performance.

Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort of) is without doubt an absolute triumph and I’d go as far to say that if you don’t enjoy it then it might just be you that’s the problem. The show is just really clever and a shedload of fun. If you get the chance, I’d definitely recommend that you go and see it!

I give Pride and Prejudice (Sort of)…

Middle Age Gigging: The Bluetones at The Crescent in York.

Easter always confuses me. I mean, I get the eggs and the chocolate and stuff, don’t get me wrong. The bunny, I’m not entirely sure of, but it’s the whole Jesus bit that plays havoc with my brain. I’ll be honest, I’m never sure what happened and when. He died and then came back again and I’m imagining died again a bit later. Thankfully, my confusion is allayed this Easter Sunday as I’m off to York to watch The Bluetones and while my knees will probably die midway through the set, I’m sure they’ll be back again by Tuesday…ish.

Balter (thanks people of Bluetones Fans on FB!) are tonight’s support act. They remind me a bit of Vampire Weekend yet wear the jeans of a weekend spent at Spike Island, which it turns out is still a winning combination. The only snag is that they all look like they should be in Year 10 at high school, which instantly makes me feel even older than I am. And I’ll be honest at times that gets in the way for me. As the singer struggles with everything from his pick to his guitar strap I just want to put an arm around him and tell him it’s fine, but he clearly doesn’t need my ‘fatherly’ act and carries on manfully.

One of the last things I was expecting from them was a cover of Twist and Shout. Probably the actual last thing would have been that I enjoyed it…yet, here we are. As with everything they play tonight, it’s just superb. All in all Balter give us an energetic set tonight, full of lovely melodies, bits of Carlos Santana style guitar, sunglasses and engaging songs that are all well received by a room full of people who’ve probably never heard them before. If there’s any justice they’ll go very far indeed.

The Bluetones never fail to make me smile. They never have and tonight is no exception. From the moment they stroll on stage there’s no doubting that this will be yet another fantastic night.

With more new music to promote in the shape of the recently released ‘In the Cut’ EP, this turns out to be a bit of a different set. And it’s nice to greet certain songs like long lost friends, while struggling to remember the words to certain others. But this isn’t really in my skillset anyway and so I’m at times reduced to just dancing, slightly open mouthed and attempting to form the odd word or noise, all the while having a whale of a time regardless!

Beginning the night with ‘Are You Blue or Are You Blind’ followed by ‘Bluetonic’ is akin to having the winning lottery numbers though and so we’re off to a cracking start. ‘A New Athens’ is next and for me is one of the highlights of the set. Then it’s ‘You’re No Fun Anymore’ before Mark almost apologetically – and not without the trademark wit – introduces new track ‘Cheap Hotel’, which sounds great.

Chats with Mark Morris should be prescribed on the NHS, such is his effect on an audience. And he’s in great form tonight taking us on trips that touch on Bargain Hunt and daytime TV, the merits of York, 99p shops and his various experiences in ‘showbiz’, all with a heavy dose of sarcasm and self deprecation and all accompanied by an audience who are only too happy to play along. That said – and it’s a bit of a pet peeve for me – there are those tonight who seem to want to just chat loudly all the way through the set and are calling out stuff like ‘move on’ while the singer has a bit of a ramble. I’m no ‘serious muso’ type, but I’ve always loved music and it’s a genuine thrill for me to see my heroes any time I can, regardless of the fact that I’m far, far from the wide eyed teenager I was once. So, chatty people, f you could kindly fuck off when it comes to any future gigs, that’d be much appreciated, I’m sure by more than just me…

The hits, as they say, just keep on coming though and after a blistering ‘Fast Boy’ we’re treated to ‘Marblehead Johnson’, ‘Billy Balfour (which I swear gets better with every listen) and the wonderful ‘Carnt Be Trusted’ before the aforementioned ‘In The Cut’ makes an appearance and reminds York that these lads have still got the gift for writing fantastic indie pop.

Songs like ‘Cut Some Rug’ and ‘Keep The Home Fires Burning’ feel to me like getting a big cuddle, such is their familiarity, so when ‘The Fountainhead’ comes along it’s like the rare and only kind of group hug that I could tolerate, if that makes any sense.

By now, various joints are telling me that the set is nearing a close, but the sound of ‘Slight Return’ is a shot in the arm and stifles my yawns somewhat. In my defence, I’d taken part in a hotly competitive egg hunt just hours before and I’m no longer of an age when I can easily manage two big events in one day!

The set closes with ‘The Last Song But One’ which I don’t think I’ve ever heard live before followed by the brilliant ‘Putting Out Fires’ but of course we know that it’s not quite over yet.

There’s an encore of new song ‘London Weekend Television’, which feels quite punky and sounds pretty incredible, I must say. Then, given it’s Easter Sunday, we’re treated to a rendition of ‘I was a Teenage Jesus’ which is a real thrill, even if I fail to remember whole swathes of the song apart from the chorus and the line about the ‘coolest sandals’. As I say, I’ve never had much of a memory for lyrics, but it doesn’t spoil the treat!

We end tonight, as is the tradition, with the glorious ‘If’ and although it’s been stripped down and doesn’t include any snippets of The Eurythmics ‘Obsession’, ‘Jump’ by Van Halen or any of the other spontaneous silliness, it doesn’t matter. Tonight has been another triumph for The Bluetones and I’ll take that every day of the week…and even Easter Sunday.

Film Review: Sisu

They say that it’s always the quiet ones you’ve got to watch, don’t they? Well, there’s never been a truer word spoken when it comes to Finnish film Sisu. The film’s hero is indeed quiet and you can’t help but watch. It’s just a shame the bad guys didn’t seem to hear what ‘they’ said!

Directed by Jalmari Helander, Sisu is set in rural Finland at the back end of World War 2 where the Germans have adopted a somewhat scorched earth policy to their retreat. They’re defeated and almost broken, but not quite finished with all that Nazi stuff. Determined to leave their mark and inflict just a little bit more pain, they trundle along looking for trouble as they head towards their extraction point.

Meanwhile, not too far away an old miner has finally found gold in them there hills and bagging up the bounty from a rich seam, he’s setting off for town to presumably trade it all in for a big bag full of cash. It feels like it’s inevitable that he’s about to be the next victim of this rag tag band of super villains. But, when they meet things don’t quite go to plan for the bad guys and their tank. This is not just any old miner; this is the legendary Finnish commando, Aatami, nicknamed ‘Immortal’ by the last army to cross his path and who doesn’t take the attempts to steal his gold too lightly.

What follows is brutal, entertaining mayhem and at times is thoroughly hilarious. There’s violence aplenty, much of it unbelievable, some of it ridiculous, but all of it the kind that will keep your eyes firmly on screen. Think Tarantino, think Rambo, think John Wick and think Clint Eastwood’s man with no name from the spaghetti westerns and you’ve got a fair idea of what to expect from Sisu. A film not to be taken too seriously that will seriously entertain.

The film seems heavily influenced by Sergio Leone’s work and the spaghetti westerns like Django that followed. The location is bleak, the dialogue minimal and the violence ferocious and gory. And as far fetched as it gets – and it really stretches the imagination here – you’ll find yourself willing Aatami on. You may well be laughing uproariously at times, but he’s not. Nor is he saying much and yet such is Jorma Tommila’s portrayal of our good guy, especially when set against the almost cartoonish Nazis, that you find yourself desperate to see him killing them in evermore brutal and unbelievable ways!

If you don’t mind a bit of gore and your after a thoroughly entertaining film to watch then I’d totally recommend Sisu. A captivating watch that will make you wince as much as it’ll make you laugh and cheer. Suspend that sense of disbelief and I promise you won’t be disappointed!

I give Sisu…

Film Review: ‘Marcel The Shell with Shoes On’.

If someone was to recommend a film to you where the premise was that a man discovers a talking shell and makes a documentary about it, you would be forgiven for deciding that this wasn’t the film for you. Furthermore, no one would question you doubting that someone’s sanity. And yet, here we are…

The idea behind ‘Marcel the Shell with Shoes On’ is ludicrous to say the least. To be fair though, nobody’s telling us this is real life and there have always been ludicrous ideas in some of our most loved films. ET, Star Wars, The Hobbit…it’s a list that could go on and on. And it gets even sillier though when you realise that Marcel the shell lives in an Airbnb with his grandma…also a shell. That said, I can only write about the film in glowing terms and say that you have to see ‘Marcel…’!

Having moved into an Airbnb, documentary maker Dean stumbles across Marcel the shell, who of course already lives there. Being only an inch tall, however, he’s thus far survived without being discovered. Somehow, a friendship of sorts is formed and Marcel is quick to introduce the aforementioned grandma as well as Alan, his pet ball of lint.

The film documents Marcel’s life and the friendship between him and Dean. We learn that Marcel used to have a whole family living here, but following a break up of the people who were renting the house, the family had disappeared. Marcel’s only clue as to their whereabouts is a picture of the man’s car and suitcase. Marcel is sure that his family were bundled up into the suitcase.

It’s a ludicrous idea at first, but you can’t help but warm to Marcel, almost immediately. He looks cute, he sounds cute and as the film goes on we find out that he’s both funny and caring as well as being vulnerable, which I guess you might expect of a shell.

When Dean then uploads a video of Marcel to the internet in order to help him find his family, the results are exactly what you’d expect. Marcel goes viral and the world becomes obsessed with finding this talking shell…and his grandma. Luckily, Dean is very protective and careful about who he lets into this world and soon the hunt for Marcel’s family is quietly on.

‘Marcel the shell…’ is just a lovely film. The relationship between Marcel and Dean is a real feelgood thing and the film is done in such a way that it all seems perfectly natural and dare I say it, believable. At first, I found myself kind of scoffing at the whole thing, but before too long I was completely under its spell. I won’t spoil things with any more detail, but suffice to say there’s a lot to take in.

Laughs, sadness, happiness, internet fame; what more could you want from a film about a shell who lost his family? If you’re after a film that will invariably make you smile and take you away from the troubles and seriousness of modern life, then ‘Marcel the shell with shoes on’ could well be for you.

I give ‘Marcel the shell with shoes on’…

Middle Aged Gigging: Ellur at The Square Chapel, Halifax.

It’s not often I get out to see a new artists anymore. I’ll sometimes watch someone new supporting one of my favourites, but the days of getting out and watching new bands and unproven talent have long gone, I’m afraid. Tonight is slightly different though. This is actually my third time of seeing Ellur live, but while on the other two occasions she’s performed with a band, tonight it’s just Ellur, a guitar, a couple of plants and around 150 people in the audience. So, no pressure then!

Pressure or not though, when you’re being compared to Joni Mitchell and Sam Fender in the same night, you really must be doing something right. And believe me, Ellur is definitely doing a lot of things right. I hear both of these comparisons from people around the place tonight though and in truth I can’t help but agree. Ellur really is one to watch.

Tonight, as stripped back as this gig is, Ellur truly thrives. Right from the off, she’s got the audience eating out of the palm of her hand, asking us if anyone here is actually from Halifax and then, when she finds out that no one is, she tells us it’s ok, as ‘it would be a bit shit without you’! There’s a presence and charisma that belies her years but then of course, the key ingredient is that she also has the songs to back it all up.

Tonight is just a short set, but it’s still superb and while the comparisons I mentioned are completely valid, for me there’s also something a bit reminiscent of Suzanne Vega about Ellur in this performance. She’s got a fantastic voice and songs like ‘Yellow Light’ and ‘Your Dog’ absolutely soar with the latter being introduced as ‘a song about this guy I was dating who was an arsehole’. I mean, it’s fair to say there’s a few of them about! A bit later, there’s also a brilliant sing along during ‘Thank God You Tried’ where we all get to feel like part of the act!

However, tonight it’s powerful closer ‘God Help Me Now’ that really showcases Ellur’s talent. There’s a wonderful subtlety that’s coupled with moments of sheer power in her voice here that you can’t help but be hooked by and the song itself is just superb. And then, having enthralled us all for far too short a time, she gives a couple of curtseys and is off.

As small as this gig has been, it feels like we’ve all been in on a bit of a moment. Apart from anything else, to put yourself out there with no one else and just a guitar for support is perhaps as brave as it gets for a performer. And yet tonight, Ellur absolutely smashes it.

With an E.P. out soon and then a debut album next year, Ellur could and should really take off and if there’s even a small shred of justice in the world Ellur’s star will be allowed to shine brightly in the coming year. What a privilege to see such a genuine talent up close! If you get a chance in the new year or indeed any time in the future, get out and see her perform, with or without the band. You can thank me later.

Middle Aged Gigging – Embrace at the Victoria Theatre, Halifax.

First there was a blanket of snow. Then there was torrential rain, followed by strong winds and in short, Yorkshire got battered by the weather. But it was Embrace that nearly took the roof off the theatre tonight.

As part of their tour for the 20th anniversary of the album ‘Out of Nothing’, tonight the band play the Victoria Theatre in Halifax. As local lads, it’s a bit of a homecoming kind of gig and as such, it was always going to be special and judging by the amount of smiling faces around me, the boys did the trick.

First up tonight are Fever, an indie rock band from Hull. The first thing that strikes me about Fever is that they are yet another in a now long line of support bands who make me feel very, very old! At least two of them look like they might need to spend tomorrow finishing off some GCSE coursework, but if that were true I’d say to sack the exams off, because Fever are excellent. There’s a hint of the Arctic Monkeys about Fever’s sound and while that may sound lazy, it’s certainly not an insult. Singer James has a real presence and a great voice and at times he reminds me ever so slightly of a young Ian Brown. But what makes Fever such a good watch tonight is most definitely the songs with tunes like ‘Why Can’t You hear Me?’ and ‘Gold Intentions’ making them a band that you should definitely seek out.

What we’ve all braved the rain and the snow for though, is Embrace and so as ‘What A Wonderful World’ is brought to an abrupt end and the lights are dimmed, there’s a tangible excitement in the room, which is quite the effort at our age!

We’re thrown straight in at the deep end with the classic ‘All You Good Good People’ and the whole room are on side and singing along. The band sound incredible and when they follow it with ‘Come Back to What You Know’ the atmosphere ramps up another notch.

‘Out of Nothing’ is the record being celebrated tonight though and so we’re given a run of songs from the album with ‘Looking As You Are’ being dedicated to Danny’s 5-year-old daughter Kate. ‘Keeping’ is the stand out track in this section for me though and as we break the run for a brilliant rendition of ‘Nature’s Law’ it feels like everyone is having an amazing night.

A special mention has to go to ‘A Glorious Day’ here though. I never thought I’d be the kind of bloke to turn on his camera light and sway at a gig, yet Danny McNamara asks and here we are! It looks and sounds amazing!

Half way through the set and it’s difficult to see how things could get better, but we’re then treated to and incredible ‘Out of Nothing’ which feels more and more like some kind of religious experience every time I hear it live. Rick – and his broken nail – takes the mic for a blistering ‘Refugees’ before the band are joined by Nicole from Eevah for ‘Never’. What a song and what a voice she has, by the way!

‘Gravity’ then does its usual job on me! As the first song at our wedding – and I’m guessing it’s the same for a few others in the room – it’s special anyway, but as someone who’s had heart trouble these past few years, ‘Can you hear my heart beating?’ is a gut punch like no other, albeit it a kind of friendly one. I cling to Mrs C and sing along, all the while trying not to cry in front of Danny…again!

Over the years, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve began to dread Danny McNamara announcing ‘Ashes’ by asking us if we’ll be jumping up and down. I’m 52 and had a pacemaker fitted two years ago, Danny. My knees are shot and my back aches on a near permanent basis these days. Jumping up and down gives me the fear! However, as the song kicks in and he follows it with the familiar refrain of ‘Up, up, up up!’ I’ve got an arm in the air and I appear to be doing exactly as he says and in turn facing that fear! What a song! It’s an incredible few minutes, albeit something that I’ll no doubt regret as I attempt to roll out of bed in the morning. I check my heart rate as the song ends – a familiar action these days! It’s 98 and not too bad, but still, I’m chuffed to bits when the security bloke offers me some water!

Thankfully, I get a break as Embrace leave the stage to rapturous cheers. And that’s what this feeling is when we see them; rapture. We smile, we forget everything else, we dance, we just about jump up and down and we’re able to lose ourselves for a couple of wonderful hours.

But obviously, it’s not over yet!

After a brilliant ‘Protection’ Danny gets us dancing for ‘We Are It’ and I wonder if me or Mrs C will ever be the ones who get pointed to. If you know, you know, as they say! Having been treated to ‘No Use Crying’ in Manchester last week, it still feels kind of exciting to hear it again live in the encore.

A powerful ‘Near Life’ allows us time to breathe a little before everyone in the place adds their ‘la, la, las’ to an incredible version of ‘The Good Will Out’ and I swear there’s enough power in those smiles to light up the room.

I’ve been watching Embrace play live for almost 30 years now and it’s always a beautiful feeling. I never want that to end. Tonight was another gig to file under ‘incredible’. Thanks lads; let’s do it all again soon!

Review: Rhod Gilbert at the Grand Theatre in Leeds.

Rhod Gilbert is a notoriously dour comedian. A bit miserable and matter of fact. Funny though, but cynical and blunt. And tonight we’re promised that things will get beyond blunt.

Rhod’s latest tour – Rhod Gilbert and the Giant Grapefruit – is all about his battle with cancer over the last 3 years. Well, they do say that we can find humour in anything.

As he takes the stage he’s quick to warn us that things are going to get dark. But we know why we’re here and exactly what the circumstances of the show are. Gilbert has fought and beaten head and neck cancer, after the discovery of a growth – that’ll be the grapefruit – on his neck. Ironically, this was found during a trek in South America to raise funds for his local cancer hospital. And as the man himself says, when life throws you lemons, you make lemonade. But when life throws you grapefruits, you’re never going to be sure quite what to do. But, like comedians are inclined to do, he made a joke out of it and took it on tour.

It’s a very different night of comedy that begins with the comic asking if there are any people in the audience who’ve also had cancer. But it works. There are, I suppose as you’d statistically expect, a fair few audience members who have gone through and recovered from cancer. A couple of people have even had the same cancer as Gilbert and so some of tonight is spent discussing what they’ve been through. It’s never indulgent and always funny (which feels like a weird thing to write even now).

It’s a brilliant show. Gilbert is, as ever, engaging and forthright. Nothing is held back, meaning that a few thousand of us are treated to tales of cancer based constipation that we probably could have done without! But, even when we’re cringeing about it, we’re laughing. Along the way, we’re treated to tales of John, Rhod’s driver while he was unable to drive himself, who is ridiculed mercilessly.

As promised, there are lots of darker moments tonight. It’d be impossible to avoid after a 3 year cancer journey. But it’s actually uplifting. Brutally honest and all the while searching for a bright spot, but it’s dark. I find myself wondering whether or not it’s ok to laugh at times, but realise that the whole room is laughing so it’s probably the whole point. Sometimes, when the chips are down, if you don’t laugh, well you’ll probably cry and I know which I prefer.

There’s a brilliant section near the end of the set where Rhod gives out awards for those who’ve featured in his battle against cancer. I won’t give the game away as some of you might go to see the show in the coming months, but there’s a brilliant tale involving a trip to get treatment that almost ended up in Aberdeen of all places. And remember, Gilbert lives in Wales! There are also awards for those who reached out to Rhod during his last 3 years, some with wise and beautifully written, sage pieces of advice…and others where it’s just plain weird.

The show ends with Rhod now offstage and a video that was made during his treatment. Keeping with the themes of the night, it’s funny while also being really sad at times and we’re given just that extra little bit of insight into Gilbert’s character. Thankfully, it’s been a happy ending and I dare say that there was more than just me in the room who was choking back a few tears as Rhod rang the bell to signal that he’d beaten cancer.

Welcome back, Rhod!