Cultural Geography Blog

"I'm just bull-jiving... It's what we do in Virginia..." There are several musicians who have been part of my life for decades. One of them is Bruce Hornsby. It was 1986 and I was training as a teacher when I bought the first album by Bruce and the Range from a music shop in Hull. The album included the song 'The Way It Is', which was heavily played on the new MTV, which was used to fill late night TV schedules for a while. I first saw him in the late 1980s in Manchester with 'The Range', and it was apparent that he played alternative arrangements of songs, and improvised, as well as being so familiar with the music that he would respond to requests in most shows. Over thirty years later, he still does the same in various formats, including solo and with the 'Noisemakers'. I've seen him as often as I can... his last UK show was at the London Palladium and I was there. A few weeks ago, I went to see him perform at the Royal Festival Hall as ...

My friend and colleague Claire had to wait two years to see this concert, but wow was it worth the wait... Goldfrapp's debut album came out 20 years ago, and this was a tour to celebrate that album, along with some other classics. The venue was the Royal Festival Hall, which has the most incredible sound, helped by the sound design and the Q Strings, who were awesome in a James Bond style way... the album is also a classic. Here are some favourites from the evening, captured by people who thankfully were not sat near me...