Band of Skulls @ The Brudenell Social Club 27/11/19

Toni Stephenson on 1 December 2019

This year marked indie rock group Band of Skulls reaching their 15th year and tonight at the Brudenell they celebrate the tenth anniversary since the release of their debut album Baby Darling Doll Face Honey. Featuring some of their most iconic songs including ‘I know what I am’ and ‘Cold Fame’, the album’s success saw tracks selected to feature in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock and the soundtracks of Friday Night Lights and the Twilight Saga (unashamedly the latter is how I discovered them).

Supporting them throughout the anniversary tour are Higher Peaks, a band who just last week released their song ‘Sick’n’Tired’ featuring Band of Skulls. Though the differing styles of each song make their genre difficult to pin point, the atmosphere created through their use of synthesised piano organs and harmonising vocals mixed with their occasional heavy riffs feels new and fresh.https://www.youtube.com/embed/w-luMmez2UI?feature=oembed

As the room fills up for the sold out night, the lights dim. Shirley Bassey’s ‘Diamonds are Forever’ exudes and the room begins to sparkle as light refracts from the disco ball above the stage. Russell Marsden (vocals and guitar), Emma Richardson (bass and guitar) and Julian Dorio (drums) enter the stage as crowd anticipation peaks. The band open with the heavy riffs of ‘Love is all you Love’, the titular track from their latest album released earlier this year and after two songs Marsden declares, “Happy birthday!” to Baby Darling Doll Face Honey, kick starting the anniversary celebrations before playing the album start to finish.

Hyde Park’s gem, the Brudenell, has been home to some of Leeds’ most iconic gigs. It’s the ideal venue for both immensity and intimacy and nowhere does this show more than when Marsden and Richardson ditch their electrics for acoustics and share a microphone. The crowd, full of fans, simmers down from their excitable sing-along state to listen to the delicate melodies and harmonies of ‘Hometowns’ and ‘Honest’ before the room roars back into movement.https://www.youtube.com/embed/5te1t-3DiVI?feature=oembed

This tour is homage to the fans, a thank you for supporting them over the last decade and the crowd certainly revel in it; as do the band. The night ends with an encore that sees Marsden and Richardson engulfed into a circle of jumping fans, all singing into the microphones; band and fans as one.

Theatre Review: Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto by Opera North.

Emma Rivers on 26 October 2019

Emma Rivers reviews the dazzling Giulio Cesare in Egitto by Opera North at the Leeds Grand Theatre.

George Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto (Julius Caesar in Egypt), is an Italian opera first performed in 1724 in London. This opera intertwines themes of political ambition, dangerous love, and survival, all set to an innovative baroque orchestral score. Set in Egypt after the Roman Civil War, the production opens with Tolomeo, the dangerously sadistic ruler of Egypt, murdering Caesar’s rival Pompeo. When Caesar arrives in Egypt to confront Tolomeo, Cleopatra senses an opportunity to overthrow her brother and take the throne for herself by seducing the Roman Emperor. 

Director Tim Albery’s revival of Giulio Cesare, first performed by Opera North in 2012, presents us with a stunning combination of set design, costume and lighting. These aspects work together to blend the traditional and modern, sweeping the audience along with the timeless, character-driven story. 

The set design is striking in its simplicity. When the curtain first lifts the audience is presented with an overbearing edifice of stark grey concrete. The blasted, bullet-pocked structure conjures up thoughts of a war-torn bunker and serves as a perfect introduction for the militaristic Caesar. However, as the story progresses the two-piece set unfolds like a jewellery box, revealing a stunning golden interior that serves as the setting for the intimate Egyptian scenes. Likewise, the lighting created by Thomas Hase is cleverly used to contrast the two opposing cultures of the Romans and Egyptians. Caesar’s scenes feature a harsh white light shining from above severely on to the concrete set. In contrast, the Egyptian scenes have warm low-level candlelight glowing upon the characters, creating an intimate and rich scene against the gold backdrop of the pyramid set. Both lighting and set work to further emphasise the cultural and political divide between the two societies, creating a tangible tension across the stage.

Albery’s influence is further demonstrated through the choice to cast the roles of Caesar and Sesto to women. While these roles could have been cast as countertenors (high male voice), Albery chose to maintain the spirit of the original production’s use of Castrati (yes, that means what you think) while updating it to the modern era by casting contralto Maria Sanner (Caesar), and mezzo-soprano Heather Lowe (Sesto) in traditionally male roles. Both Sanner and Lowe give exceptional performances, Sanner has a commanding and strong presence on stage, and Lowe powerfully portrays the pain and emotion of Sesto throughout the opera.  

The only criticism to put forward of this brilliant production is that, despite the story featuring Egyptian and Roman characters, there are no people of colour in the cast. This inclusion of diversity would have added depth and realism to an otherwise flawless production.

Whether you’re an opera newbie or seasoned veteran, there’s something for everyone in this production. If you’re tempted to explore the world of Caesar and Cleopatra for yourself, Opera North runs an Under 30s Scheme where you can gain access to great tickets for only ten pounds.

Image Credit: Opera North