Me and Mrs Monkey are travelling down to London this weekend to see Kate Bush at the Appollo on Saturday- first time back in town since moving to Scotland 15 years ago (was hoping to fit in a trip to HQ but unfortunately we are away to Man Utd). Staying near Olympia, on Holland Road- anyone point out any good bars, restaurants or clubs local to go to (flying down Friday, home on Sunday) Thanks in advance
You can wander along to High Street Kensington, loads of restaurants and bars there, easy walking distance from Olympia. On Phillimore Gardens just off the High Street is Bill Wyman's Sticky Fingers burgers/ribs place. Haven't been there for years, but it's stuffed full of Stones memorabilia. At the top of Kensington Church Street (Notting Hill end) is the Churchill Arms, good pub with excellent Thai food. In the olden days you could have gone to Scribes, Terry Venables 'club' under Barkers department store at the other end of Church Street, but he sold that years ago.
Cheers sb, that should keep us going! Looking forward to being back after all this time away, imagine a lot has changed since I left?
Monkey you are only one stop from Westfield at the bush … everything in there and not to be missed by the mrs
One of my regulars has flown over for (I think) 3 of the shows! He said last nights was incredible - enjoy yourself mate!
Me and Mrs Rangercol are going to see Kate Bush on Saturday night too (she's a life-long fan!). Monkey - if you start a chorus of "Oh Bobby Zamora", I'll join in with you mate.
That would be great for a laugh, but don't know if I'd make it out alive! If sku's badges were ready we could have kept a secret eye out for each other! Have heard great reviews of the show so really looking forward to it - will write a wee review for you Wherever after the weekend. Cheers for the input guys
Col, I don't know you well, but from what I have gleaned on here and from our brief meetings, the idea of you sitting through Kate Bush's interpretation's of her musical opus through the media of dance and mime is totally hilarious. Apologies if I've got you wrong mate.
You're sort of on the money This concert has been the cause of many, many discussions believe me. I have been keen to sell my ticket (reportedly they're going for upwards of £500) but Mrs R wants me to "experience" the show with her!! As it happens, what you may not know is that I have (and still do occasionally) appeared on stage and so I may well find the lighting and sound interesting, but I can't say I've ever been a Kate Bush fan. I can admire the musical talent, but I'm not a fan of the end result. Still, we're having a nice day in London before hand, so all in all, it shouldn't be too shabby!
Same here Col, not really my bag, but strangely looking forward to the whole experience (plus a weekend in London thrown in, my first trip back for years!). Mrs Monkey is a huge fan and she is hyper about the whole trip!
It'll be fun mate, though I'm with you re Ms Bush. Kind of respect her for doing her own thing, and I'm sure the show will be spectacular, but perhaps not for me. Mind you, I'm taking the wife to the US (piggy backing on a work trip) to see the Rumours era Fleetwood Mac in October, which I fully expect to sleep through, if possible. Fortunately, the majority of the time we'll be wandering around Chicago with mates who are locals, but I'm not really in a position to sn****r....* * sometimes the swear filter on this site is truly bizarre.
The reports on the concert are very good, so I'm hoping to remain awake, although after a day of sightseeing and fine wine and dining, the temptation to close my eyes may prove to be too strong!
If you like great tasting, well cooked, fresh and flavoursome Chinese food, I can highly recommend Bugis Street Brasserie. I had a great meal there on Thursday evening last week. Never fails to impress. 4-18 Harrington Gardens, London SW7 4LH.
She was a cracking looking bird in her day. She looks shocking now though. Totally let herself go. She made some great songs and videos (eg Cloudbusting with Donald Sutherland) but plenty of sh*te too. Enjoy the show fellas. Heard its very good.
So......After a day of wandering london's fair streets me and Mrs rangercol arrived at Hammersmith with her totally excited. I was totally exhausted and fully expecting to sleep through the entire gig! However I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. The first half was spectacular although I found the second half a little slow. The musicians and some of the singers were superb and Kate Bush hasn't lost her voice. The band made the music sound incredibly atmospheric and the staging was clever and original. The best thing is though, I now have unlimited Brownie points with the missus after getting her to the gig she's always wanted to see. Thanks miss bush!