Aftershow News: May 05, 2013

04 May 2013...10.15pm to 11.45pm.
Michael Ball live at Hammersmith Apollo,London.
Around 100 people including Sir Tim Rice in the circle bar.For nine out of ten bands that play here the aftershow event is a pay bar but tonight it is a full free bar so respect to Michael Ball for doing that.
Michael Ball was chatty and friendly to all.
We had canapes here too.I bailed out at 11.45pm but it was due to finish at 1am.
A good one.



06 March 2013.Give It Up For Comic Relief live at Wembley Arena,London.
11.15pm to 12.30am.Around 150 here in the backstage bar area,A full free bar along with canapes and cupcakes.Oddly we had half a dozen music acts play tonight but none are here.
We do have some of the comedians from tonight's show.Russell Brand is Hollywood A list these days so he knows a lot of people here.His personal security guy keeping one eye on him.
Noel Fielding uses the same guy sometimes.
Also here was Noel Fielding,John Bishop,Jason Manford,Jack Whitehall and a comedian i like who was not on tonight's bill Lee Mack.
A good one.


20 Feb 2013.BRIT Awards official afterparty
within The 02 Arena complex 10.30pm to 1.15am.
This is always a massive party as at least 1000 here.It is more for the hospitalilty folks rather than any artists who head for their respective record company parties back in Central London.
Always a fun vibe here as again it is a funfair theme so we have dodgem cars,skittles,tarot reader,oxygen bar,a sweet factory for treats,
a covers band, a dj,some circus type acts including two bendy females that got totally naked at the end of the night.
Lots of free booze of unopened bottles of wine and beers left on the tables from the dinner guests earlier which was handy as a pay bar here.An enjoyable party.



04 Jan 2013."Fuerzabruta" live at The Roundhouse,London.
Tonight was the second of two press nights here for this Argentine based theatre company.
This was the aftershow party for the 7pm show.
From 8.30pm to 10pm around 75 people here in the upstairs bar for freebie wines,beers and canapes.
A couple of faces here including ex Pussycat Doll
Kimberly Wyatt who is a judge on the new series of
"Got To Dance" which returns on Sunday 06 Jan on Sky1.
Also Terry Gilliam film director, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe.
The director of the Roundhouse introduced all the cast to big cheers and kindly invited anyone that wanted to stay on to watch the 10pm show as our wristbands would be valid so we stayed on and it was good to see the show again from a different angle.



21 Dec 2012.The Hit Factory Live at The 02 Arena,London.
11pm to 1am.This was held in a newly built function room at this venue so that means they now have a choice of half a dozen areas to host an aftershow.
Over a dozen acts on the bill so a good chance some will turn up here so we get Pete Waterman,Steps,Dead Or Alive,Sonia,Princess and some other lesser known acts.Over 200 people but it is a pay bar.
Dj playing some decent tunes.
Some of the bigger names like Kylie Minogue,Jason Donovan,Rick Astley and Bananarama did not attend.
A lively atmosphere as lots of the shows dancers were messing about.



25 Nov 2012.11pm to 1am.The Rolling Stones live at The 02 Arena,London.
For massive shows like this there is always three or four different aftershow parties.
The one i was at was for hospitality events company Mark Butler.Rolling Stones band members or other celebs would NOT show their faces here.
Around 500 folks here within the 02 complex who have paid around £1000 each for the day.They had a three course dinner and drinks before The Stones.
After the show we have a full free bar including Perrier Jouet champers and lots of bowl food and a dj and dancefloor with Rolling Stones classics being played non-stop and folks having a boogie.
A good lively party but sadly no band members.




18 Nov 2012.Rufus Wainwright live at Hammersmith Apollo,London.Aftershow in the circle bar.
No freebie booze here....Jonathan Ross was at the gig but not at the aftershow.
Folks here include actress Helena Bonham Carter,
Mark Ronson,songwriter Guy Chambers,the singer with The Feeling and support act Adam Cohen.
Rufus was friendly and chatty to all.
His well respected pr woman Barbara Charone was also here.
I had a nice chat with Adam Cohens manager who told me a couple of good stories when Adam Cohen supported Bob Dylan recently.




12 Oct 2012.10pm to 1am.The UK premiere of Led Zeppelin DVD "Celebration Day" at Hammersmith Apollo,London.
This was a proper party for sure as Led Zep have invited a huge crowd of 300 or 400 folks to the circle bar at this venue.A full free bar except champers and they have brought in two cocktail bars with their own staff from outside caterers.
I got stuck in to the cocktails and JD n cokes.
Huge Led Zeppelin logos behind the bars.
Some snacks too.A dj playing a perfect mix of 1960s and 1970s gems to get some folks dancing.
Most of the guests from the show turn up except Paul McCartney.So we get Julian Lennon,Serge from Kasabian,Bobby Gillespie and other Primal Scream members,John Squire from The Stone Roses,djs Bob Harris and Mark Ellen,photographer Ross Halfin,Nick Mason and Paulo Nutini.
All three members of Led Zep turn up.Robert and Jimmy have their personal security guys so John Paul Jones is a bit more friendly so i got a photo with him(thanks to Iggy for taking it).
Robert and Jimmy very wary of signing stuff these days as they think it will all end up on ebay.
They all stayed for at least an hour.
It really was a great night.




19 July 2012.The European Premiere of Ice-Ts documentary film "Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap" (15) at Hammersmith Apollo,London.
Aftershow was in the venues circle bar.A big crowd of over 200 here.A dj playing sounds.
Three of four different wristbands valid to get in here but only gold gets free drinks so i was sorted for free drinks and nibbles.I was here an hour from 10.45pm to 11.45pm and it was still lively when i left although none of the acts had turned up yet.There were a few faces here including Pixie Lott,Wretch 32,Simon Webbe and RJ Gibb(Robin Gibbs son).
A good party.



15 July 2012.Hard Rock Calling afterparty to celebrate the end of the three shows.
First it was like the night before as i had an hour in the Hard Rock Cafe marquee hospitality right of the main stage.Free drinks and desserts still going.
Last night they gave out HRC pin badges but tonight they give out some nice t-shirts of the event with all the acts on the back so got some of them ...then...
11.30pm to 2am was a few minutes walk up the road to The Hard Rock Cafe itself for the main afterparty for staff and other workers from the event.Legendary booking agent John Giddings(Sex Pistols,Iggy Pop and many big names)is here and James Walsh from Starsailor is here as he played in the afternoon at the gig.
Loads of free booze inc champers and full range of their yummy cocktails and HRC food.
A rock dj in the basement and a band on ground level who were Fun Lovin' Criminals who played a really good 65 mins set.Singer Huey is in full party mode.
Highlights were "King Of New York","Love Unlimited","The Fun Lovin' Criminal" and a mega version of "Scooby Snacks" that got the boozed up crowd jumping.
The Hard Rock Cafe always put on a great event and their staff really are the best.


11 July 2012.Queen with Adam Lambert live at Hammersmith Apollo,London.
I was here in the circle bar from 10.45pm for 90 mins.
Around 150 folks here but as usual it is a pay bar.
There are a few faces here.Nice to see Black Sabbath guitar legend Tony Iommi,also Bob Geldof and Matt Lucas.They only stay for a few mins as Brian May's personal security guy takes them backstage.After some 30 mins Brian May,Roger Taylor and band members like Spike Edney all turn up.Also here is Brian's other half Anita Dobson and Freddie Mercury's sister.I have a few words with Brian May who really is a diamond geezer.
He is always so friendly when you talk to him.
Roger Taylor also has a personal security guy with him.
Oddly no sign of Adam Lambert here.
I must mention a nice chat i had with a Queen fan from Argentina who has come over to London just to see these three shows.He also had a ticket for the Poland show a few days ago but his train was delayed in Prague so missed the gig.
Respect to the hardcore gig goers.
A nice party.


04 July 2012.KISS live at The Forum,Kentish Town,London.
The afterparty was held back in Central London at The Playboy Club.I was there from midnight to 2.30am.
At last a band makes a bit of effort with their aftershow.Around 200 folks here.Mainly from the UK rock press and a few KISS fans.
Some of the gang from promoters Live Nation are here.
From previous history i know Paul and Gene never attend aftershow events as they stick to meet and greet pre show stuff but we can only hope i suppose.
Freebie wines and beers for all and the best dj and sound system i have heard for ages as its non stop classic rock and hair metal anthems that gets many on the floor.
Actress Gail Porter is here then members of KISS and their inner sanctum start turning up.
They all stay for around 30 mins to say hellos.
We have guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer,
KISS manger Doc McGhee,their UK security guy from Muswell Hill who said tonight is his last night with the band as he has had a film script been picked up and a couple of other road crew members.
The venue was decked out with KISS posters and actual covers of the KISS "Monster" book but not the insides.
I get a couple of nice pictures with me and Tommy Thayer and get a couple of good ones of Tommy with the Playboy Bunnies who are handing out the drinks and being very friendly with the crowd posing for photos and dancing on the floor with them.
Gene and Paul did not turn up and also not here was their UK booking agent Rod MacSween.
It was a great party.



30 June 2012.Ronnie Wood And Friends live at Hammersmith Apollo,London.
The afterparty was held in The VIP bar here and not in the balcony bar.Maybe 50 people in each of the two rooms.When i first go in it looks a bit tame.The folks with the £150 premium tickets at the gig are here as are some other guests but not much is going on.Then all in one go pretty much everyone on stage at the gig turns up so we have Ronnie Wood with minder,Bill Wyman,
Mick Taylor,Sharleen Spiteri and James McCartney.
All are signing stuff and posing for photos.Ronnie only stays for 15 mins as there is not much free space.
It was a pay bar.I stay for an hour to midnight and Bill Wyman and James McCartney were still there.
I got a couple of photos of Ronnie Wood and had a nice chat with James McCartney about his future gigs.He said this year he is doing a few more festivals.
A decent afterparty.



01 June 2012.Guns And Roses live at The 02 Arena,London.
Aftershow party for Axl Rose at Scotch Of St James,Masons Yard,London SW1.
This was a bit of a crazy event for sure.
We are told Axl will be turning up here at 5am.A mad time but bearing in mind by the late time the gig finished and we got to the car and back into the West End it was after 3am anyway.At 3.15am we had a coffee and snack first.
We were at the club from 4am to 5.30am.A tiny private members club that has plenty of history over the years.
It is situated just off Jermyn Street.
It is tiny with maybe space for 50 on ground level and another 50 in the basement dancefloor area.
Bearing in mind i saw Guns And Roses play a secret gig a few years ago that started at 4.15am anything can happen at their aftershow events.
More than half the folks here are the clubs regulars so its not exclusive for Axl.We are easily the two oldest
and before we know it everyone are asking us "is Axl on his way" or "is Izzy gonna be coming with Dizzy".We now start behaving as part of Axls team for a bit of fun and it works a treat.We are told there is a vip area called "The Jimi Hendrix room".You can only get into via the cloakroom and past a security guy.We explain we are with Axl and want a peek.There is a dozen folks in there who have booked it but they agree to let us in.Everyone is smoking and there are a couple of guitars in the corner.Interesting.We have a drink then pop out into the main area.The place is now pretty packed.The dj is playing rock and pop and disco.
At 4.50am Axl still in cowboy hat turns up wih a couple of guys and half a dozen female model types.He goes to his table downstairs then sips a drink and then he leaves with his posse following him out just ten minutes later.Axl has left the building.
We stay for another 30 mins and when we leave the club it is daylight.Like i said it was a bit of a mad one.
The Scotch of St James club was a popular meeting place for musicians and bands in the 1960s. Paul McCartney frequently visited it, as well as bands like The Moody Blues.
The Club was also the first place where Jimi Hendrix played in England on September 24, 1966, when he joined for some blues standards with the house formula 7 band. On 19 October, 1966 the Jimi Hendrix Experience played their first UK gig as a private showcase at Scotch of St James. The Beatles (and many other rock stars) hung out here and had their own table.



26 May 2012.11pm to 1am.Judas Priest live at Hammersmith Apollo,London.
Aftershow was in the circle bar for maybe 70 people.As it was the last night of the year long world tour you would think Sony or Live Nation would splash the cash but nope its a pay bar.
We have a dj here.Eventually we get three members of Judas Priest but not Rob Halford who stays in the dressing room area.We get two members from the support band Saxon including Biff Byford.
It was pretty tame here.Should have been better.


14 May 2012.10th Anniversary show of The Queen musical "We Will Rock You" at The Dominion Theatre,London.
The afterparty was held in the venue from 10.45pm to 2am.Loads of well known faces here and a big event as over 500 here at the party that is held in four different parts of the venue.We get in to the main basement VIP bar for an hour of freebie champers and cocktails.Only 50 people here but half are well known faces.This bar closes after an hour and we are moved into the general party area upstairs for freebie beers and wines and lots of nice bowl food including Green Thai Chicken Curry and Paella.
There was a covers band in one room and a dj in another.No sign of Robert Di Nero9he was on stage earlier as he is one of the producers) but there was Brian May,Roger Taylor,Ben Elton,Freddie Mercurys mum,Jim Beach(Queen manager),Anita Dobson,Sam Fox,Jilly Johnson,Nick Mason,Mike Rutherford,Nancy Dell'Olio,Chris Tarrant,Lenny Henry,Bill Oddie,Neil Murray,Pat Cash,Martin Kemp,Arlene Phillips,Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber,David Baddiel,Emma Thompson,Russell Kane,Roger Powell with his wife Babs who was in Pans People,Tim Minchin,Aldo Zilli,Rufus Hound,Kerry Ellis and no doubt a few more.
A couple of rare surprises too as i had a nice chat with the very hot new street artist Stik.
Check out his website www.stik.org.uk
Also Mark Shaw from Then Jerico was here.They had a couple of great singles over 20 years ago.
Overall a totally excellent evening.



28 April 2012.10.45pm to 11.45pm.Placebo live at Indigo,London.
There was actually two aftershows for this gig.None had free booze though.
First was in the balcony bar of the venue.
Legendary booking agent Rod MacSween was here.He told me a couple of exclusive gig news info
but cannot mention them until they come out officially.
Needless to say keep your eyes peeled over the next week or two.
We were only here for 30 mins then the bar closed.
We then moved over the road to the Alphabet Bar.
A bigger crowd here as some had gone here straight after the gig.
I had a nice chat with Placebo's drummer Steve Forrest but not sure if
Brian Molko or Stefan turned up later as i had to leave for my last tube connections back to West London.



03 April 2012.10.40pm to midnight.Kylie Minogue live at Hammersmith Apollo,London.
Afterparty upstairs in the vip bar and the circle bar.A bit odd that as usually it is one or the other and not both.Maybe it is because there is over 200 people here with maybe 50 in the vip bar and 150 in the bigger bar.
Pete Waterman,Boy George and Will Young are here.All of Kylies band and backing singers are here.
No free drinks here.A bit of a surprise it is a pay bar but even Kylie has to watch the pennies i suppose.The gig tickets were £79 so i would have thought there was enough cash made on the gig for a free bar.Kylie appears in the vip room and stays for around 10 mins saying quick hellos before going back to the dressing room area.


02 April 2012.Buddy Rich 25th Anniversary Memorial Concert At The Palladium,London.
Aftershow party in the ground floor bar for around 100 people for an hour after the show.
Freebie beers and wines for all here.
The hosts actor/comedian John Thompson and Cathy Rich are here.As are all of The Buddy Rich Big Band and drummers like Clem Cattini(top UK session drummer),John Blackwell(Prince),Gavin Harrison(Porcupine Tree) and Dave Wecki(top American session drummer) who all played tonight.
Sadly the main three i wanted to see here from the tonights show Bruce Dickinson,Ginger Baker and Ian Paice did not attend here.


21 Feb 2012.10.30pm to 1am.BRIT Awards Official Afterparty at The 02 Arena,London.
Wristband required for the big crowd of over 2000 here in this supertent within the venues complex.Very crowded for the first hour as usual.The theme is "All The Fun Of The Fair" so i had a go on the dodgems before it got busy.There was a big slide,trapeze acts,dancefloor and various sideshows like "The Performing Flea Circus" which was good fun and the "Rest In Peace" wagon where they took a photo of you lying dead in a coffin.
One of my wristbands was valid for the free booze in the corner but for most of the crowd it was a pay bar.They were giving out free crepes too.None of the artists turn up here as they would get pestered too much so they head into one of the record company afterparties back in Central London.Overall an enjoyable night.



12 Dec 2011.Duran Duran live at The 02 Arena,London.
Duran Duran always have a decent afterparty when they play their London show.
The afterparty for this gig was at Alphabet from 11.15pm to 1.30am.Alphabet is one of the venues within the 02 complex that is being used more and more for band aftershow parties.A big crowd here of over 300 made up of those that paid for hospitality packages and guests of the band.A choice of four freebie different cocktails going along with beers.Dj keeping it lively.All the band turn up one by one.I always mention Neurotic Outsiders to John Taylor when i chat to him(a band he was in with Sex Pistol Steve Jones who made one great album and only played a few shows way back in 1996).
"any chance of a second album " i ask.John says "I kinda doubt it but the first one was good fun to make".Mark Ronson also turned up.
Also rock n roll jeweller Stephen Webster and BBC tv science expert Brian Cox.Also here was top chef Heston Blumenthal who was in the news over the weekend as this mad item came out.
His £14.99 Waitrose Orange Filled Christmas Puddings have all sold out and they are going for up to £200 on ebay.
A great party.

23 Nov 2011.11.30pm to 1.45am was the afterparty for The Prince's Trust "Rock Gala" at The Baglioni Hotel, Kensington,London SW7.The venue was just a few mins walk from the Royal Albert Hall where the gig was held.
A big crowd of some 250 people with a mix of those who paid for the hospitality package and others who were part or guests of the event.Lots of freebie champers,cocktails,beers and wines flowing all night as well as hot and cold food.Dj played all 80s hits for an hour then played current club tunes.Those here included Mark King and Joss Stone who both are really enjoying it mingling and chatting with everyone until the very end.Julian Lennon is here.I ask "why the lack of live UK shows over the last decade?".He says "I am focusing on photography these days".Others here included Nik Kershaw,Midge Ure,Tim Minchin and The Feeling.Also Kenney Jones was here.A great party.



12 Oct 2011.Stiff Little Fingers live at Sub 89,Reading.Unless it is a hometown show aftershow events are usually a lot quieter in the shows outside London.
So here we are just a dozen of us in the SLF dressing room for a couple of beers after the show.The band are super friendly as usual.Three of them still live in America.


03 Oct 2011.9.30pm to 11pm.Tony Bennett live at The London Palladium.
Just like The Royal Albert show i saw a few years ago the gig is all over at 9.30pm so the afterparty in the ground floor bar starts early.A great mix of folks here inc my old chums Noel Fielding and Michael Fielding from The Mighty Boosh.Also Adam Ant,Mitch Winehouse,Sir Peter Blake,Christopher Biggins,Moira Stuart and Edwina Currie.
Tony Bennett arrived in the room to a huge round of applause and shook some hands.
Free lagers and wines for all.A good party.





18 Sept 2011.Brian Wilson live at The Royal Festival Hall,London.Aftershow party upstairs in the 5th floor function room.About 100 people here with a mix of invited guests and those who paid for a meet and greet hospitality package.Brian and all the band very friendly signing stuff and posing for photos.Free beer and wine for all.

12 Sept 2011.Lenny Kravitz live at The Box,Soho,London.
The comp winners were ushered out of the building and the vips and guests went to the upstairs bar area.Free cocktails and a dj giving it a lively feel.Lenny Kravitz turned up for ten mins with Gwyneth Paltrow.A good one.