by david dunn MusicWRiTER Jenkins...An Alibi, Jailbreak and The Boys Are Back In Town, not least...
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20 The Star,Thursday, December 29, 2011 www.thestar.co.uk MUSIC TIMEOUT CHECK out Shef- field band Blue Lip Feel’s “long-awaited” EP Shallow Getaway – available now on iTunes via http:// itunes.apple.com/gb/ artist/blue-lip-feel/ id488707115 HOTNEWS More than Lip service NEXT Wednesday is the 26th anniversary of the death of one of rock’s most enigmatic showmen. Phil Lynott died aged 36 and, with legendary guitarist and fellow former Thin Lizzy member Gary Moore also playing his last chord this past year, it is perhaps more significant some of their one- time brothers in arms keep the memory – and the music – alive with a new tour. It is now several years since fellow founder Scott Gorham first re-activated the Thin Lizzy name with latter- day guitarist John Sykes on vocals (until 2009). Even now Scott remains surprised at how well the band has fared without its original iconic frontman – testament to a legacy of great songs. These days The Almighty’s Ricky Warwick capably fills the vocalist position while past members Brian Downey and Renegade-era keyboard player Darren Wharton back him up. Alice Cooper’s Damon Johnson is the latest recruit while bassist Marco Mendoza cites Whitesnake and Ted Nugent on his CV. The new line-up flourished at 2011’s Download ahead of the release of Lizzy’s original At The BBC recordings in October. Scott is full of praise for Ricky to the extent there’s talk of penning new songs. “He’s everything I thought he was going to be in Thin Lizzy, and then he goes and adds even more,” says the Les Paul legend. “He and I have been talking about writing.” The tour that returns them to Sheffield City Hall on January 29 coincides with the 2012 reissue of classic Lizzy albums Black Rose, Bad Reputation and Chinatown. A couple of very convinc- ing tribute bands still serve up the likes of Waiting For An Alibi, Jailbreak and The Boys Are Back In Town, not least Limehouse Lizzy, but this is as close as you’re go- ing to come to the real thing. Lynott’s Lizzy legacy lives in 2012 by DAVID DUNN Music Writer Line-up: Thin Lizzy THERE’S not many singing stars who can claim to have saved the planet. So even now Welsh song- stress Katherine Jenkins gets recognised by Dr Who fans – even if many have no idea of her name. “You’ve got to push your boundaries,” she says when asked why she agreed to star in last years Christmas spe- cial edition of the sci-fi show. “Dr Who, acting for the first time, I was really in two minds as to whether I should do it because I didn’t know if I could. “I thought ‘this might be uncomfortable for you, horrible because you’re so nervous, but try it’. “I’m so glad I did because having done that I might do more of it – only if it was the right project, something musical again.” Certainly her role as Abigail Pettigrew introduced the pretty mezzo-soprano to a young audience who may have heard but not seen Kath- erine before. “Part of the reason why I did it, I thought ‘One day I can tell the grandchildren I was in Dr Who and I saved the world with my singing.’ “I remember reading the script thinking ‘This is bril- liant, singing saves the day’. “It is quite funny now how I might be walking down the street and kids will say ‘There’s that girl from Dr Who’. Not my name, just there’s that girl.” Then Katherine Jenkins seems keen to try her hand at a lot more than the classical crossover cocktail that has made her rich and famous. Intent on spreading her musical wings, across seven albums and five million sales she has embraced high opera through to pop and rich bal- ladry in between. With latest record Day- dream she began to find middle ground again and it brings her back to Sheffield City Hall on January 22 on a tour that restores an intimate element to her concert antics. “It feels like a bit of a homecoming, this tour,” she says. “It’s always nice to go out and try new things and experiment, but it’s also nice to come back to what you know and I’ve got such great memories of doing tours like this. “They are really beautiful venues, lovely places to sing. And I often get people saying to me, ‘We love the shows in arenas, but it’s really nice seeing you in smaller ven- ues’. I listened to that.” Then Daydream bet- ter lends itself to smaller surroundings two years on from Believe, the record that saw her change course with David Foster, a producer who worked wonders with Be- yonce, Madonna and Prince. “The last album was big and dramatic and quite poppy, more of a commercial album. I wanted that tour to reflect that, which is why I did an arenas and this big spectacle. “This album is more of a return to classical roots but with everything I learned from David and being on my travels. It was done in a more contemporary way, but it’s a very intimate album, a very dreamy album, so I wanted the tour to reflect that. I wanted a more close and personal setting.” Believe may have broken away from the former teach- er’s classical beginnings, but it widened Katherine’s appeal and led to her breaking into new territories. “I don’t think I was doing it consciously to make myself available to more people, it was just for me it makes it really interesting. “But I feel like I’ve been everywhere in the last two years. One really good mem- ory was Argentina. I went worried, thinking ‘Who is go- ing to know me in Argentina? Who is going to turn up? This will be pretty embarrassing’. But I got there to thousands of people. by DAVID DUNN MUSIC WRITER Who the Jenkins is that girl? ‘‘ ‘‘ It feels like a bit of a homecoming, this tour
Transcript of by david dunn MusicWRiTER Jenkins...An Alibi, Jailbreak and The Boys Are Back In Town, not least...
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20 The Star,Thursday, December 29, 2011 www.thestar.co.uk
mu
sic
TimEOuT
CHECK out Shef-field band Blue LipFeel’s “long-awaited”EP Shallow Getaway– available now oniTunes via http://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/blue-lip-feel/id488707115
hOTnews
More thanLip service
NEXT Wednesday is the 26thanniversary of the death ofone of rock’s most enigmaticshowmen.
Phil Lynott died aged 36and, with legendary guitaristand fellow former Thin Lizzymember Gary Moore alsoplaying his last chord thispast year, it is perhaps moresignificant some of their one-time brothers in arms keepthe memory – and the music– alive with a new tour.
It is now several yearssince fellow founder ScottGorham first re-activated theThin Lizzy name with latter-
day guitarist John Sykes onvocals (until 2009).
Even now Scott remainssurprised at how well theband has fared without itsoriginal iconic frontman– testament to a legacy ofgreat songs.
These days The Almighty’sRicky Warwick capably fillsthe vocalist position whilepast members Brian Downeyand Renegade-era keyboardplayer Darren Wharton
back him up. Alice Cooper’sDamon Johnson is the latestrecruit while bassist MarcoMendoza cites Whitesnakeand Ted Nugent on his CV.
The new line-up flourishedat 2011’s Download ahead of
the release of Lizzy’s originalAt The BBC recordings inOctober. Scott is full of praisefor Ricky to the extent there’stalk of penning new songs.
“He’s everything I thoughthe was going to be in Thin
Lizzy, and then he goes andadds even more,” says the LesPaul legend. “He and I havebeen talking about writing.”
The tour that returns themto Sheffield City Hall onJanuary 29 coincides withthe 2012 reissue of classicLizzy albums Black Rose, BadReputation and Chinatown.
A couple of very convinc-ing tribute bands still serveup the likes of Waiting ForAn Alibi, Jailbreak and TheBoys Are Back In Town, notleast Limehouse Lizzy, butthis is as close as you’re go-ing to come to the real thing.
Lynott’s Lizzy legacy lives in 2012by david dunn
Music Writer
Line-up: Thin Lizzy
THERE’S not many singingstars who can claim to havesaved the planet.
So even now Welsh song-stress Katherine Jenkins getsrecognised by Dr Who fans– even if many have no ideaof her name.
“You’ve got to push yourboundaries,” she says whenasked why she agreed to starin last years Christmas spe-cial edition of the sci-fi show.
“Dr Who, acting for thefirst time, I was really in twominds as to whether I shoulddo it because I didn’t know ifI could.
“I thought ‘this mightbe uncomfortable for you,horrible because you’re sonervous, but try it’.
“I’m so glad I did becausehaving done that I mightdo more of it – only if it wasthe right project, somethingmusical again.”
Certainly her role asAbigail Pettigrew introducedthe pretty mezzo-soprano toa young audience who mayhave heard but not seen Kath-erine before.
“Part of the reason why Idid it, I thought ‘One day I
can tell the grandchildren Iwas in Dr Who and I savedthe world with my singing.’
“I remember reading thescript thinking ‘This is bril-liant, singing saves the day’.
“It is quite funny now howI might be walking downthe street and kids will say‘There’s that girl from DrWho’. Not my name, justthere’s that girl.”
Then Katherine Jenkinsseems keen to try her hand ata lot more than the classicalcrossover cocktail that hasmade her rich and famous.
Intent on spreading hermusical wings, across sevenalbums and five million salesshe has embraced high operathrough to pop and rich bal-ladry in between.
With latest record Day-dream she began to findmiddle ground again and it
brings her back to SheffieldCity Hall on January 22 on atour that restores an intimateelement to her concert antics.
“It feels like a bit of ahomecoming, this tour,” shesays.
“It’s always nice to goout and try new things andexperiment, but it’s also niceto come back to what youknow and I’ve got such greatmemories of doing tours likethis.
“They are really beautifulvenues, lovely places to sing.And I often get people saying
to me, ‘We love the shows inarenas, but it’s really niceseeing you in smaller ven-ues’. I listened to that.”
Then Daydream bet-ter lends itself to smallersurroundings two years onfrom Believe, the record thatsaw her change course withDavid Foster, a producer whoworked wonders with Be-yonce, Madonna and Prince.
“The last album was bigand dramatic and quitepoppy, more of a commercialalbum. I wanted that tour toreflect that, which is why I
did an arenas and this bigspectacle.
“This album is more of areturn to classical roots butwith everything I learnedfrom David and being on mytravels. It was done in a morecontemporary way, but it’s avery intimate album, a verydreamy album, so I wantedthe tour to reflect that. Iwanted a more close andpersonal setting.”
Believe may have brokenaway from the former teach-er’s classical beginnings, butit widened Katherine’s appeal
and led to her breaking intonew territories.
“I don’t think I was doingit consciously to make myselfavailable to more people, itwas just for me it makes itreally interesting.
“But I feel like I’ve beeneverywhere in the last twoyears. One really good mem-ory was Argentina. I wentworried, thinking ‘Who is go-ing to know me in Argentina?Who is going to turn up? Thiswill be pretty embarrassing’.But I got there to thousandsof people.
by david dunnMusic WRiTER
Who theJenkinsis thatgirl?
‘‘ ‘‘It feels like a bitof a homecoming,this tour
