Entertainment

Singer-songwriter Hero Fisher is back with the new track 'Lonely'. The British-born, French-raised and London-based artist has collaborated with Alison Mosshart and Boy George in the past, with her 2015 debut album winning her fans in The Horrors and Blur. Fisher’s new song ‘Lonely’ is a masterclass in reinvention. Rich in ambience and with a slow crawling beat, her subtle and tender vocal performance evokes a deep sense of isolation amidst the cluttered mysteries of daily life. Drums, pianos and synths all...

Hammersmith Apollo has seen many great performances in its time, but on Saturday the venue was tinged in sadness as the final ever performance by Wild Beasts took place. The four-piece band from Cumbria announced last September that their decade long adventure was coming to an end. While the reason behind the split was hidden behind a veil of abstract quotes from the band members, it was clear that the shouts from the crowd to ‘stay together’ were falling on...

A musical adaption of George Bizet's Carmen has started a run at Union Theatre. The production will showcase Bizet’s unforgettable tunes re-conceived as musical theatre, stirringly bringing to life the story of a dangerous, seductive Spanish heroine recklessly playing with her fate and that of her lovers at a time of civil unrest and political uncertainty. Described as an "easily accessible, invigoratingly fresh look" at one the "most familiar, beloved and popular operas ever written", the show tells the story of...

A rare "sex manual" from 1720 revealing the most bizarre beliefs of Georgian England has been unearthed and could fetch hundreds of pounds at auction. The 300-year-old book offers a fascinating insight into attitudes towards sex at a time in Britain when witches were still burnt at the stake. They include weird tips to help women avoid giving birth to children "with a hairy lip, wry mouth or great blubber-lips". It also advises men to eat meat, blackbirds and sparrows...

Controversial comedian Jim Davidson was yesterday (mon) branded a "diva" and "bit of a d**head" after he got into a spat with bar staff before a show. The 64-year-old winner of Celebrity Big Brother 2014 was accused of sexism after ranting at a female member of bar staff who didn't let him bring his beer glass on-stage. He came under fire after branding the seaside town of Cromer, Norfolk, as "hell" and bragging of being paid £15k for the show...

Alan Partridge is set to return to BBC One, a quarter of a century after the Steve Coogan character’s BBC debut. Filming has begun today on the new half hour show. The BBC have released details of the new show - “a heady mix of consumer affairs, current affairs, viewer interaction, highbrow interview and lightweight froth, ”which will see Partridge “finally recognised as one of the heavyweight broadcasters of his era.” The weekday evening show This Time,  will be Alan’s...

TLE have had ears on Rolo Tomassi's upcoming album, the cheerily-titled Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It, and to say we're impressed with what's coming our way is an understatement. For listeners who might have felt a little put off by the band's penchant for bewildering time signatures and throat-shredding vocals, allow latest single 'Aftermath' to entice you back into the fray. The band have just released the video for the track, which is the second single to be...

Old certainties die and new ones rise as sure as the sun. Stories with their truths embellished are told to maintain a sense of control, even as the sheep farming family in Simon Longman’s sparse piece realises that their fate might be out of their hands. As two sisters, Becky and Anna, eek out a living hustling ewes on hills that seem far away at the top of all England, a stranger, Guy, as gentle as the sisters are rough...

January is typically a bit of a dead zone for releases - not so in 2018. Who could have seen this lot coming? First off, The Breeders are back and sounding just wonderful with that inimitable Kim Deal drawl. Jay Som, who released probably our favourite album of 2017 in Everybody Works, has been back to the bedroom to work on some new tunes, which we'll be keeping an eagle-eye out for. And Justin Timberlake released an absolute banger -...