D Friday, January 22, 2010 metrolife 15 MUSICAL REVIEW We Will Rock You TV Pick Of The Day Popstar To Operastar UTV, 9pm Poor Alex James got booted off the show (presented by Alan Titchmarsh and Myleene Klass, pictured) after his unorthodox Rossini performance, but theres still plenty here to entertain in this operatic celebrity sing-off: Dariuss ego (yes, hes still around and just as smug) and former Shakespears Sister Marcella Detroit, impressive as much for defying her 50th year as her glass-breaking soprano. Shame, though, that the weakest link is also the hottest contender McFlys Danny Jones who, despite not knowing his arias from his elbow, has a legion of fans that would cheer if he so much as burped. Lucy White According to her website, the alarmingly talented artist refuses to conform to the system. So challenging Big Brothers hegemony, not a fat pay cheque, was what motivated her to submit to ritual TV humiliation? Just about remembered for 2006 track Love Me Or Hate Me and with seven out of ten viewers preferring a dim Wag to this not-so-bright spark, the verdict is in the purple-haired pop footnote bleats about how she was bullied into making myself look absolutely horrible. Huh? Stroppy like Harry Enfields Kevin The Teenager, with a wardrobe to match, she managed that all on her lonesome. If youre hard-core enough to handle the male-dominated grime scene, wussy tormentor Dane Bowers should be a breeze, so spare us the Sov story, lady! Keith Barker-Main PLANET CELEB Welcome to the world of... Lady Sovereign CLUBS Marcel Dettmann / The Field / Kode 9 rocks If its possible to pinpoint one distinct narrative in electronic music over the past few years it has been the steady rise of Berlins Berghain club. The cavernous, debauched venue, where Marcel Dettmann (pictured) is one of the resident DJs and associated Ostgut label have been at the forefront of propagating a classic style of techno thats clearly influenced by Detroit and Chicago innovations, but delivered with a modern twist. Dettmanns own techno credentials are impeccable: a stint behind the counter in the German capitals legendary Hardwax record store as well as his marathon sets at Berghain have contributed to the stark, functional yet utterly compelling tracks he plays and produces. Tomorrow, Pogo, Twisted Pepper, Middle Abbey Street D1, 9pm, 8 to 10. Even the most adventurous gambler would have doubted that 1980s shoegaze indie music could have an impact on contemporary music, but thats exactly what happened back in 2007 when The Fields debut album, From Here We Go Sublime, appeared. Thankfully, Swedish producer Alex Willner didnt attempt to single-handedly replicate Rides ocean of sound, but instead married the droning textures to the irresistible techno pop shuffle common to Kompakt, the German label that released the album. Since then, Willner has toured the world, produced an equally impressive second album, 2009s Yesterday And Today, and, as this late night gig demonstrates, has made the transition from dreamy live act to full on club headliner. Tonight, TriPod, Harcourt Street D2, 11pm, 20. The old guard hook up with one of electronic musics most promising new names to provide a stellar line-up for Reachs third birthday. With a string of releases on the respected Hyperdub label, Steve Goodmann aka Kode 9 embodies the new wave of bass music coming from the UK. However, Goodman started DJing back in 1990 and was inspired by jungle and hardcore. Its not unreasonable to posit that at some stage, he danced the night away to Kenny Ken and Randall, who also appear tonight. Among the first DJs to pioneer jungle and then drumnbass, Kenny was a resident at seminal London night AWOL, while Randalls distinctive skills helped to popularise the art of playing sped-up break beats. Dont miss this celebration of the old and the new tonight. Tonight, Reach, Twisted Pepper, Middle Abbey Street D1, 11pm, 8 to 12. Richard Brophy The technical hitches that beset the opening night of Ben Eltons futuristic show featuring the music of Queen didnt seem to dampen spirits in the 02; in fact, the atmosphere was so charged before the curtain even rose I had to double-check my programme to ensure Freddie Mercury hadnt been resurrected for the evenings performance. No such luck. Ben Eltons script clearly dashed off on the back of a beer-mat after a particularly boozy night down the local involves a dystopic future where rock music has been outlawed, society homogenised and computer-generated pop is the order of the day. But a group of grungy subversives known as the Bohemians are intent on challenging the system and rediscovering rocknroll. We Will Rock You certainly has the wow factor in terms of spectacle: the choreography is slick, the set pieces impressive and the cast well able to hit the high notes. But the plotting is creaky and the jokes only work if, for instance, you think it funny that scaramouch sounds vaguely like scary bush (fnar, fnar); or are the type of person to keel over with giggles at the fact someone would reply to a question with a Britney Spears lyric. Theres also something odd about a show that takes several swipes at manufactured pop while looking like an extended episode of The X Factor in fact, had the plot been excised in favour of a straight-up concert this might have earned an extra star. This kitsch, camp panto might be Eltons idea of a homage but you cant help thinking hed have saved an awful lot of time by simply grating some cheese over Freddies grave. Daragh Reddin Until Jan 31, The O2, East Link Bridge, North Wall Quay D1, 7.30pm, 40 to 55 (Sat mat 2.30pm, Sun 2pm). Tel: 0818 719 300. www.wewillrockyou.co.uk assassins. As a street orphan, he underwent a torture-form version of The Karate Kid training to join an ancient clan of killers secretly hired by governments to bump off trouble-makers. Cut to Berlin (?!) where sexy Europol agent Mika (Naomie Harris, the best thing here) has stumbled across the suspicious money/murder trail left by said assassin-for-hire practice and is determined to uncover The Truth. Produced by The Wachowski Brothers (The Matrix), yet shot like a bad episode of Spooks with its scenes set on random shuffle, the plot of this global pudding is utterly incomprehensible, the dialogue the worst kind of chopsocky silliness. The best that can be said is it sporadically delivers on the stylish slicensplatter front. However, as Rain fought his way through yet another who/what/why? fight scene, I was distracted by my own relentless struggle to keep my eyes open. LI-Z Also Opening This Week: Burlesque Undressed (15A): Already slightly dated, amateurish doc on the ever-growing showgirl phenomenon, narrated by sex-sational British bombshell Immodesty Blaize. Frustratingly scanty on in-depth content such as changing sexual politics, its still a titillating peek into the sequin-spangled history of those curvaceous ladies from the 18th century to today, who turned twirling tassels on their ta-tas into a dubious art form. Toy Story 2 3D (G): Currently unavailable to buy thanks to Disneys limited release policy, this is a rare chance to catch the continued, hilarious, adventures of Buzz, Woody and the gang before the release of Toy Story 3 this July. The new 3D enhancement actually adds little to these already remarkably well-rounded animated characters; while the Jessie the Cowgirl abandoned by her owner sequence is an adult tear-jerker to rival Up. Even better than Toy Story? The debate rages on. LI-Z index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html