reviews
theartsdesk |

We are bowled over! 

We knew that theartsdesk.com had plenty of supporters out there – we’ve always had a loyal readership of arts lovers and professionals alike – but the response to our appeal to help us relaunch and reboot has been something else.

Kieron Tyler |

“My Ice Queen” immediately makes its case. A mid-to-low tempo chugging rhythm underpins choppy guitar, a contemplative, distant vocal and a general air of disassociation. Brief sections of the song feature – albeit muted – guitar mangling and feedback. The lyrics tell of a “heartbreak machine, coolest girl you’ve ever seen.” Icy? Absolutely.

Then take the similarly restrained “Life Goes on,” so hazy a rumination it seems to have materialised from the mists enveloping Venus.

Nick Hasted
Charli xcx’s cinema blitz includes seven acting roles and Wuthering Heights’ soundtrack, reinforcing her cultural ubiquity since 2024’s Brat summer.…
Aleks Sierz
Okay, theatre is all about acting, but then so is most porn. Except for amateur stuff. Sort of. And then there is AI, deep fakes and digital…
Thomas H. Green
Image By the time Marina Diamandis reaches “Cuntissimo”, Birmingham’s O2 Academy is a sing-along…

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

David Nice
'Santtu' clearly loves 'Symphonia Domestica', the composer's family mock-epic
David Nice
Mozart with other-worldly refinement, focused passion in Brahms
Bernard Hughes
This not-a-biography of the 80s pop icon feels like an overextended magazine feature
Demetrios Matheou
Fictionalised account of Keith Jarrett’s iconic concert feels as improvised as its subject
Rachel Halliburton
The OIivier is exploited to its full epic potential in scenes of war and redemption
David Nice
The Norwegian soprano has arrived as a great recitalist in partnership with a vivid pianist
Sebastian Scotney
A jazz supergroup on hallowed ground in Burgundy
Helen Hawkins
The latest tranche of Korean contemporary dance offered a mesmerising instant classic
David Nice
Not a huge number of laughs, but plenty of vocal charm from tenor and soprano
Guy Oddy
Robin Dallaway’s crew return to the stage after a 40-year break
David Nice
Niamh O'Sullivan is the perfect Knight of the Rose in classy revival
Adam Sweeting
Friendships tested to destruction in Catherine Shepherd's satirical drama
Jonathan Geddes
The Manchester foursome's post-punk and garage rock remains danceable and rousing.
Bernard Hughes
40th anniversary event overcomes disruption with exquisite music-making
Kieron Tyler
Firm candidate for one of the year’s most notable archive releases
Boyd Tonkin
High farce and explosive feeling collide in a Fifties Neapolitan romp
Gary Naylor
Just too geared to a multiplex audience to succeed as it could on stage
Bernard Hughes
Veteran American singer in fine voice, complemented by characterful accordion
Helen Hawkins
Peter Schaffer's 1965 hit is still the perfect vehicle for premium physical comedy
James Saynor
When Lucian Freud and Kate Moss brushed up against each other
Robert Beale
Luxurious sonic experience and tonal beauties in a moving Mahler 6
Rachel Halliburton
Alexander Zeldin's play is a deeply moving meditation on mortality
Gary Naylor
YA genre show needs more pace and character development to realise its potential
David Nice
Quality in spades on a modest budget

the future of arts journalism

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing! 

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

latest in today

We are bowled over! We knew that theartsdesk.com had plenty of supporters out there – we’ve always had a loyal readership of arts…
“My Ice Queen” immediately makes its case. A mid-to-low tempo chugging rhythm underpins choppy guitar, a contemplative, distant vocal and a…
Charli xcx’s cinema blitz includes seven acting roles and Wuthering Heights’ soundtrack, reinforcing her cultural ubiquity since 2024’s…
I watched a video online recently of a three-year-old girl being quizzed with questions about her mom (adorable). It was a Mother’s Day…
Carl Nielsen: The Ultimate Solo Piano Collection Rikke Sandberg (OUR Recordings) Image…
Okay, theatre is all about acting, but then so is most porn. Except for amateur stuff. Sort of. And then there is AI, deep fakes and…
Back when One Direction alumnus Niall Horan released his second album, Heartbreak Weather, in 2020, songs such as “Nice to Meet Ya”, “Arms…
Image By the time Marina Diamandis reaches “Cuntissimo”, Birmingham’s O2 Academy is a…
Richard Strauss, who conducted this orchestra and programme to an audience of 7000 in the Royal Albert Hall on 19 October 1947 aged 83,…
Lizzo used to be fun. For a long time, the now 38-year-old singer-songwriter emitted a vibrant energy but that has lately seeped out of her…