CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH WHERE AND WHEN? Edinburgh Castle. 11 Jul. WHAT? Laurel Canyon's own godfathers of protest song. veteran hippies and good vibesmen. SPECIAL GUESTS Aren't the three of these guys enough? Probably. but TBC still.
HITS? A bellyful of tremendous tunes: ‘Woodstock'. Marrakesh Express'. ‘Teach Your Children. ‘Dark Star', ‘Helpless'. 'Ohio'. ‘Judy Blue Eyes'. ‘Almost Cut My Hair' and ‘Our House' are enough to being getting along with for now. no? LAST VISIT? Stephen Stills was here solo last November. but it's been almost four years since their last show at the Edinburgh Playhouse. WHAT KIND OF SPECTACLE SHOULD WE EXPECT? Less of a spectacle. more of what they used to call a 'happening'. Even without Neil Young. this is pretty special.
THE X FACTOR? The moment those three voices blend in perfect harmony.
STADIUM ROCKING-HESS Gently. but deliberately. 7
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. ..- ‘ov‘
WHERE AND WHEN? Hampden Park,
. Glasgow. 18 Aug.
WHAT? The daddies of them all parade the highlights from No Line on the Horizon. SPECIAL GUESTS Glasvegas.
HITS? Fourteen albums of them mate. Where do you wanna start?
LAST VISIT? They played this very stadium in June 2005.
WHAT KIND OF SPECTACLE SHOULD WE EXPECT? Now this is where things get interesting: they've developed a huge spider-like construction to play under in the round where no one gets an obstructed view. Looks a bit Tim Burton but should be amazing.
THE X FACTOR? He may be a bit of a diddy but on a good day Bono can make you shiver when those notes are hit: see ‘One'. ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday' and ‘With or Without You'.
STADIUM ROCKING-NESS DeSpite the new
album.
WHERE AND WHEN? Hampden Park, Glasgow. 14 Jul.
WHAT? The prince of the blue collar workers bathes in post-Obama victory/Super Bowl/Glastonbury headliner glow.
SPECIAL GUESTS TBC but we're hoping for fellow Jersey boys The Gaslight Anthem.
HITS? Don’t go expecting ‘Born in the USA' and ‘Dancing in the Dark' all night. the Boss trawls through his stout back catalogue throwing out all sorts of fanboy surprises. Luckily ‘Born to Run' seems obligatory in his mammoth sets.
LAST VISIT? Its been a while: Edinburgh Playhouse. March 1996.
WHAT KIND OF SPECTACLE SHOULD WE EXPECT? Epic. overwrought. charismatic. THE X FACTOR? Springsteen finds the magic in little things and makes sense of them on a big scale and the E Street Band are musical demons. STADIUM ROCKING-NESS He‘s called the Boss for a reason.
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DURAN DURAN WHERE AND WHEN? Edinburgh Castle. 10 Jun. WHAT? The kings of 80s pop show off like the Burmmie peacocks we know and love. SPECIAL GUESTS? Florence and the Machine. HITS? The irresistible attraction of “The Reflex'. 'Save a Prayer', 'Girls on Film' and 'Wild Boys' is just too much to bear. And there's more where they came from.
LAST VISIT? 2005. when they played the SECC.
WHAT KIND OF SPECTACLE SHOULD WE EXPECT? Unafraid to experiment. they've been known to throw in a mid-show electro set of bleepy interpretations of their hits as part of the whole future/retro extravaganza.
THE X FACTOR? They may be looking like they'd capsize the Rio if they all tried to clamber on these days but Simon Le Bon still has the reguisite pipes to make the big numbers shine. STADIUM ROCKING-NESS Proof that pop isn't always a panto. 8
WH Glasgow. 16 Sep.
WHAT? The globe-straddling. epic pop colossus touches down momentarily en Ecosse. SPECIAL GUESTS? Top this one: Jay-Z! HITS? ‘Yellow'. ‘Clocks'. Speed of Sound', and ‘The Scientist' still raise the hairs on the back of the neck when required.
9 LAST VISIT? The first leg of the Viva la Vida tOur: SECC. December, 2008.
WHAT KIND OF SPECTACLE SHOULD WE EXPECT? Aside from the Jigga man blowing Martin and co off the stage? The drums and army fatigues of Viva La Vida made flesh: a US civil war f- battle . . . with a piano in the middle. Gwyneth Paltrow doing cartwheels? Perhaps not.
f THE X FACTOR? Chris Martin shares Bono's
: fondness for the grandiose statement and when it : hits the spot, he's good.
STADIUM ROCKING-HESS Always big and often beautiful too. ‘7‘
STADIUM GIGS
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WHERE AND WHEN? Edinburgh Castle.
18 Jul. ‘
WHAT? After a few albums in the wilderness Scotland‘s own global anthem suppliers are
back on form. SPECIAL GUESTS TBC. HITS? Skipping over the U2 wannabe moments in the early-90$. there's plenty to choose from. A typical 24-song set throws out everything from “New Gold Dream' to ‘Don't You (Forget About Me)‘. At least half the set is unbeatable hits. LAST VISIT? December 2008 at the SECC. WHAT KIND OF SPECTACLE SHOULD WE EXPECT? The archetypal rock show: in particular. a quality frontman. THE X FACTOR? The combination of home crowd. bloody big castle and chorsues to match should make this a suitably poignant night. STADIUM ROCKING-HESS Local boys made
good,;
§?i§§ E AND WHEN? Hampden Park,
1 1-25 Jun 2009 THE LIST 29